prince ats textreme tour 100p review

Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P Racquet Review

The Prince Textreme Tour 100P gets a highly anticipated update with the inclusion of ATS technology. Designed to strike a balance between arm comfort and a slightly stiffer upper hoop, the 100P offers excellent stability. While it remains similar to the outgoing model in some ways, Prince relaxed the flexibility to create a large sweetspot and a forgiving feel. Our playtest team did notice less power overall, but the addition of precision from the baseline and on returns of serve led to confident strokes. As far as the 18x20 pattern goes, our team was impressed by the amount of spin they could generate. On serve, the maneuverability overhead helped create a smooth motion through contact. While there were a few instances of instability against big hitters, by and large, this racquet stood up to the test at net with a nice blend of connectedness and control. This ATS Textreme Tour 100P is, without a doubt, worth a demo for players looking to take full swings and play aggressive tennis without having to give up ball placement.

• Precise targeting
• Nothing we could agree on

Bottom Line

This version is unlike the previous version of the Pure Aero VS and delivers plenty of power and spin with a little more precision than the standard Pure Aero.

Intermediate to advanced

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

Sometimes the stars align, and in this case every member of our playtest team brought extensive experience with both previous versions of the ATS Textreme Tour 100P . Tiffani explained, "I've played with the 2015 version of the Textreme Tour 100P for years, so I've been eagerly awaiting this update. I liked the preceding 2019 version, but I stuck with the original in the end because I preferred the slightly more flexible feel. With this ATS 100P, I feel like Prince has returned to a softer feel. This racquet offers me a great blend of control and just enough power. Although I'm not a big hitter, I prefer racquets that emphasize feel and precision over big power and spin, and that's what I find from this 100P. I can get plenty of topspin for my flatter hitting style, and I like how the string pattern and flex allow me to dig into my slice backhand. On the flip side, the ATS Textreme Tour 100P let me drive through shots with confidence. I usually play with multi-poly hybrids or a full bed of poly strung at 48 to 50 pounds. My favorite string setup with this playtest was a shaped co-poly. We typically string at 52 or 53 pounds for our reviews, but for my own setup I'd drop it a few pounds to get just a little more pop."

After a few small adjustments, it was smooth sailing for Brittany . She said, "I have long been a big fan of the Tour 100P, and I would consider it to be one of my favorite 18x20 string pattern racquets. I was on the playtest for the 2015 version (two generations ago), and I find that the two play relatively similarly, and I could switch back and forth without any adjustments. One of the first things I noticed with this new Tour 100P was the launch angle. It's a little bit lower than what I'm used to, which isn't a bad thing, just something I had to keep in mind when I was rallying from the baseline and noticed my shots were landing a bit short. I was, however, able to really swing through the ball without any fear of overhitting. I was also impressed with the control, which allowed me to be aggressive and go after riskier targets."

This update helped Jason with his accuracy, but there was one aspect that just didn't pair well with his game. He described, "I felt like this racquet offered high levels of control thanks to the 18x20 string pattern and great mobility. I was comfortable taking full cuts at the ball, knowing that I would not overhit. The good thing about this racquet is that its tighter string pattern is more 'open' than other comparable 18x20s. That meant I was still able to get a decent amount of spin on my shots. What this racquet lacks for me, though, is enough power to easily put shots away."

Kristen hits with the outgoing version, so she picked up on a few notable differences. She said, "The Textreme Tour 100P has been my racquet of choice for some years now, so I was excited to get this updated model out on court. From the first hit, I was reminded of the 2015 model since it felt a bit lighter through the air and more flexible in nature than the 2019 model I currently play with. I can't say I was super thrilled about that, because one of the reasons I was such a fan of the 2019 model was that Prince upped the stiffness a bit, making it more powerful without sacrificing control. Additionally, I thought the stability of the 2019 was superior. With this update, I was lacking a bit of stability coming through the ball. The racquet got pushed around against heavier hitters, which affected my consistency and control. I was also noticing a lot of vibration feedback. I did, however, appreciate the more whippy mobility for times when I was pushed out wide and had to slice balls back into play."

Volleys - Score: 84

Directional control and maneuverability stood out when our team volleyed with the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P . The feel of the ATS Textreme Tour 100P gave Brittany a lot of confidence when she was volleying. She said, "I actually preferred playing doubles with this racquet specifically because of how well it performed at net. I thought it offered a great balance of stability and maneuverability. The racquet was stable enough that it felt solid in my hands even on the heaviest of passing shots. It was also quick enough for fast reflex volley exchanges. I absolutely loved the connected feel and was able to utilize different angles and spins just by softening my hands. I felt very confident ending points up at net."

Jason echoed Brittany, saying, "The racquet felt quick and maneuverable on my volleys. I thought it had a nice feel and was forgiving on off-center shots. I enjoyed hitting touch and drop volleys with the ATS Textreme Tour 100P."

This area of the court left Kristen wanting a little more out of the ATS Textreme Tour 100P. She explained, "Moving into net, I didn't find this update to feel as stable as the 2019 model. It offered good maneuverability and decent touch, but the racquet would get pushed around a bit against tougher shots."

Tiffani felt right at home with the Textreme Tour 100P at net and found plenty of similarities to her own racquet. She said, "Since I've used a version of this racquet for quite some time, I was comfortable coming to net. This racquet offers good comfort and enough stability for me. I also feel in control of the direction of my volleys."

Serves - Score: 84

The Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P received praise for easy targeting on serves. For Kristen , it meant using placement to keep opponents guessing. She described, "This was one of my favorite shots with the ATS Textreme Tour 100P. It felt super whippy overhead, allowing for easy spin and pace generation. I could pick my spots with ease, and I also found I was able to maintain a relaxed service motion, even when I was under pressure during match play, thanks to the effortless feel overhead."

Jason enjoyed serving, noting control as the primary characteristic. He said, "This was an easy racquet to serve a high percentage with. It comes up and through contact quickly, with little lag. I also felt like targeting was top-notch. Like with my groundstrokes, I was wanting more power on my serves."

"If there was anything the previous version did better, I might say serve," Tiffani added. "There might be a little bit more free power on serve with the 2019 version, but the margin didn't feel huge. The specs of this ATS Textreme Tour 100P feel familiar and smooth when I swing it overhead on serves. That confidence let me mix up my serving strategy with slice and flat serves."

Brittany had to adjust her strategy to work with a low-powered response on serve. She explained, "Compared to the 2015 version, I found I had to work a little harder to hit with the same amount of power. I had to put a little more effort into generating racquet head speed to hit the same MPHs. However, I had a lot of success with my precision. I focused more on smaller targets and utilized my slice first serve to get some free points. I wouldn't say there was anything special with my second serve, but I was able to hit it consistently without thinking too much, and that was a good thing."

Returns - Score: 85

The Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P held true to form on the service return, again giving our team command over the ball and the green light to swing big. Tiffani said, "This racquet just suits my swing style well. On returns, the 18x20 string pattern is dense enough to let me feel in control of where I'm sending the ball, but it's also open enough to get me the net clearance I need. I hit very flat returns, so if a string pattern is too dense I'm likely to hit the net or drop my shots too short. Although I didn't get free and easy depth on my shots, I think the confidence this racquet gives me to swing out or block a hard-hit serve has a lot to do with why I like it so much."

Jason loves to rip big forehand returns, and that tactic paired perfectly with the Tour 100P. He said, "I felt like I was able to swing away with this racquet. The lower powered response combined with the higher level of control let me take full cuts without fear of overhitting. However, I was leaving balls short when blocking or chipping a return back."

Brittany discovered she could trust redirecting returns, giving her control of the point from the first shot. She described, "I loved being able to really swing out on the ball on returns, and just like with most racquets, I preferred returning over serving with the Tour 100P. I was able to take big cuts at the ball and aim for whatever target I wanted. I could start off on offense on both first and second serve returns. The racquet pretty much did what I wanted and offered a consistent and solid response."

The love Kristen has for the outgoing model just wasn't there this time around, although she still found a few positives. She said, "The ATS Textreme Tour 100P was easy to get into position when hitting returns, and there was a nice response out of the sweetspot. However, like groundstrokes, I found that the control and stability could waver a bit."

Overall - Score: 86

Brittany - "I like the feel, the control-to-power ratio and how the ATS Textreme Tour 100P performs consistently from all areas of the court."

Jason - "Comfortable response. Precise and control oriented."

Tiffani - "I like how the ATS Textreme Tour 100P balances power and control. It also has a mix of a classic feel with a more modern swing and response."

Kristen - "Great maneuverability, easy spin, effortless motion on serves."

Brittany - "Nothing really!"

Jason - "I'd like more put-away power."

Tiffani - "I don't really have any. The stock grip can feel a little slick, but I use a tacky overgrip anyway."

Kristen - "The ATS Textreme Tour 100P racquet lacks stability, and I feel vibrations on some shots."

Comparing the racquet to others they've tried, our testers said:

Brittany - "Compared to the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 310, I found the Tour 100P to have a lower launch angle and better maneuverability. I was able to hit a more consistent ball. Other racquets that play similarly include the Head Gravity Tour, Tecnifibre TF40 305 18x20 and Head Speed Pro 2022."

Jason - "This Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P is similar in playability to the Babolat Pure Strike 18x20, but with a softer response."

Tiffani - "If you've tried any of the two previous versions, this ATS Textreme Tour 100P will feel familiar through the air. I think this version is more comparable to the 2015 version than the 2019. It has a slightly softer feel than the outgoing model. Outside of Prince, I would demo it with the Head Gravity Tour and Yonex VCORE PRO 100 or 98."

Kristen - "As mentioned throughout my comments, this 2022 model swings a touch faster and has a lower flex rating than the 2019 model. I find the stability of the 2019 model to outshine this update, and I get a better balance of power and control with the 2019 model since it feels more solid in hand. Therefore, I'll be sticking with my current racquet and not updating my racquet of choice this time around."

Playtester Profiles

Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Prince Textreme Tour 100P (2015).

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE 100.

Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. Currently using a customized Prince Twistpower X100 Tour.

Kristen: 5.0 level player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. Kristen currently plays with a Prince Textreme Tour 100P.

Review date: June 2022. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. All content copyright 2022 Tennis Warehouse.

Prince Tour 100P 2022 tennis racquet review

Review of the Prince Tour 100P 2022 tennis racquet.

One of the most control oriented tennis racquet with a 100 in²/645 cm² head size.

Good mix between power and control, good access to top spin, great manoeuverability and comfort for this new version that I found very close to the previous model.

BUY AT TENNIS WAREHOUSE USA   BUY AT TENNIS WAREHOUSE EUROPE

Prince Tour 100P 2022 video review

Introducing the Prince Tour 100P 2022

The Prince Tour 100P is a control-oriented, low-power racquet that isn't very hard to play.

It is one of the rare racquets to combine a 645 cm² headsize with an 18x20 string pattern.

With the same association head size/string pattern, there is also the Volkl V-Feel V8 Pro (300 g), the Head Gravity Tour (305 g), the Head Speed ??Pro (310 g), the Head Gravity Pro (310 g), the Prince Phantom 100X (320 g) .

This association allows you to benefit from:

• power, tolerance, access to top spin with the 645 cm² head size,
• the control given by the tight 18x20 string pattern and the fairly low stiffness.

Finally, we obtain a tolerant racquet, with access to correct access to topspin and a good power/control compromise.

Regarding the shape of the head size, it is rather elongated, which I find interesting for maneuverability.

Lower stiffness

This 2022 version of the Prince Tour 100P has a slightly more flexible frame (the stiffness goes from 66 to 61 Ra), to improve the already excellent comfort we had with the previous version.

Another improvement concerns the Anti-Torque System (ATS), which corresponds to the use of Textreme and Twaron materials in the handle, as well as certain parts of the racket head.

ATS technology limits frame deformation when hitting and improves racket stability.

In comparison with the previous model I have, in size 3 as for the test racquet of the 2022 model, the grip of the new model is larger than that of the old model.

For the 2022 model, I find the size to be what you most often see for a size 3, whereas for the old model the grip was quite small.

The power of the Prince Tour 100P 2022 (305g)

In terms of power, the Prince Tour 100P is a control-oriented racquet, with slightly reduced power.

At the same time, it's not very hard to play with this racquet.

I want to warn you that a risk with this racquet is too lack power, be careful.

The 645 cm²/100 in² headsize helps to provide power, but the low stiffness and the tight 18x20 string pattern reduce the power.

During my test, I had an excellent power/control compromise in forehand and backhand, with sensations very similar to those I have with the previous model.

We feel that the racquet is not extremely powerful but with a monofilament string stretched to around 22 kg, we still get a decent amount of power without forcing too much.

Since this racquet is not very powerful, I recommend it to players who are able to produce power with their technique and their physical skills and it's better to have large swings to find some easy power.

To conclude, in terms of power, good mix between power/control but be careful to the control oriented side of this frame.

To help you locate the racquet in terms of power, here is a comparison with other racquets:

More powerful racquets:

• Babolat Pure Drive, Pure Aero
• Wilson Ultra 100, Burn 100
• Head Speed MP, Instinct MP, Extreme MP
• Tecnifibre TF-X1
• Prince RipStick 100, Hydrogen 100
• Yonex VCore 100

Similar racquets:

• Babolat Pure Strike 100
• Yonex VCore Pro 100
• Volkl V-Feel V8 Pro
• Head Prestige MP, MP L, Speed Pro
• Wilson Blade 98S

Less powerful racquets:

• Babolat Pure Strike VS
• Babolat Pure Strike 18x20
• Head Prestige Pro, Tour
• Head Gravity Tour
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 18x20
• Wilson Blade 98 16x19, 18x20
• Wilson Pro Staff
• Prince Phantom 100X

Access to top spin with the Prince Tour 100P 2022

Concerning the access to top spin,

• the versatile head size helps for the access to top spin,
• the narrowed 18x20 string pattern reduces access to top spin.

Overall, the access to top spin is really correct, thanks to the 645 cm² head which compensates for the tight 18x20 string pattern.

A monofilament string that is not too tight (about 22 kg), with a medium gauge (1.25 mm) or smaller will facilitate the access to top spin.

Maneuverability of the Prince Tour 100P 2022

With its balance located at 31 cm for an unstrung racquet, more on the handle side, I found that the Prince Tour 100P had excellent maneuverability.

On my one-handed topspin backhand , I sometimes lack maneuverability with certain racquets having a head size of 645 cm² and a rounded shape.

With the Prince Tour 100P, I didn't have this problem at all, the rather elongated head shape helps to have more maneuverability than with a more rounded head shape.

Comfort of the Prince Tour 100P 2022

I found the comfort excellent with the previous version of the Prince Tour 100P and I found these feelings again with this new model.

The vibrations are well absorbed, the shots are very pleasant and the tolerance is good, we keep comfort even when we off center the ball.

To increase comfort, I recommend using rather low tensions (about 22 kg), especially with monofilament strings.

To whom I would recommend the Prince Tour 100P 2022

I would recommend this racquet to tennis players who meet these criteria:

• not for beginners,
• intermediate or advanced level who want a slightly heavy racquet,
• able to produce power with their technique, 
• who have rather large and relaxed swings, in order to have power without forcing too much, because the control oriented side is present,
• who want a control-oriented racquet that's not too hard to play,
• with a modern game, with power and top spin, or semi-powerful game style with slice and flat shots,
• who are looking for a racquet with a 645 head size, for comfort, forgiveness, access to topspin and which is not too powerful (this is one of the most control oriented tennis racquet with a 645 head size),
• who are looking for a good power/control compromise,
• looking for a correct access to top spin
• looking for a racket with more balance on the handle side for a good maneuverability,
• who are looking for a racket with a very good level of comfort.

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Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Prince ATS Textreme Tour Family

• Thread starter TW Staff
• Start date Jun 3, 2022

Which model of the Prince ATS Textreme Family are you most excited for?

Tour 100 (310), tour 100 (290).

• Total voters 274

Hall of Fame

• Jul 19, 2022

mpournaras said: Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P Review NEGATIVE: - Manuverability Click to expand...

https://imgur.com/f9crIvy

johnmccabe said: I bought a new ATS 100P the first day it came out. Agree with your comments on the positives. I also felt it's "harder" to swing compared to 2019 version. Since there were no other reviews out there reporting similar observations, I thought I got one off spec, maybe with higher swing weight. So I've Been modifying bumper guard area to make it swing similar to my 2019. Here is what I end up with so far where I can switch between these two racquets during a set without feeling much difference in manuverability. https://imgur.com/f9crIvy

georgeyew said: How did you shave the bumper without cutting the frame? You mod looks really clean. Click to expand...

johnmccabe said: Took the bumper off of the frame, cut it and then reinstalled. It's pretty easy actually. Click to expand...

georgeyew said: Gotcha. I noticed that once the racquet is strung and the tie off hole is stretched, it is hard to remove the bumper. Click to expand...

tennisreflectslife

Not on the official playtest but couldn’t resist getting the tour 98 after the rave reviews. I used to play with the 1st gen textreme tour 95 and liked that one so I imagined I would like the feel of this too. It is a great racket but definitely different feel that that tour 95, more forgiving and easier power on this. Just a quick background on my playing style and current equipment: I use the blade pro 16x19 strung at 55 lbs usually with a round poly (yonex poly tour, 4g etc). Playing style wise I am aggressive baseliner, one handed backhand, usta 4.5. Coming to this racket’s performance. Has a very comfortable feel when the ball hits middle. On flat shot ball kinda like sinks in and then shoots off. On the forehand I get heavy spin (I did string it lower than my typical tension at 52 lbs with hyper g). On one handed backhand I felt the even balance and slightly thick beam made it hard finding my natural swing in the beginning. I have a little wrist flick on my backhand at contact and it wasn’t happening smoothly with this racket. But with some hours on it I think I get it back. I kinda need to have better preparation and distance from the ball, lazy swing don’t work and the ball flies/launches. The biggest selling point of this racket IMO is how solid it is. At least for me, it just doesn’t back off against big shots and has a nice sound at contact. It’s more solid than blade pro (at least for me) which is saying something, and is on same level at RF97 (minus the 350+ gms weight). Slices are good too. Big on kick serves. Above average on flat serve. I might try tail weighting it just a little bit for my one hand backhand. I don’t think it needs any lead in the hoop. Overall a solid offering from prince and something which people should try who like a modern mid plus racket.  

• Jul 20, 2022

• Jul 26, 2022

I am currently using Dunlop CX 200 Tour 16x19 with 4grams of lead at 10 and 2. I also have a one handed backhand. Would ATS 98 be too light for me and suit my backhand style?  

ATS 98 is only 3 grams lighter than the CX Tour 200 16x19. I added 10 grams to mine with some bluetack in the trap door and it is great for my 1HBH. I didn't need to add weight to 3 and 9 as my ATS 98 feels stable enough due to the ATS tech. I tried the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20 for 2 months but couldn't gel with it as I found it too unstable and would flutter, especially near 10 and 2. ATS 98 has the stability, power and and comfort I was hoping for so demo it if you can.  

• Jul 27, 2022

Which string would you choose among/between Prince Vortex, Solinco Confidential and Lynx Tour for the ATS98? Which one would you suggest for this specific racket (full bed set up)? Which one suits better? Any other string recommendations?  

NguyenieThePoo

NiktheGr said: Which string would you choose among/between Prince Vortex, Solinco Confidential and Lynx Tour for the ATS98? Which one would you suggest for this specific racket (full bed set up)? Which one suits better? Any other string recommendations? Click to expand...

• Jul 30, 2022

Trip said: Jonas (TennisNerd) has an updated take on the Tours, now including the 95, 100-290 and 100P. Key takeaways: - His overall preference: 98 > 100P > 100-290 > 100-310 = 95 - 95, 98 and 100 (310) have slightly high swing weights; 100 (290) and 100P (surprisingly) lower, so a bit more user-friendly and customizable - 95 was OK overall, but the 98 equaled it at everything, and then some - 100P the winner for most (intermediate and up), including club players, better balance and weight distribution than the 100-310 - For the 100 this time around, the 290 is actually a better fit for most players than the 310; better platform racquet as well TL;DR - As I knew everyone and their brother would be clamoring for the 98, I was initially most interested in the 100P (indicated in the poll), although I requested a 100-290, thinking I'd like to get the opinion of some of my more intermediate-level friends I play with weekly (unfortunately not accepted for this playtest, though). Anyways, seems like nice update, albeit the more universal of the bunch seem to be the 98, 100-290 and 100P. Interesting stuff. Click to expand...

JonathanRF said: I just playtested the 100 290. I would agree with the above if it were on spec. Mine was 294g unstrung, 316.5 strung and swing weight of 327 kgcm2 (including overgrip). Used Prince Diablo 1.25mm. So if you bought it on the basis of wanting a sub 320 swing weight racket you'd be disappointed to get this one as the specs were off. It played nicely though and was very stable, good connected feel and nice acoustics on impact. I imagine quite a few people would customise the 290 to the sort of spec I received out of the box. Click to expand...

tata said: This is why I wish TW publish the actual specs of the racquets used in the reviews for us to make better informed decisions to demo or buy. It's confusing when 3 say a racquet is fast and easy to swing and one says it was cumbersome. Click to expand...

tata said: This is why I wish TW publish the actual specs of the racquets used in the reviews for us to make better-informed decisions to demo or buy. It's confusing when 3 say a racquet is fast and easy to swing and one says it was cumbersome. Click to expand...

jonestim said: That spec sounds perfect for me. Replace the grip with leather and you would be exactly where I like my specs. Click to expand...

brooksgbanks

• Aug 1, 2022

I just got both a Tour 98 and a Tour 100 310, and the weight was incredibly on spec for both (305.4g on the 98 and 310.8g on the 100). The SW was a bit high on both (compared to th prince listed unstrung SW (296,45 for the 98 and 295.05 for the 310). Fortunately my preference is around 325 SW strung, so these should both be really close (also trying out Vortex Triad string, which is 17g main with 18g cross, so I'm expecting about 28.5 additional points os SW strung). So far, pretty impressed.  

• Aug 2, 2022

sphinx780 said: Will also be very interested to hear your thoughts. Typing my review up tomorrow. Click to expand...

brooksgbanks said: I just got both a Tour 98 and a Tour 100 310, and the weight was incredibly on spec for both (305.4g on the 98 and 310.8g on the 100). The SW was a bit high on both (compared to th prince listed unstrung SW (296,45 for the 98 and 295.05 for the 310). Fortunately my preference is around 325 SW strung, so these should both be really close (also trying out Vortex Triad string, which is 17g main with 18g cross, so I'm expecting about 28.5 additional points os SW strung). So far, pretty impressed. Click to expand...

calmrottweiler

• Aug 3, 2022

mpournaras said: Classic yellow strings are gorgeous. It helps that Grapplesnake Alpha is just an all around great string too Click to expand...

jmacdaununder2

• Aug 4, 2022

I found it really interesting that the ATS 98 is no wider in the head than the ATS 95, meaning that there is virtually no increase in spin window whatsoever; the extra three inches are all down in the throat of the 98, resulting in an increase in trampoline effect. As the ATS 95 already has virtually the same length mains as, for example, a Yonex Vcore 98 I didn't see any real benefit of the 98 over the 95 and I didn't enjoy the relative lack of control resulting from the 98's abnormally long mains. The ATS 95 is the perfect update to the Gen.1 95; the ATS at 10 and 2 o'clock has fixed the hoop flutter of the original and has added stability and power with virtually none of the harshness which plagued Gen. 2.  

@jmacdaununder2 - Interesting assessment of the 95 vs the 98. I find that, more often than not, when moving up head size, especially across the same model series, the primary difference in face area occurs in a "crescent" shape, from 3 and 9 down to 6 o'clock. While it does result in a bit more trampoline in certain models, other 98's and 100's with more mains/crosses and/or a more full-coverage drill pattern can actually keep trampoline effect similar, while giving you that added area in towards your body to help when you get jammed, etc. Case in point: the Tour 100P, which does all of that while also offering more consistent feel across more of the string bed, including a larger sweet spot. But it all comes down to taste; the 95 with its more concentrated sweet spot will let you know exactly where/how you've hit the ball, whereas even the 100P may feel a bit more vague in comparison. Still, both are excellent frames.  

jmacdaununder2 said: I found it really interesting that the ATS 98 is no wider in the head than the ATS 95, meaning that there is virtually no increase in spin window whatsoever; the extra three inches are all down in the throat of the 98, resulting in an increase in trampoline effect. As the ATS 95 already has virtually the same length mains as, for example, a Yonex Vcore 98 I didn't see any real benefit of the 98 over the 95 and I didn't enjoy the relative lack of control resulting from the 98's abnormally long mains. The ATS 95 is the perfect update to the Gen.1 95; the ATS at 10 and 2 o'clock has fixed the hoop flutter of the original and has added stability and power with virtually none of the harshness which plagued Gen. 2. Click to expand...

My ATS 290 swing weight also feels higher than listed specs... but is a good thing imo with the lighter racket.. swings easy but packs a punch... just got to get use to the higher launch angle...  

Professional

• Aug 20, 2022

Any news on Prince ATS Textreme 98 Tour performance? Any comparison to DR98 or the new Ezone 98 2022? Hype on ATS 98 Tour is not so big as it was. Waiting for some new Youtube reviews but nobody does it exept TW, Tennisnerd and Tennis euphoria. How about tennis grip on the new ATS series. I have heard that it runs bigger than before. What is Your experience guys?  

• Aug 21, 2022

Zibenator said: Any news on Prince ATS Textreme 98 Tour performance? Any comparison to DR98 or the new Ezone 98 2022? Hype on ATS 98 Tour is not so big as it was. Waiting for some new Youtube reviews but nobody does it exept TW, Tennisnerd and Tennis euphoria. How about tennis grip on the new ATS series. I have heard that it runs bigger than before. What is Your experience guys? Click to expand...

Zibenator said: Waiting for some new Youtube reviews but nobody does it exept TW, Tennisnerd and Tennis euphoria. Click to expand...

abhi_trip said: Click to expand...

tele said: I have had a few princes and did not notice a significant change in size. A TT Warrior 100 I briefly used had a more pronounced butt cap flare IIRC, but the G3 on the ATS 95 I have did not feel "big". I don't have an ATS 98, but I did play with a DR98 for a few years. Compared to my ATS 95, I feel like the DR 98's throat flex was a bit more noticeable on contact even though it had a higher RA on paper. DR98 wins for me on serves and punching volleys deep, but I prefer the 95 overall. DR98 has a more of a "hollow" feel on contact. Click to expand...

Zibenator said: Thank You Tele for Your thoughts. I did not try ATS 95, but I know that 320 g of static weight would be too much for me. I played great tennis for couple of years before DR98 with the Wilson Pro Staff 97 315 g (red/black with some silver pearl kind of smudges). Great racquet, but found it too much of a racquet some day - the same day when I fell in love with DR98 Static played points from the baseline would be ok with ATS95, but not so with the wide/stretchy defence ones probably. Click to expand...

tele said: My guess would be more control and dwell time vs an EZONE 100. Happy hunting! Click to expand...

• Aug 25, 2022

Demoed Prince ATS 98. I currently play with a slightly underweight (~ 310g unstrung) Gravity Pro. The prince was a HUGE letdown. I have used various Prince rackets before so I was positively biased. The thing felt clunky and with a very high launch angle. My shots lacked weight, the serve was underpowered, and the slice was Meh. Couldn't flatten the shots, and the high arching shots did not have much spin. This might be due to the fact that the gravity is mighty stable and has SW~335. But still, this racket was just bad. It might have been the multi strings, but the gravity also has multi. If I have to buy an arm-frindly 16x19, the blade seems better.  

3.75 said: Demoed Prince ATS 98. I currently play with a slightly underweight (~ 310g unstrung) Gravity Pro. The prince was a HUGE letdown. I have used various Prince rackets before so I was positively biased. The thing felt clunky and with a very high launch angle. My shots lacked weight, the serve was underpowered, and the slice was Meh. Couldn't flatten the shots, and the high arching shots did not have much spin. This might be due to the fact that the gravity is mighty stable and has SW~335. But still, this racket was just bad. It might have been the multi strings, but the gravity also has multi. If I have to buy an arm-frindly 16x19, the blade seems better. Click to expand...

johnmccabe said: This is really comparing apple to orange. Gravity pro is more like a weighted up version of phantom 100x 18x20, a whole different category. Click to expand...

3.75 said: Agreed. I guess I like oranges. But here is the deal: I did play with the Prince Phantom 100 18x20 for a year. That thing had laser flat shots and slices but is very underpowered and demanding. The gravity pro is not that demanding and not that under-powered so it is roughly comparable to the Prince Tours. To be specific, and to compare apples to apples, both the Gravity Pro and ATS 98 have a score of 81 on power in the TW reviews. Then again, the ATS 98 had an out-of-this world review, and it is quite pedestrian IMHO. Click to expand...

Slicehand said: The blade is more underpowered than the prince, not being able to flaten the shots is not about the racquet, besides the gravity is more underpowered, thats why it might benefit from multi unlike the prince, also diferent pattern, i dont think its a bad racquet, but you must play some time with it to get used to it, spin and flat shots are about technique, if you change raquets you must adjust your swing Click to expand...

3.75 said: I agree that flat and spin is mostly technique. And you can always improve your technique (which is the magic of tennis). And I did not give the 98 a fair trial as I dismissed it after 20 minutes and 100 hits. I am writing my (unfair) review so that people thinking of demoing it or buying sight unseen have one more data point. If you want a stable, control-oriented, solid plow-through racket that does not have a very high launch angle, the ATS 98 is probably not your choice. Click to expand...

I'm seriously considering switching to the ATS 98. It has better feel and more control than the Dunlop SX 300 Tours (gen 2, 98") that I have been using for the past season, and doesn't give up that much power and spin. It seems a lot like the 2nd gen Pure Strike 98 16x19 that I really liked, minus the elbow-murdering shock that forced me to dump the Babolat.  

• Aug 26, 2022

I bought one (98) bc a demo isn't really a demo if you hit with a string and a grip size that doesn't fit your personal specs. I found it very stable, very solid in ALL areas. I can't decide my favorite shot with this - it volleys SO well too. Serves were fantastic. It does feel like a plusher/more solid version of the PO7 (2nd gen pure strike?) - which I loved and played with for a couple years. My first string setup was 4G at 45lbs. Good feel, plush. Looking for string recs from other's experiences. For me, I'll next try ALU 1.25 (solid ref point). Have Tour Bite 16 and Hyper G 16 lined up after.  

• Aug 29, 2022

Anyone else experimented with weight on the new tour 95? Something was a little awkward about how it came around. I experimented a little and 5g at the top of the throat really did the trick for me. Feels super smooth now.  

• Sep 8, 2022

Has anyone 4.0-4.5 tried M8 in their ATS 98?  

FrankyRelax

rrepp said: Has anyone 4.0-4.5 tried M8 in their ATS 98? Click to expand...

• Sep 24, 2022

I got ATS 98 with 299 unstrung SW, now strung with head lynx 16, total SW now could be close to 330, however the racquet has high launch angle, maneuverability is not good, is this due to high SW or is the string so heavy ? Advices are much appreciated to make this racquet work. Thanks !  

Srik said: I got ATS 98 with 299 unstrung SW, now strung with head lynx 16, total SW now could be close to 330, however the racquet has high launch angle, maneuverability is not good, is this due to high SW or is the string so heavy ? Advices are much appreciated to make this racquet work. Thanks ! Click to expand...

• Sep 25, 2022

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Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Review

Updated with a more flexible beam construction, along with a new paint job. how does the new textreme tour 100 play.

For 2022, Prince has revamped their Textreme Tour line, adding their Anti-Torque System (ATS) technology and, of course, a brand new paint job.

The Tour line has several rackets to choose from, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 95, Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98, Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P, Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 310 and finally, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290.

For this playtest, I picked up the 290g version, which is the lightest in the range and targets beginners and intermediates looking for an arm-friendly, easy-to-swing racket.

How does it play? Find out in this full Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 review and playtest.

Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Cosmetics

The new Textreme Tour line features a white base coat with a splash of solid black in certain areas and then a geometric line pattern on the throat and hoop in orange and cyan colours.

The head guard is orange, as are the grommets with that same orange used for the logo on the Prince Resi Pro grip.

I’m a fan of the design as I like white rackets and the injections of colour give it a bit of a funky look. The fonts used also work well for the ‘Tour’ branding.

The only area I don’t like is the grip, as I am not a fan of having logos on them; however, that is quickly fixed with an overgrip.

Prince ATS Textreme Tour Line Spec Comparison

My specifications and setup.

After removing the grip cellophane, I got the Prince on the weighing scales. The unstrung weight specified by Prince is 290g, but mine was over that at 294.4g.

This variance is pretty standard for most tennis racket brands’ tolerance levels. Luckily, I’d prefer a racket at 290g to weigh 294g as it brings the specs a little closer to the weight I usually like.

When strung, it came in at 316.5g with an overgrip, a balance of 33.5cm, 2 points head light and a swing weight of 327 kg/cm2.

If you bought this frame based on wanting a sub 320 swing weight, you would be disappointed. So do ask the retailer to match the specs if they offer it.

You can see the official (+ Tennis Warehouse ) ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 specs below and my self-measured specs for comparison.

I used Prince Diablo 17 (1.25mm) for stringing as a two-piece string job at 50lbs. Stringing the frame is easy with clearly marked holes and only having to skip 8T and 8H for the mains.

The 16 x 18 string pattern means the crosses are easy to weave, and you’re stringing one, or two crosses less than usual, which speeds it up.

For those interested, Prince Diablo is a co-polyester string that’s a tad softer than most strings in the category, and I thought it would pair well with the open string patterned ATS Textreme Tour 100.

The racket had an L1 grip which is not what I use, so I bumped it up with an overgrip. This took the specs to 11.2oz / 316.5g with a swing weight of 327 kg/cm2.

First Impressions

It has been a long time since I’ve used Prince rackets as, unfortunately, the brand hasn’t been well sold in Europe and therefore isn’t as popular or readily available as the other big players.

But popularity, marketing and having pros using the brand do not make a racket perform better. After all, the vast majority come from the same factories, so I was looking forward to giving the Textreme Tour line a playtest.

I’d already read and watched several reviews of the 95 and 98-square-inch rackets, but there was little on the 290g racket and having not used the previous iterations (the racket Iga Swiatek used before she signed with Tecnifibre), I wasn’t too sure what to expect.

After my first few hits, my thoughts were that the Tour 100 290 packs a decent punch, feels stable and is a racket I’d be able to use with no problems.

Full Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Review

Groundstrokes

My first few full-blooded groundstrokes were wild from the back of the court.

Most of my play before this playtest was with a Blade 98 v8 18 x 20 , which is a heavier, more headlight frame, so replicating those shots from muscle memory sent this ball flying towards the back fence.

However, after the first dozen shots and not trying to hit the felt off the ball, I started to get a feel for it.

Given the 16 x 18 pattern, I expected a high launch angle, but the Tour 100 290 doesn’t balloon the ball at all, and the strings are not that widely spaced around the ‘sweet spot’.

The slice, in particular, felt good, which again surprised me given the racket was 100 square inches and 16 x 18, yet keeping the ball low with a decent pace was not a problem.

This was probably helped by the extra mass in the hoop, which put a bit more oomph behind the ball rather than a loopy-type shot.

My other main takeaway was the Tour 100 gives an excellent connected feel to the ball, and the Diablo strings paired with the soft frame gave a very satisfying sound on impact.

The Textreme Tour 100 290 is a solid feeling frame from the baseline overall. It is not a whippy racket, but you can still swing it fast, and despite its low static weight class, it doesn’t get pushed around by heavier incoming balls.

Any downsides? This is personal, and your mileage may differ, but I found my forehand on the run where I’m trying to whip the ball cross-court and then recover became unreliable. This is probably caused by the weight distribution in the frame, which takes some more adjustments.

What You Can Expect

• Not as high a launch angle as you’d expect from a 16 x 18 pattern
• Pleasing thud sound at contact
• Connected feel to the ball

The more I think about racket reviews, the harder it becomes to talk about specific shots, as they are very personal.

None more so than the service as you control every aspect of it from start to finish. Therefore a racket I think is good for my serve might be terrible for yours. And much of it depends on what racket you are transitioning from.

However, all players looking for spin and slice will find it with the 16 x 18 string pattern, and I think most players will find something they like when serving with this racket.

At 100 square inches, it does most things well – power but not excessive, control but not the ultimate precision and spin is plentiful.

Up at the net, the Textreme Tour 100 290 performs well. The racket I tested had a fair bit of mass in the hoop, so it was very stable, and punchy volleys had some real bite.

On the flip, the manoeuvrability of the frame wasn’t the best for those quick reaction type volleys, but if you were in position early or needed a little bit of extra stability when on the stretch, then your volleys were in good shape.

• Good stability for a sub 300g racket

Returning serves ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 worked well. Again the 316.5g strung weight and 327 swing weight meant stability was not a problem.

Blocked returns worked well, and I felt I could still get a decent piece of the ball even on those off-centre stretch returns.

In the hoop at 10 and 2, Prince combines TeXtreme with Twaron for their ‘anti-torque system’, which probably helped. I measured the twist weight of this frame at 15.15, which is relatively high for a sub 300g racket, and a point higher than the 2019 version of this frame.

• Stability when at full stretch
• Good feel on block returns

Who is this Racket For?

Like the Head Boom MP I reviewed recently, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 is a racket with which many players of varying abilities can pick up and play decent tennis.

I think it is very well suited to a higher-level female player (it is no surprise Iga Swiatek used the previous version of this frame in stock form), as the best description I can give is that it’s a lighter player’s frame.

Most rackets in the 290g range are often stiff layups with lower swing weights, whereas the Textreme 100 comes in with a softer 62 RA and a 318 swing weight (if you get one close to spec).

You also get that mixed beam width that starts at 23mm, moves to 20mm, and then back to 22mm. This gives you a frame that blends the ‘tweener’ type spec with the thinner beamed player frame.

With my outlier specs and higher swing weight, I was almost playing with a customised version of the Tour 100 290, which means I benefited from added stability and higher shot weight (‘plow’, as the Americans, often say).

Based on how my racket played, I could see quite a few players adding lead to their frame to bring the stock specs closer to this one.

At stock specs, the Textreme Tour 100 290 will be a good racket to demo for intermediate male players, strong female players and those looking for a solid base to customise from.

Similar Rackets

• Head Boom MP
• Dunlop CX 200
• Head Gravity MP
• Wilson Blade 100L v8
• Prince Phantom 100X 290

Final Thoughts

The Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 ‘s slick cosmetics, coupled with the excellent thud acoustics it makes during impact, make it a very fun racket to play with.

At the time of writing this review, I hit with it for about 12 hours, and despite thinking I was ‘done’ with the review, it has become a racket that I keep picking up to play with, thanks to its ease of use, comfortable yet solid feel and the fact it does most things well.

While the racket didn’t deliver on the promise of a fast feeling and speed the net, it gave me plenty of controllable power, good stability and a great feel.

• Slick cosmetics
• Good blend of all-around specs
• Very stable
• Balance/swing weight specs off

Any questions about the ATS Textreme Tour 290? Have you used any rackets in the Prince Textreme Tour Line? Let me know in the comments.

And if you have tried the 290g version that was ‘on spec’, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on stability, manoeuvrability etc. Do they differ from my experience?

Control - 8

Manoeuvrability - 7.5, stability - 9, comfort - 9.5, touch/feel - 8.5, serves - 7.5, groundstrokes - 8.5, volleys - 8, returns - 8.

A solid frame from intermediate male players and higher-level female players looking for controllable power and great feel.

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• prince textreme tour 100 290 racket review

Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) Racket Review

One of our top 10 rackets under 300g, the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) is an excellent racket for intermediates looking to play some aggressive strokes and hit a heavy ball.

At 290g unstrung, this racket has the maneuverability that an intermediate player needs, but it also has enough mass to get you playing some very good tennis.

We’ve been big fans of the Prince Textreme Tour 100 rackets for a while now and really connected with the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (310).

The 310 version offered a great blend of modern maneuverability and classic control that we loved and at 310g is another great option for slightly stronger intermediate players and more advanced players.

Custom Fittings

Discover your perfect racket and string combo!

We got our hands on the 290 version a few months ago for a quick hit and liked what we saw, which prompted us to rank this racket at number 7 on our top rackets under 300g list .

After our successful first session with the Tour 100 (290), we decided it was time to get it back for a full playtest and a thorough review.

The one thing we particularly liked about this racket in our initial playtest was how the open string pattern allowed intermediate players to generate some serious spin.

However, the Textreme Tour 100 (290) did this without sacrificing control.

Too often with light rackets, you get spin or control, but this stick was able to give us spin and control in equal measures.

While the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) comes in at a very manageable 290g unstrung, it has a serious 324 swingweight which adds a great deal of stability on contact.

The extra swingweight gives this racket some extra control, meaning this stick can compete even when the power levels go up.

This high swingweight means that the Textreme Tour is suitable for a wide range of players.

Whether you’re an adult intermediate, advanced junior player, or an advanced senior player looking for a slightly lighter racket, the Textreme Tour is an ideal option and is sure to suit a wide variety of players.

As we said, we were very impressed with this racket the first time we tried it, so we were excited to get our hands on it for a proper playtest.

Having had some experience of the racket already, we knew it had quite a bit of spin potential so we set it up with some Babolat RPM Blast at 56lbs, just to try and maximize the control aspect of this stick.

I tend to produce a lot of topspin naturally, so normally my setup will try and minimize the amount of spin a racket will give me, but different players will look for different characteristics from their strings.

If you’re looking for a little bit of help with your string setup then check out Tom’s “ Tennis String Tension Guide ” to get that perfect setup for your racket.

We’ve been talking this racket up for a while now, so here’s our in-depth review of one of our top picks under 300g, the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290)!

Groundstrokes

7 out of 10

I always find that Prince rackets feel really nice in my hands, they just seem to be very clean, no-nonsense rackets.

The same can be said of the Textreme Tour 100 (290) , which feels wonderfully balanced and very clean through the hit.

I’m someone who values maneuverability and control above everything else from my racket and the Textreme Tour 100 really hits the nail on the head in this regard.

This racket has an unusually high swingweight for a 290g racket, which means there’s plenty of stability on contact, leading to huge amounts of control for such a light racket.

This excellent control, combined with good spin potential allows players to really attack with spin and accuracy.

I found this combination suited my game perfectly and I loved getting on the front foot and moving my opponent around the court with heavy topspin shots.

For intermediate players, this racket offers excellent performance when it comes to stability, spin, and control, but perhaps its one weakness might be its maneuverability.

While it is naturally a fast racket, at 290g it couldn’t be anything else, it is not super maneuverable compared to many of its sub 300g competitors.

The reason for this is probably the 324 swingweight, which makes this racket just a little bit more difficult to swing.

While this might be a negative for some players, it is certainly a tradeoff which allows the Textreme Tour 100 to achieve such good performance.

In my opinion, this aspect lends the Textreme Tour 100 towards the slightly more advanced intermediate players whose strokes are a bit more developed.

If you’re a beginner/intermediate player, you might find this stick a little bit more difficult to play with than many other light rackets.

However, for those intermediate players who are a bit more comfortable with their strokes and looking to develop their game quickly, the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) represents a brilliant option.

Stylewise, I definitely see this racket suiting someone who loves to attack using topspin to open up the angles.

I’m a player who loves to use my forehand to hit heavy topspin shots and move my opponent side to side, and I found the Textreme Tour 100 (290) to be ideal.

I had easy access to spin, but at the same time, I felt like I had the control to put the ball exactly where I wanted it.

All in all, I was very impressed with the Prince Textreme Tour 100’s performance from the back of the court.

This stick provides a great blend of maneuverability and stability that can give intermediate players a big boost in performance.

My only warning would be to make sure you’re ready for a racket with this kind of swingweight.

I gave the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) a 7.5 out of 10 for the groundstrokes.

7.5 out of 10

The Textreme Tour 100 is undoubtedly one of the best lightweight rackets I have played with at the net.

The big challenge for rackets under 300g when it comes to volleying is stability because they lack the weight to absorb power effectively.

With its 324 swingweight though, the Textreme Tour 100 has an edge over its competitors in this area.

Again, if you’re quite new to the game, you might find this racket is a little bit more difficult to get into position than many other light rackets.

What you sacrifice in maneuverability though, you do makeup in performance.

For the majority of intermediate players, I don’t see this being an issue, but it is worth giving any racket a playtest before buying!

Personally, I got on extremely well with the Tour 100 at the net.

I’m a firm believer that weight is all-important when it comes to volleys, so the 290g Textreme Tour 100 wasn’t likely to be able to compete with heavier rackets.

However, it’s when it’s compared to similarly weighted rackets where this racket really stands out.

I was able to get into position quickly, giving me every opportunity to time the ball well, and when I did, this racket rewarded me.

The extra stability of this racket means you’re able to absorb power and place the ball back where you want it with ease.

The good levels of control the Textreme Tour 100 showed from the back of the court continued at the net and I certainly benefited from it.

It’s always a bit tricky scoring rackets for their volleying performance.

The weight makes a massive difference at the net so I couldn’t score this racket as high as many heavier rackets.

So, I’ve plumped for another 7.5 out of 10.

It might not sound like a great score, but it’s about as good as it gets for a racket under 300g.

8 out of 10

The serve is another area where the swingweight really helps the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290 ) .

It means this racket is not only fast through the swing but it has enough weight going through the ball at contact point to turn racket head speed into true power.

We all want to add a little bit of pop to our serves and the Textreme Tour 100 is certainly a sub 300g racket that can do that.

I found I was getting a good balance of power, spin, and control with this stick, but when I wanted to flatten the ball out and hit a big serve things really came together.

The nice thing about this stick though is that it doesn’t focus too much on any one characteristic.

Yes, it offers plenty of power on the serve but I didn’t find that it sacrificed on control in order to achieve this.

When it came to the second serve, I had full confidence in the Tour 100’s ability to produce spin and help me guide the ball into the court.

Performance wise, everything worked out nicely for me with this racket and I didn’t lose too many points on serve.

My first serve percentage was solid and I picked up a lot of free points, but when I needed it, my second serve was right there, giving me plenty of confidence to attack the first.

I found the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) performed brilliantly on serve, and it was deserving of its 8 out of 10 score.

This rounded off an excellent playtest, and reinforced my belief that the Textreme Tour 100 is one of the best rackets under 300g.

As you’ve probably guessed, we think the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) is an excellent racket.

It offers players looking for a racket under 300g an excellent option in the control/spin categories as well as a ton of performance.

This racket is strong from anywhere on the court, but it particularly impressed me on volleys and the serve.

For any intermediate players with designs on quickly progressing into more advanced tennis, I think this racket has the perfect level of performance.

The extra stability it has means it can handle the power of more advanced tennis, whilst still offering the maneuverability that a less experienced player needs.

If there is one slight weakness for this racket, I would say it is the maneuverability.

It’s a little less maneuverable than many other light rackets, so if you are someone who doesn’t have very developed strokes this could make life a little bit more difficult.

I don’t think this will be a problem for the majority of players though, and you can soon find out by giving this stick a playtest.

Overall, I gave the Prince Textreme Tour 100 (290) a 7.5 out of 10, which is about as good as it gets for rackets under 300g.

It gives solid performance on all shots and has a lovely blend of power, spin, and control, with a slight emphasis on spin that will really suit the aggressive baseliner.

Once again, this is another great racket from Prince and one that we love at TheTennis Bros.com.

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Aug 31, 2023 • Babolat Dunlop Head Prince Wilson Yonex

Men’s vs Women’s Tennis Rackets: What’s the Difference?

Is there really a difference between men’s and women’s rackets? This is a commonly asked question that doesn’t have a very clear answer. Whilst there aren’t specific rackets that are designed for men or women tennis players, there are some trends in both the men’s and women’s games that make…

Feb 23, 2023 • Prince Wilson

Prince Vs Wilson: Tennis Racket and Equipment Review (2023)

Trying to compare Prince vs Wilson rackets? Choosing the right racket can make a big difference to your game, so we’ve researched all of Prince and Wilson’s rackets to give you the complete guide. Here’s our in-depth guide to Prince vs Wilson.

Prince Textreme Tour 100P Racquet Review

Endorsed by ATP tour pro Lucas Pouille, the Prince Textreme Tour 100P gets upgraded with the latest TextremeX technology. The incorporation of Twaron into the frame and an increased stiffness RA of 66 mark the slight adjustments Prince has made to this racquet. Our playtesters found a bit more responsiveness from the updated version, but few other notable differences. The racquet's 11.5-ounce strung weight, head-light balance and 18x20 string pattern delivered a blend of stability and control that was very reminiscent of the first version. Our testers enjoyed the controlled response from around the court, but they could also find power and spin when needed. Players seeking a blend of modern feel with traditional control should take this Textreme Tour 100P out for a demo.

• Nothing we could agree on

Bottom Line

This racquet gets a small update, resulting in a slight change in feel. Its open 18x20 string pattern offers control, but with more power than you might expect.

Intermediate to advanced

Groundstrokes - Score: 85

From the baseline, this Textreme Tour 100P impressed our team with its stability and control, and it didn't skimp on the power either. Tiffani has been playing with the original version of this racquet for three years, so this update felt very familiar to her. She described, "I first playtested the Textreme Tour 100P in 2015, and I've been using it ever since, so it’s easy to see why I have been looking forward to reviewing the update. A lot remains the same with the second iteration of the Textreme Tour 100P. The balance of power and control that wooed me from the start is still there, and the playability of the two racquets felt quite similar to me. The newer version came up on the Babolat RDC with a slightly stiffer layup, but I didn't notice it much. The older version might offer a touch more pocketing, but I'm splitting hairs here. I don't think comfort was compromised with the increased stiffness. I could switch back and forth between these two racquets without any hesitation."

Mark also drew comparisons to the previous version. He said, "I played well from the baseline with the last iteration of the Prince Textreme Tour 100P, so admittedly I had high expectations for this playtest. Within 20 shots from the backcourt, I could definitely sense that Prince firmed up the new Tour 100P's graphite layup, which rewarded me with easier access to pace and a higher degree of consistency. I love the spacing of its 18x20 string pattern. Arcing the ball with lots of topspin was easy with the Tour 100P, and I was still able to maintain low net clearance with my backhand slice."

New to the Textreme Tour 100P, Erik tapped into the racquet's versatility to make it work for his all-court game. He said, "The Textreme Tour 100P was extremely solid on my groundstrokes. I felt like this racquet didn't get pushed around that often; it was extremely stable. There was a good amount of control here, too. I did not find it overpowering, but I still got a good amount of bite on the ball. My slice tended to stay low and effective; it was very point and shoot. The Textreme Tour 100P was pretty maneuverable, and it was easy to generate racquet head speed to get it into position. I could slice and hit out on my groundstrokes without fear of sending the ball long, which worked well for my game style. At times this racquet wasn't as maneuverable on the run or as generous outside of the sweetspot as I would've liked, but I loved it whenever I could set up for the shot. It was a little tougher to hit deep or effectively when I was on the run.”

Despite the specs not aligning with her typical tastes, Kristen found the Textreme Tour 100P more forgiving than most racquets she's tried with an 18x20 string pattern. She said, "I loved the feel of the Textreme Tour 100P on groundstrokes. I'm usually not a fan of 18x20 string patterns because they tend to feel too boardy for my tastes. However, that's not the case with this racquet. The spacing on this 18x20 is slightly more open, so while I was able to tap into the benefits of the tighter string pattern for added control on my shots, the feel was more forgiving. There was also ample access to topspin, and it was easy to hit with good depth. When I was hitting slice I could really knife through the ball, and it would stay low, skimming sharply over the net. I thought this racquet brought it all when it came to point play. It packed some punch when I was playing aggressively and was also easy to defend with thanks to its stability. Overall, it offered a great combination of power and control."

Volleys - Score: 86

At net, our team really appreciated the Textreme Tour 100P's stability. Erik didn't have the same maneuverability issues on volleys that he had at the baseline. He elaborated, "I had no problem maneuvering the Textreme Tour 100P, and it felt quite quick up at net. This racquet was very responsive and comfortable. I found myself hitting the ball deeper, though I couldn't get a ton of spin on volleys. I felt very connected to the ball with this racquet and had a very solid response off the stringbed."

Kristen enjoyed the racquet's accuracy on volleys. She noted, "I felt very comfortable moving forward with this racquet, as it offered great stability and great directional control. I found that even when I caught the ball outside of the sweetspot I was still able to place my shots well."

The Textreme Tour 100P once again pleased Tiffani . She said, "I liked the reliability of this racquet at net. It felt comfortable at contact and offered a good amount of stability and control. Since I feel very at home with this racquet, I had no issues maneuvering it. The Textreme Tour 100P has a very familiar feel in my hands."

Mark felt comfortable moving up to net with this racquet in his hands. He said, "I felt pretty confident wielding the new Tour 100P anywhere inside the service lines. Producing a high-quality, point-ending or point-preserving volley was easy. The combination of its 11.5-ounce static weight and low-320 swingweight offered my game a nearly perfect balance of stability and maneuverability."

Serves - Score: 84

Although the team enjoyed the Textreme Tour 100P’s focus on control from other areas of the court, some of the testers had to make adjustments to get adequate power on serves. Kristen explained, "Serving was one area where I did notice the tighter string pattern at first, and it took me a while to get into a good rhythm. Initially, I was missing a lot of serves or not generating enough power for my serves to be very effective. The key for me was loading up the ball with spin and exploding through my serve more. Once in that mentality, I was able to get the racquet head swinging faster and coming around the ball with better timing, and I started hitting some penetrating serves that landed deep in the box."

Like Kristen, Erik focused on his fundamentals to tap into the Textreme Tour 100P’s power. He said, "I enjoyed this racquet on serve. I had good accuracy and placement, though sometimes I’d find myself dropping the ball a bit short in the box or hitting it into the net. I had a lot of control and spin on my second serve, but I really had to focus on exploding up and getting under the ball to generate the depth I was looking for. My favorite serves were the slider out wide on the ad side and the slider up the T on the deuce side."

Mark relied on accuracy to achieve serving success. He noted, "For every shot, including my serve, I had an easy time switching to the new Tour 100P. Compared to the earlier edition, which was a softer feeling frame, I felt like my serve was a little more consistent and pinpoint with this updated version. Its combination of a rather spin-friendly 18x20 string pattern and an 11.5-ounce strung weight complemented my serve, making it my favorite shot to hit with this frame."

"This racquet felt good swinging up overhead," Tiffani continued. "It delivered enough power and spin for my game. Once again, the difference between the two versions of the racquet wasn't huge; I could serve with either one and be happy. The Textreme Tour 100P manages a good balance of weight and maneuverability that optimizes my service motion."

Returns - Score: 86

When it came time to return serves with the Textreme Tour 100P the team discovered a stable and controlled response. For Erik , though, it wasn't always the most forgiving racquet. He said, "I could be quite aggressive on returns with this racquet. When I was facing first serves I’d chip back deep returns with ease, and I could be very precise with my topspin returns. If I didn't fully commit to hitting the ball, though, my shots would end up going short or into the net. This racquet was extremely stable and solid on contact, but it was a little difficult to maneuver at times, and I would occasionally hit the ball late."

Tiffani was returning confidently with the Textreme Tour 100P. She said, "I liked how the racquet blended power, control and stability on returns. Since I also use this racquet when not playtesting, I felt right at home returning. When given the time, I could take big swings on my returns, and when I was facing bigger serves the racquet offered me enough stability to block the ball back."

The Textreme Tour 100P continued to woo Kristen , who found returns to be a highlight of the playtest. She described, "This might just be my new favorite racquet to return with. That balance of power and control was optimal when I was returning. I could take a big swing with confidence, and I could switch freely between offensive and defensive returns. I felt very connected to the ball, and I found it easy to get good placement."

Mark , once again, found control to be a standout feature of the Textreme Tour 100P. He said, "No doubt, Shaq has hit more free-throws than I have hit clean winners with my return of serve. That said, my directional control on the return was great with the new Tour 100P, and I was also able to hit around the ball more often than I do with my current racquet."

Overall - Score: 87

Tiffani - "I like the blend of power and control. I also appreciate that the update wasn't drastic, which made it easy to switch back and forth between both versions of the Textreme Tour 100P ."

Kristen - "It has a great balance of power and control, along with great feel. It's stable too.”

Erik - "This racquet is stable, with great control."

Mark - "I enjoyed the level of comfort and the energy absorption of the first generation Tour 100P, but I would have enjoyed the extra help I can get from a slightly stiffer frame. Without compromising the directional control and comfort I experienced with the earlier model, this update to the Tour 100P is firmer and does return a bit more energy to the ball, which is something that helped me late in matches and hitting sessions.”

Tiffani - "None."

Kristen - "None come to mind."

Erik - "There was a lack of maneuverability at times, and this racquet is not as forgiving outside of the sweetspot."

Mark - "Although the new Textreme Tour 100P worked extremely well in stock form, I would probably give it the 'Troy' treatment and add a leather grip, overgrip and just a smidge of weight in the hoop."

Comparing the racquet to others they've tried, our testers said:

Tiffani - "I have been playing with the original version of the Textreme Tour 100P for a few years now, and this update plays very similarly. I could have both versions in my bag and switch between the two without any issues. The biggest difference I could sense was the feel. Most notably, shots outside the sweetspot feel a bit firmer with the update. The specs show a slightly higher RA for the new version (66 versus 62), but the comfort was similar inside the sweetspot. There are more similarities than differences between the two versions."

Kristen - "Having hit with the previous iteration, I find that this updated Textreme Tour 100P offers a bit more stability and doesn’t feel quite as muted on contact. Compared to my current racquet of choice, the Prince Phantom Pro 100, I can get more put-away power with the Textreme Tour 100P , and it's a touch more stable in stock form."

Erik - "The Textreme Tour 100P has more control than my current racquet of choice. I prefer this racquet to the Tecnifibre ATP TFight 300 XTC. A racquet that plays similarly to this racquet is the Wilson Blade 18x20, but the Textreme Tour 100P has a bigger sweetspot and doesn’t get pushed around as much."

Mark - "Although both versions of the Tour 100P are flexible, the prior model was forgiving enough for me to compare it with the ultra-flexible Prince Phantom 100 frames. The latest Tour 100P is still flexible, but it's firm enough to be a closer fit to the Beast series of frames. Other frames that played similarly to the new Textreme Tour 100P are the Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro, the Pro Kennex Ki Q + 5 Pro (310) and the Wilson Ultra Tour."

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Prince Textreme Tour 100P (2015).

Erik: Open level all court player with a one-handed backhand and a western forehand. He is currently using the Yonex EZONE 98.

Mark: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with the Prince Phantom Pro 93P.

Kristen: 5.0 level player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. Kristen currently plays with a Prince Phantom Pro 100.

Review date: December 2018. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. All content copyright 2018 Tennis Warehouse.

Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Review

For 2022, Prince has revamped their Textreme Tour line, adding their Anti-Torque System (ATS) technology and, of course, a brand new paint job.

The Tour line has several rackets to choose from, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 95, Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98, Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P, Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 310 and finally, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290.

For this playtest, I picked up the 290g version, which is the lightest in the range and targets beginners and intermediates looking for an arm-friendly, easy-to-swing racket.

How does it play? Find out in this full Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 review and playtest.

Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Cosmetics

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The new Textreme Tour line features a white base coat with a splash of solid black in certain areas and then a geometric line pattern on the throat and hoop in orange and cyan colours.

The head guard is orange, as are the grommets with that same orange used for the logo on the Prince Resi Pro grip.

I’m a fan of the design as I like white rackets and the injections of colour give it a bit of a funky look. The fonts used also work well for the ‘Tour’ branding.

The only area I don’t like is the grip, as I am not a fan of having logos on them; however, that is quickly fixed with an overgrip.

Prince ATS Textreme Tour Line Spec Comparison

My specifications and setup.

After removing the grip cellophane, I got the Prince on the weighing scales. The unstrung weight specified by Prince is 290g, but mine was over that at 294.4g.

This variance is pretty standard for most tennis racket brands’ tolerance levels. Luckily, I’d prefer a racket at 290g to weigh 294g as it brings the specs a little closer to the weight I usually like.

When strung, it came in at 316.5g with an overgrip, a balance of 33.5cm, 2 points head light and a swing weight of 327 kg/cm2.

If you bought this frame based on wanting a sub 320 swing weight, you would be disappointed. So do ask the retailer to match the specs if they offer it.

You can see the official (+ Tennis Warehouse) ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 specs below and my self-measured specs for comparison.

I used Prince Diablo 17 (1.25mm) for stringing as a two-piece string job at 50lbs. Stringing the frame is easy with clearly marked holes and only having to skip 8T and 8H for the mains.

The 16 x 18 string pattern means the crosses are easy to weave, and you’re stringing one, or two crosses less than usual, which speeds it up.

For those interested, Prince Diablo is a co-polyester string that’s a tad softer than most strings in the category, and I thought it would pair well with the open string patterned ATS Textreme Tour 100.

The racket had an L1 grip which is not what I use, so I bumped it up with an overgrip. This took the specs to 11.2oz / 316.5g with a swing weight of 327 kg/cm2.

First Impressions

It has been a long time since I’ve used Prince rackets as, unfortunately, the brand hasn’t been well sold in Europe and therefore isn’t as popular or readily available as the other big players.

But popularity, marketing and having pros using the brand do not make a racket perform better. After all, the vast majority come from the same factories, so I was looking forward to giving the Textreme Tour line a playtest.

I’d already read and watched several reviews of the 95 and 98-square-inch rackets, but there was little on the 290g racket and having not used the previous iterations (the racket Iga Swiatek used before she signed with Tecnifibre), I wasn’t too sure what to expect.

After my first few hits, my thoughts were that the Tour 100 290 packs a decent punch, feels stable and is a racket I’d be able to use with no problems.

Full Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Review

Groundstrokes

My first few full-blooded groundstrokes were wild from the back of the court.

Most of my play before this playtest was with a Blade 98 v8 18 x 20, which is a heavier, more headlight frame, so replicating those shots from muscle memory sent this ball flying towards the back fence.

However, after the first dozen shots and not trying to hit the felt off the ball, I started to get a feel for it.

Given the 16 x 18 pattern, I expected a high launch angle, but the Tour 100 290 doesn’t balloon the ball at all, and the strings are not that widely spaced around the ‘sweet spot’.

The slice, in particular, felt good, which again surprised me given the racket was 100 square inches and 16 x 18, yet keeping the ball low with a decent pace was not a problem.

This was probably helped by the extra mass in the hoop, which put a bit more oomph behind the ball rather than a loopy-type shot.

My other main takeaway was the Tour 100 gives an excellent connected feel to the ball, and the Diablo strings paired with the soft frame gave a very satisfying sound on impact.

The Textreme Tour 100 290 is a solid feeling frame from the baseline overall. It is not a whippy racket, but you can still swing it fast, and despite its low static weight class, it doesn’t get pushed around by heavier incoming balls.

Any downsides? This is personal, and your mileage may differ, but I found my forehand on the run where I’m trying to whip the ball cross-court and then recover became unreliable. This is probably caused by the weight distribution in the frame, which takes some more adjustments.

What You Can Expect

• Not as high a launch angle as you’d expect from a 16 x 18 pattern
• Pleasing thud sound at contact
• Connected feel to the ball

The more I think about racket reviews, the harder it becomes to talk about specific shots, as they are very personal.

None more so than the service as you control every aspect of it from start to finish. Therefore a racket I think is good for my serve might be terrible for yours. And much of it depends on what racket you are transitioning from.

However, all players looking for spin and slice will find it with the 16 x 18 string pattern, and I think most players will find something they like when serving with this racket.

At 100 square inches, it does most things well – power but not excessive, control but not the ultimate precision and spin is plentiful.

Up at the net, the Textreme Tour 100 290 performs well. The racket I tested had a fair bit of mass in the hoop, so it was very stable, and punchy volleys had some real bite.

On the flip, the manoeuvrability of the frame wasn’t the best for those quick reaction type volleys, but if you were in position early or needed a little bit of extra stability when on the stretch, then your volleys were in good shape.

• Good stability for a sub 300g racket

Returning serves ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 worked well. Again the 316.5g strung weight and 327 swing weight meant stability was not a problem.

Blocked returns worked well, and I felt I could still get a decent piece of the ball even on those off-centre stretch returns.

In the hoop at 10 and 2, Prince combines TeXtreme with Twaron for their ‘anti-torque system’, which probably helped. I measured the twist weight of this frame at 15.15, which is relatively high for a sub 300g racket, and a point higher than the 2019 version of this frame.

• Stability when at full stretch
• Good feel on block returns

Who is this Racket For?

Like the Head Boom MP I reviewed recently, the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 is a racket with which many players of varying abilities can pick up and play decent tennis.

I think it is very well suited to a higher-level female player (it is no surprise Iga Swiatek used the previous version of this frame in stock form), as the best description I can give is that it’s a lighter player’s frame.

Most rackets in the 290g range are often stiff layups with lower swing weights, whereas the Textreme 100 comes in with a softer 62 RA and a 318 swing weight (if you get one close to spec).

You also get that mixed beam width that starts at 23mm, moves to 20mm, and then back to 22mm. This gives you a frame that blends the ‘tweener’ type spec with the thinner beamed player frame.

With my outlier specs and higher swing weight, I was almost playing with a customised version of the Tour 100 290, which means I benefited from added stability and higher shot weight (‘plow’, as the Americans, often say).

Based on how my racket played, I could see quite a few players adding lead to their frame to bring the stock specs closer to this one.

At stock specs, the Textreme Tour 100 290 will be a good racket to demo for intermediate male players, strong female players and those looking for a solid base to customise from.

Similar Rackets

• Head Boom MP
• Dunlop CX 200
• Head Gravity MP
• Wilson Blade 100L v8
• Prince Phantom 100X 290

Final Thoughts

The Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290‘s slick cosmetics, coupled with the excellent thud acoustics it makes during impact, make it a very fun racket to play with.

At the time of writing this review, I hit with it for about 12 hours, and despite thinking I was ‘done’ with the review, it has become a racket that I keep picking up to play with, thanks to its ease of use, comfortable yet solid feel and the fact it does most things well.

While the racket didn’t deliver on the promise of a fast feeling and speed the net, it gave me plenty of controllable power, good stability and a great feel.

• Slick cosmetics
• Good blend of all-around specs
• Very stable
• Balance/swing weight specs off

Any questions about the ATS Textreme Tour 290? Have you used any rackets in the Prince Textreme Tour Line? Let me know in the comments.

And if you have tried the 290g version that was ‘on spec’, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on stability, manoeuvrability etc. Do they differ from my experience?

Power – 8

Control – 8, manoeuvrability – 7.5, stability – 9, comfort – 9.5, touch/feel – 8.5, serves – 7.5, groundstrokes – 8.5, slice – 9, volleys – 8, returns – 8.

A solid frame from intermediate male players and higher-level female players looking for controllable power and great feel.

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Prince ATS Tour Racquet Review (98 and 100)

The Tour family of racquets became a hit when Prince introduced them in 2015. Here is my Prince ATS Tour racquet review the 98 and the 100.

Most important for this review is the entry of the Tour 98, an entirely new model in the Prince Tour series. And an important one as the 98 sq inch head size is very popular among advanced players.

The other models in the line-up, like the 95 and the 100P, will be reviewed shortly as I’m expecting a shipment.

Like with most racquet line updates, there is not a huge change in performance from the 2019 Textreme Tours to the 2022 ATS Tours. Textreme and Twaron are still a part of the layup, with the ATS meaning “Anti-Torque system”, featuring the materials in the shaft and at 10 and 2 in the upper hoop. The idea is to increase stability but another result of it is also an increase in swing weight.

There are no large shifts in the racquet specifications, but the stiffness is quite a bit lower (measured in RA units). A low 60 RA strung usually means that the frame flexes a bit more on impact than most modern racquets (high 60 RA).

Prince ATS Tour 100 (310g) Specifications

Head Size: 100 in / 645 cm Length: 27in / 68,5cm Strung Weight: 326g / 11,5oz Unstrung Weight: 310g/10,9oz Balance: 31,98cm / 7 pts HL Unstrung Balance: 31cm/10 pts HL Swingweight: 323 Stiffness: 62 Beam Width: 22mm / 23mm / 20mm Composition: Textreme/Twaron/Graphite String Pattern: 16 Mains / 18 Crosses Mains skip: 8T,8H

Prince ATS Tour 98 Specifications

Head Size: 98 in / 632 cm Length: 27in / 68,5cm Strung Weight: 323g / 11,4oz Unstrung Weight: 305g/10,8oz Balance: 32,49cm / 6 pts HL Unstrung Balance: 31,5cm/9 pts HL Swingweight: 325 Stiffness: 62 Beam Width: 23mm / 23mm / 20mm Composition: Textreme/Twaron/Graphite String Pattern: 16 Mains / 19 Crosses Mains skip: 8T,8H

As you can see the head size is the main difference in the specs. Most other factors are quite similar in between the 98 and the 100.

How do they play?

Both the Prince Tour 98 and the 100 are power-oriented without going all the way to stiffer racquets like Pure Drives, HEAD Instincts, or Wilson Ultras.

You get a fair share of spin, but they’re not exceptionally aerodynamic like spin-focused racquets (Aero, SX, Extreme etc). Think of them more like modern, middle-ground racquets that are versatile and perform well for a wide range of player types. Since they have relatively high swing weights, you need to be an advanced player to benefit fully from them.

But if you like a stable racquet with good comfort, feel and a nice balance of power/spin/control, the new Prince ATS Tour racquets should go on your demo list.

Comparing the 98 and the 100

It sounds logical that the 98 is faster through the air thanks to the smaller head size. It also offers better control, but less power than the 100. If you’re an attacking player relying on precision, the 98 is the way to go. Spin-oriented baseline players will likely prefer the Tour 100.

Compared the Prince ATS Tours to other brands

The Prince 98 is somewhere in between an Ezone 98 and a Blade 98 in power level. The Ezone is slightly more powerful, while the Blade is a more control-oriented racquet than the Prince. I think a lot of players will enjoy the blend. I think it’s also somewhere in between a Pure Strike 98 16×19 and a TF40 16×19.

The Prince 100 is more in line with a HEAD Speed MP/Pro. A bit more spin-friendly than the Pro, but similar in weight and power level.

Compared to previous version (2019)

The Prince ATS Tour 100 is a crisp yet arm-friendly feel. It’s more comfortable and stable than the predecessor at the cost of being tougher to manoeuvre.

Where to buy or demo?

Check out my affiliates Tennis Warehouse , Tennis Warehouse Europe , and Tennis Only to find these Prince Tour ATS racquets. If you use my links here or in my YouTube description , to buy anything from these online stores, I will get a small commission. This helps Tennisnerd stay alive and is much appreciated. Thanks.

Jonas Eriksson

Jonas has been known as "tennis nerd" mainly for his obsessing about racquets and gear. Plays this beautiful sport almost every day.

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Will roger federer get a wimbledon farewell on his terms, you may also like, wilson blade 100 review, why use heavier racquets, new prince phantom racquets, atp houston string tensions, tecnifibre tf-x1 v2, wilson blade 98 16/19 v9 review, the babolat pure drive celebrates 30 years, babolat pure strike 100 16/20 review, head boom pro 2024 review, head boom 2024.

Pretty excited about these racquets! What did you string them with?

98: Luxilon Element (Forest Green), Solinco Hyper-G Soft 100: Six-sided black poly (not sure what it was, but played well).

Hey Jonas, I am still playing the 2019 310 rackets. I am really happy with them but also excited about the successors. The weight is still the same, but the swingweight is even lower. Are they really more clunky in the hand? Thanks for your honest reviews, best wishes from Germany …. and one of the last Prince players here ;)

How does the Prince Tour ATS 98 compare to the Beast 98? That’s my current racquet (and has been for a few years). You named the Beast 98 one of the best racquets for 2018. Thanks in advance for your response and keep up the great work!

are you selling your 98 by chance? would love to buy! thanks for making the tennis world more beautiful!

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Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 ( 290 ) Racquet Review

As the lightest member of Prince's ATS Textreme Tour family, the Tour 100 290 is not to be overlooked. Whether in stock form or as a platform frame for customization, the Textreme Tour 100 290 offers high playability for a wide range of levels and playing styles. It features Anti-Torque System (ATS) technology that includes both Textreme and Twaron in the shaft and at 10 and 2 o'clock in the upper hoop, providing a powerful and stable response upon impact. Also new to 2022, Prince changes the beam to a more flexible 62 RA for added comfort on every stroke. Our playtesters are well versed in this ATS Textreme family, with all of them testing several other models in the line as well as past generations. Although the weight is a little lower than their preferred specs, all were impressed with the performance of this "hidden gem." Highlights of the playtest include great maneuverability, easy access to spin and a nice blend of control and power. Not to mention, all of the testers were fans of the feel. With a weight under 290 grams unstrung, there were some stability issues when the levels of pace and spin increased, but that was anticipated. Overall, the ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 is a serious contender for every player looking to take their game to the next level.

• Maneuverability
• Slightly unstable at times

Beginner to Intermediate

Groundstrokes - Score: 87

Our team found the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 easy to use and spin-friendly from the baseline. Brittany has playtested several other racquets in the ATS Textreme family and has recently dabbled with lighter racquets. She started off by saying, "I was extremely excited for this playtest, and it did not disappoint. Even at an unstrung weight under 300 grams, the Tour 100 290 offered high levels of playability, especially from the baseline. I noticed two things on my groundstrokes: excellent maneuverability and controllable power. This racquet is extremely easy to swing, so it's easy to generate racquet head speed. That translated to power, but I never felt like the ball was launching. I had good control over where the ball was landing and felt confident going after riskier targets on my more aggressive groundstrokes. Slices were just OK, which was to be expected with the lighter weight."

Tiffani is also familiar with the ATS Textreme family. She said, "My current racquet comes from this ATS Textreme Tour line, and this playtest just lengthened the list of frames I enjoy from this family. The Textreme Tour 100 290 is lighter than my ATS Textreme Tour 100P, and it has a more open string pattern, but this 290 version was easy for me to transition into. Although it has a lower static weight, there's enough swingweight to mask instability most of the time. I only recalled having stability issues when I was hitting high above my shoulder outside of my strike zone. Otherwise, this racquet offered stability on par with 300-gram racquets. With an open string pattern and an easy swing, this Tour 100 290 let me hit some great angles. I could dip the ball and get it moving off the court. My slices were OK, but they were more defensive since my slice shots didn't penetrate the court like they would with my own racquet."

"The Tour 100 290 reminded me just how fun tennis can be," added Sage . "My racquet of choice is substantially heavier, so I decided to relax, loosen my grip and swing away. This strategy produced some smile-inducing rallies. The open string pattern lifted the ball and imparted heavy spin, leading to easy depth. Combine the insanely maneuverable swing and controlled feel the ATS technology provides, and the result was effortless consistency. Sure, there were times when I missed the extra weight, but I've never hit with a 290-gram frame that was as stable as this one. The specs work in harmony to squeeze stability, power and placement out of a weight that typically doesn't exhibit those traits. Beginners will be rewarded with more shots in the court, intermediate players can harness the spin and control, and it acts as a customization platform for more advanced players. Prince nailed this one."

Jason was able to head directly to the court and instantly start playing well. He said, "This is such an easy racquet to use from the baseline. I knew it was going to be maneuverable and I knew it was going to be spin-friendly, but I was surprised by the depth I was getting and the effectiveness of my shots. Sure the 290-gram weight was on the lighter side, and because of that, I wasn't hitting with as much pace as I would've wanted, but I could easily add some tungsten tape to fix that."

Volleys - Score: 84

Heading up to net, our playtest crew found the ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 to be a speedy racquet with great feel, although they did notice some instability at times. Tiffani found herself ending more points up at net with this racquet. She said, "When a racquet instills confidence in my volleys, I can't complain. This Tour 100 290 felt so quick at net that I was more confident following a short ball up to close out the point with a punch volley. The stability was sufficient for my needs, and I liked the easy depth on my volleys."

"The Textreme Tour 100 290 felt so quick up at net," continued Jason . "It felt like there was no lag time from when I started my swing to when I made contact. I also felt well connected to my shots, and I loved the feel at contact."

Brittany has been a big fan of the feel of Prince racquets ever since she started using them at 10 years old. She said, "I enjoyed the responsive feel that the Textreme Tour 100 290 offered at the net. While I was able to soften my hands and hit touch volleys, I had my best success punching the ball deep with firm, short strokes. There was surprisingly good stability for the most part, but I did feel like the racquet was getting pushed around when a passing shot came in with solid pace and spin."

Sage agreed with Brittany here. He said, "Getting the racquet into position was smooth, and it offered a surprisingly forgiving response. I mostly looked for a crisp volley to hit through the court, but I could also come underneath it to drop it short as long as I wasn't up against a big hitter. That said, I was left wishing for more stability when I was up against a heavy ball."

Serves - Score: 82

The playtesters agreed that spin was the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290's biggest strength when it came to serves. Sage enjoyed the variety of serves he could hit with this racquet. He said, "This was another area of the court where the open string pattern made the difference. My serves weren't coming in as fast as with other racquets, but that was offset by the slice and kick I could generate. I preferred going to the body, so it didn't give my opponent a chance to take a full cut at the return. There was ample control to hit corners, and comfort was never in question."

The highlight here for Tiffani was the added spin on her slice serves. She said, "I found that spin came more easily than it does with my own racquet. My flat serves weren't enhanced, but I thought they were easy to execute with this racquet. Most of the time, I was choosing to slice both my first and second serves because I liked the added action I was getting on that shot."

While Jason found it easy to hit his mark with this racquet on serves, he noticed it lacking a bit of oomph. He explained, "The Tour 100 290 was great for hitting slice serves. I thought it was easy to accelerate the racquet and easy to serve with a high percentage. There was good access to spin for sure, but the lack of mass was noticeable to my opponents, who said they felt it was easier to attack my serves. A bit of tungsten tape would be able to fix that."

The ATS Textreme Tour 100 290's spin potential was the standout feature for Brittany on serves. She said, "I thought the Tour 100 290 offered plenty of access to spin, and I utilized it the most on both my first and second serves. My favorite serve to hit was a slice serve out wide on the deuce side to pull my opponent off the court. I wasn't hitting my fastest or heaviest serves with this racquet, but I was doing enough to start points at least neutrally, if not offensively. Second serves were consistent and comfortable, although lacking a little bit of weight behind them."

Returns - Score: 82

The Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 had mixed results for our playtesters on return of serve. On one hand, the racquet yielded strong returns for Tiffani . She said, "Once again, I was impressed with this racquet. I liked the way the easy depth mixed with easy spin to keep this shot in play. The swingweight is very manageable, so this Tour 100 290 was simple enough for me to get around in time, and I felt comfortable being more selective with my shot placement. On second serve returns, I could step in and get more offensive."

"The ability to get a racquet around my body quickly and never feel late when returning is a key aspect to starting a point off offensively," said Brittany . However, she and the rest of the playtesters did notice the lighter weight most on this stroke. "Normally, I prefer to return over serve, but with the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 I didn't have a preference one way or the other. I don't often say this, but I think this racquet could use a little added weight to bring up the level of playability even more."

Jason enjoyed the Tour 100 290 more for attacking than for defending on serve returns. He said, "The ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 allowed me to hit with lots of spin and nice depth, and it came around my body super quick. I also felt like the control was excellent, and I was finding my targets at a high percentage. The racquet was missing a bit of mass when going up against harder hit serves. It can get pushed back, and torsional stability suffers because of it."

Sage found returning to be the most difficult part of the playtest due to the lighter weight. He wrapped things up, saying, "Blocking the ball to try to neutralize a big serve resulted in the frame twisting in hand. I had to focus on getting my feet into position so I could take a full swing. I just never quite settled in with the ATS Textreme Tour 100 290, and I didn't feel confident in my return game."

Overall - Score: 86

Brittany - "I like the feel, controllable power and maneuverability."

Tiffani - "There's so much I like! This ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 has great overall playability. I like the easy spin, depth and feel."

Sage - "This is a versatile and easy-to-use racquet that shines in the spin, maneuverability and comfort categories."

Jason - "Very user-friendly. Excellent maneuverability and spin potential."

Brittany - "Nothing really! There are some stability issues at times, but that is to be expected and could be fixed with some customization."

Tiffani - "I don't have any!"

Sage - "I'd personally add some weight to bump up the stability."

Jason - "The Prince Textreme Tour 100 290 lacks a bit of weight."

Comparing the racquet to others they've tried, our testers said:

Brittany - "I consider this my favorite racquet in the ATS Textreme Tour line. While the 100 310 and 100P offer more stability and plow through, this Tour 100 290 is the most versatile. It is easy to play with as is, but it's also a great platform frame for customization. Other racquets that play similarly include the Tecnifibre TFight 295 RS, Dunlop CX 400 and Wilson Clash 100 v2."

Tiffani - "Compared to my own ATS Textreme Tour 100P, there's easier net clearance, access to depth and topspin. Although the swingweights aren't drastically different on paper, this Tour 100 290 is easier to swing than the ATS Textreme Tour 100 310. The feel and comfort levels are similar, though. Outside of Prince, I was reminded of the Wilson Blade 100 v7. There's a similar balance of power and control."

Sage - "The Tour 100 290 took over the lead for my favorite racquet under 300 grams (unstrung). It gave me big-time spin and control when strung with a polyester string, although I actually enjoyed a multifilament in it as well. The multi helped pump some extra power into my shots and flatten the trajectory of the ball a little bit. Compared to similar racquets, like the Wilson Blade 100L v8, Babolat Pure Strike Team 3rd Gen and Head Gravity MP, I'd stick with this Prince option."

Jason - "The Prince Textreme Tour 100 290's playability is similar to that of the Wilson Blade 100 v7, but with a more comfortable response."

Playtester Profiles

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE 100.

Sage: 4.5 lefty all-court player with a two-handed backhand. He currently plays with a customized Head Speed MP 2022.

Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. Currently using a customized Prince Twistpower X100.

Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P.

Review date: November 2022. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. All content copyright 2022 Tennis Warehouse.