Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P Racquet Review

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