Head Prestige Pro 2021 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 88

The Prestige Pro 2021 delivered in a big way from the baseline. Our team felt this version built on the outgoing model with greater plow through. Chris was particularly impressed by the racquet's balanced feel. He explained, "I have long been a fan of the Prestige MP through its many versions, so I was excited to get on court with this Prestige Pro 2021. I immediately felt at home with the controlled response from the dense 18x20 stringbed. I was able to take a full cut at the ball and keep my shots well within the lines. I liked the way the racquet cut through the air. It felt fast yet solid, which is a rare combo but always a treat when you find it. I liked the stable response on my backhand. On both my slice and topspin shots, the racquet drove through the ball well and gave me plenty of pace. This racquet is just within my desired specs on paper, but most importantly, it felt well within my wheelhouse on court. I gelled with the weight, balance and overall feel of the Prestige Pro 2021. The level of precision was sublime. The response was also smooth and comfortable — so everything I look for in a Prestige."

Mark's high expectations were met and surpassed. He said, "Most Prestige frames have been mass-based power racquets that never relied on a stiff layup of graphite to increase frame power, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from the latest update. Within five minutes of play from the baseline, the new Prestige Pro 2021 felt predictable to me, and I was confident enough to aim shots at small targets on court. Using the racquet's mass and tight pattern, I actually hit those spots a high percentage of the time. Spin-wise, the dense pattern made for a low launch angle, but when matched with a shaped polyester, the stringbed produced a slightly higher angle and easy access to topspin. One final aspect was my ability to keep my slice very low, which for me is a five-star result."

It was a smooth playtest from the baseline for Troy, as the racquet felt comfortable and confidence-inspiring without any adjustment period. He described, "Not only did I enjoy the way this Prestige Pro maneuvered, but I was also very impressed with the feel on contact. The weight and swingweight of this racquet were both very close to the specs I prefer in my racquet of choice, so I found it easy to maneuver. It cut through the air with ease. That said, with a bit more swingweight than the previous version, it plowed through the ball well and felt very solid on contact. I wouldn't consider this racquet to be ideal for topspin generation, but I loved how much control and feel there was when ripping a flatter trajectory groundstroke. My backhand slice was a thing of beauty with this Prestige Pro 2021. As with most Prestige racquets I have tried, there wasn't a ton of free power on tap, but when stepping inside the court and playing an attacking style, this racquet worked well for me. I really felt connected to the ball and could place my groundstrokes in the corners of the court with confidence."

Sage usually prefers spin-friendly racquets, but he was impressed with the new Prestige Pro's precision and feel. He said, "It took some time to get the launch angle dialed in and to drive through the ball with less spin than I normally impart. As soon as I got comfortable, I found I could move the ball laterally nearly effortlessly. Hitting smaller and smaller targets opened up the court. It made hitting a shallow angled ball a reliable option, and that's a shot I'm not typically looking to use. I was confident in placing the ball effectively, leading to smarter point play. This racquet brought to life all the positive attributes of a control-oriented player's frame, which made for a game-changing playtest for me. Admittedly, I didn't pick up the Prestige Pro 2021 thinking long term, but I'll have a hard time putting it down. It's simply that good."

Volleys - Score: 88

Volleying with the Prestige Pro 2021 proved to be an all-around favorite with our team. This racquet's excellent blend of control and connectedness helped Troy feel right at home at the net. He said, "The feel was superb when hitting my volleys. I found this racquet plush and comfortable, but also very solid and stable. The contact was smooth, so I felt like I could place the ball anywhere I wanted, especially on drop volleys and short angles. The combination of the weight and swingweight made for a solid feel on contact, even when I was facing hard hitters. Although this Prestige Pro 2021 doesn't have a ton of inherent power, I felt like it was easy to find depth on my volleys, and I could generate a heavy, low-skidding shot due to its mass."

For Chris, this update made finding the open court easy. He described, "The Prestige Pro 2021 felt very precise at net. I was able to place my volleys exceptionally well. I loved cutting angle volleys with some sidespin to get them to angle even more. The same was true on drop volleys; I had fun cupping under the ball to generate backspin to make them even more deadly. The racquet felt solid, which allowed me to play with a soft grip on the handle to maximize my feel and control. On punch volleys, I was able to put the racquet's mass to work and drive the ball with depth and pace. All in all, I thought this was a great racquet for attacking the net."

Sage couldn't believe just how well the Prestige Pro 2021 transformed his net game. He raved, "I loved this racquet up at net. So much so, I found myself moving forward during singles and winning points with touch. I very rarely choose to stray from the baseline, but this Prestige Pro 2021 changed my game plan. I could easily hit volleys deep, but I also felt a connected response if I wanted to ease up and drop a ball short or produce an angle. The touch and feel off of the stringbed were exceptional. Even though it's static weight is on the heavier side, I had no problem getting it into position."

When moving forward from the baseline to the net, Mark quickly found the same kind of confidence in performance. He said, "I was equally comfortable at net as I was with the Prestige Pro 2021 from the backcourt. Ideally, I look for a racquet that is light enough for me to get in position on time, yet heavy enough to deflect heavy passing shots without feeling unstable. The latest update to this Prestige provided me with a near-perfect blend of maneuverability versus stability at net."

Serves - Score: 85

The Prestige Pro 2021's controlled response gave our playtesting team the confidence to dictate service games with precise targeting. Chris explained, "I served well with the Prestige Pro 2021. I like serving with racquets that have some mass because they help me get more pace on my shots. My first serves had plenty of zip, and I was hitting with a decently heavy delivery. My slice serves were also working well. I was able to get my wide serves to break away from the returner and my middle-of-the-box serves to swerve into the returner's body. I felt very consistent thanks to all of the control and feel I had with this racquet."

Mark felt like he couldn't miss with the Prestige Pro 2021. He said, "Of all the shots I got to hit with the new Prestige Pro 2021 during this playtest, I most favored my serve. The frame I was testing had Head Lynx Tour strung in it, and with that shaped monofilament, I felt my serve accuracy and effectiveness were both as good as they've ever been."

Following a short adjustment period, Sage found success serving with the Prestige Pro 2021. He said, "The weight of the frame was wonderfully balanced. It felt solid without being too demanding over the course of a few sets. From the deuce side, I looked to go to the body or down the T, while a slice out wide on the ad side set up a great one-two punch. I did initially run into trouble adjusting my second serve. I struggled to hit deep, but as soon as I committed to keeping my racquet head speed fast, the ball dipped into the court nicely and produced a heavy serve. When everything came together, I was very confident in keeping my opponent guessing."

"I found great precision on my serves as well as some good plow through power," Troy added. "I tend to rely more on my placement and a variety of spins on my serves rather than just raw power. The Prestige Pro 2021 paired well with those aspects. I felt like I was able to consistently hit my spots, whether down the middle or out wide, to keep my opponents off balance. I wasn't necessarily finding my maximum service speed with this racquet, but the mass helped me to thump a couple of big first serves when I needed to. The 18x20 pattern wasn't quite biting into the ball like my usual 16x19 pattern, but I could still produce tight spin on my kick serves and get them to jump high off the court."

Returns - Score: 83

A consistently solid feel during returns encouraged our team to take a step forward and guide the ball effectively. Sage loved being able to take control of points. He explained, "Similar to serving, the mass of the Prestige Pro 2021 drove through contact and allowed me to mix up returns with ease. I shortened my take back and let the weight do the work for me. If I got a look at a second serve, I could step into the court and rip a forehand with the confidence to remain accurate. I prefer playing offense, so being able to swing big complemented my game really well. I also noticed a forgiving response if I made contact outside the sweetspot."

Troy took advantage of the control the Prestige Pro 2021 offered and went for big shots to start points. He said, "On returns, I found that I was best off when stepping in and being aggressive. The plush feel of this racquet was nice when attacking serves. I never felt any jarring on my arms, even against big servers. There was very little free power coming from the Prestige Pro 2021, so I felt like I needed to stay on the gas and make sure to take a good rip at the ball to help keep my opponent back. If I didn't stay aggressive, the ball was landing a bit short and giving my opponent an offensive position. I loved my backhand returns, whether it was my two-hander or slice. The feel was extremely smooth, and there was enough plow through to help with easy depth on those returns."

This racquet had all the traits Chris looks for when returning serves. He said, "There was a perfect blend of stability and maneuverability in the Prestige Pro 2021. I had the solidness to block back fast incoming serves, yet I could also work the ball for angles and heavy spin because it never felt too heavy or slow. I felt like I had a good sense of the depth and direction of my shots because the response from the racquet offered pinpoint precision. Needless to say, I felt very confident returning with this Prestige in my hands."

Although Mark doesn't consider returning the strongest aspect of his game, the results were undeniably positive throughout this playtest. He explained, "If my return of serve were not the most undernourished part of my game and in need of some polishing, I would say it was my favorite shot to hit with the Prestige Pro 2021. All of this racquet's mass made it easy to redirect a heavy serve with a chip return, and it was just maneuverable enough for me to hit a higher number of topspin returns than typical for me."

Overall - Score: 88