Head Prestige Tour 2021 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 85

The Head Prestige Tour 2021's stability and feedback improvements shine from the baseline. Our playtesters vary on their ideal specification setups, but everyone was impressed by the racquet's excellent control and solid feel. Starting with our US team, Chris said, "The Prestige Tour 2021 felt rock solid from the baseline. I loved the plow-through power; I was able to get enough pace on the ball to put points away, even though this is a very control-oriented racquet. My backhand slice felt fully dialed in. All I had to do was think about what I wanted to do with my shot, and the racquet would make it happen. I also found this racquet to work well on my topspin shots. I was surprised at how easy it was to whip the racquet around the ball for a topspin angle, especially considering the swingweight. For whatever reason, the racquet hid its weight well, cut through the air with ease, and I could accelerate it through the ball. Just like all of the other Prestige releases, this racquet had great feel at contact. The response was smooth, plush and comfortable, yet it had me feeling very connected to the ball. In other words, it was very Prestige-like."

Even though Michelle came into this playtest with sky-high expectations, the Prestige Tour still impressed her. She described, "I considered the Prestige Pro to be one of my favorite racquets, so I didn't think Head would be able to top it, yet somehow they did with this Prestige Tour 2021. The name change was probably the toughest part of this playtest. The racquet held up to pace and was so stable against big hitters, but also perfect when transitioning from offense to defense and back to offense again. I was shocked by how large the 95-square-inch racquet felt and how consistent the stringbed played. I could consistently hit deep and push my opponents back, and I could access spin if and when needed. Slices were impressive as well; whether I was really knifing the ball or going for more finesse, this racquet executed those shots well. One other thing I noted was that I felt I could move balls around the court really well, so my targeting felt more intentional rather than just reactive. I will also add that I think it is imperative to utilize our MRT matching service when purchasing more than one Prestige Tour 2021. I know a couple of our hitters varied slightly, and I gravitated toward one in particular, so I wanted to be sure they matched the more I spent time on this playtest."

Our playtesters at Tennis Only in Australia also felt they could take on full swings and maintain superb levels of control. James found the Prestige Tour to complement one shot in particular. He said, "If I could choose a different racquet for each stroke, this Prestige Tour would be my pick for the backhand. The Prestige feels right at home for me since I've played with previous iterations of this model. It shines on my backhand with unrivaled targeting and accuracy. If you hit through your groundstrokes with a full, fast swing, you will love this racquet at the baseline." Jaye continued, "When I was feeling on and playing with confidence, I was able to step on the gas and hit my groundstrokes well; however, I would have liked a little bit more forgiveness."

At Tennis Warehouse Europe, Cathrin and Anna-Lena also noted the Prestige Tour's excellent precision. However, they both had to make adjustments coming from their racquets of choice, which are lighter and have a larger headsize. Cathrin explained, "Once I got used to the Prestige Tour, I noticed the precision it added to my groundstrokes, especially when I was able to match my opponent's pace. That said, I had problems generating pace and spin with the Prestige on my own. Therefore, I personally would string the racquet with a softer string and lower tension." Anna-Lena added, "I felt really confident hitting the ball. I was able to generate a lot of pace with ease. I felt like I was hitting my targets really well. For me, the racquet is not so spin-friendly. I had to get below the ball and really whip my wrist to make sure to get the needed spin."

Volleys - Score: 85

True to its lineage, the Head Prestige Tour 2021 is well suited for volleys. The smaller headsize and beefier swingweight combined to offer precision and stability at net. Finding it difficult to put the racquet down, Michelle described, "The Prestige Tour was amazing to volley with. It was so stable yet still easy to get in place. I never felt stuck, even against big hitters or when closing tight in doubles. This was one of those point-and-shoot racquets we like to talk about; it does what you ask it to do. I could block volleys deep or drop volleys short. I have to admit I loved this playtest. I had this racquet in my hands for the majority of the past couple months, which means I logged some good hours playing doubles, and I have no complaints with this racquet from the net."

Cathrin also had no issues and found the volley her favorite aspect of the playtest. She said, "I love playing volleys with this racquet because it is very stable, yet still maneuverable, so it was easy to block the balls. I also had great precision."

Chris and Jaye discovered that the racquet's mass enabled them to hit punching volleys with penetrating drive. Chris said, "I was very impressed with the Prestige Tour 2021 at net. I loved the feel I had for hitting touch volleys. Not only did the racquet allow me to feel the ball, but the solid response also allowed me to relax my grip and find my targets with accuracy. I could put the mass of the racquet to work when punching volleys deep. I volleyed very well with this racquet, always feeling confident no matter if I was playing singles or doubles." Jaye added, "The Prestige is very point and shoot. I loved the precision I was able to get on my volleys, and I had enough mass and control to pinpoint where my shots needed to go."

Serves - Score: 82

With control-oriented specifications, better feedback and a heftier swingweight, the Prestige Tour 2021 impressed our playtesters when serving. Flat serves tended to be the most effective for our team. Anna-Lena explained, "My serves were great when hitting the ball in the sweetspot. My favorite serves with this racquet were big, flat first serves. I was able to generate solid pace easily." Cathrin had a similar experience, adding, "I was missing the spin that I get from racquets with a more open string pattern, but the control and the precision were good on flat serves."

On the other hand, Michelle had more success hitting spin serves. She said, "I loved serving with the Prestige Tour. It allowed me to feel confident and in command. I could hit big, flat first serves, and targeting was easy. Getting the ball to slide off the court with slice serves was solid. Even generating kick was simple, which really surprised me with the racquet's 95-square-inch head. I have to be honest, with this racquet in my hands, I did not want to hit many second serves, and I felt like my bigger serves were more effective. Plus, with the added confidence, I felt I was making more serves as well. I definitely was starting the point in an offensive position with the Prestige Tour 2021 in hand."

Chris put the racquet's hefty specs to good use on serve. He said, "With a beefy racquet, the serve is quite often my favorite shot, and that trend rang true with the Prestige Tour 2021. When I got the mass of this racquet through the ball I was rewarded with a nice, heavy serve and solid pace. Unlike some heavy racquets, this one never felt tough to maneuver, and I was able to brush the ball to get plenty of spin. My favorite serves to hit were heavy slices either moving away from the returner or moving into the body. The response from the racquet felt very consistent, which gave me the confidence to go for the corners and hit big."

James and Jaye found their emphasis to be on precision rather than power when it came to serving with the Prestige Tour 2021. Jaye said, "My serving was great when hitting the ball in the sweetspot. I didn't get a massive amount of pop compared to a more open-pattern racquet; however, I was happy to sacrifice this in the name of precision." James added, "It's missing the pop and spin you get from some of the more modern options out there, but it still offers a great amount of control that lets me hit my serves with full confidence."

Returns - Score: 83

The Head Prestige Tour 2021's winning combination of stability, maneuverability and precision simply wowed our playtesters on returns. Like many players, James likes to customize his racquets to achieve his desired stability, but that won't be necessary with this Prestige Tour. He said, "The Prestige is very stable and precise on return of serve in its stock form."

Michelle continued the praise, saying, "As you read this, I wish you could see my smile when returning with the Prestige Tour 2021 — it was near perfect! It's so stable, with just the right amount of plow-through, and it's still maneuverable enough that I felt I could swing out. Blocking back serves was simple, because if I got the racquet in position, it seemed like the racquet did the work for me and helped get the ball back deep. If I had a serve I could attack, the ball came off the stringbed in a precise fashion and allowed me to hit my targets with force. As mentioned, I played a significant amount of doubles with this racquet throughout the playtest and even was successful with angling returns short or dipping balls aggressively at the server's feet. Returns through the alley and down the line past the net player in doubles were quite effective as well since they were coming at high speeds. This is such a great returning racquet!"

Chris appreciated how solid the Prestige Tour felt on returns. He said, "The racquet felt very comfortable and stable in my hands. I liked how I could relax, focus on what I wanted to do with my returns and trust the Prestige Tour 2021 would deliver. The solid response felt especially good on my slice returns; I could knife or float the ball with equal accuracy. Strung up with some Head Lynx Tour, the stringbed offered ample bite to help me generate spin. I was able to go for big returns without losing control."

Lastly, our European playtesters noted how easily the Prestige Tour blocked back pace on heavy serves. Anna-Lena described, "Hitting in the sweetspot, I was able to go for big returns cross court, which made it difficult for my opponent to defend and easy for me to attack the next hit. I really enjoyed it." Cathrin concluded the review, saying, "It was super easy to block big serves. This racquet was very stable and precise, but it was difficult for me to attack the second serve."

Overall - Score: 80