ProKennex Black Ace Pro Review

This is not my first ProKennex Black Ace Pro Review. I did test the previous red/black generation a while back and did enjoy that although I then preferred the ProKennex Ki Q+5.

Specifications

The specifications of the ProKennex Black Ace Pro are pretty “old-school” with its low RA rating, meaning the racquet flexes a lot when you strike the ball.

This is a matter of taste if you like it or not. The sensation is pleasant and arm-friendly but the sweet spot is not very generous in a 97 sq inch racquet with this flex profile.

Who is it for?

The ProKennex Ki Black Ace Pro is crafted for intermediate to advanced all?court players seeking a balance of control, stability, and comfort. It has a 97?in² head, a thin 19.5?mm beam, and a low 57–60 RA flex, combining a plush “player’s frame” feel with impressive arm-friendliness.

You need to be able to generate your own power to play with this racquet efficiently.

Where to buy?

The ProKennex racquets are available at our partners at Tennis Warehouse (USA, Canada), Tennis Warehouse Europe (10% off with code TNERD10) and also at Tennis Point: (Germany, Spain, Italy, France).

Comfort is key for the Black Ace Pro

ProKennex are known for their Kinetic system and focus on arm-comfort. The Black Ace Pro features Kinetic micro-chambers in the frame and handle, which cushion vibrations, providing standout comfort. Its FlexLogic design further boosts dampening—making it gentle on the arm without sacrificing touch.

The downside is that if you prefer a stiffer/crisper racquet, this feel will remind you more of the wooden racquets of old. I was reminded about the Donnay Pro One 97 when I tested this racquet.

Control and Spin

The racquet has a pretty dense string pattern for a 97 16/19, which gives you good control when you strike the center. Since it flexes quite a lot, you need to hit the center to get the response you are looking for. Hits closer to the frame will be punished.

At 305 grams unstrung with a 19.5 mm beam, the racquet moves fast through the air. You can generate high swing speeds, which will allow you to hit with plenty of spin.

Power and Feel

This racket doesn’t generate easy pace—it delivers controlled, stable depth. It is all up to you and your swing. The feel is nice if you like a long dwell-time in the string bed. After my first warm-up with the racquet, I told my hitting partner that it played like a PT57A on steroids. The PT57A offers me more confidence when going for broke, but is more demanding than this frame.

And it is not completely noodle-like in the power department, the swing weight hovering around 325-330 makes it pack a punch when you need to.

Pros and Cons

+ Brilliant comfort

+ Bringing that old-school plush feel into a somewhat modern frame

— Small sweet spot

— Maybe a little too flexible?

Who is it for?

Ideal if you:

• Value arm-safety (e.g. tennis elbow) but still want a modern, control-centric racket.
• Enjoy all-court variety—baseline depth, net play, slices and drops.
• Don’t rely on racquet-generated power and prefer to swing full and precise.

Less ideal if you’re:

• Seeking easy, high-powered balls with minimal swing effort.
• Want a large, error-forgiving sweet spot.
• Prefer ultra-maneuverability over stability (swing weight can be high to some)

Summary

I hope you enjoyed this ProKennex Black Ace Pro review. This is far from a racquet that will please a wide audience, but for the specific player that enjoys these types of specs and want to maximize comfort, it can become their “holy grail”.

I have tested the frame with various string setups. HEAD Hawk Tour, HEAD Hawk, Solinco Tour Bite. I prefer a little more bite on the ball with this racquet, but I would string it below 50 lbs or 22.5 kg if you use a full bed of poly. Otherwise you will struggle to generate enough power.