****O3 Hybrid Tour Users****

F

fujitsu77

Semi-Pro
Hi all,

I've been using the O3 hybrid tour for about one month now, and I really love the racquet. Lots of spin, control, etc.:D .

But I want to know, for all of you who have tried lead out on this racquet, where do you put your lead tape, and how does it alter the feel / characteristics of the racquet?

I want to try get the most out of this racquet and was wondering how lead affected this racquet.

I would also like to know all of your string set-ups. Right now, I use Lux. Big Bangers for my mains and Prince softflex for my crosses, but I would still like to find a better setup.

Thanks for you answers

fujitsu77
 
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Tempyst

Tempyst

Semi-Pro
I use a O3HT, I like it very much. I am thinking about putting some poly onto the racquet, since it feels like it has too much power.
 
F

fujitsu77

Semi-Pro
Tempyst said:
I use a O3HT, I like it very much. I am thinking about putting some poly onto the racquet, since it feels like it has too much power.
Click to expand...

My mains are poly. It really helps lower the power level on the racquet, and I love it! The control on this racquets amazing, as well as the feel.

But I'd still really like to know about leading up this racquet.
 
Bottle Rocket

Bottle Rocket

Hall of Fame
I am not sure where or why you would want to add lead?

I am also really enjoying mine.

I had Luxilon ALU at 54 lbs, it was about as good as it can it. I broke the strings after almost 3 weeks. I have gone twice as long with my Pure Storm playing more often, but that is another story.

I now have it strung with the same stuff at 55, I can't tell a difference. I really like it.

I liked it even with the synthetic cut the demo had.
 
P

phat

Rookie
Poly is not a feel-friendly string & the O-port is known to have a remote-feel....... so I guess a lot of players old school players are turned off by the fact that this combination is the ideal set up for this racquet. Did any user try to use a multi or gut on the main @ max with poly at the cross???? This might be a set-up that gives some feel but tame the power........
 
F

fujitsu77

Semi-Pro
The truth is, I'm having some trouble using my prince (as much as I hate to admit it :p :sad: ). Sometimes, the racquet just feels dead to me, other times it feels way to livley.

I feel like I've demoed every single racquet that's is on the market. The only racquet I liked beside this one was the N-six one tour 90. When I first used the 03 HT, I thought it was great.

Unfortunatley, my views have changed since my first using this racquet. Somedays, I feel as if this racquet is the best in the world. On other days, I feel like it's the worst. I don't know why, and I know it's strange.

I really don't want to go back to the racquet drawing board. Please help me!!!:confused:
 
S

snoflewis

Legend
fujitsu77 said:
The truth is, I'm having some trouble using my prince (as much as I hate to admit it :p :sad: ). Sometimes, the racquet just feels dead to me, other times it feels way to livley.

I feel like I've demoed every single racquet that's is on the market. The only racquet I liked beside this one was the N-six one tour 90. When I first used the 03 HT, I thought it was great.

Unfortunatley, my views have changed since my first using this racquet. Somedays, I feel as if this racquet is the best in the world. On other days, I feel like it's the worst. I don't know why, and I know it's strange.

I really don't want to go back to the racquet drawing board. Please help me!!!:confused:
Click to expand...

i was in the same boat as you. thought this racket would be perfect...turns out, even with the o-ports the SW is still high and frame is still too stiff. i got rid of both of mine within a week or 2. i dont think this racket is good for anyone except those who like to play a huge topspin game.

im very satisfied with my redondo MPs right now
 
jackson vile

jackson vile

G.O.A.T.
Here is the thing I got mine as a demo stick so it was strung by the factory ect, it felt just amazing for 2 weeks then went to total crap, I resturng twice with crosses tighter but the stringers at TW squashed it every time and did not do a two piece like they were supposed to and it still felt like crap even with different strings.


My point here is that this racket is stringing sensative, so really we are just poking in the dark here, we need a prince rep or a stringer that is very experinced with specificly the 03 tour mid, I suggest you move your question to the stringing forum, when strung right the racket is just amasing, when strung incorrectly the racket feels stiff and the string bed inconsistant.
 
P

prostaff18

Semi-Pro
I have hit with a couple hybrid tours and the one that i liked most was the one with a full bed of syn. gut. The one that i tried with full poly had no feel at all. I would say that I would use a very soft string b/c the racquet dosent really have that much feel and with the poly you must have very little feel. You might be able to use a poly if you put it in a hybrid set up with a very soft string. But if you think that you are playing well with your current set up then keep it the same.
 
F

fujitsu77

Semi-Pro
I have actually tried a couple different string set-ups for my HT (full bed of syn gut gave it WAY too much power, and I didn't like the feel of an all poly bed, so I decided to go with a hybrid).

Unfortunatley, I still haven't gotten the hang of weilding this racquet. :-(

It truley seems IMPOSSIBLE!!!:-( :-(

The ball keeps flying like a rocket or just dying into the net. This is truley hopless. Do you think it's worth struggling to get this racquet right, or should I just give up on it?

Don't get me wrong, somedays, the racquet feels great. But other days, it feels horrible!:sad:

Please Help!
 
Bottle Rocket

Bottle Rocket

Hall of Fame
I think a lot of the claims about the inconsistancy of the string bed comes from the shape of the grip. It is extremely square and it is possible to find yourself holding it much differently than you think you are. This was the first thing I noticed about the frame and it annoyed me. I really wish it was more rectangular, even as much as a Babolat handle.

Since I have gotten used to it, I really enjoy this frame now.

With good foot work and properly timed swing, it plays extremely well. The string-bed is very constistant, extremely lively, but very consistant. With a semi-western to western grip I can hit some very deep, controled, and penetrating shots.

The problem comes when I get lazy. Bad footwork, late swings, and pushing the ball around does not work. That is when the mis-hits come into play and when the ball starts to sail or fall to the ground. It gives back what you put in.

I think the weight and balance is perfect, especially for a one-handed backhand. It is easy to get good racket-head speed, the big holes on the side probably help with that. I haven't found a better racket for volleys and that has really helped me with my confidence. I have been focusing heavily on my volleys recently and they are improving at a good rate now.

I would really like to hear what some advanced players think of this thing, guys at the 5.0 or above levels. The TW user reviews are extremely positive.

Anyway, don't give up just yet!

What did you play with before this racket?
 
P

phat

Rookie
Prince designers should be fired for making this racquet a 16X18..... 16x19, 16x20, or 18x20 are a lot more reasonable.
 
N

Noveson

Hall of Fame
I feel your pain. There needs to be a sight that will tell you definitely what racquet YOU should be using, strings and all:) Somebody needs to get to work on that:p
 
Bottle Rocket

Bottle Rocket

Hall of Fame
fujitsu77 said:
Used to play with a POG, so I should have no trouble weilding this frame but I find it so hard!!

As far as the grip shape goes, it doesn't bother me that much. The POG's grip shape is even more square compared to this.
Click to expand...

The POG is very low powered. This Hybrid Tour is one of the highest powered rackets I have ever played with. I think that is why it is so well suited to the heavy top spin game. This racket is definitely unique. Just like the Pure Drive, you can just as easily hit a winner as you can shoot the ball into the back fence.

Let me know if you want to get rid of yours... ;)
 
T

Thunderbrat

New User
Try More String Tension

I hit with this racket and absolutely loved it. The player who's racket I borrowed had it strung at 70 lbs. As I'm looking for an upgrade to my out-of-production Hornet I have demoed it several times since that first day. I was less impressed on these occassions. The racket still had a great feel about it but even with my semi-western forehand I was spraying balls deep. I have now learned that I have to keep the srtring tension high on this racket to maintain control. It's a surprisingly powerful racket considering it's player specs. It sounds like you prefer player rackets. I think if you increase tension this will play more the way you want it to. Try 65lbs. or so.

I'm personally holding out to see if they make a version with a slighlty larger headsize. I'm also interested in trying the new version that has the tighter string pattern. I do think I'll be using someting very similar to this racket soon.

-Thunderbrat
 
P

phat

Rookie
This might be a racquet design for high stringing tension. Prince is reccommending between 51-61lb, so if your playing tension is 70, you're risking of losing your warrenty.That's not a good idea for a racquet that costs over $150.
 
nickb

nickb

Banned
Just wondering..

How would you compare the power level of the hybrid tour compared to the pure drive or the other 03s (eg 03 tour, white etc)

Thanks
_______________________________________________________
5x Wilson Ncode Six-One Tour
Prince Synthetic Gut Mains @ 62lbs
Tecnifibre Polyspin Crosses @ 60lbs
Leather Grips + Pro's Pro Overgrips
 
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F

farkus

New User
Bottle Rocket said:
I think a lot of the claims about the inconsistancy of the string bed comes from the shape of the grip. It is extremely square and it is possible to find yourself holding it much differently than you think you are. This was the first thing I noticed about the frame and it annoyed me. I really wish it was more rectangular, even as much as a Babolat handle.

Since I have gotten used to it, I really enjoy this frame now.

With good foot work and properly timed swing, it plays extremely well. The string-bed is very constistant, extremely lively, but very consistant. With a semi-western to western grip I can hit some very deep, controled, and penetrating shots.

The problem comes when I get lazy. Bad footwork, late swings, and pushing the ball around does not work. That is when the mis-hits come into play and when the ball starts to sail or fall to the ground. It gives back what you put in.

I think the weight and balance is perfect, especially for a one-handed backhand. It is easy to get good racket-head speed, the big holes on the side probably help with that. I haven't found a better racket for volleys and that has really helped me with my confidence. I have been focusing heavily on my volleys recently and they are improving at a good rate now.

I would really like to hear what some advanced players think of this thing, guys at the 5.0 or above levels. The TW user reviews are extremely positive.

Anyway, don't give up just yet!

What did you play with before this racket?
Click to expand...

I would second this opinion. Found that my grip kept 'shifting', causing a loss of topspin. Took off the original grip, did some building up and fiddling, then regripped it and it is now working like a charm (added lead at 10/2, and full 17 ga gut @61#).
 
B

BigServer1

Legend
I think it's pretty sad that this thread has been up for a week and a half and there are 23 posts, half of which are negative about the racquet. Looks like instead of talking to pros about their racquet design, Prince should try talking to regular players, then maybe they'll make a nice stick.
 
Bottle Rocket

Bottle Rocket

Hall of Fame
nickb said:
Just wondering..

How would you compare the power level of the hybrid tour compared to the pure drive or the other 03s (eg 03 tour, white etc)
Click to expand...

It is fairly high... I think the most similar racket to the Hybrid Tour, which really is not too similar, is the Pure Drive Roddick.

The Hybrid Tour has better control and much better volleys. It is not as powerful. It is also better for your arm.

I have gotten about 10 hours on my Pure Storm since I broke the strings on my Hybrid Tour. After I string it up again, I'll hit the courts and see how it feels after a short while away from it.

This racket will not appeal to the older folks or people looking for the classic low powered players racket. It won't allow you to mis-time the ball or over swing and still have the ball land in. It does not fit the "classic" style of the game, so lets quit expecting it to.

If you hit hard heavy top spin shots, this is a fantastic racket, just like I said in my initial review.

If you're a Pure Drive Roddick fan looking for something of that style that has exceptional control, give this a try.

If you want anything else, try the Pure Storm... ;)
 
S

snoflewis

Legend
nickb said:
Just wondering..

How would you compare the power level of the hybrid tour compared to the pure drive or the other 03s (eg 03 tour, white etc)

Thanks
Click to expand...

the 03HT has way more power than the 03 tour MP. i'd say that the PD is still a bit more powerful, but the lack of control on both are pretty similar.
 
BiGGieStuFF

BiGGieStuFF

Hall of Fame
I love this frame ever since i switched to a SW forehand grip. no more super loopy topspin forehands. I can still impart the spin but it's not all crazy anymore. Now this racket feels like I wanted it too or getting close to it. It's definitely the most powerful thin framed racket I've played with. NOt a bad thing though. Very comfortable frame. Has good feel due to the ports being at the 3 and 9 instead of the 12 and 6.

The reviews by TW seems to indicate that this frame is best suited for a poly and I agree. I love the agility of the frame. Being so HL I can move it around easily even at it's weight.

I lost a little pop on the serve but not like I was hitting a high percentage of those flat bombs anyway. Has taught me to use more placement to be more effective.
 
P

phat

Rookie
Just a note, I saw the batch in Asia for the O3HT has a stringing tension range between 55-65lb, not 51-61lb. I guess Prince is noticing the power of this racquet needs to be tamed with higher stringing tension. I am currently a Aeropro control user, but heard that it will be discontinued soon, so O3 HT is under my consideration (as I was a long time POG user).
 
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