Have heart bad things about-> Prince O3 Tour Racquets..

[agassi_denmark]

I talk to my coach this afternoon and he have tried the Prince O3 Tour Racquet, and he said when he hit an forehand volly it was like playing with a tree racquet.sa He said: "It was like the raquet was unstabil!"
I quit sure that I have read something about this raquet on this site!


Anyone who have a link or would write their opinion it wouldt be nice

[Gaines Hillix]

Originally Posted by agassi_denmark

I talk to my coach this afternoon and he have tried the Prince O3 Tour Racquet, and he said when he hit an forehand volly it was like playing with a tree racquet. I quit sure that I have read something bad about this raquet on this site!


Anyone who have a link or would write their opinion it wouldt be nice

Do a search here...you'll find many previous posts on this, mostly positive regarding the O3 Tour.

[OnyxZ28]

The pro that teaches the clinic in my apt complex liked the O3 tour. I only got to bounce some balls on the stringbed, but it felt cushy.

[mido]

agassi-den, maybe you should change your coach.

[AndrewD]

I think one of the most mis-used words on this board is 'unstable'. It just means so many different things to people so its almost impossible to use it and have everyone understand exactly what you mean. I also think there are very, very few racquets which are genuinely unstable. There are a lot that don't have weight dispersed well but not many that lack stability.

The 03Tour is, I believe, one of those frames which doesn't have a good dispersal of weight - at least, not in its stock form. It is far too head light, although nothing that a bit of lead tape won't fix. The racquet does play very well in stock form from the back of the court and is quite good on serves but up at net, while you appreciate the manoueverability, you pretty soon wish there was more mass in the upper section. High volleys just aren't solid enough and that is probably what your coach is alluding to.

Strangely, Ive often felt the 03Tour we get on the shelves isn't the actual racquet it was supposed to be. It's almost like Prince said, 'we've got to make it under 12 ounces to appeal to the masses and it's got to be really head light - that's what they like' so they took weight away from it and you get a less solid frame on anything hit in the upper portion of the racquet head.

The overall feel of the racquet is good, it is comfortable, has good power and is applicable to all playing styles but, with its current specs, it just feels a tad 'unfinished'. Perhaps, Prince have given us a racquet we can customise to our own requirements in a similar fashion to the Babolat PD (far better for higher calibre players with some extra weight but fine for women, younger or lower level males in stock form).

[bamboo]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

I think one of the most mis-used words on this board is 'unstable'. It just means so many different things to people so its almost impossible to use it and have everyone understand exactly what you mean. I also think there are very, very few racquets which are genuinely unstable. There are a lot that don't have weight dispersed well but not many that lack stability.

The 03Tour is, I believe, one of those frames which doesn't have a good dispersal of weight - at least, not in its stock form. It is far too head light, although nothing that a bit of lead tape won't fix. The racquet does play very well in stock form from the back of the court and is quite good on serves but up at net, while you appreciate the manoueverability, you pretty soon wish there was more mass in the upper section. High volleys just aren't solid enough and that is probably what your coach is alluding to.

Strangely, Ive often felt the 03Tour we get on the shelves isn't the actual racquet it was supposed to be. It's almost like Prince said, 'we've got to make it under 12 ounces to appeal to the masses and it's got to be really head light - that's what they like' so they took weight away from it and you get a less solid frame on anything hit in the upper portion of the racquet head.

The overall feel of the racquet is good, it is comfortable, has good power and is applicable to all playing styles but, with its current specs, it just feels a tad 'unfinished'. Perhaps, Prince have given us a racquet we can customise to our own requirements in a similar fashion to the Babolat PD (far better for higher calibre players with some extra weight but fine for women, younger or lower level males in stock form).

I feel differently - I had to replace my POG OS leather grip with synthetic and add 4 grams of lead tape at 3 and 9 to get the same resistance to twisting on a hard-hit ball that the )03 Tour has stock.

[paulfreda]

Yes, I have read that it needs lead at 3 and 9.
I personally prefer to lead up my frames to my personal liking and for this I need a frame that is not too heavy out of the gate (stock) and head light so I can add in the head area without ending with a head heavy frame.
I find I can make almost any frame playable this way altho I prefer players frames, HL feel and a least 12 oz when finished for mass.
I have this O3 on my list as I like that 100 sqin and the nice 18mm beam width for flexibility.

[AndrewD]

I've found the POG OS to be less than solid on balls hit up high on the racquet face but against hard hit balls Ive found it offers a very comfortable response. The sweetspot doesn't spread up as high as the 03Tour or, for that matter, Yonex frames or Head midplus-oversize racquets, but its just the nature of the beast. If you can find the genuine sweetspot on the POG it is pretty stable - more so if its not strung over tight.

paulfreda,
You've got good room to move with the 03Tour. The guy I assist has been using them since just before they came out on the market (he's sponsored) and he's fiddled with the weighting until he's got it pretty much spot on what he likes. His version is now at 12.1 ounces but it still swings very easily and eliminates that weak feeling up high. Also helps you tap into that high spin potential without needing to swing as fast. I use one when I hit with him and I have it at 12.3 ounces (not sure how many points headlight). Swings very easily on serve but provides more mass so you can just punch back heavy first serves or rally far more easily from the back of the court and the shots you hit have far more weight behind them to go with the excellent spin.

Ive found a nice balance is 12.1 on faster surfaces and 12.3 on dirt courts.

[the_arod]

it's true the O3 tour is too head light, I think ypou can see this at the amount of lead tape Davydenko puts at his O3 (I've never seen a lead tape strip this long)

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/53...C30E9B9B114CE8

http://cache.gettyimages.com/comp/53...C30E9B9B114CE8

[syntex1]

even the juniors using the frame at the aus open all had tons of weight at the 2 and 10 positions of the racquet

[AndrewD]

Now Im curious to know: who would benefit from the 03 Tour in stock form? I might find it too light up top, pro players find the same and top junior players but does everyone? Do you think we could say that, in stock form it suits a large proportion of male players up to the 3.5 level (obviously there are exceptions) but from 3.5 up its best suited with some lead tape?

[RafaN RichardG]

i own a coupke of o3 tours, whickh i sooort of regret buying, sadly to say. i liked them at first because it was an improvement on the other racquet i had. but i also felt, as someone said before, a little shaky and uneasy on my volleys, ESPECIALLY the high ones, there wasnt enough weight period put into this racquet to make it soo head lght. i definitlely need lead tape, probably as much as davydenko uses, just for more heft.