@@@@@The OFFICIAL Prince EXO3 Tour 100 Club@@@@@

[Aero]

Originally Posted by Dave M

mine had PSG in it when it arrived, 16 could be the thickness.

Thx Dave. ye, 16 gauge is almost certain, it's just the rest of it....

I'm hoping they've mistakenly put natural gut in it (joke)

[Dags]

Looks like PSGD, smells like PSGD, plays like PSGD.

You could say I have fairly strong suspicions.

[tata]

Originally Posted by Dags

Looks like PSGD, smells like PSGD, plays like PSGD.

You could say I have fairly strong suspicions.

i find PSGD to launch a bit and the string movement a bit more than most syn guts. Feel wise is a bit soft too. Don't be surprised if you end up missing the lines by a tad or find it too powerful.

[Dave M]

Originally Posted by Aero

Thx Dave. ye, 16 gauge is almost certain, it's just the rest of it....

I'm hoping they've mistakenly put natural gut in it (joke)

I don't think our luck would be that good!

[jk175d]

A question ONLY for all you Tour 100 16x18 nat gut/poly users:

What brand and tensions are you going with?

I've completely settled into two set-ups. Two frames with Wilson 17/Solinco Outlast 17 @ 56/47 and one frame of Pacific Classic 17/ MSV Co-focus 1.18 55/47.

Just curious that's all.

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by HiRO

Thanks for the feedback tata and Rabbit.

I am kind of surprised that you are able to play with the team in stock form. What type of game do you play? (baseline/def/topspin/etc)

I am a former C10 user, 4.5/senior 4.5 doubles; 2 up. I hit the ball with some spin, but mostly drive the ball. lots of net play

[Dags]

Originally Posted by jk175d

A question ONLY for all you Tour 100 16x18 nat gut/poly users:

What brand and tensions are you going with?

I've completely settled into two set-ups. Two frames with Wilson 17/Solinco Outlast 17 @ 56/47 and one frame of Pacific Classic 17/ MSV Co-focus 1.18 55/47.

Just curious that's all.

I've strung a couple with Bow Brand Professional 16L / Luxilon Adrenaline 1.20. First was at 52/48, second at 58/54. Both lasted around 30 hours before I broke the gut; for comparison, I got 9 hours out of the factory strings.

How are your frames holding with the 9lb difference in tension between mains and crosses? That sounds pretty extreme. Any signs of the hoop rounding?

[jk175d]

Originally Posted by Dags

I've strung a couple with Bow Brand Professional 16L / Luxilon Adrenaline 1.20. First was at 52/48, second at 58/54. Both lasted around 30 hours before I broke the gut; for comparison, I got 9 hours out of the factory strings.

How are your frames holding with the 9lb difference in tension between mains and crosses? That sounds pretty extreme. Any signs of the hoop rounding?

30 is about what I'm getting out of mine too.

Someone way upstream in this thread said they talked to a Prince tech who said the 9lbs wasn't a problem. My rational for the tensions is I think Gut performs best closer to 60 but Poly performs best imo in the mid 40s. Bringing the gut down works out much better for me than bringing the poly up. Everytime I've strung up poly crosses on this frame higher than 48 it becomes a springboard.

Where do you buy the Bow brand gut? Is that still even made?

[Dags]

Prior to the EXO3 I used the same setup in my Prestige MP's, and I strung those at 44/40. The difference in the string pattern caught me out slightly; I thought 52/48 would be a decent starting point, but it felt looser than I imagined which is why I went higher the second time. I'm currently fiddling with some syn guts and poly to get a feel for what works in this frame, but will likely return to gut/poly before long.

I'm actually out of Bow Brand now. I'm in the UK so it wasn't hard to get hold of, but supplies stopped around the start of the year. I've been told this is because they're enlarging the premises. I hope their strings will come back in stock, but there's been a lot of talk in the past of them pulling out of the tennis market to concentrate on music (who knew there were so many harpists in the world?), so I'll believe it when I see it.

In the meantime, I have a few sets of Babolat VS in the stringing box. It plays a bit crisper than the Bow Brand, and I actually prefer it but it costs 20% more.

[mxmx]

Sigh....i seriously need some help with these rackets!!! (please) (16 x 1

I have them since last year...and the mixed bag with these frames really is killing me. I'm not sure if i like the rackets anymore, or hate them!

Basically on the forehand, the rackets are fine without lead due to its acceleration. My backhand slice is good, but my double backhand is struggling, either due to the frame, but possibly due to technique. I strike a single backhand sweeter and more smooth with this frame....its as if it suits this frame better.

Since playing a lot with these frames:

the following improved:
1) accuracy on the serve
2) better spin on the kick serves
3) better slice serves
4) better volleys (bigger headsize, or my technique improved)

the following have problems:
1) pace on first serve (it feels like the racket flexes at contact waaay too much)
the exact same problem occurs on the overhead on the baseline...i hardly ever clear the net with this racket with this shot (it used to be one of my best shots)
2) i have muscle all round if i want to generate power
3) with lead, the racket is too heavy...without lead, the racket has no power.
A "inbetween" amount of lead doesn't fix it either...i've tried, as with various placements.
4) control is less on the groundstrokes than lets say a k-blade.

With lead (various placements):
the racket serves better and has more power, but lacks acceleration, and loses power in return. Its hard to explain...its as if there is more plough through, but less speed.

without lead:
I have the speed to hit fast through the ball....but the flex of the racket absorbs too much

Its as if one cannot play without lead with this racket, but when one does, one significantly sacrifice A LOT in other areas. Its like i need lead with certain shots, and no lead with others.

I think i regret this racket, more than what i don't

[Dave M]

^ some peoples technique just doesn't sit well with some racquets, it's why the industry has so many on offer and why we all keep chopping and changing so much! SAdly unless you can buy a truely custom frame and spend time having them set it up for you then there will be a balance for you to find. Maybe have apro look at your bachand as i find shots need to be smooth with this frame for it to work.

[mxmx]

double post

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by Dave M

^ some peoples technique just doesn't sit well with some racquets, it's why the industry has so many on offer and why we all keep chopping and changing so much! SAdly unless you can buy a truely custom frame and spend time having them set it up for you then there will be a balance for you to find. Maybe have apro look at your bachand as i find shots need to be smooth with this frame for it to work.

I played with a Dunlop Biomimetic 300 lite for a little while the other day (felt like a beginners frame, but not bad either)
http://store.dunlopsport.com/dunlop-...-racket-743022
...it was strange...hectically light, but stiff frame and small head size. But i had more control on the groundstrokes, yet it felt like it had power hidden somewhere, probably due to the rigid frame. Not that i think this racket would be ideal for me...just mentioning it for the sake of conversation....
What i liked was the the lightness of the racket which had a lot of speed in the air...

I'm just suprised how much a racket can make a difference to ones game these days. Yes a lot of its technique, or even in the mind...but a lot of it isn't either. I think the exo tour is just kind of more erratic at times...not very conservative frame at ALL....

I just wonder what the Prince Rebel 98 would have been like for my game.

[officerdibble]

Originally Posted by anewtypedude

This is a truly unique racquet. It feels like a pillow.

I don't have Prince EXO3 and I've never tried one. But I do have a pillow. I took it the court and, whilst it was strong in some areas (for instance there wasn't a trace of elbow soreness afterwards and drop shots were UNBELIEVABLE) there are issues you may not have noticed:

1. What's the flex rating supposed to be, because it feels very low (I was using the hollowfibre version, which I assumed was stiffer than the feather).

2. The wide beam generates a silly amount of drag - I felt it really slowed my swing down.

3. Possibly related to the previous points, I wasn't getting anything like decent power.

I realise that strings can make a big difference. I would have put some in but I just don't understand how to string with the big holes at the edge... well, it's all one big hole as far as I can see.

Just wanted to make the point that it might not be the frame for everyone.

[mxmx]

I'm not trying to diss the rackets...I mean, i'm stuck with two myself. I want to like them...
Just trying to hear from others and how they dealt with similar problems...or if they had to switch frames.

Technique wise, i had to lessen flatter shots on my groundstrokes as well as the serve. The trajectory of the ball is also higher...and i sometimes now play more semi western, than my regular eastern.

The biggest concern i'm struggling to cope with, is the flat serve. New balls respond better to this racket, especially with lead. As soon as the balls wear down, this racket really plays like a hockey stick. Flat strokes do not work well with this racket....not sure of the 18 x 20 version though...

[Dags]

Originally Posted by mxmx

The biggest concern i'm struggling to cope with, is the flat serve.

It took me about 3 months, but I finally got my flat serve back. For me, the key was to really concentrate on the pronation so that after striking the ball the racquet shot out to the right:



(image stolen from this thread: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=178171)

It was like flicking the boom switch back on. It's probably not quite as good as it was with my Prestige, but it's good enough.

[Mister drool]

I was wondering, when is it usual for racquet companies to start last “minute sale” in their current racquet range?
And also, is it determined by companies like Wilson, head, and so on, or the selling surfaces like TW also have a say in this?
Specifically I was wondering when will the exo3 tour 100 be on sale. In TW Europe the exo3 black is already on sale, but not the tour100 which I believe is a model for 2012.
The biommimetic line of the dunlops, seems to me, was not as popular as other series, and is already on sale for quite some time. Obvious case going to the bio100, in a general consensus, me included, the 4d100 was a better frame than its newer brother.

Other frames just suffer from not being popular, example: the juice pro that was to be endorsed by delpo, (and ended up by not being, the guy just loves his K95’s)stared at one price, and when considerably lower not even being on sale price… and this one seems to be a very fine frame.

So question is, exo3 tour 100, on sale… maybe later this year, or can I hope to get it a little sooner?
I still scavenge the classified European threads and the big auction site, but getting a 16x18 in L2 gip is proving to be scarce…

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by Dags

It took me about 3 months, but I finally got my flat serve back. For me, the key was to really concentrate on the pronation so that after striking the ball the racquet shot out to the right:



(image stolen from this thread: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=178171)

It was like flicking the boom switch back on. It's probably not quite as good as it was with my Prestige, but it's good enough.

It could be...I think the exo forces me to pronate less than i should...i think knowing that its a good slice racket, it has affected me in my stroke (overcompensation).

Does anyone share the same feeling at contact point? It feels as if the tip *bends skyward* if one had to exaggerate...almost creating slight backspin because of it. I think stiffer frames has less dwell time on the ball and this problem does not occur at contact point. I have tried adding lead at 12 to counter it...it helps a bit, but only to sacrifice head lightness and head speed.

[TheOneHander]

Originally Posted by mxmx

It could be...I think the exo forces me to pronate less than i should...i think knowing that its a good slice racket, it has affected me in my stroke (overcompensation).

Does anyone share the same feeling at contact point? It feels as if the tip *bends skyward* if one had to exaggerate...almost creating slight backspin because of it. I think stiffer frames has less dwell time on the ball and this problem does not occur at contact point. I have tried adding lead at 12 to counter it...it helps a bit, but only to sacrifice head lightness and head speed.

At contact, if you're creating backspin, your wrist is likely breaking down and inwards (as if you were a waiter carrying a tray). The racquet won't flex to the extent as to create backspin. However, serving with the Tour took me a while as well. If it helps, I'm playing mine in stock form and don't feel the need for lead-I just mess with my string tension to get desired results. What have/are you using string-setup wise?

[monsterkicker79]

Loving the 16x18! 2nd stick coming in soon! I guess you just have to make any stick work for you. More so if you don't have the budget for new sticks every now and then.