The exo tour has a mental disorder...

[mxmx]

Okay...this racket is just ridiculous. Been playing with it for basically a year now. It is NOT very consistent. I have never played with a racket as "hot and then cold and then hot again" as this one. It has a life of its own...genius at times, "special" on others...

I don't completely blame this on the racket. I blame this own my skill - and especially on that day. For me to be able to play well with this racket, my game needs to be on. But when its on, this racket is crazily good, especially on the groundstrokes and volleys (generally bad on serve). Problem is, my game isn't always on, so the racket is generally more challenging than fun. When my game is mediocre, the racket is is not mediocre, its less than mediocre. Nothing is like this racket...its an all or nothing racket.

I am going to miss the groundstrokes on this racket. Especially after yesterday. I had a on day and almost never hit the ball cleaner and with more precision. Spin was amazing...feel...everything. I did however not serve yesterday...but the serve is the biggest reason I'm letting these rackets go...

[Alex78]

Funny how some things are completely different for some individual players - my EXO3 Tour 100 (18x20) did wonders to my serve when I first tried it out. They almost became automatic, really increased my big 1st serve percentage.

[wolfinsignia]

i think its more of the individual than the racquet in these cases. though lower power racquets need a good and fast swing to get those amazing shots especially the tour. control is basically gone when i half *** shots.

yea serve isn't its strong point, it has good spin and control but lacks pace and my game usually starts and end at the serve. it annoys me that anyone in my range level can return a serve. but because of it im alot better at placing my ball. but yea i do wish the stick can help add pace.

im still sticking to the racquet, my forehand and backhand has gotten alot better.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by wolfinsignia

i think its more of the individual than the racquet in these cases. though lower power racquets need a good and fast swing to get those amazing shots especially the tour. control is basically gone when i half *** shots.

yea serve isn't its strong point, it has good spin and control but lacks pace and my game usually starts and end at the serve. it annoys me that anyone in my range level can return a serve. but because of it im alot better at placing my ball. but yea i do wish the stick can help add pace.

im still sticking to the racquet, my forehand and backhand has gotten alot better.

Well....I can give credit to the racket in improving some parts of my game. Sometimes rackets force me to adapt/focus more on technique a little...

The racket improved my volleys and "direct" overheads. (its terrible on bouncing overheads). My drop shot also improved. It also taught me to gain more pace on the serve using technique...as its own power sucks a lot...

[mikeler]

My serve is above average with the racket right now. Volleys are outstanding with it. Return of serve is a little weaker than average.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by mikeler

Volleys are outstanding with it.

Especially half-volleys on break point...

(no, I will never let you live those down)

[db10s]

My Bio Max 200G's don't put as much pace on my serve, but I can really poke the corners...

[sundaypunch]

This is the first time I have heard of a racquet not being consistent.

[maggmaster]

Yea I don't think that is the racket. I have good days and bad days too. The goal of long term practice is 2 fold, one to reduce the number of really bad days that you have and two to raise the level of your bad days to an acceptable floor.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by McLovin

Especially half-volleys on break point...

(no, I will never let you live those down)

Go into the Central Florida Chapter thread. I had a bunch of those shots last night too.

[galain]

Originally Posted by mxmx

Okay...this racket is just ridiculous. Been playing with it for basically a year now. It is NOT very consistent. I have never played with a racket as "hot and then cold and then hot again" as this one. ............

........... Nothing is like this racket...its an all or nothing racket.
.

I'm taking a stab that you've not spent a lot of time with Yonex's RD7? If you want to talk frames with personality disorders, that one is probably your best starting point.

I'm still eager to hit with the EXO3. The 3 players I know who use them haven't stopped raving about how much their games have improved since picking them up.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by sundaypunch

This is the first time I have heard of a racquet not being consistent.

Kind of not the point i was trying to make though. The racket brings the inconsistency out of me basically....its a demanding challenging racket...where it takes work to play with it and not flow (low power - need excellent timing at all times, which i don't). A tiring racket with lead...weak weak on serve without lead etc....

Very few mishitts on this racket, but directional control is harder with this racket than for example the k-blade 98. My opinion is that massive flex is the fault. Some of you would disagree. Still feels like flex is the blame for lack of directional precision...Technique adjustment helps (for eg. more spin, less flat shots etc...but I don't always want to do that.)

But with my last hitting session, I almost played better than a long long time (could be better balls - racket responds better to good balls)...I just hope i did not make a mistake with the two new wilson BLX surge(2011) rackets, which will be light, more rigid, more powerful...thankfully I can lead them if all else fails. It also has a open string pattern, so at least that will be the same. Hoping that this racket will kind of be inbetween the k-blade and prince rackets....as in more directional precision, head speed (lightness) and power on the serve. Will probably have to hold back more on my shots though. Starting to play with them in less than a week.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by galain

I'm taking a stab that you've not spent a lot of time with Yonex's RD7? If you want to talk frames with personality disorders, that one is probably your best starting point.

I'm still eager to hit with the EXO3. The 3 players I know who use them haven't stopped raving about how much their games have improved since picking them up.

The tours imroved some aspects of my game, but its too tiring at times.
Which is why im not desperate to sell these or give them away. They're very good if you take power serves out of the equation. If my new wilsons fail, I have these to fall back on.

I can understand why people rave about the tours. There is definitely nothing like them. They are very unique in feel and specs. If you like them, and they suit your game, and you can be consistent with them, they are really brilliant.
Biggest overall drawback: lack of power on the serve. With lead, too heavy for me when I get tired. Will I get more fit to cope with it? No...

[maxpotapov]

Originally Posted by mxmx

The tours imroved some aspects of my game, but its too tiring at times.
Which is why im not desperate to sell these or give them away. They're very good if you take power serves out of the equation. If my new wilsons fail, I have these to fall back on.

I can understand why people rave about the tours. There is definitely nothing like them. They are very unique in feel and specs. If you like them, and they suit your game, and you can be consistent with them, they are really brilliant.
Biggest overall drawback: lack of power on the serve. With lead, too heavy for me when I get tired. Will I get more fit to cope with it? No...

Do you think a little more stiffness would help?
The way racquet flexes at lesser impact might feel nice and springy, but when it comes to accelerating the ball from 0 to 100+ mph it might feel "broken". Like there's no way you can hit any harder with it and that's frustrating.
Maybe Youtek technology is not so bad afterall. The only drawback is, you arm breaks sooner than d3o racquet and clearly EXO3 Tour prevents that by diminishing returns at higher impacts.
I hope they stiffen it up a bit in ESP version and then we can have best of both worlds.

[fgs]

i think the reason for this "mental disorder" is the flex in the hoop more than the overall flex of the stick. on slightly offcenter-shots the weird way the hoop flexes acts like a magnifying glass to the imprecision of the stroke.
i have not much played the exo tour, a lot of kids at the tennis school my son attends are playing with it and i took some out for a short ride.
as i hit heavy topspin, my contact with the ball is basically never at the sweetspot, and i hit on the upper half anyway (from starting out in the wooden times), so i can pretty well understand your point. a similar issue i had with the radicals from head, those were even worse if i remember well - have not tried the youtek's though.

[Hi I'm Ray]

Get a racket you can play consistently well with on a day to day basis, not a racket that brings out your best tennis only when you are "on" but is too demanding otherwise. I've made that same mistake with a different frame, and during a critical phase/time. Now I'm playing with a tweener and very glad I made the switch.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by Hi I'm Ray

Get a racket you can play consistently well with on a day to day basis, not a racket that brings out your best tennis only when you are "on" but is too demanding otherwise. I've made that same mistake with a different frame, and during a critical phase/time. Now I'm playing with a tweener and very glad I made the switch.

thanks man...encouraging...

I think even though the Blx Surge may be slightly more inferior to the tour, i feel it may be more consistent. And i would rather have a more consistent above average racket, than a brilliant once in a while racket. Wilsons approach is more conservative so to speak imo. - I like Prince, all the years, and dislike wilson....but in the end have to play with what will actually suit my game...

The surge is probably a more all round tweener racket...averages...not extremes as much as the tour. (extreme flex, extreme low power, extreme spin)

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by fgs

i think the reason for this "mental disorder" is the flex in the hoop more than the overall flex of the stick. on slightly offcenter-shots the weird way the hoop flexes acts like a magnifying glass to the imprecision of the stroke.
i have not much played the exo tour, a lot of kids at the tennis school my son attends are playing with it and i took some out for a short ride.
as i hit heavy topspin, my contact with the ball is basically never at the sweetspot, and i hit on the upper half anyway (from starting out in the wooden times), so i can pretty well understand your point. a similar issue i had with the radicals from head, those were even worse if i remember well - have not tried the youtek's though.

Lead has made it more stable, but too heavy. Maybe the lighter versions of the tour (team) + lead may have been a better option for me...
But the extreme flex + the port tech, makes it even more overly "soft"...so maybe the tour with normal string inserts would have been better....who knows...

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by maxpotapov

Do you think a little more stiffness would help?

On the serve (biggest problem with the tour) > absolutely no question

The way racquet flexes at lesser impact might feel nice and springy, but when it comes to accelerating the ball from 0 to 100+ mph it might feel "broken".

I have noticed the same at times...as if though the racket was cracked. Not saying i disliked that feel though....was just strange sound. Probably vibration.

Like there's no way you can hit any harder with it and that's frustrating.
Maybe Youtek technology is not so bad afterall. The only drawback is, you arm breaks sooner than d3o racquet and clearly EXO3 Tour prevents that by diminishing returns at higher impacts.
I hope they stiffen it up a bit in ESP version and then we can have best of both worlds.

Can you tell me more about youtek tech (just for interest)?

[fgs]

i basically lead up all my sticks to get them where i want in terms of balance and swingweight. i have not had any possibility to try this out on the princes but surely the hoop gets more stable if you put some lead anywhere between 9 & 3 or 10 & 2. this will definitely increase swingweight which along with the modified balance will make it less maneuverable. now, of course there is a trade-off to any of these actions - you get more predictability (less "mental disorder") but possibly at the price of hitting more balls late, which in the end might turn out to be the wrong way to go.