The exo tour has a mental disorder...

[themitchmann]

I use the Rebel 95 (and tend to hit flatter).

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by themitchmann

I use the Rebel 95 (and tend to hit flatter).

Guess I should have read your signature!

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by mikeler

I'm down at 50 pounds right now with full multifilament jobs. Anything higher and I just don't get enough pop on my shots. I'm starting to get a little more confident hitting flat shots on my forehand. I've got a tendency to pull off my forehand which I need to stop doing.

I have always been afraid to go lower than 55 on ANY racket. But I think i need to reconsider this. When strings loses tension, how much do they lose on average? Anyone? I have often found, i play best when my strings are on their way out (probably lost most tension and has more string sliding movement?)

I can't stop speaking about the tour and feel I have to say it again:
The exo tour is a great racket overall...except for one thing basically: the flat serve. It is so bad on the flat serve, that it basically counters everything good about it. Its a huge pity....Once one has adjusted technique to suit this racket, it is awesome on groundstrokes and volleys. I just think no amount of technique makes this the easiest/ideal racket to serve flat serves with.

[rlau]

Originally Posted by mxmx

I can't stop speaking about the tour and feel I have to say it again:
The exo tour is a great racket overall...except for one thing basically: the flat serve. It is so bad on the flat serve, that it basically counters everything good about it. Its a huge pity....Once one has adjusted technique to suit this racket, it is awesome on groundstrokes and volleys. I just think no amount of technique makes this the easiest/ideal racket to serve flat serves with.

Perhaps you should consider adapting your game to your frame and stop fussing about this....

Put some variety in your serve and make your kicker/slice serve a weapon instead of trying to score direct points with flat heaters...?

[Broly4]

Originally Posted by mxmx

I have always been afraid to go lower than 55 on ANY racket. But I think i need to reconsider this. When strings loses tension, how much do they lose on average? Anyone? I have often found, i play best when my strings are on their way out (probably lost most tension and has more string sliding movement?)

I can't stop speaking about the tour and feel I have to say it again:
The exo tour is a great racket overall...except for one thing basically: the flat serve. It is so bad on the flat serve, that it basically counters everything good about it. Its a huge pity....Once one has adjusted technique to suit this racket, it is awesome on groundstrokes and volleys. I just think no amount of technique makes this the easiest/ideal racket to serve flat serves with.

I have to disagree, at least if we talk about the 18x20, with some lead in the hoop. Awesome for flat serves, its forgiveness allows you to increase your 1st serve percentage, and due to its flex, your elbow doesn't suffer, which is a factor to take into account.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by rlau

Perhaps you should consider adapting your game to your frame and stop fussing about this....

Put some variety in your serve and make your kicker/slice serve a weapon instead of trying to score direct points with flat heaters...?

I did...and eventually enough was enough and I got different rackets - instant improvement on the flat serve. Just making discussion.

[sansaephanh]

What a player can do with a stick and how they construct points should not even be mentioned in this thread. Different strokes for different folks. Some people swear certain things for certain sticks while others find the complete opposite. I believe strings and tensions are a bigger factors in feel and should be made clear before making assumptions about any player's game.

A big flat is just as important for variety as any other serve is in an arsenal. It's unfair to tell him to change his style. Why? because he's missing a part of his game that he feels he needs to complete his preferred style of play. I'd hate it if i lost one of my favorite weapons for a few that I was doing fine with before.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by mxmx

I have always been afraid to go lower than 55 on ANY racket. But I think i need to reconsider this. When strings loses tension, how much do they lose on average? Anyone? I have often found, i play best when my strings are on their way out (probably lost most tension and has more string sliding movement?)

I can't stop speaking about the tour and feel I have to say it again:
The exo tour is a great racket overall...except for one thing basically: the flat serve. It is so bad on the flat serve, that it basically counters everything good about it. Its a huge pity....Once one has adjusted technique to suit this racket, it is awesome on groundstrokes and volleys. I just think no amount of technique makes this the easiest/ideal racket to serve flat serves with.

I never went down below 60 until I started playing with Discho Microfibre in my Pro Kennex 7Gs. I tried it at 60#, then 57#, then 54# and finally at 50#. For that frame, 54# was the sweet spot. So I started at 54# in the Exo Tour and my serve was not very good. Going down to 50# has really added some nice zip to my serve, especially on...wait for it...wait for it...FLAT SERVES! I don't seem to experience a loss of control on ground strokes either. This frame is SO flexible, it really lends itself to lower string tensions which in turn is better on the arm.

What strings are you using? If you have poly in the mid 50s or above you would have to be pretty strong to hit a decent flat serve.

[rlau]

Originally Posted by sansaephanh

What a player can do with a stick and how they construct points should not even be mentioned in this thread. Different strokes for different folks. Some people swear certain things for certain sticks while others find the complete opposite. I believe strings and tensions are a bigger factors in feel and should be made clear before making assumptions about any player's game.

A big flat is just as important for variety as any other serve is in an arsenal. It's unfair to tell him to change his style. Why? because he's missing a part of his game that he feels he needs to complete his preferred style of play. I'd hate it if i lost one of my favorite weapons for a few that I was doing fine with before.

Well, if it bugged him he could just try a different frame to see if that worked any better for his game. And he did. So, everybody's happy and there's little point in keeping posting things like "hey, racquet A is not very good at this or that stroke". Whatever. There's no single racquet that does everything well. There's no holy grail. I think everybody knows that by now. I'm not saying there's no joy in trying out different frames, but that's another topic.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by mikeler

I never went down below 60 until I started playing with Discho Microfibre in my Pro Kennex 7Gs. I tried it at 60#, then 57#, then 54# and finally at 50#. For that frame, 54# was the sweet spot. So I started at 54# in the Exo Tour and my serve was not very good. Going down to 50# has really added some nice zip to my serve, especially on...wait for it...wait for it...FLAT SERVES! I don't seem to experience a loss of control on ground strokes either. This frame is SO flexible, it really lends itself to lower string tensions which in turn is better on the arm.

What strings are you using? If you have poly in the mid 50s or above you would have to be pretty strong to hit a decent flat serve.

If you are interested in seeing me serve with this racket, go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv0D5...ature=youtu.be
The strings are kevlar
Sometimes with the tour, it almost feels like your hitting flat balls. Lead helps no question. But its tiring. So essentially I'm maybe not fit enough for the racket lol.

I agree that its by far better suited to lower string tensions. On this racket, i did not like the pro hurricanes as much (although my tension may have been too high) as the ashaway crossfire kevlar kind. Due to the open pattern, the racket is rather heavy on strings, but with the kevlar, i could go for it more without worrying about breakage. Currently my strings are on the way out on the tours and they play best when theyre like that. But now they are my backup frames...

[maxpotapov]

Originally Posted by mxmx

I did...and eventually enough was enough and I got different rackets - instant improvement on the flat serve. Just making discussion.

It certainly has to do with how and where the frame flexes depending on the angle of attack. I have some old Prince Shark with tapered beam. Super rigid in the hoop and quite flexy at the throat. Perfect for flat serve, but not much for anything else, as ball tends to slide off the stringbed on spin shots. EXO3 Tour hoop cups the ball much better on angled imact, but probably absorbs too much energy when hit squarely in or above the sweetspot.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by maxpotapov

It certainly has to do with how and where the frame flexes depending on the angle of attack. I have some old Prince Shark with tapered beam. Super rigid in the hoop and quite flexy at the throat. Perfect for flat serve, but not much for anything else, as ball tends to slide off the stringbed on spin shots. EXO3 Tour hoop cups the ball much better on angled imact, but probably absorbs too much energy when hit squarely in or above the sweetspot.

you seem to totally understand what I'm talking about. I totally agree. A racket at angle will not flex as much as it would head on, and with a very flexible racket such as the tour, its even more exaggerated.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by mxmx

If you are interested in seeing me serve with this racket, go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv0D5...ature=youtu.be
The strings are kevlar
Sometimes with the tour, it almost feels like your hitting flat balls. Lead helps no question. But its tiring. So essentially I'm maybe not fit enough for the racket lol.

I agree that its by far better suited to lower string tensions. On this racket, i did not like the pro hurricanes as much (although my tension may have been too high) as the ashaway crossfire kevlar kind. Due to the open pattern, the racket is rather heavy on strings, but with the kevlar, i could go for it more without worrying about breakage. Currently my strings are on the way out on the tours and they play best when theyre like that. But now they are my backup frames...

If/when I try poly in the frame, I'll start at 40 pounds. I don't think Kevlar would be a good choice for this racket. No wonder you are having problems generating power.

[mxmx]

Originally Posted by mikeler

If/when I try poly in the frame, I'll start at 40 pounds. I don't think Kevlar would be a good choice for this racket. No wonder you are having problems generating power.

I had full poly on this (although not lower than 55) - did not last long nor did it feel great. With the kevlar (when its broken in & added lead) it felt much better than the poly.

I did not really struggle generating power on any other shot than the flat serve.
The only thing that helped me on the flat serve, was not really strings, but lead.
Lead "seems" to aborb the flex (maybe plow through?)
I could generate powerful kick serves. Just the flat serve was problematic.

[eman resu]

I'd recommend insisting with the exo3 tour. I had the same issues with my ozone, but I eventually learnt how to hit fast flat serves. Maybe it wont be as fast as with some other racquet, but still pretty good.

[SELFMADESOUL]

I had good results in the 18x20 with gut hybrids- like vs and rpm at lower tensions. Gets you that extra power and spin- I also liked Prince Beast in the racquet again at low tensions.

[vantageboy]

Originally Posted by mxmx

If you are interested in seeing me serve with this racket, go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv0D5...ature=youtu.be
The strings are kevlar
Sometimes with the tour, it almost feels like your hitting flat balls. Lead helps no question. But its tiring. So essentially I'm maybe not fit enough for the racket lol.

I agree that its by far better suited to lower string tensions. On this racket, i did not like the pro hurricanes as much (although my tension may have been too high) as the ashaway crossfire kevlar kind. Due to the open pattern, the racket is rather heavy on strings, but with the kevlar, i could go for it more without worrying about breakage. Currently my strings are on the way out on the tours and they play best when theyre like that. But now they are my backup frames...

u have a very lively arm which is great--keep your arm and head up longer and u will get the desired response u want.

[SantiagoMVC]

It's true that the tour is an exigent racket, I'm coming back from a two months rest and have to tame it back, but when you get comfy with it pay rewards. I agree that the most problematic shot could be the flat service, but with the 18x20 and a some lead it's problem solved