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

Power Player · Oct 11, 2011

I prefer ports. They feel so freaking good on the arm. When you peg one on the sweet spot it is a great sensation.

My stick is 11.8 with lead. So still pretty light.

Last night I was working on some stuff and really was impressed by how this racquet hits a lot bigger if you let it do the work for you. Usually that is reserved for more heavier sticks, but this one rewards good timing and a nice unit turn more then just trying to club the ball. This is important to note on serve. If you are getting a loose arm on your serve and everything is clicking as it should, you will serve just as hard as with any other racquet, if not heavier.

klementine · Oct 11, 2011

I have to concur with PP. Ports all the way.

I've tried full string-ports (shrunk the sweetspot and felt less forgiving and traditional)

I've also tried string-ports @ 12 and ports @ 3 & 9. Nice combo. But felt life-less in the upper portion of the hoop. Sweetspot still felt wide and it had a 'tighter' feel.

And lastly, have also tried, ports @ 12 and string-holes @ 3 & 9. Strange set-up. Had no redeeming qualities of either full string or full ports. Sweetspot felt small and power was diminished.

Full port-hole inserts feel alive, forgiving and powerful. The sweetspot feels 2miles long. The racquet breathes and spin is increased. Once you get used to the different feel, it's a go.

EDIT: Not only are the molded ports square (which I believe has enhanced the feel in comparison to the previous models) but the inserts are made out of a thremoplastic/carbon fibre mix. This was missing in sticks such as the Rebel95 and Graphites. This combination has led to a more solid feel and Prince has definitely upgraded their racquets in terms of how they were meant to be played; with port-hole inserts.

klementine · Oct 11, 2011

Oh... and to anyone who says this racquet is low-powered.... should play with this set-up. :smile:

mxmx · Oct 11, 2011

TheOneHander said:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=275896

While it's not Tour specific, it's EXO3 specific, and there's a lot of good information about mods and whatnot within this thread. I highly suggest that you check it out!

That reminds me. What do you all prefer re ports and holes? I'm waiting to order a set of hole grommets for the moment because I only have 2 sticks and match play season is coming up.

-----
Does anybody want to do a members' list like in all the other club threads? Maybe once we hit ten pages...

Thanks for the interesting link

As for your question:
I started off with the string hole grommets with my 03 black...I wanted the control of a more traditional racket...but after the first re-stringing, i switched to the string port grommits and never turned back.

I did not feel a significant control loss...and the racket immediately sounded much better and feels much better. If the string hole grommits were not plastic, but solid inserts, i would have reconsidered. The string holes setup have a terrible noise which i find distracting. To me it doesnt make sense to use the string hole inserts cause the material (plastic) is counter productive and defeats the purpose of the whole port technology. It then even makes more sense to just have normal string hole racket technology for me...

Papa Mango · Oct 11, 2011

pug said:
Papa,

I am not a big time string breaker, but I do hit with good pace and topspin. I had the original full poly in for about 2 hours, did not like it and cut it out.

I had the NG and Poly in for about 12 hours, and then cut out the poly only ( I know it voids the warranty, bad for racquet, etc. but I do it anyway and have had no problems.)

I have had the NG and Prince sythetic in for about 3-4 hours. So about 15-16 hours on the NG (Volkl Icon 16). It is fraying but still looks good for some more hitting sessions.

I went with the Prince original synthetic because it holds tension well and is very crisp for a syn. gut. I think it will hold up for several hours before I need to cut it out. This is fine if you string your own, but if you have someone else string for you, it could get expensive.

If I had to pay someone to string it for me, I would probably just go full natural gut at about 55 pounds.

I am a string breaker and that's why I own a stringer so that's not a problem.
Will give NG/Poly a try soon. I have tried NG/syn but didn't like it that much.
Thanks for the info.

TheOneHander · Oct 11, 2011

@@@@@The Official Members List@@@@@

And here it is! Our official list, including members, racquet used, and string/lead setups.Hopefully I didn't forget anyone or any specs, but if I did, let me know.

Members List

1) TheSafin: 16x18
2) tata: 18x20
3) adamvann: 16x18, Barb Wire
4) Power Player: 16x18, Black Magic/BAM
5) tennis-kid: 16x18
6) tennismonkey: 18x20, 4 grams @3&9 total, 1 gram @12
7) Orion3: 16x18, BHBR 17 @38lbs
8) rlau: 18x20, B5E
9) NYCTennis1: 16x18, Tour Bite 16L @60 lbs, 3 grams at 3&9, 6 grams under the butt cap
10) Applesauceman: 16x18 & 18x20
11) TheOneHander: 16x18, BHBR 17 @52lbs
12) Klementine79: 18x20
13) buffalobill3: 16x18 and 18x20
14) Kcraig: B5E/Maxim Touch
15) Centryx: 16x18
16) westside: 16x18, Vfeel/ALU power @54
17) Rabbit: Team, Lux Ace 18/NRG2 17 @48/50
18) parasailing: 16x18
19) jk175d: 16x18, VS 17 mains/poly crosses (55/48), full Tour Bite (47/45), 2g lead at 10&2
20) cknobman: 16x18, Sensation Duo @60/55
21) tapatio: 18x20
22) beeveewee: 18x20
23) Papa Mango: 18x20 (main) & 16x18, TW Leather, 3g@3&9. Multifeel/Cyberflash@57/54
24) IceNineTX: 16x18
25) pug: 18x20
26) anewtypedude: 18x20, VS Gut/Pro Hurricane Tour @57/52, 4g @3&9 & 1g @12
27) tinyman: 16x18, 4g @ 3 & 9. Head Tour Leather, 48/46 (CP) BHBR.
28) Faithfulfather: 18x20, Head rip control 17/OGSM 17
29) MINERAKE: 16x18, Luxilon Adrenaline @57
30) Coasterman9: 16x18, Solinco Tour Bite 17
31) Magic of tennis: 16x18
32) AceServer: 18x20
33) Gregnoris: 16x18, MSV Focus Hex
34) laboule: 16x18, BB ALU Power @53
35) kyofu: 18x20, Cyclone 18 @57

mxmx · Oct 13, 2011

TheOneHander said:
Very interesting points you made, I wanted to comment on the head shape of these frames in more detail. I actually prefer the rounder head of the Tour because it gives me a better spin window and I find it to cooperate more in defensive shots, as the sweetspot is that much bigger. The Rebel, I think, has more control because of the tighter head size and string pattern, but the Tour offers me so much margin for error. I also compared my Rebel's head to that on my Aero Storms', and the shape is very similar. One of my complaints about the Storms is that the head was too thin and too long for me, resulting in more shanks. This problem was remedies with the Tour's much more forgiving headsize.

That being said, the Tour volleys extremely well. It's just so solid while still being fast, and touch shots are a breeze. I can really "knife" my volleys, too, so it really does a splendid job at net. The Rebel is more of the same, except that I get even more stick and control on my volleys. The only area that the Tour bests it in is on low volleys, where the 52RA really gives me a lot of feel for scooping up tough balls.

I have yet to serve with my Rebel, but the Tour did take some time to get used to on serve. At first, there were loads of spin, but no power, leaving my kickers to be eaten alive by my opponents. After reigning in my swing and relaxing, though, I was really able to mix my serves up, and now that I've had my Tour for a good three months, I'm serving just as well as I have with any stick aside from the serve monster that is the KPS88.

In other news, though, I'm getting another Rebel in soon-my conversion to Prince is nearly complete!

EDIT: the Rebel I used had port grommets, which I think are great in the Tour because they enhance the soft, flexy feel. However, I lost the ball in the Rebel with the ports, so after tomorrow I'm going to use string inserts. Hopefully they'll make the string bed a little more distinct.

I did some further research and compared my k-blade 98 with the exo3 tour 100:
Interesting to note that they have equal swingweight. And as for my comment regarding smaller head frames, the twistweight is generally more on the larger ones than the smaller frames. And the sweetsport, generally larger on the larger heads (prince especially with the exo extention of the strings = "larger headsize")

Prince exo Tour 100 vs. Prince 03 speedport black team:

Prince exo Tour 100 vs Prince Rebel 95:

The rebel seems to have a large sweetspot for such a small head and the power is above all the above mentioned rackets when struck in the middle. It is probably less forgiving than all of the other rackets though....

I have also come to the conclusion that I am expecting the Prince tour 100 to basically be a "more forgiving k-blade"
and thus probably the ideal inbetweener racket for me between the 03 black and the kblade...

What do you guys think about the above comparisons?

Kcraig · Oct 13, 2011

Now have about 8+ hrs logged on my EXO and still really enjoy hitting with it. Some of the shots (angles, spin, flats, touch) just make you smile:twisted: Just such a fun frame to play with. The "multi hybrid" of NXT/Xcel is still playing well (3 hrs) and love the soft/pillowy feel. Ball seems to literally "sink" into the strings and then shoot out--like i've said before, feels like you can "point and shoot."

Anyone notice that they are now back to $189.00 instead of $159.00?!?

Papa Mango · Oct 13, 2011

TheOneHander said:
And here it is! Our official list, including members, racquet used, and string/lead setups. Hopefully I didn't forget anyone, if I did...let me know! Also, if you want anything added to your "profile", I can cover that too.

My complete specs:
18x20, TW Leather, 3gms @ 3&9. Multifeel mains @ 57, Cyberflash crosses @54
And I am sticking with it!

^ Yes, the Prince promo ended on 9/31. I was demoing and trying to decide between the 16 and 18 for the last 2 months but still couldn't make up my mind and ended up with 4 of each..

anewtypedude · Oct 13, 2011

Sign me up!

18x20, VS Gut main at 57 and Pro Hurricane Tour cross at 52, 4g at 3&9 and 1g at 12

tinyman · Oct 13, 2011

(2x) 16x18 EXO3 Tour 100. 4 total grams lead (2 each side) distributed 3 & 9. Head Tour Leather, strung 48/46 (CP) with BHBR.

Power Player · Oct 13, 2011

Port hold grommets will be back in stock tomorrow. I ordered a set already.

TheOneHander · Oct 13, 2011

Welcome new members!

All this lead talk has me thinking about my Tours. I actually went out to buy some yesterday, but my LTS didn't have any in stock. Hopefully adding a gram at 12 will up the swingweight and let me hit an even heavier ball with this stick.

anewtypedude said:
Sign me up!

18x20, VS Gut main at 57 and Pro Hurricane Tour cross at 52, 4g at 3&9 and 1g at 12

Welcome to the club! I recall seeing your initial posts in this thread as you were demoing, I presume. What led you to your lead setup (and the eventual switch)?

=========================================

Also, the members' list has been updated! It will stay on page 8 until further notice, so if you want to be added, please post your setups here.

Faithfulfather · Oct 13, 2011

2x 18x20 with Head rip control 17 mains and OGSM 17 crosses.

Justin-JP · Oct 14, 2011

Just took delivery of a couple of matched frames today and looking forward to testing these tomorrow.

My initial impression is that the EXO3 Tour feels/swings very light and almost toy like with the plastic port holes. I've strung one up with TB mains (53) a OG Sheep (55); just bouncing a ball on the hoop you can tell there is some instability towards the top of the head, to which I've added 6g of lead between 12 and 2. With the lead, over grip and dampener, weight is coming in at 341g, which is bang on 12oz - so still a bit light but we'll see how it goes tomorrow.

MINERAKE · Oct 14, 2011

Sign me up in the club!

Proud owner of two 16x18, Luxilon Adrenaline @57, TournaGrip XL and Tour Team Orange Bag

Coasterman9 · Oct 14, 2011

In the club as well switched over from YT Radical MP.

pug · Oct 14, 2011

TheOneHander said:
All this lead talk has me thinking about my Tours. I actually went out to buy some yesterday, but my LTS didn't have any in stock. Hopefully adding a gram at 12 will up the swingweight and let me hit an even heavier ball with this stick.

You should try the lead tape, it can make a big difference. I think you could safely add 7-8 grams or about .25 ounce, and that would be enough for you to notice a difference. Not sure if 1 or 2 grams will give you much feedback.

I added about 8-10 grams and could not feel any difference in swinging the racquet, but I was hitting a more penetrating ball. It feels great!

TheOneHander · Oct 14, 2011

To those of you who use hybrids, how do they compare to full poly in this stick? I can't say that I would normally play hybrids as the poly removes any pop a multi/syn would give and the multi/syn robs me of the crisp feel of poly. Any suggestions for a crisp hybrid? I'm thinking Tour Bite 17 mains with Maxim Touch crosses at 45/48.

I'm also caught between buying an 18x20 for the fun of doing so or buying another 16x18 and extending it to 28". My old Kneissl Tom's Machine at 28" was a monster of a racquet!

pug said:
You should try the lead tape, it can make a big difference. I think you could safely add 7-8 grams or about .25 ounce, and that would be enough for you to notice a difference. Not sure if 1 or 2 grams will give you much feedback.

I added about 8-10 grams and could not feel any difference in swinging the racquet, but I was hitting a more penetrating ball. It feels great!

I'm going to definitely lead mine up at 12, but I like taking mine in small increments so I have less lead to undo if I don't like the setup. It gives my testing more precision, especially since a single gram at 12 changes the SW by 3 kg/cm2. Where do you have your lead?

------------------------------
UPDATE: New members added!

Justin, any word on your sticks?

RyKnocks · Oct 16, 2011

Can anyone comment on the sweet spot of this racquet? Is this a racquet that you need to be super precise with (4.0+ rating), or can a 3.0-3.5 rated player use this racquet?

I ask because I had a PB10 Mid before and while it got great reviews, it was too much racquet for me since I'm not adept at hitting the sweet spot the majority of the time. I DO like the ability to swing through my shots like I can with my LM Radical which I know I'll probably be able to do with the EXO3 18x20.

tinyman · Oct 16, 2011

RyKnocks said:
Can anyone comment on the sweet spot of this racquet? Is this a racquet that you need to be super precise with (4.0+ rating), or can a 3.0-3.5 rated player use this racquet?

I ask because I had a PB10 Mid before and while it got great reviews, it was too much racquet for me since I'm not adept at hitting the sweet spot the majority of the time. I DO like the ability to swing through my shots like I can with my LM Radical which I know I'll probably be able to do with the EXO3 18x20.

I went from PB10 mids (370g) to the 16x18 Tour (337g). The Tour is a much more forgiving racquet, particularly where I need in doubles - most of what I play now. It does not feel as stable through the bed as the PB10 does though, particularly in the very high portion of the hoop (and even more so given I played at 13oz). I can't tell you if a 3.0 player should use it, as I really don't have a feel for what a 3.0 is (outside of the written description, I've never actually seen a 3.0 and knew they were one) - however a 3.5 player can easily use these. Maybe not to their full potential, but at 3.5 what racquet can you really say that of?

I still enjoy the PB10's, and use them often when I'm just playing singles for fun, but to play to my ability I use the Tours. I do not think you need to be super precise - not nearly as much as you need with the PB10, but it takes some time to adjust for the bed.

NYCtennis1 · Oct 16, 2011

RyKnocks said:
Can anyone comment on the sweet spot of this racquet? Is this a racquet that you need to be super precise with (4.0+ rating), or can a 3.0-3.5 rated player use this racquet?

I ask because I had a PB10 Mid before and while it got great reviews, it was too much racquet for me since I'm not adept at hitting the sweet spot the majority of the time. I DO like the ability to swing through my shots like I can with my LM Radical which I know I'll probably be able to do with the EXO3 18x20.

I let my friend who I would rate as a 3.0 hit with my Tour that is still in stock form the other day. He was hitting through the court more than he ever could with his Pure Drive Gt Team. It wouldnt be something for him to switch to because he doesn't play enough, but if your a 3.0 who has a pretty fast swing and plays enough you should be fine. The sweet spot is huge when you allow the racquet to do the work for you.

philxor · Oct 16, 2011

I've got two 18x20 racquets. I've got them both leaded up to around 12.1oz strung with lead at 3&9 and on the handle to keep the balance right around 7pts HL. That's with dampener and overgrip. Adding the weight definitely helped bring back some pop on the serve and some stability when getting back serves. I'm coming from the Ozone Pro Tour which is listed at around 12.1oz strung but with dampener and overgrip is more like 12.4oz and somewhere around 8pts HL.

I'm using a full bed of SPPP 1.17 at 52lbs although I've been tempted to try something different.

Power Player · Oct 16, 2011

I am still pretty blown away by the depth of this frame. It has a lot to it. Some of the kick I am getting off of the bounce on my forehand is crazy. It comes off of not too much effort.

The main thing for me is keep my weight going into the court on the stroke and I can hit the ball with a lot of pace and spin.

I think for people that think the frame is not generating power, just need to use more spin. The ball kicks away off the bounce and makes winners have more pace to them off the ground. Anyway, just some observations I have noticed while playing with the frame today.

TheOneHander · Oct 16, 2011

It was a good day for the Tours-a nice tournament in Shanghai for Ferrer (he uses the PJ, it's close enough), and two fresh stringjobs for myself!

A fresh, crisp bed of some Tourna strings is always a treat.

Speaking of which, I have some Scorpion 16L as well as some SPPP Pure 16 laying around. Any recommendations on tension/comparisons to other strings in this stick? I really love BHBR 17 and Tour Bite 17 for their spin-friendliness and (dare I say) feel, so I'm hesitant to try thicker, smoother strings.

Power Player said:
I am still pretty blown away by the depth of this frame. It has a lot to it. Some of the kick I am getting off of the bounce on my forehand is crazy. It comes off of not too much effort.

The main thing for me is keep my weight going into the court on the stroke and I can hit the ball with a lot of pace and spin.

I think for people that think the frame is not generating power, just need to use more spin. The ball kicks away off the bounce and makes winners have more pace to them off the ground. Anyway, just some observations I have noticed while playing with the frame today.

I agree and disagree about the power level here. I do think that the amount of spin potential with this frame is insane-it's something I've witnessed from both sides of the net. However, I do think the relatively lower power of the Tours can be resolved by dropping tension four or five pounds. It'll allow you to hit the way you want to while still having the frame's good qualities available.

Orion3 · Oct 16, 2011

TheOneHander;6067259A fresh said:
I've been playing with BHBR 17 strung at 38-40 lbs for the last month - fantastic. I initially had mine strung with luxilon savage at 38lb as part of the very low tension experiment with full poly beds. I'm now a convert and after hitting with BHBR this has become my poly string of choice. The low tension gives it even more bite (it's off the wall), control is excellent and the power change is slight but barely noticeable.

anewtypedude · Oct 17, 2011

TheOneHander said:
All this lead talk has me thinking about my Tours. I actually went out to buy some yesterday, but my LTS didn't have any in stock. Hopefully adding a gram at 12 will up the swingweight and let me hit an even heavier ball with this stick.

Welcome to the club! I recall seeing your initial posts in this thread as you were demoing, I presume. What led you to your lead setup (and the eventual switch)?

=========================================

Also, the members' list has been updated! It will stay on page 8 until further notice, so if you want to be added, please post your setups here.

I switched from the Dunlop AG4D 200 because it was just too heavy and unforgiving for me. The lead at 12 is to help me with serve and to liven up the upper hoop which some people have found to be kind of dead. I only added 1g at 12 because I don't want to increase swingweight by too much, it apparently helps. The 4g at 3&9 is to increase stability on volleys. The stick is solid as a rock now.

I was initially against using lead because I don't want the racquet to weight more than 11.6oz because I had trouble with the 4D 200 which is at 11.9oz.
After experimenting with this set up, I found the racquet to still be plenty manueverable so I will stick with this for now.

TheOneHander · Oct 17, 2011

I just came back from a practice session with my hitting partner that finally put everything into place with this frame.

My hitting partner and I were playing out tiebreakers as usual, and my serve was absolutely GOATing with this frame-stock except for an OG and the Prince Tour dampener. I've been working on lowering my toss and getting a smoother motion on my serve as of late, and the change is nothing short of striking. I'm hitting much more nasty spin and pace now, whereas my serve before was not much to sneeze at compared to those at my level. I was even able to do some damage to his forehand, which is his better returning side, with a slice out wide that broke more than something that has a high breakage tendency.

Now, is most of it technique? Yes, admittedly so

But this makes me think that with a proper adjustment period, this racquet really can be a cannon on serve.

Orion3 said:
I've been playing with BHBR 17 strung at 38-40 lbs for the last month - fantastic. I initially had mine strung with luxilon savage at 38lb as part of the very low tension experiment with full poly beds. I'm now a convert and after hitting with BHBR this has become my poly string of choice. The low tension gives it even more bite (it's off the wall), control is excellent and the power change is slight but barely noticeable.

Well, I think I'm going to have to try this setup then. I'll go back on a string testing journey and string up some BHBR 17 at 35lbs this weekend and report back on my findings. I'm also planning to test the other two strings I mentioned above- SPPP Pure 16L and Scorpion 16L, so I have a lot to look forward to!

asifallasleep · Oct 17, 2011

Pros Using This Stick:
Juan Carlos Ferrero
David Ferrer
Donald Young

tata · Oct 17, 2011

asifallasleep said:
Pros Using This Stick:
Juan Carlos Ferrero
David Ferrer
Donald Young

Ferrer is still actually using the Ozone tour =P

Power Player · Oct 18, 2011

Add Viktor Troicki. He uses the retail 18x20.

tennismonkey · Oct 18, 2011

i'd like to be RE-ADDED to this list. i had merely LIKED the exo3 tours before in a it does everything i ask it to do and nothing more kinda way.

last night i added (for me anyway) a liberal amount of lead. 2 grams at 3 o'clock and 2 grams at 9 o'clock and 1 gram at 12 o'clock. so 5 grams total and total strung weight of 334 grams with dampener. it's perfect.

all the power on groundies i could ever want. all the stability i never knew i was missing. and my missing flat first serve is back so i don't have to topspin everything. this stick makes me want to knock the cover off the ball.

(for shiz and giggles i added 8 grams total and 10 grams total too to see if more is even better. for me it becomes a bit sluggish to maneuver. so you guys with sticks leaded up to 365 grams must be captain cavemen)

Faithfulfather · Oct 18, 2011

tennismonkey said:
(captain cavemen)

I was just explaining who he was to my 12 yrs old daughter. She looked at me like I was from another planet!

tennismonkey · Oct 18, 2011

lol. we kinda are from another planet. we're living in a world where somebody felt the need to remake a bad 80's movie about hicks who wanna dance but the town won't let them.

i am going to make my kids watch all my favorites that i've saved on VHS tapes. now i just have to find a VHS player . . .

NYCtennis1 · Oct 18, 2011

So finally got in some serious reps with my new sticks and it has been unbelievable. Hate to beat a dead horse but don't judge this frame by it's specs, this thing has tons of power potential in it. I recently have been hitting with a local D3 team (top of their conference almost every year,) and I'm hitting these college kids off the court easily wtih this frame. Also this frame is the crispest feeling frame at net when you add some lead, great depth and action on the ball up there.

How have people felt in tournament/team play with this frame so far?

jk175d · Oct 18, 2011

NYCtennis1 said:
How have people felt in tournament/team play with this frame so far?

just won 5 matches without dropping a set on route to NC 4.0 singles leauge state championship with this frame. Also blew though 8.5 combo league without dropping a set. So imo this frame holds up well and provides confidence when it matters!

klementine · Oct 18, 2011

tennismonkey said:
(for shiz and giggles i added 8 grams total and 10 grams total too to see if more is even better. for me it becomes a bit sluggish to maneuver. so you guys with sticks leaded up to 365 grams must be captain cavemen)

HERCULOIDS!!!!

Oh.. and you can't add that much weight just to the hoop.. If you do, it would be a good idea to counter-balance it with weight in the handle... get back to a HL balance.

tennismonkey · Oct 18, 2011

klementine79 said:
HERCULOIDS!!!!

Oh.. and you can't add that much weight just to the hoop.. If you do, it would be a good idea to counter-balance it with weight in the handle... get back to a HL balance.

Forgot to mention I replaced the stock grip with prince durarib I think it was called. Its ribbed (for her pleasure I suppose). Weighs more than stock grip for sure. Will have to weigh it. Don't feel any difference in balance. Played two sets tonight and played some of the best tennis in years. Won love and two. This stick gives me confidence to just swing away. The extra weight makes it feel like its doing all the work.

asifallasleep · Oct 18, 2011

Is anyone hitting stock without any lead? Comments?

Bartelby · Oct 18, 2011

They should really make it less hl then it could be played stock.

Dave M · Oct 19, 2011

I've read this thread and after doing so ive ordered me a demo of this (and a pure storm gt) which i think are probably the last frames in the 60 (ish) or below ra i haven't used!
I do hope it's as good as you all say!!
;-)

DrT · Oct 19, 2011

Power Player said:
I just have more control over the ball. Why? I am guessing it is the spin. It allows me to move the ball around more and keeps me from going big all the time.

I also hit a much better backhand with this racquet. Can't tell you why for sure, but I do. I can hit steady CC backhands over and over when needed.

I use the 16x18 and hit with heavy spin, so I guess the racquet just matches up to my game rather well.

How many hours do you get out of one string job with your 16X18?

DrT · Oct 19, 2011

DrT said:
How many hours do you get out of one string job with your 16X18?

And oh yes very importantly,are the grip sizes actual or like the Donnays one may need to buy a grip up than usual?

Power Player · Oct 19, 2011

DrT said:
How many hours do you get out of one string job with your 16X18?

8-10, which is perfect for me.

It matters who I hit with too. If I am hitting with a basher, maybe 6.

TheOneHander · Oct 19, 2011

asifallasleep said:
Is anyone hitting stock without any lead? Comments?

I haven't had the opportunity to buy any lead yet, so I'm playing with just a dampener and an overgrip. It's plenty solid for my tastes, but I'm very curious to see the effect of what some lead can do at 12. I've also heard great things about lead at 3&9, so I plan on trying out two setups: 1g at 12, and 1g at 12, 3, and 9 each for starters.

DrT said:
How many hours do you get out of one string job with your 16X18?

DrT said:
And oh yes very importantly,are the grip sizes actual or like the Donnays one may need to buy a grip up than usual?

I use full BHBR 17 at 52lb on a CP machine. The string normally goes dead around the 9 or 10 hour mark. I also find that the grip size is pretty true, although my previous sticks had Syntec on them so the Prince handle felt a tad small. Otherwise, though, just go with what you normally get.

Dave M said:
I've read this thread and after doing so ive ordered me a demo of this (and a pure storm gt) which i think are probably the last frames in the 60 (ish) or below ra i haven't used!
I do hope it's as good as you all say!!
;-)

I loved the PSGT, it's such a great stick for being so light. It's flexy and soft, but solidity and spin are incredibly impressive for such an anemic frame

Compared to the Tour, though, I find that the Prince gives me more margin for error and quite a bit more spin, but the PSGT is a great frame-very whippy and it surprisingly player's-stick-like for its weight.

asifallasleep · Oct 19, 2011

I just got my two 16X18's today and will try them out tomorrow. I demoed the frame in stock form and it seemed fine. I hear the paint job is really soft and that placement and removal of lead tape damages the frame.

asifallasleep · Oct 19, 2011

I'm glad i got the 4 1/2. These Prince grips seem to run small. I wanted a 4 3/8 but got a good deal on a 4 1/2.

adamvann · Oct 19, 2011

asifallasleep said:
Is anyone hitting stock without any lead? Comments?

I'm using stock, never have used lead really. I have no problems using it as is.

asifallasleep · Oct 21, 2011

Hit yesterday with the frame for the first time. I can't imagine having the tension looser than 57. I play at 48 with my K90's, but with this larger stringbed, the ball just flies and floats a bit. I have to get used to it. I really liked the frame on serves and volleys. I felt i could really put wicked kick and slice on the serves. Volley's were very solid and plush. From the baseline, I have to get used to the long delay that the ball remains on the strings. I found myself pulling off my shots way too quickly. I almost have to exaggerate my swing a bit and fully fully extend. The ball comes off the strings on my K90's soooo much faster. This frame seems like a work the point frame where you're gonna hit a lot of balls moving your opponent around as opposed to an end the point quickly plow through frame. The ease at which I can serve will keep me on this frame a bit longer before possibly going back to my K90's.

Power Player · Oct 21, 2011

asifallasleep said:
Hit yesterday with the frame for the first time. I can't imagine having the tension looser than 57. I play at 48 with my K90's, but with this larger stringbed, the ball just flies and floats a bit. I have to get used to it. I really liked the frame on serves and volleys. I felt i could really put wicked kick and slice on the serves. Volley's were very solid and plush. From the baseline, I have to get used to the long delay that the ball remains on the strings. I found myself pulling off my shots way too quickly. I almost have to exaggerate my swing a bit and fully fully extend. The ball comes off the strings on my K90's soooo much faster. This frame seems like a work the point frame where you're gonna hit a lot of balls moving your opponent around as opposed to an end the point quickly plow through frame. The ease at which I can serve will keep me on this frame a bit longer before possibly going back to my K90's.

I agree on the tension. I am at 57#s right now and it is perfect. I am not sure what cross you are using, but I find a synth gut cross and poly main has helped me in not having to work the point as much. I still have the spin and control, but now I can rip off a winner when I want and it is pinpoint. I could not get that action going with lower tension full poly.

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