Prince Exo3 Graphite 93

D-A-C

D-A-C

New User
robbo1970 said:
Any views on this racquet for a serve & volley style?

http://www.sportsdirect.com/prince-exo-3-tennis-racket-745066

http://www.princetennis.com/tennis/exo3/index.html

Does anyone use one or has used one? What are your experiences, pros and cons?

Thanks
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Personally I think they are great rackets, especially for serve / volley. Heavy, but flexible and I have never had any arm problems using them.

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robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
I'm glad you said that. I love playing a serve & volley game and used a heavy racquet today which actually focussed me on getting my feet right and swinging properly without the temptation to play too 'wristy'.

And nothing a few weights wouldnt sort out :)

My racquet I used to use was 350g and I think these come in at 345g strung, so thats fine.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
D-A-C said:
no lead, mine weigh in at 365. Leather grip and 1 overgrip.
Click to expand...

I always add an overgrip too. I'm surprised they came in that heavy. I thought they were 330g unstrung and stringing usually adds around 15g.

But thats fine though. Do they feel quite head light?
 
MAXXply

MAXXply

Hall of Fame
I'm currently rotating through the "Hulk Green" EXO3 Graphite Mid 93 and squiggly-green Rebel 95. I've used POG Mids for over 25yrs and it will always be part of my playing DNA.
The EXO3 93 is thicker and boxier than the POG Mids we know and love. The edges are squared off a bit more. All of which makes for a very uniform response, even if fitted with the port grommets. It's just not as svelte and thin as the POG. The flex is very comfortable though. Heavy and headlight enough.
The only annoyance is the flattened out grip on the EXO3 Graphite which is similar to Pro Kennex shapes. It's not the octagonal blocky shape like that found on the Rebels. That's the perfect shape for me.
 
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robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
I have never played with a POG Mid so I would never know the difference.

But interesting to get your views and experieces. I am definately interested in getting one of the 93's and hope it will suit my s&v game.

Woud you say its head light enough to suit the s&v style? I usually add one overgrip so I guess that would make it more head light?
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
They look great.

Its so good that Prince have made a modern racket with such a classic look about it. I have to get one now.
 
T

tata

Hall of Fame
I use one as back up and 'for fun'. At stock mine came in at 351g. I have replaced the leather with a synthetic grip and it dropped to 342g.

I haven't played with it very much. But i do love it on the backhand slice and volleys. The weight makes it effortless to hit a low penetrating slice that skids off the ground. Likewise, plenty of heft for volleys, making it extremely stable.

I had trouble with the serve. I think it was the swingweight that made it hard for me to get the ball over the net. I kept hit the top of the tape on the net. I guess that comes with more practice and getting used to since my main racquet is much lighter and easier to swing.

I would say it's a good racquet for old school chip and charge and serve volley. For someone really skinny like me i would prefer a tad less weight and a bit more power.

I have also owned the 100 version of the frame. Between the two, i would prefer the 100. It would give you more power and spin on serve and groundies, same stability due to nice heft balance, more foregiving due to larger headsize and i could still hit the slice skidding slice. Great depth off the ground too. So i highly recommend a demo with the 100 if you can. It still plows through the ball really nicely.

The only thing i couldn't come to terms on the 100 was my one hand backhand. The balance wasn't as whippy for my skinny arm to bring the racquet behind and over but my forehand was lethal. I was more inclined to play steffi graf tennis with just a slice backhand with it.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
I'm going to give the 93 a go. I have only recently decided to put down my woods, so the smaller head and weight shouldn't be a major issue. I'm trying to find something that has that similar weighty control feel I get with woods, but will stand up to returning shots from opponents with modern racquets. I think this could be what I'm looking for.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
D-A-C said:
Search you tube for tennis warehouse exo3 graphite review, they did a video a while back.
Click to expand...

Ive seen that and read the written review and I like the sound of it. I think most of TW testers appear to be baseliners, whereas I think this 93 favours the SV style, hence their preference for the 100.

I'm now just consdering which overgrip to stick over the leather grip which will give me the best cushion feel. I usually use normal tourna or wilson pro, but I think I want something a bit more rubbery in its feel this time.

The extra bit of good news I had over the weekend was that my little local sports shop is a Prince stockist and has just about every Prince grip and overgrip hanging on his wall :)
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Got my 93 yesterday and can't wait to get out on the court with it at the weekend.

I did have a few swings with it last night and it feels very good.

First thing tomorrow, I will be off to the local sports shop to stock up on Prince overgrips. He actually has one of those racket handle racks with all the different grips and overgrips on, so I can feel before I buy....:)
 
J

JLyon

Hall of Fame
if you can handle the weight it is a nice frame for S&V, HL enough to get around on serve and volleys are crisp. I tried with the string hole and I actually prefer the feel of the ports, tad more power, but I am using other racket as I am to lazy and slow now days.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Well I had few swings today and its great. Doesnt feel that heavy to me actually, just a nice balance and because its quite head light I felt I was able to whip it about quite nicely.
 
T

tata

Hall of Fame
Although i mainly use a 100sq inch exo tour when i play. For some reason i always volley better with the exo 93. I actually tend to frame or hit an off center volley in the 100 than a 93. It's really weird.
 
leroy_sunset

leroy_sunset

Rookie
I have two of the EXO3 Graphite 93s. With the ports, overgrip, and tiny stock dampener it weighs 351g. With the grommets, 353g. I prefer the ports.

The 93 is much, much more headlight than the 100. For me, that makes all the difference. I hit a 2-handed backhand, and the 100 is way better for that, but the 93 is still all-around better.

I do have a harder time with a kick serve (even with it being so headlight, it just doesn't move like a 10oz racquet). But the flat serve up the T is pretty deadly with this guy.

Serve and volley is great. Probably the most stable stick I have ever hit with. Overheads feel really great. That said, you have to really move your feet. I get jammed easier on the forehand - it's just not as maneuverable.

I find my bicep really hurts if I don't get a good warm-up. Also, sometimes the back of my hand hurts from holding onto this guy, almost like carpal tunnel might feel. It's really hard to hang onto a stick this heavy for hours on end.

My team captain picked it up after our match last week, and described it as a "2x4."
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Its funny how we are more aware of weight these days.

Personally, after a few knockabouts with the 93 I find it just fine.

But until recently I was using wooden rackets and older rackets that weighed in at around 360g. I then switched to a racket just over 300g, having thought how light and manouvrable it felt, and I felt it more in my shoulder using that than the heavy one.

I admit, I am not one to thrash about too much, I try and let my strokes do the work and like to get to the net quite quickly so maybe thats why I'm not feeling it too much.

I guess in the long matches I will feel it, but so far I think the positives will outweigh any negatives (not that I can see many). Plus, I think the weight training will help too :)
 
UCSF2012

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
My 93's weight about 12.8oz (12.74 and 12.85) with no lead/customization. Just an overgrip. I don't know how they can be that heavy, since they're advertised as 12.0oz strung. Anyone else getting an abnormally heavy version? Don't get me wrong, I don't have trouble swinging it. I just think it's strange they're that much heavier than spec.
 
M

morten

Hall of Fame
robbo1970 said:
What problem did you have with tha hand feel?

I always use an overgrip over the leather and it feels really good to me.
Click to expand...

Allthough i like this racket a lot, i must say there is too little feedback from it, delivered to the hand... A shame, but i still like it.
 
T

tata

Hall of Fame
UCSF2012 said:
My 93's weight about 12.8oz (12.74 and 12.85) with no lead/customization. Just an overgrip. I don't know how they can be that heavy, since they're advertised as 12.0oz strung. Anyone else getting an abnormally heavy version? Don't get me wrong, I don't have trouble swinging it. I just think it's strange they're that much heavier than spec.
Click to expand...


It's the leather grip that really jacks the weight up. Mine weighed 351grams stock. After i changed the leather to a resipro grip, the weight went down to 342grams which is about right at 12oz.

Same story when i got the 100 version. They advertise a weight of 329grams but mine weighed like 335grams.
 
M

morten

Hall of Fame
tata said:
It's the leather grip that really jacks the weight up. Mine weighed 351grams stock. After i changed the leather to a resipro grip, the weight went down to 342grams which is about right at 12oz.

Same story when i got the 100 version. They advertise a weight of 329grams but mine weighed like 335grams.
Click to expand...

no it is not, it comes with leathergrip, how can you say it`s the leathergrip that jacks the weight up? No logic here mister, poor quality control is what it is, it is the same as saying it`s the frame that really jacks the weight up... Man it felt good to get that out ;)
 
T

tata

Hall of Fame
morten said:
no it is not, it comes with leathergrip, how can you say it`s the leathergrip that jacks the weight up? No logic here mister, poor quality control is what it is, it is the same as saying it`s the frame that really jacks the weight up... Man it felt good to get that out ;)
Click to expand...

I know. But remember they also advertised the same weight for the 100 version with the resipro grip version. So really it still leaves a question mark. You can't have the exact same frame yet advertise the same weight between the leather and synthetic grip version either.

The reason why i say it's the grip is because the weight only matches to the specs once the leather comes off and replaced with a synthetic. But yes bad QC is also a possiblity but odd in a sense that everyone seems to weigh in at the same weight. So at the end of the day we come down to incorrect specs from Prince.
 
M

morten

Hall of Fame
i understand what you say, but i still mean you can not read specs and start guessing what part to leave out to make it right, my exo93 is spot on btw. Switching grip will shift balancepoint etc too, so there we go again...
 
MAXXply

MAXXply

Hall of Fame
I plan to downsize my EXO3 93 grip because I don't like the slightly flatter shape and going smaller will make it a bit more useable. Of course, that will change the balance somewhat and I'm hoping it won't become sluggish to move around, despite the reduced weight of having a ResiThin installed.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Ive only ever seen it advertised as 330g unstrung, exactly as it states on the racquet, but the number doesnt really bother me. I looked at that as guide to the sort of weight I was after and then just thought the racquet felt good.

From what I read, most racquets seem to vary slightly from their advertised weight, so its probably just a good idea to use these advertised weights as a rough guide.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Played 2, won 2 with the 93. Its the best racket I've used.

Weirdly though, it doesnt feel heavy. And when I weighed it at its balance point it showed 300g on my scales, but my scales might be broken. I have a 300g evenly balanced racket and they felt the same weight in my hand. I wonder if the fact the 93 is so head light gives the feel of a lighter racket? I don't know, all I do know is that its great for my SV game.

Also, has anyone noticed that the grip sizes seem small? Mine is 4 3/8 (which is a fraction just below my measured grip size) but it seems small in my hand. I do use an overgrip so its not a problem, but I just wondered if anyone else thought the grip size 3 seemed like a small 3?
 
T

tata

Hall of Fame
I think it might be a prince thing. It seems their grips are marginally smaller but not to the point where it's one size smaller.

I have this racquet as a side thing to muck around with. Compared to my regular exo tour 18x20, i find it harder to keep the ball within the baseline on groundies. I seem to miss by a bit. Could be the difference in spin generation and RHS i get from my exo instead thats making the difference. But definitely prefer volleying with this. Rock solid and stable with good punch.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
I wonder if the grip size is measured out before the grip goes, with the assumption that the grip will add a certain number of millimetres. But of course if grips vary in depth, then this will cause variations. I think the leather stock grip is fairly thin and compact compared so some spongier synthetic grips, so I wonder if that makes it feel smaller.

Its not a problem though, I have small hands and always add an overgrip. And since youre asking, its a powder blue yonex supergrap at the moment.
 
D-A-C

D-A-C

New User
morten said:
can someone compare his mid to the pog mid? i have the exo93 and love it btw...
Click to expand...

I have the EXO3 Graphite 93 and the Prince Original Graphite Tour 600. The original graphite tour is a spin machine and hits a very heavy ball. The EXO3 i feel is a little move forgiving though, and has a softer feel, but if im playing well then i would go for the Tour 600, its all about spin, power and placement!
 
DeShaun

DeShaun

Banned
robbo1970 said:
I'm going to give the 93 a go. I have only recently decided to put down my woods, so the smaller head and weight shouldn't be a major issue. I'm trying to find something that has that similar weighty control feel I get with woods, but will stand up to returning shots from opponents with modern racquets. I think this could be what I'm looking for.
Click to expand...

My 93 absorbs power well but does not make enough power cheaply on its own vis a vis certain other frames, and this can be a problem. The 93 "stands up" well to heavy shots from modern rackets but, if I want to overpower the ground game of someone who is bombing away at me with his Pure Drive then, the 93s lack of forgiveness (no cheap power nor suitability for nailing, say, five or six consecutive heavy topspin/high safety shots) from my back court cannot be overlooked. Using the 93 I sometimes am pushed around by the very big hitters and think that having a little more first strike kill power than the 93 has would be nice to avoid playing defense in hoping for a chance to counter punch my way out of a troubling point where I am under siege on my baseline.
 
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robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
Yes I think it seems to be aracket that suits a certain style of play.

I don't play baseline rally tennis, I don't have the patience. I will usually follow my serve in or chip to the corners so I can move in to attack the net. I know I don't have the power or patience to engage in long rallies, so I stick to SV and this 93 does the job better than any other racket Ive used.

I used to play this style with woods and with my 80sq Yamaha, so I actually find this 93 head nice and forgiving and the weight (due to being head light) very manouvrable.

I just hope it doesnt crack like D-A-C's Rebel.
 
D-A-C

D-A-C

New User
robbo1970 said:
Yes I think it seems to be aracket that suits a certain style of play.

I don't play baseline rally tennis, I don't have the patience. I will usually follow my serve in or chip to the corners so I can move in to attack the net. I know I don't have the power or patience to engage in long rallies, so I stick to SV and this 93 does the job better than any other racket Ive used.

I used to play this style with woods and with my 80sq Yamaha, so I actually find this 93 head nice and forgiving and the weight (due to being head light) very manouvrable.

I just hope it doesnt crack like D-A-C's Rebel.
Click to expand...

Ive had my EXO3 Graphites for a few years now and they are solid, unlike the Rebel that cracked all the way through the throat after a big forehand.Only had the rebels 6 weeks too. In my mind the Graphite is a better racket (for me) anyway.
 
robbo1970

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
D-A-C said:
Ive had my EXO3 Graphites for a few years now and they are solid, unlike the Rebel that cracked all the way through the throat after a big forehand.Only had the rebels 6 weeks too. In my mind the Graphite is a better racket (for me) anyway.
Click to expand...

Thats reassuring for me, but I hope you get something sorted with your Rebel. I would hope that the store or online store you bought it from would have a way of getting in touch with their rep.
 
leroy_sunset

leroy_sunset

Rookie
Broke my 1st stick this week. 2 more on the way!

Still loving it. I think I need to string it a bit lower for some more pop. The last job I did was +1 over the middle. I think I'll try -1 and see what that does.
 
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