TW Review: Dunlop Biomimetic F 3.0 Tour
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tom4ny
Professional
Great review from these skilled play testers! I am curious as to how this frame compares to the current Bio 300T in overall power level and is it as fast through the air? Play testers noted that it plays crisper than the current version and that it was more stable in stock form which would seem to come from the new frame design and updated materials but this new model also looks to have a slightly higher static weight? Thanks!!
FoldingChair
Semi-Pro
Very nice review Jason but I have a quickie for you or any of the TW people that can answer this. In the thread "New Dunlop line???" someone posted a picture of an F300 Tour Classic. So I just wanted to know when can we expect that frame? http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showpost.php?p=6923298&postcount=113
rlau
Hall of Fame
It probably means hollow, pingy, stiff....?
LOL...............
Yet, the reviews indicate that F has the most power...
srvnvly
Hall of Fame
The review didn't look so good: pinging and small sweet spot; other aspects look good, but I'm looking looking ahead to the new Blade and Steam models.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
does pinging have to do with new material they put in ? hope it doens't mean more bad vibrations ?
Exactly. Just like a lot of Babolats.
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
No. S has most power.
Broly4
Rookie
Which is the review you have seen? Small sweet spot? Maybe the older 300 tour, not this one.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
so this one has big sweep spot ? can someone confirm this one way or the other ?
Broly4
Rookie
As big as any other 98" 18x20 racquet
brownbearfalling
Hall of Fame
Does anyone else think that the new Dunlop frames BM 3.0 frames are shaped like the Wilson Blade 98s? (wider throat and rounder head face)
srvnvly
Hall of Fame
I was replying to Jack's questions about the M 3.0 review.
johnnymacfan
Rookie
If you are a Bio 300T player, you will definitely like this new one. The new frame shape makes the racquet feel faster and certainly more "modern" as my rep said. The feel is still very Dunlop, and the plow is much better on this version vs. previous. The old ones just had such low swingweights. All in all, this new direction seems like a massive improvement to me. The old ones were just a bit dated and lacked punch. These seem to solve that problem, but the feel is still very good. It's not just a "let's make them stiffer" mentality, so the plush feel is there, but so is the extra pop. FWIW, I actually liked the M3.0 better, but I digress...
diredesire
Adjunct Moderator
I'm really interested on playtester comments on this as well. What does "modern feel" even mean, especially contrasted with traditional dunlop feel? I would imagine a departure from Dunlop feel means muted and twangy. I like Dunlop frames because the vibration seems to attentuate/dampen quickly, but does NOT mean any muted feel.
I'm thinking of picking up a pair of SOME type of Dunlop once I get my shoulder worked on and back up to 100%, but I'm skeptical of this new line. I really like the recessed grommet look, though.
tom4ny
Professional
thank you for that information! now i am really excited to try it out. so glad to hear that the "feel" is still there and some extra pop is great! i really like my current bio 300T's and with just a little lead in the upper hoop it is a really solid frame for me. it is also so fast through the air but with the lead i added i am probably around the sw of the F3.0T in stock form.
the M3.0 looks interesting to me but i preferred the bio 300T over the regular 300 in the feel department and with my style of play the 18x20 pattern and that extra control is appreciated.
i will post a comparison after i have had a chance to hit with the new version for a bit. thanks again for the info!
Power Player
Bionic Poster
It looks rounder, but it definitely is a similar racquet which IMO is a good thing.
csabam1975
New User
Hi Jason!
It seems that the F 3.0 Tour is the racquet with the most contradictory comments recently. Checking the TW forums for days now in order to find that extra "push" to buy this racquet but the huge number of both positive and negative feedback did not make me decision easier. I am a 4.0-4.5 player with extremely powerful forehand and backhand slice currently using a Volkl PB10. Used to play with a Microgel Prestige MP which was a dream for forehand winners but had arm discomforts in my biceps after a while so switched to Volkl. Changed my game style completely, improved all my shots but something is missing. Mostly the satisfaction when you hit a flat forehand winner on which your opponent cannot even move. The Prestige did that for me so looking for something similar but more arm-friendly.
Specswise Checked thoroughly the TW reviews, narrowed my search to several raquets like Extreme Pro 2.0 (tried the Microgel version and hated it), Graphene Speed Pro, ProKennex ki5x (afraid of the extra length), PDR (afraid of the arm discomfort), Prince EXO TOUR 18x20 (hated the muted feel). Finally, I came to the F 3.0, but after checking the reviews I am afraid it does have a poor plow-through and annoying feel/sound. Would appreciate some further positive words about this stick...
Unfortunately in Serbia I cannot have the racquet tested, if decide to - need to buy it without having it in my hands first.
Thanks for your time reading this and hope for a reply!
cold_frame
New User
I've just recieved a demo today and it looks promising! Specs are just what I was looking for. With the dampener and overgrip it weighs 339gr. I haven't played with it yet but with the dampener, I don't hear any annoying sound like other people said... Tomorrow I'll hear the real thing!
It feels faster trhough the air than my current Exo3 tour 16x18 and just nice to handle. Was lloking for a bit more control and less flexy frame and I may have found it!
Tomorrow I'll post my first impressions.
PED
Legend
One of my hitting partners uses this stick. He came from years with the prestige mp and the last two with the 300 tour. Ive hit with this as well.
Nice stick, a bit heavier than the 300t but offers more power as well. The tw review called it more modern and that's spot on.
I think it has more punch than the prestige mp as well and it's easier to hit a consistently heavy ball with it.
The biggest difference from the 300t is that it not quite as easy to swing, the old one was lightening fast and while this is no log, it just dos not swing as freely.
Great stick and I think you'll enjoy the extra horsepower over the prestige.
Nice stick, a bit heavier than the 300t but offers more power as well. The tw review called it more modern and that's spot on.
I think it has more punch than the prestige mp as well and it's easier to hit a consistently heavy ball with it.
The biggest difference from the 300t is that it not quite as easy to swing, the old one was lightening fast and while this is no log, it just dos not swing as freely.
Great stick and I think you'll enjoy the extra horsepower over the prestige.
csabam1975
New User
Thanks for the comments, look forward to seeing your impressions, especially regarding the serve
csabam1975
New User
McLovin
Legend
Yeah, I'm just about to return my demo of this frame, and like I said over here (http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=455998), it was the biggest surprise of the bunch. While I have decided to go with the Yonex 310g, another TT member (downs_chris) liked it so much after one day of demoing that he ordered one himself.
My only real complaint about it was the 'ping' sound. I wanted more weight in it, but that could have been easily resolved w/ some lead. I felt it was a definite improvement over the 300t (another friend uses that frame).
My only real complaint about it was the 'ping' sound. I wanted more weight in it, but that could have been easily resolved w/ some lead. I felt it was a definite improvement over the 300t (another friend uses that frame).
csabam1975
New User
As for the "ping" sound, I experienced something similar with the Volkl, the sound disappeared after I changed the vibration dampener. http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Vol...Damp_2_pack_Black/descpageVOLKL-VVSTOPBK.html
Really talking about a piece of rubber only but huge difference in feel and sound compared to other dampeners. Give it a try once, you will not be disappointed.
cold_frame
New User
Well, I played first my match yesterday with the F 3.0 and today I'm ordering one!
Never served better with any other racquet I've played with. I had high expectations on this racquet and sometimes this is just dangerous! But they all came true and loved it right from the first hits.
I was a bit concerned about the "ping" sound a bunch of people experienced. It's true, it is there but nothing unbearable. I think I even like it!
My Demo was strung with lux alu power at about 24kg (racquet tune app on my iphone showed this result...) and think it is a good tension. Of course I'll have to experience other settings... Static weigh is 339gr with dampener and overgrip.
Fell in love...!
tom4ny
Professional
Congratulations and welcome to the club! This is an exceptional light players frame and it does everything well for me. The ping sound is worst when strung with full poly at higher tensions. With a hybrid and or full multi it is not bad at all. I also like the playability better when strung at lower tension. My first F3.0 was strung with Proline II close to 60 lbs and it sounded very pingy and it also did not play as well for me. I had it restrung at 55 lbs and it was like a totally different frame. I was reluctant to switch but there was no denying that I was playing better and that my shots were more spinny and powerful with this frame compared to my old Bio 300 tours. You are still in your honeymoon period but I promise that it gets even better as time goes on.
tom4ny
Professional
Snoopster - the heads are rounder which raises the sweet spot and makes it a little larger. the upper hoop on the bio 300 tour was dead, they fixed that issue and I play my 3.0 tours stock. the string bed is much livelier and you do not feel the flex and great ball dwell time of prior models. these are stiff more modern frames but they are very arm friendly. they hit meaner nastier balls and serve bombs but you still get great control. it is just a new feel and as others have commented a new sound when you hit the ball.
cold_frame
New User
Happy to be part of the club! So, your current setting is pro line II at 55? I also read from you that you were to try Weiss cannon dual reality hybrid. Have you played with it yet?
Thanks!
tom4ny
Professional
CF - actually i am currently using Isospeed professional classic and love this setup. if i can get close to the same level of comfort and a little more spin from the weiss cannon dual reality hybrid setup i will go that route but i missed my stringer this past week with the snow in ny so now it will be 2 weeks before i can try the hybrid but it looks ideal to me. i will let you know how it works out. pro line II is great but i started to feel something in my forearm when i would go to lift weights and i attribute that to playing with a full bed of poly
cold_frame
New User
It'll be nice to hear what you think! Thanks!
tom4ny
Professional
i will definitely follow up. 2 of my F3.0 tours will be strung with wcdual reality at 51/56. for the record i found the F3.0 to be comfortable with a full bed of poly - more comfortable in fact than my old bio 300 tours where i used kb pro line II for almost a full year. my forearm issue happened over time and was not noticeable when i played tennis, only when lifting weights at the gym. i prefer softer less powerful poly's. isospeed prof classic plays great in this frame.
subz
Rookie
I just bought a Dunlop F3.0 tour and would appreciate if someone can suggest some nice strings for them. It came with Dunlop Silk but I do not feel they have enough control in them. My previous racquets were Wilson nBlades and I used Luxilon Alu Power Rough in them at 50 lbs.
Has anyone tried Luxilon in the F3.0 tour ? nBlade are very soft racquets so a poly wont hurt the arm/wrist, not sure of the F3.0.
Please help
Has anyone tried Luxilon in the F3.0 tour ? nBlade are very soft racquets so a poly wont hurt the arm/wrist, not sure of the F3.0.
Please help
FoldingChair
Semi-Pro
The F3.0 Tour is stiffer than the nblade for sure. But I've been using the setup in my sig for a while and i've been pretty happy with it. No elbow/shoulder pain and performs well with monstrous spin even though the racket is 18x20. I personally haven't tried Luxilon in it yet but I personally think Tour Bite is just as good if not better than Lux and it's cheaper.
