MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Have you used the warrior?
Prince EXO3 Rackets
- Thread starter MikeHitsHard93
- Start date
Have you used the warrior?
loosegroove
Hall of Fame
Have you tried a hybrid of syn gut or a multi in the cross? Definitely a good compromise to consider. Used in the EXO3 Tour or Warrior, it's pretty arm friendly while still retaining much of the poly properties.
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MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
I probably should do this. Nvy as a cross. Thanks
Doubles
Legend
Maybe for 5-10 minutes since a friend of mine used it. It felt hollow, and like a toy. Then again, I loved the Radical and find the Prestige to be a perfect racket so we have totally different taste in frames. If you just want to hand at the baseline and hit full western forehands then it's probably the frame for you.
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
I think the warrior would make the most sense for me, I just don't want to miss out on something else that could possibly be amazing. Don't really want to demo...
Mike, why dont u want to demo?? Didnt u say earlier in the thread ur club has these racquets and it only costs $2 to demo?
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Ok, remembering my long ago play test with the rebel 98...didn't have enough power and was demanding. HOWEVER, it was freshly strung with prince beast xp...I really liked the rest of the racket...and it so happens to be going for a great price....what hybrid string setup should I look into?
Fed Kennedy
Legend
The 03 white is what you seek
Also, i think the warrior has 65 rating jn stiffness. Thats pretty stiff if ur trying to protect ur arm. I own a pair of ozone tour mp's (the older version of the exo3 tour) which is very kind on my arm. The exo3 ive heard is even softer. Ive been wanting to demo this frame but the only place i can demo from is TW so thats $20 minimum i gotta shell out so im still procrastinating. 
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Why do you say that?
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Good to know, Mikeler. Like I said before, I really like the circular head of these frames. The rebel is a bit narrow and I tend to really come over the ball a lot instead of coming through it.
I've tried all the current EXO3 offerings. I would suggest the Warrior Team. Don't let the "Team" keep you away. It;s a smooth swinging stick that can be customized if needed but I liked it as is. The specs are no where near what I prefer but the feel and performance is surprising.
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
What about comfort?
HRB
Hall of Fame
For what it's worth, I grabbed a O3 Speed Port Tour on a whim off of "The Bay" for $20 in immaculate condition, just to try it, but really expected to "flip it" for the $60-$80 I usually see them go for.
So I tried not to like it, as Pro Staff 6.1 95's are my stick of choice, but more and more I find myself going to it! On days when my Classic 6.1's stiffness is making my arm a little fatigued, or the swing weight is a tad too much I now make the switch, and it has gotten me out of a few 2nd set slumps.
Weighing in at 12.2oz with my set up (Syn gut at 55, open ports, 1 Overgrip and rubber band) I find it the perfect compliment to my PS's...ease of spin, precise "poppy" serves, and I can effortlessly slice backhand saves, when caught in no mans land, that reach the baseline and give me time to get back.
It does produce a little less "weight" on the monster returns I can get off the Wilson's, but all in all I can whip this thing around a little easier and produce winners.
In short it has become my go to stick when ever slightly fatigued, facing a more powerful/faster pace hitter, or on clay for the ease of spin.
If you can get over the full on ORANGE (mine even had an orange overgrip...yuck, had to replace that), it is a great find. The "Bay" seems to have a few each week, and you can find them in the $30-$50 range sometimes since they are relatively unknown due to their short release around 2008-2009 (replaced by the O3 Tour...which has 100 as opposed to 97, and lighter).
So I tried not to like it, as Pro Staff 6.1 95's are my stick of choice, but more and more I find myself going to it! On days when my Classic 6.1's stiffness is making my arm a little fatigued, or the swing weight is a tad too much I now make the switch, and it has gotten me out of a few 2nd set slumps.
Weighing in at 12.2oz with my set up (Syn gut at 55, open ports, 1 Overgrip and rubber band) I find it the perfect compliment to my PS's...ease of spin, precise "poppy" serves, and I can effortlessly slice backhand saves, when caught in no mans land, that reach the baseline and give me time to get back.
It does produce a little less "weight" on the monster returns I can get off the Wilson's, but all in all I can whip this thing around a little easier and produce winners.
In short it has become my go to stick when ever slightly fatigued, facing a more powerful/faster pace hitter, or on clay for the ease of spin.
If you can get over the full on ORANGE (mine even had an orange overgrip...yuck, had to replace that), it is a great find. The "Bay" seems to have a few each week, and you can find them in the $30-$50 range sometimes since they are relatively unknown due to their short release around 2008-2009 (replaced by the O3 Tour...which has 100 as opposed to 97, and lighter).
The stick I used was strung with Premier Attack and the combination was great. Very comfortable and like I mentioned before... the ease of the swing and performance was outstanding. I believe the stick balance is way different than others with similar specs. This difference was a major positive.
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Just got back from a 3 hour session with a fellow 3.5 player...pulled out my old exo3 graphite 100 on a whim just to test the waters again...I probably hit 10 aces on him with it!!! The swing weight might be a bit much for me, but overall I played pretty well. Win the first set 6-4 and lost the second 3-6 and we ran out of time. Very happy with my level of play today. The funny thing, but probably not the smartest, is that my graphite has really old rpm mains and nvy crosses. They're dead as a door nail...however I could still hit massive spin and the arm didn't feel too jarred. I guess we shall see later on if my arm starts throbbing..
This is a fairly demanding stick, but has decent power too. I'm thinking the tour 100 would be very similar but more flexible and arm friendly...something I would welcome.
This is a fairly demanding stick, but has decent power too. I'm thinking the tour 100 would be very similar but more flexible and arm friendly...something I would welcome.
kimguroo
Legend
I was (am) a big fan of prince and started with O3 tech.
Love muted feeling and comfort of O3.
I think you need to find some lists of priorities.
For me, my number one priority was control, then power, weight, thinner boxed beam etc... So in this case rebel 95 and 105 was the choice.
Make some lists then you might be able to find answer easily.
There is no magical racket so you will sacrifice something.
I used to play with so many rackets but I am happy that I stick with one racket now. More fun to play tennis. Trying various rackets were fun too but I don't see any benefits (improving skill).
Love muted feeling and comfort of O3.
I think you need to find some lists of priorities.
For me, my number one priority was control, then power, weight, thinner boxed beam etc... So in this case rebel 95 and 105 was the choice.
Make some lists then you might be able to find answer easily.
There is no magical racket so you will sacrifice something.
I used to play with so many rackets but I am happy that I stick with one racket now. More fun to play tennis. Trying various rackets were fun too but I don't see any benefits (improving skill).
Awesome. So why are you on the search for a new racquet....?
BlueB
Legend
Good point. Sounds like you had a ball. Put some fresh, arm friendly string setup in that thing and you are good to go.
mikeler
Moderator
One mistake I made with the Exo Tour for awhile was stringing too low. I thought the lower tension would be necessary to compensate for the low flex. What ended up happening is that increased the launch angle and I was hitting way too many balls long. Once I found out that increased tensions keep the ball down much better, I've been a happy camper with the playability of the racket.
jackcrawford
Professional
If you played that well with the ex03 graphite, you could definitely play with the tour 100. And, the tour is the most comfortable frame I've ever hit with.
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
My dad has really grown to like this racket, so it's basically his now. However, I was talking to my friend about this too. I played very well with it and enjoyed the shot selection I had. The only thing this racket is not good at is volleys IMO. The balance makes hitting touch hard. Hitting from the baseline and serving are a breeze though. Believe me, I was asking myself this same question also. I haven't used this frame in months.
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I miss my exo tour 100's. In fact, I'm just waiting for the price to continue to come down before I purchase them again. Part of my issue with them was getting them strung. When I had a stringer it wasn't a big deal. When I had others string them, they did a crappy job.
I will second the comments regarding lead. It made all the difference in the world. These racquets when from ho hum to WOW, once I figured that out.
I will second the comments regarding lead. It made all the difference in the world. These racquets when from ho hum to WOW, once I figured that out.
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
I would go poly mains...not sure which poly or cross
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Maybe I'll have my dad try a radical, and swap him for the graphite for a while...I'm still not sure how to string these bad boys
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Looks like my arm is still fine today after playing with those dead strings in the graphite...I can't believe that I might actually go back to the racket I started with...
I can. That's exactly why you see pros using the same racquet for years/decades. That Graphite is, likely to you, what a racquet should be to you. Consider it a blessing you groove so well with it, and just go pick up some nicely priced ones off of the auction site when you can. Sure beats $150.00 + for some other options.
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MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
The main reason why I switched from it was the power level. I wasn't as strong as I am now, and my rhs was a lot slower. I now hit a lot of topspin and it seemed to blend really well yesterday.
The heavier head always threw me off, but yesterday I actually welcomed it instead of my currently HL pro open. I feel like its actually easier to play with. This is so weird...
jackcrawford
Professional
I sort of regret giving up on this frame. I agree lead screws it up. Sometimes you try to make things even better, and then after tinkering with different lead setups, you give up on the frame altogether, forgetting how well it played stock.
I played with the exo graphite 100 and the exo tour 100 (dense pattern) before. Let's just talking about ease of use for now and I can definitely say that if you now find the graphite easy to swing, the tour is MUCH quicker and easier to swing and easier to defend and half volley off the ground. I gave the graphite up because the heavy head was too much for my 1hbh and couldn't get it around quicker. When timed well, the graphite can really bomb the serves and it slices really well. But you will get more spin on the tour respond much quicker at net. I see the exo as a sword whereas the graphite is more of an axe.
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Haha yes the graphite does feel like an axe compare to other frames! I agree about the 1hbh too. I have to use two hands with it.
