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

Matt G · Aug 9, 2013

ricki said:
Team mold is better It hink as it has stiffer and wider beam (a little), but I could ot stand how light it is and how much I would need to customize it. I like to only add min. 8 grams of lead stickers at 2 and 10 (place between top and side ports) - and for this I prefer slightly headlight heavier frames...

With a leather grip I only had to add an extra 10 or so Grammes under the handle to get them right. I could have used silicon but still playing around with them. The beam is only 1mm thicker than the exo3 tour 100's so I didn't notice and the flex of these still feel mid 50's or lower.

The balance is now 33cm on a 27.5" frame which I think is around 4 or 5 points headlight

Works in well for my specs and gives me 10 Grammes to play with as my usual stick is a ig prestige pro @ 350g

junior74 · Aug 22, 2013

How to increase precision?

I just got the racket, played it three times, and I have to put a lot of effort into my strokes to reach the service line. Serve and volleys are a picknik, but the groundstrokes I really strive with. I tried an old Tour racket from the 80's, with polys, and the difference was huge. Good length, and when I went for a winner - it was there.
Are strings really that important?

What strings and tensions would you recommend for an aggresive player with this stick? I bought it because of my elbow, otherwise I would have sticked with my old Yonex.

Thanks for any tips!

corbind · Aug 23, 2013

junior74 said:
I just got the racket, played it three times, and I have to put a lot of effort into my strokes to reach the service line.

Stock weight for them is 11.6 ounces which is respectable but it still flops around too much on high impact collisions. Add a total of 6 grams so 3g on each side of the hoop at the 9 and 3 o'clock position. Use 3" or 4" strips of lead to obtain the weight. Add another 4 grams of weight literally on the butt of the racquet to counter-balance the weight you added in the hoop.

The aforementined adds an extra 10grams (about 1/3 of an ounce) which will make your shots land a couple of feet longer. The racquet will not move as much, either, on off-center hits and that stability is priceless.

junior74 · Aug 25, 2013

I've tried lead tape. Helps stability quite a bit, but doesn't imply on my length, which is poor with this racket. I have to hit very high strokes to prevent them from landing short, which will mean a wholly new way of playing after all these years :???: When I pick up other rackets, some of them even lighter, the same strokes go 3 meter further into the court...

So I guess I'll try light syntgut strings at a lower tension and see what that does.

PKfan1 · Aug 31, 2013

I own a exo3 tour 18x20, and I love it except for the overly rubbery feel. I just picked up an ozone tour mp out of the lost and found after it's been sitting there for 6 months, and it's in roughish shape. How does this compare to the exo3?

I am wondering if its worth replacing the bumper guard and stringing up.

tata · Aug 31, 2013

junior74 said:
I've tried lead tape. Helps stability quite a bit, but doesn't imply on my length, which is poor with this racket. I have to hit very high strokes to prevent them from landing short, which will mean a wholly new way of playing after all these years :???: When I pick up other rackets, some of them even lighter, the same strokes go 3 meter further into the court...

So I guess I'll try light syntgut strings at a lower tension and see what that does.

Rather than hitting 'higher' (i assume you are brushing it more to get more air and depth) why don't you flatten the stroke out more to get more penetration? If you have the dense pattern then it should be relatively easy as the denser string pattern will keep the ball from flying long. Comparing closed to open patterns, I rekon you can get away with things more on the dense pattern when being more aggressive on the swing.

mikeler · Sep 18, 2013

I accidentally left my stringer set at 56 pounds and strung up the mains a few days ago at that tension. Once I started the crosses, I realized my "mistake" and decided to up the crosses by an additional 4 pounds as well. I've always thought that balls come off the racket at too high of an angle but last night the racket finally felt right to me. I may be cutting out 2 brand new strings jobs and upping the tension but I want to play one more match with it just to make sure I was not just having a good day.

scotus · Sep 18, 2013

mikeler said:
I accidentally left my stringer set at 56 pounds and strung up the mains a few days ago at that tension. Once I started the crosses, I realized my "mistake" and decided to up the crosses by an additional 4 pounds as well. I've always thought that balls come off the racket at too high of an angle but last night the racket finally felt right to me. I may be cutting out 2 brand new strings jobs and upping the tension but I want to play one more match with it just to make sure I was not just having a good day.

Yes, the EXO3 Tour 16X18 has a pretty high launch angle. I am afraid it might be even worse with the new ESP model.

Trojan1994 · Sep 18, 2013

My 18 x 20 arrived yesterday!!!

Played a set with it last night, then allowed one of the ladies from my club that has ongoing tennis elbow issues play a set with it.

We were both in shock with how arm friendly it felt combined with the control factor. The feel of the racquet seemed just fine and the power level was noticeably lower which caught me a few times off guard on serve as I watched first and second serves go spinning downward to the base of the net a few times until I made some adjustments.

Very pleasurable to use and less work than other "player/control sticks" given the lighter weight. The lady that tried it last night was so surprised that she asked if she could use it in her match tonight, so I'll be watching my new racquet in league action tonight from the sidelines!

Mine is current strung:

Volkl Cyclone 17 Mains @ 52lbs.
Technifibre NRG2 17 Crosses @ 48lbs.

Regards,

Tony

mikeler · Sep 18, 2013

scotus said:
Yes, the EXO3 Tour 16X18 has a pretty high launch angle. I am afraid it might be even worse with the new ESP model.

Then I will string it up at 66 pounds.

Trojan1994 said:
Played a set with it last night, then allowed one of the ladies from my club that has ongoing tennis elbow issues play a set with it.

We were both in shock with how arm friendly it felt combined with the control factor. The feel of the racquet seemed just fine and the power level was noticeably lower which caught me a few times off guard on serve as I watched first and second serves go spinning downward to the base of the net a few times until I made some adjustments.

Very pleasurable to use and less work than other "player/control sticks" given the lighter weight. The lady that tried it last night was so surprised that she asked if she could use it in her match tonight, so I'll be watching my new racquet in league action tonight from the sidelines!

Mine is current strung:

Volkl Cyclone 17 Mains @ 52lbs.
Technifibre NRG2 17 Crosses @ 48lbs.

Regards,

Tony

The 18x20 version of this racket just felt dull and dead to me.

Trojan1994 · Sep 18, 2013

Well its definitely not as lively as my

mikeler said:
Then I will string it up at 66 pounds.

The 18x20 version of this racket just felt dull and dead to me.

Juice 100 but not as dead as my Blade 93 with a full bed of 18 x 20(Currently strung at 18 x 10 its pretty sweet and SPINNY!!!).

Regards,

Tony

Bhairava · Sep 18, 2013

rlau said:
How's Tour Bite in the Exo3 Tour 16x18? What gauge and tension would work best?

TB 16 works well at LOW tensions(48lbs) if you want extreme control and a low powered stick.

TB 17 at 54 lbs gives you tremendous spin and power with this stick. BUT they you will break it at 7th hour

TB 16L give you the best of both

durable, good power at low tension(50lbs), very good spin.

16L is perfect unless you like stringing every 7 hours and you like powerful strokes, in that case tb 17 is a charm.

corbind · Sep 19, 2013

mikeler said:
I accidentally left my stringer set at 56 pounds and strung up the mains a few days ago at that tension. Once I started the crosses, I realized my "mistake" and decided to up the crosses by an additional 4 pounds as well. I've always thought that balls come off the racket at too high of an angle but last night the racket finally felt right to me. I may be cutting out 2 brand new strings jobs and upping the tension but I want to play one more match with it just to make sure I was not just having a good day.

Curious how that goes for you. What's your normal string/lbs setup and what the mistake string/tension was (for comparision).

rlau · Sep 19, 2013

How's Tour Bite in the Exo3 Tour 16x18? What gauge and tension would work best?

Bhairava said:
TB 16 works well at LOW tensions(48lbs) if you want extreme control and a low powered stick.

TB 17 at 54 lbs gives you tremendous spin and power with this stick. BUT they you will break it at 7th hour

TB 16L give you the best of both durable, good power at low tension(50lbs), very good spin.

16L is perfect unless you like stringing every 7 hours and you like powerful strokes, in that case tb 17 is a charm.

Thanks for your input!

mikeler · Sep 19, 2013

corbind said:
Curious how that goes for you. What's your normal string/lbs setup and what the mistake string/tension was (for comparision).

Check out my signature. I went up 4 pounds on both to 56/60.

junior74 · Sep 25, 2013

tata said:
Rather than hitting 'higher' (i assume you are brushing it more to get more air and depth) why don't you flatten the stroke out more to get more penetration? If you have the dense pattern then it should be relatively easy as the denser string pattern will keep the ball from flying long. Comparing closed to open patterns, I rekon you can get away with things more on the dense pattern when being more aggressive on the swing.

Thanx for the input! It seems this racket produces more spin than I can handle; I am not able to hit with spin AND get enough length - thus my "winners" come 3 meters short and my opponent makes another shot

Flattening out defo helped my game

zerojoshua · Nov 13, 2013

An Unexpected Wonder

One could say that I'm a bit of a rackaholic, I love to experiment in all facets of the game. More importantly, I'm a bit of a trickster and am always mixing serves and game styles up. My favorite racquets up to date was my Prince Micheal Change Longbody's and my CTS 90 Lightning's, and believe me, I've tried just about every racquet style and out there.. This lead me to a racquet I wanted to try again (Had a demo once), the exo3 Tour. I read a lot about them but my one time demo left me feeling flat (Must have been the string set up).

I saw the exo3 16x18 go up for sale on the used section for $45 and got two of them. One came strung with Prince Beast at 55 and the other with NXT at 53lbs. I am primarily a poly user but have been feeling some soreness in my shoulder from the 28" Change Longbody strung at 58lbs Yonex Poly Pro (By far my favorite poly).

I pulled the exo3 tour out of my bag with the 55lbs Beast and the vibrations went up through my arm into my glasses (Horrible). Because they were the only racquets I brought to my match I pulled out the one with 53lbs NXT in it out of my bag, and I must say, proceeded to delivered a good clean *** woopen on my opponents.

So, still loyal to my Yonex Poly Pro, I strung my main's with Yonex Poly Pro and crosses with a spare 20 foot of Dunlop Hexy fiber I had laying around @ 53lbs. It had a great feel and had definitely entered the realm of my favorite 10 racquets.

I then went back to my Chang Longbody but my arm was still a bit sore. Hard to snuggle with wife when you lay on the sore shoulder you spoon with.

Several days ago I strung up an exo3 Tour with the reliable Yonex Poly Pro 1.25 @ 52lbs. After the initial 20 minutes of break in the racquet has been simply amazing. Certainly not the best racquet I've used in any specific category, but over all the most consistent, and reliable racquet I have played with to date.

I have now played over 15 hours with this set up and am still extremely comfortable with this racquet as it has steadily climbed to my favorite racquet to date.

Till next time....

protestov.tt · Dec 14, 2013

after struggling with IG Rad Pro for some months trying to adjust to its high SW , I decided to return back to my Exo and realized that this is the racquet I feel in harmony with. It has some downsides, but I am ready to sacrifice it

nextNalbandian · Dec 15, 2013

Returning to the game after a 2 year hiatus but this was my college stick so its what I'm currently playing. In the market for something similar with a little more forgiveness and maneuverability (any suggestions?).

protestov.tt · Dec 15, 2013

nextNalbandian said:
Returning to the game after a 2 year hiatus but this was my college stick so its what I'm currently playing. In the market for something similar with a little more forgiveness and maneuverability (any suggestions?).

:shock:
Exo3 is the most maneuverable among all racquets I'v tried, due to its very head light ballance... And I find it very forgiving, sweetspot is very big...
Maybe new ESP only, SW even lower than in Exo, but string pattern 16x16 frightens me...

corbind · Dec 15, 2013

nextNalbandian said:
Returning to the game after a 2 year hiatus but this was my college stick so its what I'm currently playing. In the market for something similar with a little more forgiveness and maneuverability (any suggestions?).

You played for your college? I don't think you'll find many more forgiving sticks in a 100" frame. The ports help a lot.

zerojoshua · Dec 15, 2013

Add a multi cross

nextNalbandian said:
Returning to the game after a 2 year hiatus but this was my college stick so its what I'm currently playing. In the market for something similar with a little more forgiveness and maneuverability (any suggestions?).

A multi cross would help with the forgiveness. If you were a college player, chances are you had a full poly bed. The softer bed would help with power for a shorter stroke.

protestov.tt · Dec 15, 2013

I am using Lxn Ace 18 in a full bed (sorry don't know exact tension, something in the middle). It doesn't get broken for a long time already (I'am not a string breaker by any means, but such a thin string on open pattern - it's rather strange), though I already have to fix moving main strings after every point. Don't have any complaints about this string. Effortless power if all body envolved into the stroke, precise, comfy - what else can you need...

rlau · Dec 16, 2013

protestov.tt said:
I am using Lxn Ace 18 in a full bed (sorry don't know exact tension, something in the middle). It doesn't get broken for a long time already (I'am not a string breaker by any means, but such a thin string on open pattern - it's rather strange), though I already have to fix moving main strings after every point.

That means the poly strings are dead. I'd restring asap.

nextNalbandian · Dec 16, 2013

zerojoshua said:
A multi cross would help with the forgiveness. If you were a college player, chances are you had a full poly bed. The softer bed would help with power for a shorter stroke.

I did and still do use a full poly string job for the control but I'm lacking a little pop from the baseline. I think this issue might be remedied by more court time and getting my timing back but I do also want to see what is out there racket wise.

zerojoshua · Dec 16, 2013

nextNalbandian said:
I did and still do use a full poly string job for the control but I'm lacking a little pop from the baseline. I think this issue might be remedied by more court time and getting my timing back but I do also want to see what is out there racket wise.

Agreed, a little exercise can go a long way.. That's probably what I should do in the off season...

gebruikershaes · Dec 17, 2013

How does this racquet compare to an YT IG Rad MP in terms of feel, power and swing weight.

I'm planning on making a switch to the 18x20 version of this frame.

MachiA. · Dec 17, 2013

I like this stick. A little unstable in the stock form for me.
A bit lead fixed this.

A forgiving racket.
No problems with the paint job either.
This is weird when i read here about the poor quality of the paint.

I hope Prince will offer also in future so soft rackets with thin beams.

KR

zerojoshua · Dec 17, 2013

gebruikershaes said:
How does this racquet compare to an YT IG Rad MP in terms of feel, power and swing weight.

I'm planning on making a switch to the 18x20 version of this frame.

They are definitely different animals, I have both. Much better spin potential from the Tour's but the radicals are better at flat power shots. The 18x 20 will help that.

gebruikershaes · Dec 17, 2013

zerojoshua said:
They are definitely different animals, I have both. Much better spin potential from the Tour's but the radicals are better at flat power shots. The 18x 20 will help that.

Thanks! And what about the sweetspot. Is it bigger than the rad's? Also is it much heavier to swing?

zerojoshua · Dec 17, 2013

gebruikershaes said:
Thanks! And what about the sweetspot. Is it bigger than the rad's? Also is it much heavier to swing?

Quicker swing due to more HL balance. Bigger sweat spot for sure.

gebruikershaes · Dec 17, 2013

zerojoshua said:
Quicker swing due to more HL balance. Bigger sweat spot for sure.

Great thanks!

tmc5005 · Dec 18, 2013

protestov.tt said:
:shock:
Exo3 is the most maneuverable among all racquets I'v tried, due to its very head light ballance... And I find it very forgiving, sweetspot is very big...
Maybe new ESP only, SW even lower than in Exo, but string pattern 16x16 frightens me...

Why would the 16x16 string pattern frighten you, is it because you are afraid the strings will break quickly?

mikeler · Dec 18, 2013

tmc5005 said:
Why would the 16x16 string pattern frighten you, is it because you are afraid the strings will break quickly?

I'm not selling my Exos for this very reason. When I go out and just hit balls with people, I don't want that eating away at my ESP strings so I whip out the Exos.

neverstopplaying · Dec 31, 2013

oops - I posted in wrong thread

tandringa · Jan 10, 2014

What would you guys suggest to change on my Exo3 Tour Team? I got the following complains after a year of play with it:

- Can't penetrate court enough with volleys on hard returns
- Got stability problems with speedy balls at net
- Lack of power on servers (Especially compared to my old APD'12)

I definitely want to make the racket heavier but what is the best way to change this and effect my "problems"?

At the moment I got a overgrip and the Babolat demper with 3,5g insert in it.

Also, does someone has a picture of lead placement on a Exo3 frame? Since the beam is pretty thin and the holes are also big, where is the best spot to place it?

Anton · Jan 10, 2014

tandringa said:
What would you guys suggest to change on my Exo3 Tour Team? I got the following complains after a year of play with it:

- Can't penetrate court enough with volleys on hard returns
- Got stability problems with speedy balls at net
- Lack of power on servers (Especially compared to my old APD'12)

I definitely want to make the racket heavier but what is the best way to change this and effect my "problems"?

At the moment I got a overgrip and the Babolat demper with 3,5g insert in it.

Also, does someone has a picture of lead placement on a Exo3 frame? Since the beam is pretty thin and the holes are also big, where is the best spot to place it?

It puts the lead on! :twisted:

Yea the frame is thin and holes get in the way, so you just have to push the lead out to the lip or fold it a bit into the holes, not a big deal if you are using 0.25" thickness lead.

Where and how much? Well its definitely will have to be somewhere between 2&4, but beyond that it's up for you to play around and figure out. I'd try 10 and 2 first so you get a more even blend of more power and stability.

MachiA. · Jan 10, 2014

Lead at 3/9 or 2/10 and your problem is solved.

Some are writing, with EXOs you get pushed around against heavy hitters: The solution is LEAD and early set up for the stroke.

KR

tandringa · Jan 10, 2014

Okie thanks, will definitely try that.

What about the balance? Could I correct that with a leather grip underneath my basic grip or are there less expensive ways?

corbind · Jan 11, 2014

tandringa said:
Also, does someone has a picture of lead placement on a Exo3 frame? Since the beam is pretty thin and the holes are also big, where is the best spot to place it?

Man, you struggled with this stick for a year and now just asking? At least you know ya need lead. I volley mostly so my needs are different from most. I added weight in this way:

10g by replacing stock grip with Wilson Shock Shield hybrid
4g directly on the butt cap
2g at 9 o'clock
2g at 3 o'clock
0.5g at 12 o'clock

In stock for the frame nice as you can swing like crazy and spin the ball...but off-center hits flutter bad. Extra weight makes it very stable (but a bit less spin). EXO3 Tours are some of the worst serving racquets I've ever tried (and I've tried some 30+ sticks). Weighting above greatly helps serving. The tip of the stick is still too wobbly without the weight at 12 o'clock.

protestov.tt · Jan 11, 2014

tmc5005 said:
Why would the 16x16 string pattern frighten you, is it because you are afraid the strings will break quickly?

If it were the only downside of this pattern, a lot of top pros would have been playing with it because restringing is not the problem for them. I think there is one more downside - lack of directional control...

As for me I continue to play with Exo 16x18 and bought another one after they discontinued, just in case...

When any of you will get such an opportunity to play with new The Tour 100 16x18 , please tell us how it's compared with Exo! SW is heavier in a couple of units , beam is more thick and more stiff, so it is probably more powerful than Exo...

MachiA. · Jan 11, 2014

protestov.tt said:
I think there is one more downside - lack of directional control

Exactly. You can compensate this lack with a lot of top spin.

But the aging body can not take this kind of game forever.

KR

protestov.tt · Feb 7, 2014

Hi guys, I got my second Exo3 today, purchased in german online store.
At first, there were hole grommets in the complect in addition to installed port grommets, that made me very happy
Secondly, detailed comparison brought out such a thing(the upper is new Exo, the bottom is old):

sorry for the crappy pics, the code is
TX250P-100 CT3B 27"
9ZX49<B>
and it's located in the place, used for specs on the old racquet,

instead of the small cirlce on top of the hoop as on the old racquet, there is some kind of triangular and square in that place on the new racquet.
The weight is about 312gramms, I think it's usual.
Anyone knows what does this code mean and if there are any real diffrencies?

ps: I'v noticed engineering code on the old stick just now:
it's TX250B-100; 7T12T<B> , so it's different...

mikeler · Feb 8, 2014

Thinking about getting rid of my Exos. The ESPs are just a better fit for me.

MachiA. · Feb 9, 2014

I play the EXOs (18x20) because they compliment my flat hitting.

EXOs and syn gut increase the chances that i will still play in a higher age.

With lead it is a very stable racket.

Only if KNEISSL or YONEX is coming up with softer Rackets i will change.

KR

ricki · Feb 9, 2014

On all my EXO frames i put lead on 2 and 10 where are no ports so there is enough place for 2 gram lead stickers. So total is 8 grams at 2 and 10 and it is for me sufficient on any EXO racquet from Rebels to Tours...

boanshi · Mar 2, 2014

Have played with it for several months, after adding lead tape
2g on 12;2g on 3;2g on 9, feel great... but still feel quite unfriendly on arm when hitting off center or near the border

MachiA. · Mar 2, 2014

boanshi said:
Have played with it for several months, after adding lead tape
2g on 12;2g on 3;2g on 9, feel great... but still feel quite unfriendly on arm when hitting off center or near the border

You tried 8-16 gramm at 3/9 and some lead under the grip?

Which strings you use?

KR

GaryB · Mar 2, 2014

TheSafin said:
Hey all my beauteous Tour 100 lovers.

If you're here, it means you are committed to feel. You are committed to pummeling forehands up the line with supreme confidence. You are committed to hitting kick serves that almost bounce out of the court. You are committed to staring down Pure Drives with no fear in your heart. You are committed to outrageous spin that seems to bring even the most errant backhands down into the court. You are committed to progress. You are committed to a racquet that, if used properly, can feel as much a part of you as your arm itself. A racquet that we have all dreamed about but never had......until now.

Welcome to the Prince EXO3 Tour 100 Club. Whether you play the 16/18 or the tighter 18/20, you are welcome here. For all of us lucky enough to have found this racquet, this will be our meeting place. Discuss anything you would like here, as long as it pertains to this beautiful racquet that has served us all together. What are your string set-ups? Grips? Dampeners? Lead? How do YOU take advantage of this beautiful frame?

I will say no more.
Welcome!

Safin

I've been tempted to buy one of these for a while now - this post has just confirmed it's happening. I want in

eelhc · Mar 4, 2014

mikeler said:
Thinking about getting rid of my Exos. The ESPs are just a better fit for me.

Which EXOs are you thinking about moving out?

I am considering an EXO3 Tour 100 16x18 before outdoor season starts. I will be playing considerably more this year and want to try different arm friendly frames. I have a Prokennex Ki5 315 which I will use as the reference.

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

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