2011 Prince Racquet Play Test
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
Sorry it took so long to get this up.
PERSONAL RACQUET: Usually Prince Diablo Mid strung with various 17g polys around 56 lbs. Also use a Dunlop Aerogel 200 4D with 16g poly/syn gut hybrid. Both are heavier frames.
RACQUET RECEIVED: Prince EXO3 Tour 100, 16x18 strung with some poly/syn gut hybrid that was, IMO, too loose.
PLAYING ABILITY/STYLE: A mid-level 4.5 player who for reasons he still can’t figure out has been bumped up to 5.0 by the USTA. Primarily baseliner who works to construct and control points, and will be aggressive when the opportunity presents itself. I hit a western forehand (sometimes switching over to near semi-western). Can hit loopy on the forehand and grind out points, or can flatten it out (in terms of trajectory not so much spin) and be aggressive from all spots on the court. Two handed backhand which, though I can loop it and use it to grind, is actually much flatter than my forehand and if my feet are in good position is a considerable weapon. Also hit one-handed slices both to change pace and as a defensive mechanism. Good depth, good overall placement on groundstrokes. Good at adjusting full swing, to an abbreviated swing if someone is hitting big at me and I simply need to redirect pace. Solid serve – can hit flat, slice, spin, and place it well. Consistency is usually okay if I’m not going for too much and I have my legs. But I have my poor-serving phases as anyone does. Not a great volleyer, but not horrible. Much better off the first volley after the serve in doubles or the rare times I serve and volley in singles (basically when I’m naturally moving forward) than I am simply standing at the net in doubles. Tend to catch my forehand volley too close to my body. Have good hands so can get away with it sometimes, but better players will make me pay. Usually come in behind huge shots or am forced in. Results at net against players of my level or better are “mixed” to say the least. I have my moments, but can also be horrible. Good ood lateral mover, not great up and back.
PLAYTEST: Hours played with playtest frame – approximately 3 hours hitting (broken up into multiple sessions), and 4 sets of match play.
The only caveat would be the fact that I don’t think the string job was that great. Really could have used full poly (especially considering it was a 16x18) and the strings were too loose, IMO. But, the strings were not fatal to the play test overall.
Cosmetics – great looking frame. Not too flashy, but not boring. Prince grips seemed to have changed with the latest EXO3s when comparing them to racquets like the Diablo. They seem even boxier than normal (and Prince grips are pretty boxy anyway) and the sizes seem to have grown slightly, meaning the No. 3 grip on the playtest EXO3 Tour was slightly bigger than the No. 3 on my Diablo. I had put a leather grip on the EXO3 Tour and used my normal Tourna Grip so everything would be the same as the Diablo. Grip still felt different.
GROUNDSTROKES:
Lol. I was going to begin playing with the EXO3 Tour before I really hit with it. Figured a low-stress doubles match would be a good place to break it in. First few balls during the warmup I launched. Racquet was like a trampoline. Big, cushy stringbed, 100 sq inches, 16x18, all in all very lively. So, I put it away until I could have a non-match hitting session.
Once I was able to hit with it, I could better analyze the frame’s strengths and weaknesses. Needless to say, it felt very different from my usual heavier, stiffer frames. I always thought that the O-Ports/Speedports and the unique stringbed feel they provided (which I would describe as big and plush) was a good match for the higher stiffness of frames like the EXO3 Black. When paired with the considerably more flexible feel of the EXO3 Tour, the frame didn’t feel “plush” in a good way, but rather felt rubbery and somewhat unstable. Simply, not “crisp.” I never really got to like the “feel” of this frame over the playtest.
Yet, despite my misgivings about the “feel,” I obtained some impressive results. To say this frame is “spin friendly” is an understatement. High top-spin groundstrokes were a breeze. Frame is so easy to swing, yet heavy enough to still be fairly solid (though not as much as most heavier frames). Really easy to take big cuts, wrap the head of the frame around the ball and just go for massive spin. The trajectory of the ball was a bit high for my liking before I made adjustments to my swing. It was easy to spin the ball anywhere – deep, down the line, cross-court, short angles. While I wouldn’t say the control overall was great, obviously the ability to get such great spin provides a built in measure of control.
Driving the ball a little flatter and slicing the ball were different propositions. When I can I really like to set my feet and hit a big two-handed flattish backhand. I didn’t like the results with this frame. Also, really didn’t like my backhand slice. Floated too much, not enough stick. Obviously, I can adjust my swing and tempo all day to get better results, but IMO, I had to adjust too much to get the results I wanted. Also, lack of weight made redirecting pace and blocking back shots defensively much tougher than my normal frames. Always needed to take a fairly big swing.
It can be a powerful frame. Sweetspot felt smaller (though not “small”) than other EXO3 frames I’ve used (like the EXO3 Black and Ignite) and the stringbed felt more inconsistent. Again, really didn’t like the rubbery-ness of the frame.
SERVES:
Never really got going on my harder slice and flat serves with this frame. But, heavy topspin serves were very easy. Could hit deep, well-placed spin serves all day with this frame. Thought the weight was perfect for this. Enough mass, but still very mobile. Didn’t wear you out serving over the course of a long match. Gave me a lot of confidence that I’d get the ball in exactly where I wanted it. But, again, the hardest server I obtain with my heavier racquets were hard to come by without changing my technique considerably.
SERVE RETURNS:
Meh. A mixed bag. The maneuverability of the frame made taking big cuts at the return fairly easy, but I didn’t like the results. Balls flew too much and sat up too much compared to my other frames. Serve return is a place where I really value my bulkier, more stable frames. I can swing out if I’m feeling it, or I can sort of half-swing and use the pace of the serve, or I can simply block back. Hated the EXO3 Tour for blocking back big serves or hitting abbreviated-swing returns. No consistency in control for me. Often landed short. I know part of his is simply what I’m used to. Not everyone would find returns falling short with such a powerful frame. But, I tend to let the frame do a lot for me on the return and this lighter frame just couldn’t do enough. One of the worst areas for me.
VOLLEYS:
Again, just okay. I mean, if you’re simply knocking off a floaty return from your opponent it’s fine, as is almost any frame. Beyond that, I don’t know. Don’t know, as someone who’s not a great volleyer to begin with, if I’m the best person to analyze this aspect of the frame. But, on the other hand, I have to volley in doubles and sometimes singles just like anyone else, and I know that the EXO3 Tour felt much more unstable and inconsistent than my Diablo or 4D 200. Didn’t like the depth I was getting. Again, as with serve returns, used to having some more weight automatically behind my volleys due to the weight of my frame, which was considerably less here. I guess for someone coming from a lighter frame, the feeling would be different. The flex didn’t provide a lot of great feel in my opinion, just made it feel more unstable. Felt mushy and sloppy. This could be an area where a better string job (all poly and/or considerably tighter) could have made a big, big difference.
Just wanted to get this initial draft up. I’ll edit/add more soon.
PERSONAL RACQUET: Usually Prince Diablo Mid strung with various 17g polys around 56 lbs. Also use a Dunlop Aerogel 200 4D with 16g poly/syn gut hybrid. Both are heavier frames.
RACQUET RECEIVED: Prince EXO3 Tour 100, 16x18 strung with some poly/syn gut hybrid that was, IMO, too loose.
PLAYING ABILITY/STYLE: A mid-level 4.5 player who for reasons he still can’t figure out has been bumped up to 5.0 by the USTA. Primarily baseliner who works to construct and control points, and will be aggressive when the opportunity presents itself. I hit a western forehand (sometimes switching over to near semi-western). Can hit loopy on the forehand and grind out points, or can flatten it out (in terms of trajectory not so much spin) and be aggressive from all spots on the court. Two handed backhand which, though I can loop it and use it to grind, is actually much flatter than my forehand and if my feet are in good position is a considerable weapon. Also hit one-handed slices both to change pace and as a defensive mechanism. Good depth, good overall placement on groundstrokes. Good at adjusting full swing, to an abbreviated swing if someone is hitting big at me and I simply need to redirect pace. Solid serve – can hit flat, slice, spin, and place it well. Consistency is usually okay if I’m not going for too much and I have my legs. But I have my poor-serving phases as anyone does. Not a great volleyer, but not horrible. Much better off the first volley after the serve in doubles or the rare times I serve and volley in singles (basically when I’m naturally moving forward) than I am simply standing at the net in doubles. Tend to catch my forehand volley too close to my body. Have good hands so can get away with it sometimes, but better players will make me pay. Usually come in behind huge shots or am forced in. Results at net against players of my level or better are “mixed” to say the least. I have my moments, but can also be horrible. Good ood lateral mover, not great up and back.
PLAYTEST: Hours played with playtest frame – approximately 3 hours hitting (broken up into multiple sessions), and 4 sets of match play.
The only caveat would be the fact that I don’t think the string job was that great. Really could have used full poly (especially considering it was a 16x18) and the strings were too loose, IMO. But, the strings were not fatal to the play test overall.
Cosmetics – great looking frame. Not too flashy, but not boring. Prince grips seemed to have changed with the latest EXO3s when comparing them to racquets like the Diablo. They seem even boxier than normal (and Prince grips are pretty boxy anyway) and the sizes seem to have grown slightly, meaning the No. 3 grip on the playtest EXO3 Tour was slightly bigger than the No. 3 on my Diablo. I had put a leather grip on the EXO3 Tour and used my normal Tourna Grip so everything would be the same as the Diablo. Grip still felt different.
GROUNDSTROKES:
Lol. I was going to begin playing with the EXO3 Tour before I really hit with it. Figured a low-stress doubles match would be a good place to break it in. First few balls during the warmup I launched. Racquet was like a trampoline. Big, cushy stringbed, 100 sq inches, 16x18, all in all very lively. So, I put it away until I could have a non-match hitting session.
Once I was able to hit with it, I could better analyze the frame’s strengths and weaknesses. Needless to say, it felt very different from my usual heavier, stiffer frames. I always thought that the O-Ports/Speedports and the unique stringbed feel they provided (which I would describe as big and plush) was a good match for the higher stiffness of frames like the EXO3 Black. When paired with the considerably more flexible feel of the EXO3 Tour, the frame didn’t feel “plush” in a good way, but rather felt rubbery and somewhat unstable. Simply, not “crisp.” I never really got to like the “feel” of this frame over the playtest.
Yet, despite my misgivings about the “feel,” I obtained some impressive results. To say this frame is “spin friendly” is an understatement. High top-spin groundstrokes were a breeze. Frame is so easy to swing, yet heavy enough to still be fairly solid (though not as much as most heavier frames). Really easy to take big cuts, wrap the head of the frame around the ball and just go for massive spin. The trajectory of the ball was a bit high for my liking before I made adjustments to my swing. It was easy to spin the ball anywhere – deep, down the line, cross-court, short angles. While I wouldn’t say the control overall was great, obviously the ability to get such great spin provides a built in measure of control.
Driving the ball a little flatter and slicing the ball were different propositions. When I can I really like to set my feet and hit a big two-handed flattish backhand. I didn’t like the results with this frame. Also, really didn’t like my backhand slice. Floated too much, not enough stick. Obviously, I can adjust my swing and tempo all day to get better results, but IMO, I had to adjust too much to get the results I wanted. Also, lack of weight made redirecting pace and blocking back shots defensively much tougher than my normal frames. Always needed to take a fairly big swing.
It can be a powerful frame. Sweetspot felt smaller (though not “small”) than other EXO3 frames I’ve used (like the EXO3 Black and Ignite) and the stringbed felt more inconsistent. Again, really didn’t like the rubbery-ness of the frame.
SERVES:
Never really got going on my harder slice and flat serves with this frame. But, heavy topspin serves were very easy. Could hit deep, well-placed spin serves all day with this frame. Thought the weight was perfect for this. Enough mass, but still very mobile. Didn’t wear you out serving over the course of a long match. Gave me a lot of confidence that I’d get the ball in exactly where I wanted it. But, again, the hardest server I obtain with my heavier racquets were hard to come by without changing my technique considerably.
SERVE RETURNS:
Meh. A mixed bag. The maneuverability of the frame made taking big cuts at the return fairly easy, but I didn’t like the results. Balls flew too much and sat up too much compared to my other frames. Serve return is a place where I really value my bulkier, more stable frames. I can swing out if I’m feeling it, or I can sort of half-swing and use the pace of the serve, or I can simply block back. Hated the EXO3 Tour for blocking back big serves or hitting abbreviated-swing returns. No consistency in control for me. Often landed short. I know part of his is simply what I’m used to. Not everyone would find returns falling short with such a powerful frame. But, I tend to let the frame do a lot for me on the return and this lighter frame just couldn’t do enough. One of the worst areas for me.
VOLLEYS:
Again, just okay. I mean, if you’re simply knocking off a floaty return from your opponent it’s fine, as is almost any frame. Beyond that, I don’t know. Don’t know, as someone who’s not a great volleyer to begin with, if I’m the best person to analyze this aspect of the frame. But, on the other hand, I have to volley in doubles and sometimes singles just like anyone else, and I know that the EXO3 Tour felt much more unstable and inconsistent than my Diablo or 4D 200. Didn’t like the depth I was getting. Again, as with serve returns, used to having some more weight automatically behind my volleys due to the weight of my frame, which was considerably less here. I guess for someone coming from a lighter frame, the feeling would be different. The flex didn’t provide a lot of great feel in my opinion, just made it feel more unstable. Felt mushy and sloppy. This could be an area where a better string job (all poly and/or considerably tighter) could have made a big, big difference.
Just wanted to get this initial draft up. I’ll edit/add more soon.
Black is much more powerful. Black is much stiffer. Black has much
thicker beam and is less head light.
PinkTennisNinja
Rookie
Your personal racquet of choice and string set-up.
-EX03 Red (the older one) at 54lbs with Prince Syn. Gut Multi
The model of Prince Racquet you playtested.
-EX03 Red (the new one
)
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
-2 hrs of doubles and 2 hrs of singles
Comments on racquet performance in the following categories:
Groundstrokes - This new Red feels just like my old one so I didn't have to adjust any to hit my ground strokes. Got lots of depth and spin. Was able to control it very well. With a little tweeking of the strings it would be dang near perfect (for me at least )
Volleys - The volleys felt a little quicker and more consistent with this new Red. I was able to position the racquet just a tiny bit quicker at the net when faced with body shots.
Serves - Serves were the same as normal. Great amount of spin and power. Definitely able to control and place the serve.
Serve Returns - Wasn't able to do as much with the returns as normal. Every time I went for an inside out fh it would fly wide and the same with on the deuce side with a cross court. I had to reign in the power behind my returns a little. Also could be an effect of the strings lbs.
General comments on overall performance - Overall an awesome racquet. However I didn't feel a noticeable difference in this new racquet as compared to my Red. And since I spent 289 on my Red I can only imagine what the price might be on this new Red and I'm not so inclined to buy another $289 racquet that plays exactly like my other $289 racquet (notice the emphasis on the $289 LOL). HOWEVER if the price were to be under the $200 range I would probably buy it and tweak it like I've done my Red since I love the Red so much.
Thanks for letting me test it TW!!!
*sending it back today*
-EX03 Red (the older one) at 54lbs with Prince Syn. Gut Multi
The model of Prince Racquet you playtested.
-EX03 Red (the new one
) How many hours did you play with the racquet?
-2 hrs of doubles and 2 hrs of singles
Comments on racquet performance in the following categories:
Groundstrokes - This new Red feels just like my old one so I didn't have to adjust any to hit my ground strokes. Got lots of depth and spin. Was able to control it very well. With a little tweeking of the strings it would be dang near perfect (for me at least
)Volleys - The volleys felt a little quicker and more consistent with this new Red. I was able to position the racquet just a tiny bit quicker at the net when faced with body shots.
Serves - Serves were the same as normal. Great amount of spin and power. Definitely able to control and place the serve.
Serve Returns - Wasn't able to do as much with the returns as normal. Every time I went for an inside out fh it would fly wide and the same with on the deuce side with a cross court. I had to reign in the power behind my returns a little. Also could be an effect of the strings lbs.
General comments on overall performance - Overall an awesome racquet. However I didn't feel a noticeable difference in this new racquet as compared to my Red. And since I spent 289 on my Red I can only imagine what the price might be on this new Red and I'm not so inclined to buy another $289 racquet that plays exactly like my other $289 racquet (notice the emphasis on the $289 LOL). HOWEVER if the price were to be under the $200 range I would probably buy it and tweak it like I've done my Red since I love the Red so much.
Thanks for letting me test it TW!!!
*sending it back today*
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
Just received a new EXO3 Silver 115 to test. It not exactly in my usual spec range (I play with the EXO3 Rebel 95), but I'll give it a try!
PinkTennisNinja
Rookie
You are freaking telling me! And thats not including the strings and stringing fee. BUT I demoed it for like 2 weeks and freaking loved it. It seriously made a huge difference in my game. I went from a Speedport 03 Silver with a 118 head size to the EX03 Red with a 105 head size and it was changed everything in a good way
HOWEVER as much as I love it I don't need another one for that price haha
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
^^^That's way too much for that racquet!!! I think most retailers sell it for around $239.
PinkTennisNinja
Rookie
They sell it for that now but at the beginning they didn't. However I did get a LARGE discount because my best friend owns the tennis shop where I bought it
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
They sell it for that now but at the beginning they didn't. However I did get a LARGE discount because my best friend owns the tennis shop where I bought it
I believe $289 was the price for the Silver, the Blue was $259, and the Red was $239.
I have a shop and $239 is the amount I sold it for. I'm glad to hear you got a deal though.
klementine
Hall of Fame
Sorry if it has already been mentioned.... but to all the people who got to demo these new 100 Tours.....
..... Does anyone know if the new 100 Tour series will have interchangeable string/port grommets?
I know that Mitchmann has stated that he's 'heard' they will be available... but does anyone know for sure?
..... Does anyone know if the new 100 Tour series will have interchangeable string/port grommets?
I know that Mitchmann has stated that he's 'heard' they will be available... but does anyone know for sure?
Last edited:
No idea, sorry
I don't know either.
I have seen a photo of one with string-hole grommets, and I am currently holding one with port-hole grommets, so my guess is yes. But I am not 100% certain, I guess its possible that the stringholes were only a prototype...
So I don't know for sure, but I am guessing interchangable grommets will be available.
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
I have the 2011 Prince catalogue which lists the hole inserts in the Custom Tuning section. Looks like it's a definite! (Good news IMO)!
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
Received the new EXO3 Silver 115 to test...hit with it today. The racquet is totally out of my spec preference, so it's pretty obvious that it'll never be my racquet of choice. However, I will comment on the finer points of the stick:
1 - It's comfortable.
2 - It's pretty stable.
3 - It's got plenty of power.
I can definitely see the appeal for players with a short/slow swing. My only real issue at this point is there is a fair amount of "ping" (string/frame vibration). Even if the vibration starts at the strings, it seems to resonate through the entire racquet...so much that just touching the throat of the frame with my non-dominant arm after the stroke seems to reduce the continued vibrations. Not sure what to make of this yet. I'll comment further after hitting for another day or two.
1 - It's comfortable.
2 - It's pretty stable.
3 - It's got plenty of power.
I can definitely see the appeal for players with a short/slow swing. My only real issue at this point is there is a fair amount of "ping" (string/frame vibration). Even if the vibration starts at the strings, it seems to resonate through the entire racquet...so much that just touching the throat of the frame with my non-dominant arm after the stroke seems to reduce the continued vibrations. Not sure what to make of this yet. I'll comment further after hitting for another day or two.
klementine
Hall of Fame
Yes, this is excellent news!!! My demo list has just shortened dramatically.
If the Prince Ozone Pro Tour had string ports... I would still be playing with that stick!! I just couldn't groove with that completely 'numb' feeling. Everything else about the racquet is perfect. String-hole inserts really do firm up the string-bed.
Prince has been putting out some great sticks since the Rebel95 was launched... My favorite is the Graph93 with string inserts. Waiting to see if the Diablo will get an EXO3 makeover; although I highly doubt it.
2011 Ex03 Red Playtest
PERSONAL RACQUET: Prince Hybrid Hornet with Vokl Cyclone 18. Lead Tape to 11.3 OZ, 4 Pts HL. I keep a APDGT with NXT 18, and a old Prostaff 6.1 around too to hit with depending on how my elbow is feeling.
RACQUET RECEIVED: Prince EX03 RED 2011. Strung with Premier 16
PLAYING ABILITY/STYLE: I’m 3.5 level player. Took up playing tennis in my late 20’s, been playing now for 4 years. Semi-western grip on FH, 2 handed BH. Mostly a baseliner, with a well grooved top-spin forehand and slice drop-shot. Two handed backhand is still streaky. Fast flat first serve, still developing a decent kick-serve. I win majority points by powering FHs out of opponents reach, or knock shots past them after drawing them to net. I lose points by flubbing my weak BH. Workable volleyer in doubles, but it’s not really a big part of my singles game.
PLAYTEST: First I took the Racquet to my local shop and compared it the ’10 RED. Weight, balance were identical to previous RED. Only noticeable difference was a baffle or shockabsorber piece at the bottom of the head (see previous post).
Played 2 hours against ball machine at tennis club using different raquets. Played one 3 set match against a partner. I have to say that this would have been better test if the strings were thinner / more spin oriented. I thought the Premier was not a great match to the RED. On the other hand the new Prince grip felt fantastic – grippy, soft on the hands, but not sticky.
Cosmetics – Looked very nice, thought I wonder how well the metallic finish on the grommets will withstands wear. Also, it actually wasn’t very red, for a RED, mostly black.
GROUNDSTROKES:
First impressions: very similar to the previous Red. Lots of power! I felt it was easier to aim shots with this Red than the previous, but could be an issue of setup. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting the type of spin off this racquet that I could get from either my Hybrid Hornet or the Babolat APDGT. Balls would trampoline off the frame, so it’s great if you like to hit it flat for winners, but I had a hard time getting an easy spin.
FHs: As I said tons of power. By changing my grip, I was able to get a bit of spin on the racquet, but I was not able to use a full swing and ‘unload’ on the ball very much. They would just launch. Once I decided to use shorter swings and hit flat, I had a some success with this racquet. The biggest drawback to the RED is that it felt extremely cumbersome. Perhaps it was because it was HH, or because of the length but I just didn’t feel very nimble with the racquet and had to start my backswing sooner.
BHs: I actually really liked this on my (quite imperfect) 2H backhand. Lot of power and very easy to get topspin and aim the ball.
Dropshot / Slice: The racquet felt ungainly on touch shots, but if I got timing right I could lay some beautiful slice shots. Again, lots of potential but it was a cumbersome racquet to maneuver into position.
SERVES:
Monster power on flat serves. Great raquet to serve with. This was my favorite part of this racquet.
SERVE RETURNS:
Mixed results. If the timing was right, I could flick some killer returns – but it often felt too slow for me.
VOLLEYS:
Same story. Great to volley with, once connected with ball – but I missed a few shots because the racquet was a bit unwieldy.
Comfort: Quite comfortable, if not ‘cushy’ on impact. My wrist felt some strain after trying for too long to ‘flick’ topspin with this head-heavy racquet.
Overall: Seems very similar to the previous Red. Might just be a cosmetic upgrade + the dampener.
Pros: Lots of power. Mega serves. Surprising accuracy for such a powerful racquet. Comfortable.
Cons: Not maneuverable. Hard for me to get FH spin.
PS Thanks TW for the chance to playtest!
__________________
Right now: Hybrid Hornet MP w/ .5 oz lead tape 4 pts HL. W/ Vockl Cyclone 18
& Babolat APDGT, with NXT Tour 18
PERSONAL RACQUET: Prince Hybrid Hornet with Vokl Cyclone 18. Lead Tape to 11.3 OZ, 4 Pts HL. I keep a APDGT with NXT 18, and a old Prostaff 6.1 around too to hit with depending on how my elbow is feeling.
RACQUET RECEIVED: Prince EX03 RED 2011. Strung with Premier 16
PLAYING ABILITY/STYLE: I’m 3.5 level player. Took up playing tennis in my late 20’s, been playing now for 4 years. Semi-western grip on FH, 2 handed BH. Mostly a baseliner, with a well grooved top-spin forehand and slice drop-shot. Two handed backhand is still streaky. Fast flat first serve, still developing a decent kick-serve. I win majority points by powering FHs out of opponents reach, or knock shots past them after drawing them to net. I lose points by flubbing my weak BH. Workable volleyer in doubles, but it’s not really a big part of my singles game.
PLAYTEST: First I took the Racquet to my local shop and compared it the ’10 RED. Weight, balance were identical to previous RED. Only noticeable difference was a baffle or shockabsorber piece at the bottom of the head (see previous post).
Played 2 hours against ball machine at tennis club using different raquets. Played one 3 set match against a partner. I have to say that this would have been better test if the strings were thinner / more spin oriented. I thought the Premier was not a great match to the RED. On the other hand the new Prince grip felt fantastic – grippy, soft on the hands, but not sticky.
Cosmetics – Looked very nice, thought I wonder how well the metallic finish on the grommets will withstands wear. Also, it actually wasn’t very red, for a RED, mostly black.
GROUNDSTROKES:
First impressions: very similar to the previous Red. Lots of power! I felt it was easier to aim shots with this Red than the previous, but could be an issue of setup. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting the type of spin off this racquet that I could get from either my Hybrid Hornet or the Babolat APDGT. Balls would trampoline off the frame, so it’s great if you like to hit it flat for winners, but I had a hard time getting an easy spin.
FHs: As I said tons of power. By changing my grip, I was able to get a bit of spin on the racquet, but I was not able to use a full swing and ‘unload’ on the ball very much. They would just launch. Once I decided to use shorter swings and hit flat, I had a some success with this racquet. The biggest drawback to the RED is that it felt extremely cumbersome. Perhaps it was because it was HH, or because of the length but I just didn’t feel very nimble with the racquet and had to start my backswing sooner.
BHs: I actually really liked this on my (quite imperfect) 2H backhand. Lot of power and very easy to get topspin and aim the ball.
Dropshot / Slice: The racquet felt ungainly on touch shots, but if I got timing right I could lay some beautiful slice shots. Again, lots of potential but it was a cumbersome racquet to maneuver into position.
SERVES:
Monster power on flat serves. Great raquet to serve with. This was my favorite part of this racquet.
SERVE RETURNS:
Mixed results. If the timing was right, I could flick some killer returns – but it often felt too slow for me.
VOLLEYS:
Same story. Great to volley with, once connected with ball – but I missed a few shots because the racquet was a bit unwieldy.
Comfort: Quite comfortable, if not ‘cushy’ on impact. My wrist felt some strain after trying for too long to ‘flick’ topspin with this head-heavy racquet.
Overall: Seems very similar to the previous Red. Might just be a cosmetic upgrade + the dampener.
Pros: Lots of power. Mega serves. Surprising accuracy for such a powerful racquet. Comfortable.
Cons: Not maneuverable. Hard for me to get FH spin.
PS Thanks TW for the chance to playtest!
__________________
Right now: Hybrid Hornet MP w/ .5 oz lead tape 4 pts HL. W/ Vockl Cyclone 18
& Babolat APDGT, with NXT Tour 18
Model playtested: Prince EXO3 Tour Lite 100 (#27)
Racquet of choice/string setup: Prince EXO3 White, Wilson Sensation 18g at 58 lbs. This is the lightest in a progression of racquets that began with the Prestige Tour 93 my (quite big and strong) brother gave me. Over the last several years I have been trying to slowly move toward a lighter racquet while maintaining control and protecting my (apparently fragile) wrist and shoulder. Recently switched from the Prince TT Graphite 95.
Hours played with the racquet: 6-ish, both in doubles and private lessons
A little about my playing style in general: I played a bit of tennis as a kid/teenager, but never had any instruction. Mostly, I watched my dad play tournaments (he played in college). After college, and after years of playing fastpitch (pitcher) and slow-pitch softball (CF), I picked up tennis, took some clinics, and joined a league. This is just to tell you that while I’m athletic and have a lot of upper-body strength, I don’t have the consistency, technique, or muscle memory of someone who has been playing a long time. I'm a solid 4.0, a hard hitter, with a full-swing on the forehand, and a big serve that I can hit with slice, kick, or the flat “bomb,” but technically those shots are about two levels higher than everything else I’ve got, with the possible exception my BH slice. I am not a great net player, partially because I am extremely farsighted and the closer I get to the ball, the less I can see it. So I tend to be too tentative unless I’m feeling especially confident for some reason. I have a one-handed backhand that I can either slice or hit topspin/flat, but I have a terrible habit of dragging the frame across my body because I’m not set up correctly or on time. I am currently taking lessons to transition to a 2HBH and improve my volley. And I still play tennis like a pitcher: I have trouble looking at the ball, because my eyes are on the glove. (Not good!)
I was very curious to see what I would think of this racquet, because it’s the lightest and most head-heavy frame I have ever hit with. It’s more than a full ounce lighter than my current frame, and six points more head heavy. Depending on the date and the time of day you ask, I’m either going to tell you that this is a great racquet that could work for a wide variety of players, or that this is a racquet that tried to be all things for all people and ended up being perfect for no one. I had a hard time getting a definitive read on it, which is why I kept trying to find just one more time to hit with it.
In my first doubles hit-around, my first thought was that the frame is very nicely dampened - I was fine with just the tiny included dampener. Not at all “pingy.” It was a very pleasant surprise, considering the racquet’s light weight.
Even during warm-up, I felt myself shortening my swing, but I only felt that when we were playing mini-tennis. Once we got started with groundstrokes, I may have shortened it somewhat, but if so it wasn’t that much at first. I did notice great topspin on balls when I followed through completely. If you’ve been playing since childhood your swing may not change that much from racquet to racquet, because you’ve got a lifetime of muscle memory to call on. But players like me, who didn’t play regularly or have any instruction until adulthood, may be more likely to be “corrupted” by a lighter frame. On the other hand, someone with a naturally short swing might be delighted with this frame.
When warming up the volley, I initially felt the extra weight at the head when at net - it felt like the racquet head was pulling against my hand, trying to drop. (Very possibly an indication of my bad form!) I thought maneuverability was going to be a problem, but was surprised that my volleys were solid and felt good. In general, I have a tendency to push volleys long because my body isn’t moving forward, so my arm overcompensates. I felt like this frame would exaggerate the problem (wristy volleys + head heavy racquet = ???), but that wasn’t the case. In matches I volleyed at least as well as usual, and maybe a little better. In lessons, when I was moving better and trying to hit with more touch (slice), I was really enjoying the racquet.
Overheads were comfortable as well. I think I had a little less control over where the overhead was going, but in those situations where I was still backing up and really having to stretch while I hit the ball, I think the frame helped me a bit with follow-through.
Much to my surprise, serving felt great from the very first practice serve, probably because the lighter overall weight was made up for with the head heavy balance, so swinging it didn’t feel terribly different than swinging my current racquet. (I understand the swingweight difference is about -15 with from my frame to this frame, but it didn’t feel like that much.) Normally this is a big issue for me, and I like to delay serving until I have a good feel for the racquet, to protect my shoulder. I found very nice spin and kick on serves, and was able to get serves consistently deep and hit the angles I wanted most of the time. I didn’t feel like I was losing much from my current racquet, beyond a small amount of control. I did enjoy the additional spin I felt from the change in racquet balance, and in fact several opponents (who I play with regularly) said something about the serve’s kick or spin being more than my usual. But with me, who knows - that could easily be a normal day-to-day variation in the way I’m playing.
Off the ground, the racquet was surprisingly easy to control. I did launch a few balls, but it felt more like an issue of getting used to the timing, rather than of a trampolining effect from the frame. I didn’t feel comfortable really going for very heavy shots right away, but my groundstrokes had nice topspin and depth. I felt like my shots had a good amount of “pop” but weren’t all that heavy. I was able to “thread the needle” on some inside-out forehands, and hit some very sharp crosscourt angles, which gave me confidence that the control was there if I did my part correctly.
After a session or two, I was able to go after forehand returns and hit some deep, aggressive shots, and I really enjoyed the return. I found myself looking forward to taking a serious whack at it, to see what would happen. In general, I didn’t find too much difference in my consistency between this frame and my current frame - maybe 10%, which is a completely arbitrary number based on my wishy-washy feelings. Also, my partner did not seem to want to kill me, so I must have been doing OK.
After I played with the Tour Lite 100 for a few sessions, I began to lose the extra topspin on groundstrokes, as I began to (unintentionally) compensate for the extra weight at the head. This indicated to me that I was shortening my swing. At that point I felt like I wasn’t getting anything special from the racquet any more, and in fact that puts me in dangerous territory with my arm.
(continued in the next post)
Racquet of choice/string setup: Prince EXO3 White, Wilson Sensation 18g at 58 lbs. This is the lightest in a progression of racquets that began with the Prestige Tour 93 my (quite big and strong) brother gave me. Over the last several years I have been trying to slowly move toward a lighter racquet while maintaining control and protecting my (apparently fragile) wrist and shoulder. Recently switched from the Prince TT Graphite 95.
Hours played with the racquet: 6-ish, both in doubles and private lessons
A little about my playing style in general: I played a bit of tennis as a kid/teenager, but never had any instruction. Mostly, I watched my dad play tournaments (he played in college). After college, and after years of playing fastpitch (pitcher) and slow-pitch softball (CF), I picked up tennis, took some clinics, and joined a league. This is just to tell you that while I’m athletic and have a lot of upper-body strength, I don’t have the consistency, technique, or muscle memory of someone who has been playing a long time. I'm a solid 4.0, a hard hitter, with a full-swing on the forehand, and a big serve that I can hit with slice, kick, or the flat “bomb,” but technically those shots are about two levels higher than everything else I’ve got, with the possible exception my BH slice. I am not a great net player, partially because I am extremely farsighted and the closer I get to the ball, the less I can see it. So I tend to be too tentative unless I’m feeling especially confident for some reason. I have a one-handed backhand that I can either slice or hit topspin/flat, but I have a terrible habit of dragging the frame across my body because I’m not set up correctly or on time. I am currently taking lessons to transition to a 2HBH and improve my volley. And I still play tennis like a pitcher: I have trouble looking at the ball, because my eyes are on the glove. (Not good!)
I was very curious to see what I would think of this racquet, because it’s the lightest and most head-heavy frame I have ever hit with. It’s more than a full ounce lighter than my current frame, and six points more head heavy. Depending on the date and the time of day you ask, I’m either going to tell you that this is a great racquet that could work for a wide variety of players, or that this is a racquet that tried to be all things for all people and ended up being perfect for no one. I had a hard time getting a definitive read on it, which is why I kept trying to find just one more time to hit with it.
In my first doubles hit-around, my first thought was that the frame is very nicely dampened - I was fine with just the tiny included dampener. Not at all “pingy.” It was a very pleasant surprise, considering the racquet’s light weight.
Even during warm-up, I felt myself shortening my swing, but I only felt that when we were playing mini-tennis. Once we got started with groundstrokes, I may have shortened it somewhat, but if so it wasn’t that much at first. I did notice great topspin on balls when I followed through completely. If you’ve been playing since childhood your swing may not change that much from racquet to racquet, because you’ve got a lifetime of muscle memory to call on. But players like me, who didn’t play regularly or have any instruction until adulthood, may be more likely to be “corrupted” by a lighter frame. On the other hand, someone with a naturally short swing might be delighted with this frame.
When warming up the volley, I initially felt the extra weight at the head when at net - it felt like the racquet head was pulling against my hand, trying to drop. (Very possibly an indication of my bad form!) I thought maneuverability was going to be a problem, but was surprised that my volleys were solid and felt good. In general, I have a tendency to push volleys long because my body isn’t moving forward, so my arm overcompensates. I felt like this frame would exaggerate the problem (wristy volleys + head heavy racquet = ???), but that wasn’t the case. In matches I volleyed at least as well as usual, and maybe a little better. In lessons, when I was moving better and trying to hit with more touch (slice), I was really enjoying the racquet.
Overheads were comfortable as well. I think I had a little less control over where the overhead was going, but in those situations where I was still backing up and really having to stretch while I hit the ball, I think the frame helped me a bit with follow-through.
Much to my surprise, serving felt great from the very first practice serve, probably because the lighter overall weight was made up for with the head heavy balance, so swinging it didn’t feel terribly different than swinging my current racquet. (I understand the swingweight difference is about -15 with from my frame to this frame, but it didn’t feel like that much.) Normally this is a big issue for me, and I like to delay serving until I have a good feel for the racquet, to protect my shoulder. I found very nice spin and kick on serves, and was able to get serves consistently deep and hit the angles I wanted most of the time. I didn’t feel like I was losing much from my current racquet, beyond a small amount of control. I did enjoy the additional spin I felt from the change in racquet balance, and in fact several opponents (who I play with regularly) said something about the serve’s kick or spin being more than my usual. But with me, who knows - that could easily be a normal day-to-day variation in the way I’m playing.
Off the ground, the racquet was surprisingly easy to control. I did launch a few balls, but it felt more like an issue of getting used to the timing, rather than of a trampolining effect from the frame. I didn’t feel comfortable really going for very heavy shots right away, but my groundstrokes had nice topspin and depth. I felt like my shots had a good amount of “pop” but weren’t all that heavy. I was able to “thread the needle” on some inside-out forehands, and hit some very sharp crosscourt angles, which gave me confidence that the control was there if I did my part correctly.
After a session or two, I was able to go after forehand returns and hit some deep, aggressive shots, and I really enjoyed the return. I found myself looking forward to taking a serious whack at it, to see what would happen. In general, I didn’t find too much difference in my consistency between this frame and my current frame - maybe 10%, which is a completely arbitrary number based on my wishy-washy feelings. Also, my partner did not seem to want to kill me, so I must have been doing OK.
After I played with the Tour Lite 100 for a few sessions, I began to lose the extra topspin on groundstrokes, as I began to (unintentionally) compensate for the extra weight at the head. This indicated to me that I was shortening my swing. At that point I felt like I wasn’t getting anything special from the racquet any more, and in fact that puts me in dangerous territory with my arm.
(continued in the next post)
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So, what did I definitely not like? The stock strings - I pretty much hated them. I thought they were harsh, and a bit too tight. I’m used to a very arm-friendly string setup and these just didn’t have the soft feel that I like. I think it’s sort of like the difference between a glossy computer screen and a glare-resistant screen - people either love one or the other. (I’m also one who puts the glare-free screen protector on the smartphone and is instantly relieved, even as everyone else says it’s muddy and worthless.) Personally, I can feel the ball better (and control my response better) when the strings and frame are dampened, filtering the response, and I’m not getting a ton of feedback; otherwise, it’s like I’m getting too much information to process. I am very sensitive to the response I do get, and getting too much is literally painful. For others, that dampening amounts to no feeling at all. If response is information, who would want less of it? But vive la difference!
That said, I think the frame itself is absolutely fantastic at vibration reduction. It was surprisingly un-pingy for sich a light racquet. I would go so far as to say that in that sense it feels better than the EXO3 White, because I was quite happy using the supplied “stock” dampener in the test racquet, but in my EXO3 White I have the Gamma Worm.
In general, I definitely felt some extra vibration on off-center hits. There were a couple of instances where I got a little twinge in the elbow, and I think they were both on high volleys. In fact, high backhand volleys were my worst shot with this racquet, and normally that’s one of my favorite balls to volley. It could be that I was letting the racquet head travel too far - another consequence of the change in balance.
So, how do I know which of these elements are due to the frame and which due to the strings? I can only tell you what it felt like, not being an expert on string varieties. It felt like the strings were harsh but the racquet was well-dampened. However, I would love to re-string this frame with a familiar setup, to reduce the variables and have a better basis for comparison, because I don’t think it is really possible to demo a completely foreign racquet and completely foreign strings at the same time. There are only so many variables that can be tested at one time. If I had the cash to pick one up just for sun, re-string it and try it out, I really would. If I’ve learned anything from this demo, it’s that I haven’t ventured out my supposed comfort zone when testing racquets.
As far as shots go, one somewhat troublesome area was the low mid-court ball. Normally I eat this ball up on the forehand side, because I can get under it and whip it up and over the net. But preparation for this shot was one situation where I really noticed the different balance - in a negative way - while playing. I felt like the racquet just wouldn’t get where I wanted it to be. This feeling did lessen a bit with increased play.
Also, I have a heavy 1HBH slice that I use a lot, and initially I felt like it just wasn’t going to “mesh” with this racquet. I’m used to a softer feel on contact than I was getting, and the racquet felt “boardy.” In fact, I completely flubbed several slices. Of course, this could have been due to altered racquet preparation because of the change in balance. Later, I was enjoying the slice and having much less trouble with it. No doubt, a switch to strings that are more similar to my current setup would have helped a great deal with this shot in particular.
I’m always interested to see how I’ll feel going back to my current racquet, after testing a racquet. The very first time, I thought, “Well, I’ve played with a racquet that I like but don’t love, and now I don’t like my current racquet either.” Switching back reinforced my feeling that I was getting some extra pop from the shift in balance. Because my swing is so easily altered by hitting with different frames, I wasn’t putting the effort into the follow-through that I usually do. But in lessons, when I was getting pushed by deep, high-topspin balls to my forehand, I noticed how much better I was able to maneuver my current frame than with the Tour Lite 100. With my frame, I could return that ball with good topspin and depth even as I was making contact over my head - or as my feet left the ground. With the Tour Lite 100, I felt like I was hitting that ball a little later and more defensively.
Overall impression: I played well with the racquet, and it was enjoyable to hit with. I didn’t have quite as much control over the ball as I’m used to, but the difference wasn’t enough to be a deal-breaker - particularly since the additional spin allowed me to be a little more conservative with my swing/direction and still hit a good shot. However, I was unable to maintain the extra spin over several sessions. I do think this racquet is more likely to give me arm issues than my current frame, but only because I am particularly sensitive to arm problems and because I pretty much hated the stock strings. I think the vast majority of players would be able to play with this racquet with no arm issues at all. I think this is a frame that plays better than the specs would indicate, and could potentially suit a higher-level player than the specs would indicate.
Three of my friends hit with this frame when we were practicing. Two liked it and one couldn’t do anything with it. The two who liked it both have relatively short swings and play with evenly balanced, sub-10 oz. frames (Wilson K.Zen and Head Airflow 5 Crossbow). The one who hated it uses either the Dunlop 300G MP or the OS.
I hope this review is useful in some way. I’ll check back later if I think of anything to add, and to see if anyone had any questions. Thanks for the chance to playtest this racquet - It was fun!
That said, I think the frame itself is absolutely fantastic at vibration reduction. It was surprisingly un-pingy for sich a light racquet. I would go so far as to say that in that sense it feels better than the EXO3 White, because I was quite happy using the supplied “stock” dampener in the test racquet, but in my EXO3 White I have the Gamma Worm.
In general, I definitely felt some extra vibration on off-center hits. There were a couple of instances where I got a little twinge in the elbow, and I think they were both on high volleys. In fact, high backhand volleys were my worst shot with this racquet, and normally that’s one of my favorite balls to volley. It could be that I was letting the racquet head travel too far - another consequence of the change in balance.
So, how do I know which of these elements are due to the frame and which due to the strings? I can only tell you what it felt like, not being an expert on string varieties. It felt like the strings were harsh but the racquet was well-dampened. However, I would love to re-string this frame with a familiar setup, to reduce the variables and have a better basis for comparison, because I don’t think it is really possible to demo a completely foreign racquet and completely foreign strings at the same time. There are only so many variables that can be tested at one time. If I had the cash to pick one up just for sun, re-string it and try it out, I really would. If I’ve learned anything from this demo, it’s that I haven’t ventured out my supposed comfort zone when testing racquets.
As far as shots go, one somewhat troublesome area was the low mid-court ball. Normally I eat this ball up on the forehand side, because I can get under it and whip it up and over the net. But preparation for this shot was one situation where I really noticed the different balance - in a negative way - while playing. I felt like the racquet just wouldn’t get where I wanted it to be. This feeling did lessen a bit with increased play.
Also, I have a heavy 1HBH slice that I use a lot, and initially I felt like it just wasn’t going to “mesh” with this racquet. I’m used to a softer feel on contact than I was getting, and the racquet felt “boardy.” In fact, I completely flubbed several slices. Of course, this could have been due to altered racquet preparation because of the change in balance. Later, I was enjoying the slice and having much less trouble with it. No doubt, a switch to strings that are more similar to my current setup would have helped a great deal with this shot in particular.
I’m always interested to see how I’ll feel going back to my current racquet, after testing a racquet. The very first time, I thought, “Well, I’ve played with a racquet that I like but don’t love, and now I don’t like my current racquet either.” Switching back reinforced my feeling that I was getting some extra pop from the shift in balance. Because my swing is so easily altered by hitting with different frames, I wasn’t putting the effort into the follow-through that I usually do. But in lessons, when I was getting pushed by deep, high-topspin balls to my forehand, I noticed how much better I was able to maneuver my current frame than with the Tour Lite 100. With my frame, I could return that ball with good topspin and depth even as I was making contact over my head - or as my feet left the ground. With the Tour Lite 100, I felt like I was hitting that ball a little later and more defensively.
Overall impression: I played well with the racquet, and it was enjoyable to hit with. I didn’t have quite as much control over the ball as I’m used to, but the difference wasn’t enough to be a deal-breaker - particularly since the additional spin allowed me to be a little more conservative with my swing/direction and still hit a good shot. However, I was unable to maintain the extra spin over several sessions. I do think this racquet is more likely to give me arm issues than my current frame, but only because I am particularly sensitive to arm problems and because I pretty much hated the stock strings. I think the vast majority of players would be able to play with this racquet with no arm issues at all. I think this is a frame that plays better than the specs would indicate, and could potentially suit a higher-level player than the specs would indicate.
Three of my friends hit with this frame when we were practicing. Two liked it and one couldn’t do anything with it. The two who liked it both have relatively short swings and play with evenly balanced, sub-10 oz. frames (Wilson K.Zen and Head Airflow 5 Crossbow). The one who hated it uses either the Dunlop 300G MP or the OS.
I hope this review is useful in some way. I’ll check back later if I think of anything to add, and to see if anyone had any questions. Thanks for the chance to playtest this racquet - It was fun!
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themitchmann
Hall of Fame
I've hit with the new 16x18 Tour. I prefer my Rebels with a little lead at 3 and 9.
Thanks! Any other opinions regarding my question just above would also be approeciated. Thanks!
kimguroo
Legend
I was interested in New EXO3 tour but I will stick with my Japanese rebel 95 (same weight as new exo3 tour:310g) and 105" I got 2 more Japanese rebel 95 last week ^_^
klementine
Hall of Fame
Just checked my e-mail (very busy and away from my computer)..... TW had sent me an e-mail for the Prince Playtest.
As of now, I'm living out of the states, but as soon as the contract ends late dec. 2010, I'll be heading back to the states after 18months abroad.
TW- Thank you very much for the consideration and I hope that my inability to respond in time will not exclude me from any further future playtests. I'm comin' home !!!! It's been too long away from home!
As of now, I'm living out of the states, but as soon as the contract ends late dec. 2010, I'll be heading back to the states after 18months abroad.
TW- Thank you very much for the consideration and I hope that my inability to respond in time will not exclude me from any further future playtests. I'm comin' home !!!! It's been too long away from home!
ryushen21
Legend
I would go with the Rebel for the lower power level and heft.
Will be posting my final review of the 18x20 tour 100 in a few days.
pheonix6579
Professional
I play with the Rebel and am currently playtesting the 18x20 EXO Tour. I am posting my full review later this week. But I will give you a sneak peak...I will still be happily playing with my Rebel after the playtest
BobFL
Hall of Fame
My Personal Racquet of Choice: Babolat Pure Drive Roddick GT Std; Strings: Babolat PH 17 (m) and Babolat N.VY 16 (x) @ 57lbs
The racquet that I received to playtest: Prince Exo Red 105 (One blue stripe with number 5 on it)
How many hours did I play with the racquet: 7.5h (5h-s and 2.5h-d)
The racquet came pre-strung with Premier LT 16. I am not sure about tension, but I would say it was high50s/low60s. The racquet has its own dampening system that is very similar to the one old CTSs had. I still have one around (actually my wife used to play with it in her college days) and the material (liquid crystal polymer!) looks pretty much the same. The racquet is extended to 27.25” and the balance is 2pts HL.
Groundstrokes
Groundstrokes were effortless. The racquet is beyond whippy despite its extended length. I did have some issues with timing on my backhand side but nothing major. While 0.25inches is not much, I could still feel it and needed some adjustment time as a result. Sweet spot is huge. It is probably the size of prestige mid It is very forgiving frame. I felt no vibrations and I can definitely say that the comfort is exceptional. This racquet belongs to the category I call “approximate racquet”. It is not really a sniper, hence I was targeting areas rather than spots. This does not mean that the racquet is erratic and that it has hot spots, on contrary. Recently I have tried several 100-105 racquets and this one offered really good control in this category. Directional control was very good. Driving the ball cross-court and DTL was easy. I am not sure if it was racquet/ strings combo thing, but the pocketing was great. I could feel the ball sinking into the string bed. The dwell time was noticeable (one of the things that cannot be found in my Babolat). Slices were higher than I would have wanted them to be. I haven’t found my rhythm for low, deep and skiddish slices after 7+ hours of play. I caught myself shortening my swings on both sides. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it is just different. I was able to hit deep balls on either wing with ease. The racquet requires moderate topspin for every stroke. It is not really good for flat hitters like me. It does offer free power but nothing excessive and uncontrollable. The spin production was very good. Baseline tennis is truly easy with the Red!
Serve
My serve is probably the best part of my game. I was able to mix them very well. The pace was great with average effort and I could serve for hours without feeling tired. Kicks, slices, flat bombs were coming on demand. Even my regular tennis crew, which is very familiar with my serve, was commenting on how good my serve was with this racquet. I would say that the serves were the highlight of the Red. Furthermore, this is where extended length really helped imo.
Volley
Volleys were ok. I noticed some instability issues against really pacey balls. Also, extended length is not something I really want around the net. The racquet felt reasonably maneuverable. Volleys were crisp and deep with good pace.
Serve Returns
I really liked it on returns. I like to rip the ball on returns and it really shined in that department. I would use a bit upper grip to offset its extended length and it performed beautifully. On backhand side, I tend to block/chip the ball more and it did really well.
General comments on overall performance
I liked it more than I have expected to. It is not really in my range specs-wise but I was pleasantly surprised. It felt a LOT softer and super comfy compared to the Babolat pdrgts. I think it would be really good racquet for dubs. I wouldn’t use as my primary weapon in singles. I am not sure how many people care about this but the paintjob is VERY sensitive. It chips off easily.
Thank you TW for this great opportunity!
ryushen21
Legend
Well, my frame gets dropped off to UPS tomorrow so I figured that I would go ahead and write up my final review.
Personal Setup: Head YouTek Prestige Mid, Tecnifibre Black Code 17g @60 lbs.
Frame I tested: EXO3 Tour 100 18x20, EXP/Premier (I think???)
Time Tested:Appx. 6 hours: 4 singles, 2 doubles
Initial Impressions: This is one seriously great looking racquet. The PJ is very clean and very appealing. A definite like to this one. Has a pretty open 18x20 pattern which made spin easy. Felt a little bit on the light side but I am used to and enjoy heavier frames. The strings also seemed to be on the looser side 55 lbs. on a 100 frame is way different from 60 lbs on a 90.
Groundstrokes (8/10):The overall feel of this racquet is very very comfortable. Not a hint of stiffness in it anywhere. I suspect the strings play part of that but man was it nice. It was very soft and flexy and had that feeling of really wrapping around the ball on contact. This gave excellent control. I initially had to take a lot off of my swings because this frame had a lot more power than my Prestige. I took a lot of medium swings and eventually built back up to my normal swing.
Forehands with this frame were great. I could really attack a ball that sat up but I could also get excellent spin for baseline rallies or grinding out points. Great control from a frame this large. Not quite the scalpel like precision but very very good. The power was there when I wanted it and I could really drive the ball through the court. Had a few issues with shots going long but I suspect that this would be easily remedied with different strings/tension.
Backhands also shone with this frame. I could swing relatively easy and produce a good ball and when I really went for it, the frame did not disappoint. Depth and control were very good and I felt very comfortable going to the backhand with this frame in hand.
The only disappointments here came with the slice. I did not feel that this frame really produced a good slice shot from either side. I use the forehand slice a lot in my doubles play and shots just didn't have as much action and made it easier for opponents to get to them. Backhand slice is an integral part of my singles play and again the same problems. Not enough action.
Scramble shots were great with this frame. If the opponent had me on the run, I could just kind of swing at it and get the ball back in play with plenty of time to prepare to hit a proper shot the next time around.
Volleys (7/10): This was the hit or miss category for me with this frame. If I was approaching and had to hit a reactionary or half volley, the results were great. When I was fully at the net, the reponses were not so great. There was a lot of twisting in the hand and I didn't really feel that this frame had the stability that I would like to have for strong net play.
Serves (9/10): I loved serves with this frame. It was honestly almost too easy. It was very nice stepping up for a serve and being confident that I wasn't going to miss. My flat serve suffered a little control loss but pace was great. Kickers and slice were also very very good. Not as much kick as my Prestige but still plenty to give my opponents trouble.
Serve Returns (7/10): This was another problem area for me on this frame. It just lacked the stability to really handle a good strong first serve. It wanted to and got most returns back in play easily but was not able to produce a good return groundstroke.
Feel (7/10): This was the other thing that I didn't like about the racquet. Most Prince frames that I have played with have a very dead or muted feel to them. And this frame was no exception to that. There was a significant lack of feedback. So, while comfortable, at time the frame felt mushy and unresponsive. It was difficult on some shots to tell whether it had been struck well or was just going to go over.
Overall Impressions (8/10): Despite the areas where it wasn't the best, I still really like this racquet. I think that it would make a great platform frame for intermediate players. It is a comfortable, control oriented frame that I also think is very versatile and easily accesible to large range of players. Personally, I think that with the addition of Port hole grommets, tighter poly string and a little bit of lead in the right places that this would make an exceptional frame for a lot of players.
Thanks again to TW for including me in this playtest.
Personal Setup: Head YouTek Prestige Mid, Tecnifibre Black Code 17g @60 lbs.
Frame I tested: EXO3 Tour 100 18x20, EXP/Premier (I think???)
Time Tested:Appx. 6 hours: 4 singles, 2 doubles
Initial Impressions: This is one seriously great looking racquet. The PJ is very clean and very appealing. A definite like to this one. Has a pretty open 18x20 pattern which made spin easy. Felt a little bit on the light side but I am used to and enjoy heavier frames. The strings also seemed to be on the looser side 55 lbs. on a 100 frame is way different from 60 lbs on a 90.
Groundstrokes (8/10):The overall feel of this racquet is very very comfortable. Not a hint of stiffness in it anywhere. I suspect the strings play part of that but man was it nice. It was very soft and flexy and had that feeling of really wrapping around the ball on contact. This gave excellent control. I initially had to take a lot off of my swings because this frame had a lot more power than my Prestige. I took a lot of medium swings and eventually built back up to my normal swing.
Forehands with this frame were great. I could really attack a ball that sat up but I could also get excellent spin for baseline rallies or grinding out points. Great control from a frame this large. Not quite the scalpel like precision but very very good. The power was there when I wanted it and I could really drive the ball through the court. Had a few issues with shots going long but I suspect that this would be easily remedied with different strings/tension.
Backhands also shone with this frame. I could swing relatively easy and produce a good ball and when I really went for it, the frame did not disappoint. Depth and control were very good and I felt very comfortable going to the backhand with this frame in hand.
The only disappointments here came with the slice. I did not feel that this frame really produced a good slice shot from either side. I use the forehand slice a lot in my doubles play and shots just didn't have as much action and made it easier for opponents to get to them. Backhand slice is an integral part of my singles play and again the same problems. Not enough action.
Scramble shots were great with this frame. If the opponent had me on the run, I could just kind of swing at it and get the ball back in play with plenty of time to prepare to hit a proper shot the next time around.
Volleys (7/10): This was the hit or miss category for me with this frame. If I was approaching and had to hit a reactionary or half volley, the results were great. When I was fully at the net, the reponses were not so great. There was a lot of twisting in the hand and I didn't really feel that this frame had the stability that I would like to have for strong net play.
Serves (9/10): I loved serves with this frame. It was honestly almost too easy. It was very nice stepping up for a serve and being confident that I wasn't going to miss. My flat serve suffered a little control loss but pace was great. Kickers and slice were also very very good. Not as much kick as my Prestige but still plenty to give my opponents trouble.
Serve Returns (7/10): This was another problem area for me on this frame. It just lacked the stability to really handle a good strong first serve. It wanted to and got most returns back in play easily but was not able to produce a good return groundstroke.
Feel (7/10): This was the other thing that I didn't like about the racquet. Most Prince frames that I have played with have a very dead or muted feel to them. And this frame was no exception to that. There was a significant lack of feedback. So, while comfortable, at time the frame felt mushy and unresponsive. It was difficult on some shots to tell whether it had been struck well or was just going to go over.
Overall Impressions (8/10): Despite the areas where it wasn't the best, I still really like this racquet. I think that it would make a great platform frame for intermediate players. It is a comfortable, control oriented frame that I also think is very versatile and easily accesible to large range of players. Personally, I think that with the addition of Port hole grommets, tighter poly string and a little bit of lead in the right places that this would make an exceptional frame for a lot of players.
Thanks again to TW for including me in this playtest.
Don't Let It Bounce
Hall of Fame
Review of Prince EX03 Tour 16x18
Personal Racquet: Prince Tour Diablo MP 354g, 10 pt HL, 349 SW (but still tinkering with it). Also flirting with a Yonex RDX 500 with similar specs.
Test Racquet: Frame #10 (or perhaps #01); EX03 Tour 16x18 #3 grip; measured strung specs were 324g, 7 pt HL, 316 SW (measured as per TWU), 27". It was strung with a 1.25mm optic-yellow Prince poly in the mains and an unmarked natural-colored nylon multi, about the same gauge, in the crosses. It came with a white synthetic Resi-Pro grip that had good tack, and it was packaged with a two-string dampener that I used during the playtest. The throat piece has regular string hole inserts for the middle six strings rather than the soft/hard special inserts I recall the Ozone Tour having. Other inserts at the sides and top of the hoop were port holes.
Aesthetics: The color scheme isn't my cup of graphic design (though in all fairness, how many paint jobs look good with optic yellow/natural strings?), but it is a better use of black/orange/white than the Ozone Tour was. The thin beam, which appears to have a very gentle dual-taper slope like the Ozone's, is appealing to both sight and touch.
(That last bit matters to me. Beam width is not a primary spec; it is only one of a zillion ways to affect stiffness, flex pattern, torsional stability, and feel. But when I hold the racquet in my off-hand at the start of a point, the psychological effect of holding a thin beam is that it feels like I have better control over what's about to happen. Psychological assurance, while not a physical characteristic of a racquet, is not a thing to be dismissed lightly.)
I'd intended to test the Tour both with and without the additional weighting I would add to it if it were mine, but I cleverly forgot to get the lead out before leaving for my indoor court appointment, and it was too late to go back. As it happened, though, the Tour gave a good accounting of itself even at stock weight in a 1.5-hr playtest.
Groundstrokes: A big question for me was whether the new Tour would have a curious quality I noticed in the Ozone Tour: being able to whale away on groundies, without exaggerating the topspin, without the ball going long, and without the racquet being underpowered. It does.
The Tours have always had a reputation as topspin-friendly racquets, and with a 16x18 pattern and 24.9-cm-wide stringbed augmented by a thin beam, this one –as expected– will enjoy the same reputation. I felt the lack of weight more on underspin backhands than on other groundies, but it's nothing a little lead won't fix. Underspin forehands were delightfully vicious even at stock weight.
Flat groundstrokes were more manageable than expected, probably due to the generous flex, which feels similar to the Ozone Tour. It's a uniform kind of flex, not obviously focused at any particular point on the frame, and there's enough of it to give the illusion that there is dwell time beyond what the stringbed stiffness gives. When I got all McSlappy with late forehands (don't try this at home, kids), I was often unjustly rewarded with a loud CRACK! and a down-the-line screamer, instead of the fence-smacker that I surely deserved.
When I was really late and had to flick or block it back, I felt like I needed more weight than the stock Tour provides.
On the fast, slick indoor court where I tested it, I felt like I had better groundstroke control than with my own racquets, without being at all short of power. If I switch to an EX03 Tour, this feeling of manageable power on groundstrokes will be the reason why.
Serve: Most any racquet is fine for me on a flat serve, except maybe an oversize big enough to generate significant wind resistance or a really light gutless wonder. The Tour is flexible, but I didn't feel like I was losing mph on flat serves. It is plenty fast through the air on both flat and spin serves. Is it the holes? Maybe, but my money is on the thin beam and roundish cross section. I'm not, alas, equally effective on spin serves with every racquet I pick up, so the above-mentioned spin-friendly features were much appreciated on topspin and slice serves.
Volley: I've known a lot of S&Vers who would rather restring their PC600's with their teeth than try to volley with strings as long as those on a port-holed 100. Not I. Give me the real estate to make contact, and I'll take care of the control myself. Nonetheless, here too weight matters: I don't expect the 324g stock Tour to feel as solid as my own weighted racquets, and it doesn't. Once again, easy fix, and therefore not a deal-killer.
Return of Serve: For blocking back heaters, see earlier preferences for more weight and more swing weight, and multiply those preferences by at least two. Maneuverability is lovely and all, but one needs the mass to affect the ball after the maneuvering is done. Again, easy fix. For returns where I had some time, see the pleasant experience described above under "Groundstrokes".
General Comments: What I always wonder when I pick up a racquet is rarely "What can it do?" – since I don't really think racquets that I tend to prefer do all that much themselves. I usually wonder instead, "What does it feel like?" If it's big enough for me to find the strings, I can take care of the weight, balance, and swing weight myself. Feel I can't even easily describe, let along fix, so that's what has to come from the company's engineers. Prince's engineers have delivered a feel I like.
As with the Ozone Tour, words like "muted", "plush", and "comfortable" are good descriptors for this frame. This means that if you are inclined to complain that the Ozone Tour "has no feel" or is "dead" and prefer racquets you describe as "raw" and "giving lots of feedback", you'll probably be dissatisfied with the feel of the EX03 Tour, too.
The Non-Racquet-Geek perspective: This indoor court was inside a large golf & tennis store and was lined with a few dozen demo racquets. A couple of prospective customers (a hard-hitting 4.0 who'd been a way from the game for a few years and was getting back into it, and a hard-hitting 3.5) joined me to try a few frames, and I handed them the EX03 Tour to hit with. They both said, emphatically, that the Tour blew away anything else they'd tried (a variety of midplusses, from what I saw), and they were going to wait for it to come out before buying new racquets. Impressive, huh?
Conclusion: I didn't have the opportunity to test the EX03 side-by-side with the Ozone, but based on my memory of the Ozone I'd say that the EX03 is a worthy successor, and that's saying a lot. I could play happily with either of them.
If there's something you want to know that I didn't cover, ask away.
Personal Racquet: Prince Tour Diablo MP 354g, 10 pt HL, 349 SW (but still tinkering with it). Also flirting with a Yonex RDX 500 with similar specs.
Test Racquet: Frame #10 (or perhaps #01); EX03 Tour 16x18 #3 grip; measured strung specs were 324g, 7 pt HL, 316 SW (measured as per TWU), 27". It was strung with a 1.25mm optic-yellow Prince poly in the mains and an unmarked natural-colored nylon multi, about the same gauge, in the crosses. It came with a white synthetic Resi-Pro grip that had good tack, and it was packaged with a two-string dampener that I used during the playtest. The throat piece has regular string hole inserts for the middle six strings rather than the soft/hard special inserts I recall the Ozone Tour having. Other inserts at the sides and top of the hoop were port holes.
Aesthetics: The color scheme isn't my cup of graphic design (though in all fairness, how many paint jobs look good with optic yellow/natural strings?), but it is a better use of black/orange/white than the Ozone Tour was. The thin beam, which appears to have a very gentle dual-taper slope like the Ozone's, is appealing to both sight and touch.
(That last bit matters to me. Beam width is not a primary spec; it is only one of a zillion ways to affect stiffness, flex pattern, torsional stability, and feel. But when I hold the racquet in my off-hand at the start of a point, the psychological effect of holding a thin beam is that it feels like I have better control over what's about to happen. Psychological assurance, while not a physical characteristic of a racquet, is not a thing to be dismissed lightly.)
I'd intended to test the Tour both with and without the additional weighting I would add to it if it were mine, but I cleverly forgot to get the lead out before leaving for my indoor court appointment, and it was too late to go back. As it happened, though, the Tour gave a good accounting of itself even at stock weight in a 1.5-hr playtest.
Groundstrokes: A big question for me was whether the new Tour would have a curious quality I noticed in the Ozone Tour: being able to whale away on groundies, without exaggerating the topspin, without the ball going long, and without the racquet being underpowered. It does.
The Tours have always had a reputation as topspin-friendly racquets, and with a 16x18 pattern and 24.9-cm-wide stringbed augmented by a thin beam, this one –as expected– will enjoy the same reputation. I felt the lack of weight more on underspin backhands than on other groundies, but it's nothing a little lead won't fix. Underspin forehands were delightfully vicious even at stock weight.
Flat groundstrokes were more manageable than expected, probably due to the generous flex, which feels similar to the Ozone Tour. It's a uniform kind of flex, not obviously focused at any particular point on the frame, and there's enough of it to give the illusion that there is dwell time beyond what the stringbed stiffness gives. When I got all McSlappy with late forehands (don't try this at home, kids), I was often unjustly rewarded with a loud CRACK! and a down-the-line screamer, instead of the fence-smacker that I surely deserved.
When I was really late and had to flick or block it back, I felt like I needed more weight than the stock Tour provides.
On the fast, slick indoor court where I tested it, I felt like I had better groundstroke control than with my own racquets, without being at all short of power. If I switch to an EX03 Tour, this feeling of manageable power on groundstrokes will be the reason why.
Serve: Most any racquet is fine for me on a flat serve, except maybe an oversize big enough to generate significant wind resistance or a really light gutless wonder. The Tour is flexible, but I didn't feel like I was losing mph on flat serves. It is plenty fast through the air on both flat and spin serves. Is it the holes? Maybe, but my money is on the thin beam and roundish cross section. I'm not, alas, equally effective on spin serves with every racquet I pick up, so the above-mentioned spin-friendly features were much appreciated on topspin and slice serves.
Volley: I've known a lot of S&Vers who would rather restring their PC600's with their teeth than try to volley with strings as long as those on a port-holed 100. Not I. Give me the real estate to make contact, and I'll take care of the control myself. Nonetheless, here too weight matters: I don't expect the 324g stock Tour to feel as solid as my own weighted racquets, and it doesn't. Once again, easy fix, and therefore not a deal-killer.
Return of Serve: For blocking back heaters, see earlier preferences for more weight and more swing weight, and multiply those preferences by at least two. Maneuverability is lovely and all, but one needs the mass to affect the ball after the maneuvering is done. Again, easy fix. For returns where I had some time, see the pleasant experience described above under "Groundstrokes".
General Comments: What I always wonder when I pick up a racquet is rarely "What can it do?" – since I don't really think racquets that I tend to prefer do all that much themselves. I usually wonder instead, "What does it feel like?" If it's big enough for me to find the strings, I can take care of the weight, balance, and swing weight myself. Feel I can't even easily describe, let along fix, so that's what has to come from the company's engineers. Prince's engineers have delivered a feel I like.
As with the Ozone Tour, words like "muted", "plush", and "comfortable" are good descriptors for this frame. This means that if you are inclined to complain that the Ozone Tour "has no feel" or is "dead" and prefer racquets you describe as "raw" and "giving lots of feedback", you'll probably be dissatisfied with the feel of the EX03 Tour, too.
The Non-Racquet-Geek perspective: This indoor court was inside a large golf & tennis store and was lined with a few dozen demo racquets. A couple of prospective customers (a hard-hitting 4.0 who'd been a way from the game for a few years and was getting back into it, and a hard-hitting 3.5) joined me to try a few frames, and I handed them the EX03 Tour to hit with. They both said, emphatically, that the Tour blew away anything else they'd tried (a variety of midplusses, from what I saw), and they were going to wait for it to come out before buying new racquets. Impressive, huh?
Conclusion: I didn't have the opportunity to test the EX03 side-by-side with the Ozone, but based on my memory of the Ozone I'd say that the EX03 is a worthy successor, and that's saying a lot. I could play happily with either of them.
If there's something you want to know that I didn't cover, ask away.
pheonix6579
Professional
Personal racquet of choice and string set-up: Prince EXO3 Rebel 95 Solinco Revolution 17g @53/ Prince Synthetic Gut w/ Duraflex 17g @57
Model of Prince Racquet you playtested: EXO3 Tour (18x20)
How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 12 Hours
Right out of the box, I really liked the frame. The paint job looks really slick and the frame is definitely an eye catcher. The racket felt really light compared to my normal frames, which would prove interesting through my play test. The beam was also on the thinner range of frames that I have tried, but I really enjoyed that feature. The grip that I was used to, the Resi Pro, still does not fail at making me happy,
-Groundstrokes: I really felt like the frame excelled in this area. The weight and balance made whipping the frame through the air a breeze. I was able to get really nice spin and depth on my shots. I also was able to swing away with confidence on my flat balls due to the nice flex the frame had. Control was not hard at all to find. I felt pretty confident going cross court and down the line. The frame, in my opinion, was VERY low powered. This was both a good thing and bad thing since I can produce a lot of my own power. Good in the sense that I didn’t have to worry about blasting balls long. However, since the frame is much lighter than my current set-up, I didn’t really get the Plow through power that I am used to in my Rebel. Slice was okay at best, but really lacked the weight that I am used to producing. “On the Run” shots were very, relatively easy to execute, and gave me plenty of time to return to my ready position.
-Volleys: This was, by far, my favorite thing about the frame. With the thin beam and the light weight and swingweight, this racket was one of the most maneuverable frames that I have ever hit with. I was poaching like a champ, because the frame moved so well. I had a lot of control when angling balls cross court or punching them down the line. Touch was also incredible. Drop volleys were easy to produce and died once the hit the other side of the net. The only small gripe that I had was stability was not all that great on off center hits or when playing against big hitters.
-Serves: This was a two phase process. The first 4 hours of my playtest I absolutely hated this frame serving. No pop or spin could be found. It even hurt my shoulder a bit, which I found odd. However, once my service motion and swing path got used to the weight (almost an ounce difference) things started to click. I was finally able to get easy pop and control. Spin was not bad either, but nothing that I would brag about. I was able to hit my targets with a relative high level of success. The only thing that I could not reproduce from my Rebel was the weight of the ball on serve.
-Serve Returns: Probably my least favorite aspect of the frame (in stock form). Due to the level of maneuverability, the racket allowed me to really react on quick adjustments, which was nice. However, when coming against a big server the frame’s stability issue really came through. But when facing an opponent with an on par serve, it felt just fine.
- General comments on overall performance: Once my game got used to the adjustment in weight, I found that I really enjoyed this frame. I was able to play with a wide assortment of players over my playtest and the frame shined against most of them along the way. Overall, the frame offers and nice comfortable feel with easy access to spin and control. Power level, in my opinion, was a little low for my taste, but a great feature for player who like to swing for the fences. Maneuverability was superb, one of the best if not the best of all frames I have hit with. Stability was a little below par, but something easily fixed with a little modification. I did however notice that all of my “Cons” could easily be remedied with about 5g of lead at 3-9 with counterbalance in the handle. The feel of the frame is quite comfortable and falls into the muted Prince feel that I have come to be used to. The frame did not come with string inserts, but would be curious to see the difference with them installed. I know when it comes to my Rebel; I enjoyed the feel more so with the port inserts.
Any questions?
Model of Prince Racquet you playtested: EXO3 Tour (18x20)
How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 12 Hours
Right out of the box, I really liked the frame. The paint job looks really slick and the frame is definitely an eye catcher. The racket felt really light compared to my normal frames, which would prove interesting through my play test. The beam was also on the thinner range of frames that I have tried, but I really enjoyed that feature. The grip that I was used to, the Resi Pro, still does not fail at making me happy,
-Groundstrokes: I really felt like the frame excelled in this area. The weight and balance made whipping the frame through the air a breeze. I was able to get really nice spin and depth on my shots. I also was able to swing away with confidence on my flat balls due to the nice flex the frame had. Control was not hard at all to find. I felt pretty confident going cross court and down the line. The frame, in my opinion, was VERY low powered. This was both a good thing and bad thing since I can produce a lot of my own power. Good in the sense that I didn’t have to worry about blasting balls long. However, since the frame is much lighter than my current set-up, I didn’t really get the Plow through power that I am used to in my Rebel. Slice was okay at best, but really lacked the weight that I am used to producing. “On the Run” shots were very, relatively easy to execute, and gave me plenty of time to return to my ready position.
-Volleys: This was, by far, my favorite thing about the frame. With the thin beam and the light weight and swingweight, this racket was one of the most maneuverable frames that I have ever hit with. I was poaching like a champ, because the frame moved so well. I had a lot of control when angling balls cross court or punching them down the line. Touch was also incredible. Drop volleys were easy to produce and died once the hit the other side of the net. The only small gripe that I had was stability was not all that great on off center hits or when playing against big hitters.
-Serves: This was a two phase process. The first 4 hours of my playtest I absolutely hated this frame serving. No pop or spin could be found. It even hurt my shoulder a bit, which I found odd. However, once my service motion and swing path got used to the weight (almost an ounce difference) things started to click. I was finally able to get easy pop and control. Spin was not bad either, but nothing that I would brag about. I was able to hit my targets with a relative high level of success. The only thing that I could not reproduce from my Rebel was the weight of the ball on serve.
-Serve Returns: Probably my least favorite aspect of the frame (in stock form). Due to the level of maneuverability, the racket allowed me to really react on quick adjustments, which was nice. However, when coming against a big server the frame’s stability issue really came through. But when facing an opponent with an on par serve, it felt just fine.
- General comments on overall performance: Once my game got used to the adjustment in weight, I found that I really enjoyed this frame. I was able to play with a wide assortment of players over my playtest and the frame shined against most of them along the way. Overall, the frame offers and nice comfortable feel with easy access to spin and control. Power level, in my opinion, was a little low for my taste, but a great feature for player who like to swing for the fences. Maneuverability was superb, one of the best if not the best of all frames I have hit with. Stability was a little below par, but something easily fixed with a little modification. I did however notice that all of my “Cons” could easily be remedied with about 5g of lead at 3-9 with counterbalance in the handle. The feel of the frame is quite comfortable and falls into the muted Prince feel that I have come to be used to. The frame did not come with string inserts, but would be curious to see the difference with them installed. I know when it comes to my Rebel; I enjoyed the feel more so with the port inserts.
Any questions?
tennismonkey
Semi-Pro
Don't Let It Bounce -- thanks for your review. what level do you play and do you have a 1 or 2 HBH? i thought the ozone tour was a great fit for my game and i'm curious if the exo3 tour is a marked improvement on that.
Don't Let It Bounce
Hall of Fame
Tennis Monkey & Edman: If I had a couple of Ozone Tours that were in good shape, I'd be inclined to keep them. Take this with a grain of salt since my demos of the two racquets were several months apart, but I found the EX03 more continuation than upgrade. (Somewhat to my relief, really; I was a little worried Prince would mess up a really good racquet.) Whatever differences there might be were too subtle for me to pick up over the time between those hitting sessions.
If that's disappointing, the upside is that if the Ozone Tour were my racquet-for-life, and mine were wearing out, I wouldn't feel compelled to scour the world for used ones. Having a replacement currently available matters to a lot of players, and remakes like this are probably as close as the really big companies will get now to having a good racquet available for years.
As for me: 1HBH, serve & volley, TS to postpone the inevitable if I get stuck at the baseline. Decent strokes (longtime coach and former small college player), but I move like the mid-40's guy with mid-60's ankles & knees that I am.
If that's disappointing, the upside is that if the Ozone Tour were my racquet-for-life, and mine were wearing out, I wouldn't feel compelled to scour the world for used ones. Having a replacement currently available matters to a lot of players, and remakes like this are probably as close as the really big companies will get now to having a good racquet available for years.
As for me: 1HBH, serve & volley, TS to postpone the inevitable if I get stuck at the baseline. Decent strokes (longtime coach and former small college player), but I move like the mid-40's guy with mid-60's ankles & knees that I am.
pstar
New User
Have any of you guys actually tried both the ozone tour and the EXO3 tour?
If yes, what is really the differense between these two?
tennismonkey
Semi-Pro
thanks DLIB! great review and info.
BobFL
Hall of Fame
I would like to add something to my review (#180) that could be very important in my humble opinion at least: The new RED 105 is MORE headlight compared to O3, Speedport and Exo105. They were all 335mm but the new one is 330mm which translates to cca. 1.5 points. The reason for this (and this is completely speculation on my side) could be the weak throat area on previous models (this one definitely has more weight there). Excellent move from Prince if this is the case!
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
- Your personal racquet of choice and string set-up: Prince EXO3 Rebel 95 (8 grams lead at 3/9): Solinco Tour Bite 18 @ 59lbs, Prince SynGut Multi 17 @ 59lbs.
- The model of Prince Racquet you playtested: EXO3 Silver 115
- How many hours did you play with the racquet: 4 hours (teaching hitting lessons)
General Comments:
This racquet is very powerful. The complete opposite of what I'm used to. I started hitting without a vibration dampener, as this new racquet features a built in dampener at 6 o'clock. However, the vibration from the stringbed seemed to reverberate through the rest of the frame. The problem was easily solved with a small dampener (Pete Sampras O).
The thing is a slice monster. I found I have lots of rotation on the ball on slice serves and slice groundstrokes. Topspin, however, wasn't as easy to control. Anytime I tried to rip a ball with lots of top, it tend to launch up quite a bit.
-Groundstrokes - I started with mini-tennis and immediately noticed the significant bounce off of the stringbed. It was easy to get used to and actually liked the frame when playing with a shortened swing (the type of swing it's designed for). Once I moved back to the baseline, I could still control the ball and let the racquet do the work, but only at a moderate tempo at most. Anytime I tried to really accelerate the racquet with a loose arm (more of my natural stroke), the ball would fly. I could really feel the strings grab and just launch the ball. Over time, the need to prevent myself from accelerating on the swing started to become a bit taxing on my arm and I noticed some fatigue in my forearm.
-Volleys - Again, this racquet shines when you are not swinging. Therefore, I liked it at net. It has a huge head, it's light, nimble, and quick. A great stick for volleys. Again, I would have preferred some more mass, but that's just because I'm used to a heavy frame.
-Serves - Serving was nice. Lots of power from the stringbed meant I didn't have to use a lot of body to make the ball go. I could very easily swing with a relatively lazy swing and still hit the ball with a lot of pop. Spin was very easy to come by, especially on the slice serve.
-Serve Returns - When just blocking or chipping the ball back, this stick was great. As soon as you take a big cut, you can kiss that ball goodbye.
Thanks for letting me be a part of the test, TW!
- The model of Prince Racquet you playtested: EXO3 Silver 115
- How many hours did you play with the racquet: 4 hours (teaching hitting lessons)
General Comments:
This racquet is very powerful. The complete opposite of what I'm used to. I started hitting without a vibration dampener, as this new racquet features a built in dampener at 6 o'clock. However, the vibration from the stringbed seemed to reverberate through the rest of the frame. The problem was easily solved with a small dampener (Pete Sampras O).
The thing is a slice monster. I found I have lots of rotation on the ball on slice serves and slice groundstrokes. Topspin, however, wasn't as easy to control. Anytime I tried to rip a ball with lots of top, it tend to launch up quite a bit.
-Groundstrokes - I started with mini-tennis and immediately noticed the significant bounce off of the stringbed. It was easy to get used to and actually liked the frame when playing with a shortened swing (the type of swing it's designed for). Once I moved back to the baseline, I could still control the ball and let the racquet do the work, but only at a moderate tempo at most. Anytime I tried to really accelerate the racquet with a loose arm (more of my natural stroke), the ball would fly. I could really feel the strings grab and just launch the ball. Over time, the need to prevent myself from accelerating on the swing started to become a bit taxing on my arm and I noticed some fatigue in my forearm.
-Volleys - Again, this racquet shines when you are not swinging. Therefore, I liked it at net. It has a huge head, it's light, nimble, and quick. A great stick for volleys. Again, I would have preferred some more mass, but that's just because I'm used to a heavy frame.
-Serves - Serving was nice. Lots of power from the stringbed meant I didn't have to use a lot of body to make the ball go. I could very easily swing with a relatively lazy swing and still hit the ball with a lot of pop. Spin was very easy to come by, especially on the slice serve.
-Serve Returns - When just blocking or chipping the ball back, this stick was great. As soon as you take a big cut, you can kiss that ball goodbye.
Thanks for letting me be a part of the test, TW!
JRProstaf9
Rookie
PERSONAL RACQUET: Wilson Pro Staff KSix-One 95 Team. Lead tape inserts @
RACQUET RECEIVED: Prince EXO3 Tour 100 lite. Synthetic gut strings most likely strung to recommended tension.
PLAYING ABILITY: Former D1 college player and teaching pro. Previously rated at the 4.5 level however currently playing at the 4.0 level after taking the summer/fall off to recover from surgery earlier this year.
PLAYING STYLE: All court grinder/shot maker with sometimes too many shots to select from. Generally heavy ground strokes with moderate depth. Semi western grip on the forehand and 2 handed backhand. Forehand side is the stronger side as I can often mixing heavy spin with flat drives often during a rally. Backhand is flatter with a shorter/compact backswing and will often mix with a one handed slice on an approach or to quickly change pace/angle. Service game is based on heavy kick serve with preference to play toward the backhand return for righties and will at times change pace/spin to include flat and slice serve depending on returner. Often enjoy coming forward for volleys which can be hit for power and placement depending on shot.
PLAYTEST: 2 hours hitting during drill session with USTA team
Cosmetics – Right out of the box i liked the cosmetics. Definitely a good looking racket. Very similar to the graphics on the Wilson NBlade however I really did like the fact that it stayed true to the color scheme of the previous Prince Tour lines with the black and orange/gold color way. Wasn't a big fan of the cosmetics of the EXO rebel and graphite so I'm glad Prince went with something a bit more "natural" looking in terms of tennis cosmetics.
GROUNDSTROKES:
Upon first thought I was excited to hit with this frame as I had been a fan of the previous Tour line of rackets rackets and really do like having the O-ports for added cushiness/spin production. Unfortunately right from the first swing I wasn't sure I was going to like the racket. The first thing I noticed was how light the frame was in terms of swing weight, out of the box it felt good, light, but good. However its when you start swinging that you get a true sense of its weight. I found that initial timing was difficult on my forehand b/c my swing seemed even faster than normal. Even on my backhand which is short and compact that I felt ahead of the swing each time. After a few minutes I was able to finally get things dialed in however I had to tone my swings down in over to find the right spot. Once there I did find the racket to be comfortable on hits (even off center) which is something I have become familiar with from the o-ports. Spin production was there however I really felt the need to exaggerate my wrist snap in order to get the same amount of spin AND depth that I'm normally used to, otherwise general spin production was easy to come by. I did notice that the frame was not as stiff as the last few models from the tour series and chalked it up to this being the "lite" version .
SERVES:
I was able to hit a few serves and right from the first practice swing I did appreciate the faster swing speed from the frames lighter weight. I found I didn't feel any need to "muscle" the ball over and many of my serves seemed a bit effortless. Spin generation was easy however placement was difficult to find at first. Flat serves were difficult to be consistent but power generation was easy to attain. For the most part I did enjoy how easy it was to hit general kick serves w/out much effort however like my ground strokes when trying to impart both heavy spin and power I found the lightness of the frame difficult to find timing.
SERVE RETURNS:
Again right away I noted the benefits of the lighter racket in returning hard/fast serves. Even with a short backswing off both sides I was able to get decent returns in play as the lightness of the frame (and the added head size) made reacting to the bigger bombs easier. I was even able to mix up backhand drive returns with even more compact slices and didn't feel late and in some cases actually felt early and just had to hold back a bit when i got slap happy.
VOLLEYS:
Volleys were probably where i felt this racket shined for me. Again the light weight of the racket was the first thing I noticed, however this was the first time I actually enjoyed its light weight! The racket was VERY maneuverable at the night and offered pretty decent feel for a 100" head. I was very (and pleasantly) surprised as normally I only find this kind of feel, maneuverability, and control with a 95" or less headed racket.
BOTTOM LINE:
All around decent racket and a good addition to the Prince Tour line. Definitely a good transitional racket that is a step up from the recreational/club level but doesn't want the heft of the advanced players frame. I would most likely recommend this racket for the advanced beginner through intermediate player with a moderate to fast swing on both groundstrokes and serve who is looking for some added spin production and moderate power. In fact I even recommended to my fiancee, who is currently an advanced beginner, that this could be a very good racket for her to grow into as she progresses.
Personally, I will admit this is most likely not the frame for the advance player that is more prone to go for Prince's tour line as it it much lighter than the traditional tour models. I will say this though... if I were to play with the weighting and maybe add some lead tape to the head (possibly the 3/6/9 areas if anything at least to the 6 area) as well as a leather grip this could be an enjoyable racket as the light weight and the o-ports do make the frame comfortable for player prone to tennis elbow or wrist issues but still crave the feeling of a heavier player frame.
Overall a nice addition to the Prince Tour line.
RACQUET RECEIVED: Prince EXO3 Tour 100 lite. Synthetic gut strings most likely strung to recommended tension.
PLAYING ABILITY: Former D1 college player and teaching pro. Previously rated at the 4.5 level however currently playing at the 4.0 level after taking the summer/fall off to recover from surgery earlier this year.
PLAYING STYLE: All court grinder/shot maker with sometimes too many shots to select from. Generally heavy ground strokes with moderate depth. Semi western grip on the forehand and 2 handed backhand. Forehand side is the stronger side as I can often mixing heavy spin with flat drives often during a rally. Backhand is flatter with a shorter/compact backswing and will often mix with a one handed slice on an approach or to quickly change pace/angle. Service game is based on heavy kick serve with preference to play toward the backhand return for righties and will at times change pace/spin to include flat and slice serve depending on returner. Often enjoy coming forward for volleys which can be hit for power and placement depending on shot.
PLAYTEST: 2 hours hitting during drill session with USTA team
Cosmetics – Right out of the box i liked the cosmetics. Definitely a good looking racket. Very similar to the graphics on the Wilson NBlade however I really did like the fact that it stayed true to the color scheme of the previous Prince Tour lines with the black and orange/gold color way. Wasn't a big fan of the cosmetics of the EXO rebel and graphite so I'm glad Prince went with something a bit more "natural" looking in terms of tennis cosmetics.
GROUNDSTROKES:
Upon first thought I was excited to hit with this frame as I had been a fan of the previous Tour line of rackets rackets and really do like having the O-ports for added cushiness/spin production. Unfortunately right from the first swing I wasn't sure I was going to like the racket. The first thing I noticed was how light the frame was in terms of swing weight, out of the box it felt good, light, but good. However its when you start swinging that you get a true sense of its weight. I found that initial timing was difficult on my forehand b/c my swing seemed even faster than normal. Even on my backhand which is short and compact that I felt ahead of the swing each time. After a few minutes I was able to finally get things dialed in however I had to tone my swings down in over to find the right spot. Once there I did find the racket to be comfortable on hits (even off center) which is something I have become familiar with from the o-ports. Spin production was there however I really felt the need to exaggerate my wrist snap in order to get the same amount of spin AND depth that I'm normally used to, otherwise general spin production was easy to come by. I did notice that the frame was not as stiff as the last few models from the tour series and chalked it up to this being the "lite" version .
SERVES:
I was able to hit a few serves and right from the first practice swing I did appreciate the faster swing speed from the frames lighter weight. I found I didn't feel any need to "muscle" the ball over and many of my serves seemed a bit effortless. Spin generation was easy however placement was difficult to find at first. Flat serves were difficult to be consistent but power generation was easy to attain. For the most part I did enjoy how easy it was to hit general kick serves w/out much effort however like my ground strokes when trying to impart both heavy spin and power I found the lightness of the frame difficult to find timing.
SERVE RETURNS:
Again right away I noted the benefits of the lighter racket in returning hard/fast serves. Even with a short backswing off both sides I was able to get decent returns in play as the lightness of the frame (and the added head size) made reacting to the bigger bombs easier. I was even able to mix up backhand drive returns with even more compact slices and didn't feel late and in some cases actually felt early and just had to hold back a bit when i got slap happy.
VOLLEYS:
Volleys were probably where i felt this racket shined for me. Again the light weight of the racket was the first thing I noticed, however this was the first time I actually enjoyed its light weight! The racket was VERY maneuverable at the night and offered pretty decent feel for a 100" head. I was very (and pleasantly) surprised as normally I only find this kind of feel, maneuverability, and control with a 95" or less headed racket.
BOTTOM LINE:
All around decent racket and a good addition to the Prince Tour line. Definitely a good transitional racket that is a step up from the recreational/club level but doesn't want the heft of the advanced players frame. I would most likely recommend this racket for the advanced beginner through intermediate player with a moderate to fast swing on both groundstrokes and serve who is looking for some added spin production and moderate power. In fact I even recommended to my fiancee, who is currently an advanced beginner, that this could be a very good racket for her to grow into as she progresses.
Personally, I will admit this is most likely not the frame for the advance player that is more prone to go for Prince's tour line as it it much lighter than the traditional tour models. I will say this though... if I were to play with the weighting and maybe add some lead tape to the head (possibly the 3/6/9 areas if anything at least to the 6 area) as well as a leather grip this could be an enjoyable racket as the light weight and the o-ports do make the frame comfortable for player prone to tennis elbow or wrist issues but still crave the feeling of a heavier player frame.
Overall a nice addition to the Prince Tour line.
Not yet!
However, my local shop will have them in a few weeks and he said I will have first shot at the demo. I will let you know after that.Thanks, I appreciate it. I have 3 right now in good shape (and a O3 Hybrid Tour when I want something heavier), so I'll just hang on to them!
pstar
New User
Not yet!
Sounds good edman9898
Looking forward to your comparison of these two racquets.
If it has more flex than the Ozone Tours, I am out! I can actually feel the frame flex when returning hard serves as it is now. Sometimes I think the racquet is going to snap in the throat. I can't imagine even more flex!
ryushen21
Legend
Probably the flexiest frame I have ever hit with. A lot of hoop flex with a very soft, plush feel.
