New Prince Line: January 2009 (Pictures + Specs)

Chauvalito

Hall of Fame
the weights listed for the rebels and the graphites are wrong. for instance the rebel 95 unstrung weight is 330G not 310 and the graphite 100 is 315G not 310.

That's because the specs on here were from the Japanese site...now that the sticks have made their way to the states, and we've gotten to check them out in person, we've realized that the US specs are different than the Asian models. This thread has been going for a while now...

Chauvalito did a great job running this thread and the specs were up to date as soon as we got to examine the US sticks.

Mohawk, you are quite right. As Mitchmann stated these specs were posted over 2 months ago just as the first new rackets hit the Japanese market. At the time I had no idea Prince would release differently weighted rackets a la Wilson.

Other posters who have received the US versions have posted the new specs and I thank them for that.

Thanks for setting the record straight, Mitchmann, I will edit the first post to let everyone know.
 

Chauvalito

Hall of Fame
ex4p01.jpg
ex4p02.jpg
ex4p03.gif
 

themitchmann

Hall of Fame
I don't know if it was mentioned, but the Graphites will come stock with the port inserts, while the Rebels will come with the hole inserts. They will not come with both sets like the SP Black and Tour. Prince wanted to cut down on waste, but when you buy the racquet you will be able to request whatever insert you prefer.
 

DJG

Semi-Pro
Ahh, that is interesting. Would make sense though - the 95 is for "more advanced players", who "typically" prefer the hole inserts.
 

themitchmann

Hall of Fame
Prince found that, after playtesting, that more players liked the ports in the Graphite and the holes in the Rebel. It doesn't have to do with the headsize, as the Graphite 93 is an advanced stick as well.
 

DJG

Semi-Pro
Prince found that, after playtesting, that more players liked the ports in the Graphite and the holes in the Rebel. It doesn't have to do with the headsize, as the Graphite 93 is an advanced stick as well.

Ahh, yes. I missed the Graphite 93 & 100 bit. Still interesting. :)
 

DJG

Semi-Pro
^^^ I cannot wait - I've always had a soft-spot for Prince and want to see what they came up with. Maybe there is something in there for me, but judging by the flex, the only one that should be really on my demo list is the Rebel 95. I will still try the others though :)
 

Chauvalito

Hall of Fame
Davydenko may be switching to HEAD

A sad day for Prince, they just signed Monfils, but they be losing there highest ranked male player as Davydenko has been seen play testing an upcoming HEAD racket.

This is interesting because according to the press release posted above Davydenko is still considered as playing with Prince rackets...so he may go back to playing with his Ozone Pro tours for upcoming tournaments as a he did after he play tested the prestige.

Davydenko stated not to long ago that he was not happy with his racket despite loving it early in 2008. He was then subsequently seen playing with what looked like a blacked out prestige...and now he is hitting with an unknown HEAD racket.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that this is a HEAD racket, but there is no definitive evidence...

84153530.jpg
 

themitchmann

Hall of Fame
No problem. I just got the update from the facebook page. They've updated their fb page as well with links to the site and pics of the new sticks (like we need them :)).
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
Is it a sad day for Prince 0r a sad day for Davydenko? When a guy with his grinding game works himself up to the top 4, he shouldn't be too unhappy about the racquet.
 

Chauvalito

Hall of Fame
Is it a sad day for Prince 0r a sad day for Davydenko? When a guy with his grinding game works himself up to the top 4, he shouldn't be too unhappy about the racquet.

I think Davydenko has a tendency to blame his racket for some of his bad results.

I remember during Wimbledon Mary Carillo commenting on the fact that he could not decide on a tension to use on grass.

Also, at the beginning of the year he was kissing his racket and laudingbut by the end of 2008 he was criticizing his Prince in press oncferences...and play testing prestige's.
 

DJG

Semi-Pro
I think Davydenko has a tendency to blame his racket for some of his bad results.

I remember during Wimbledon Mary Carillo commenting on the fact that he could not decide on a tension to use on grass.

Also, at the beginning of the year he was kissing his racket and laudingbut by the end of 2008 he was criticizing his Prince in press oncferences...and play testing prestige's.

100%. I remember the "one racquet tournament" and from there everything just went downhill. I still cannot get my mind around it.

From a Prince perspective - if your top pro is blaming your racquets, maybe it is better if they part ways after all.
 

AndrewD

Legend
Specs up on the TW site

Prince EXO3 Rebel 95
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCPRINCE-PXOR.html

Prince EXO3 Graphite 93 Mid
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCPRINCE-PXOG93.html

Prince EXO3 Graphite 100 Mid+
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCPRINCE-PXOG1H.html

Notice, in the blurb for the EXO3 it says "The EXO3 Graphite 100 replaces the Graphite 110".
I've asked TW if that means the POG OS will be discontinued or is it just a clumsy sentence (meaning only that the 100 is the biggest frame in the EXO3 range but not that it actually replaces the POGOS in the Prince catalogue).

I do notice that Prince continue to list the POGOS and POG Mid in their 'Classic' range - fingers crossed that means they'll stay in the line-up (at least the POGOS).
 
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Chauvalito

Hall of Fame
Prince EXO3 Rebel 95
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCPRINCE-PXOR.html

Prince EXO3 Graphite 93 Mid
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCPRINCE-PXOG93.html

Prince EXO3 Graphite 100 Mid+
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCPRINCE-PXOG1H.html

Notice, in the blurb for the EXO3 it says "The EXO3 Graphite 100 replaces the Graphite 110".
I've asked TW if that means the POG OS will be discontinued or is it just a clumsy sentence (meaning only that the 100 is the biggest frame in the EXO3 range but not that it actually replaces the POGOS in the Prince catalogue).

I do notice that Prince continue to list the POGOS and POG Mid in their 'Classic' range - fingers crossed that means they'll stay in the line-up (at least the POGOS).

Sweeeetttt. Thanks for posting.
 

kimguroo

Legend
thanks for the info and I just ordered demo rackets (rebel 95 and Graphite 100) and free promo T-shirts:)
I can't wait to test this racket ^^
 

DJG

Semi-Pro
I do notice that Prince continue to list the POGOS and POG Mid in their 'Classic' range - fingers crossed that means they'll stay in the line-up (at least the POGOS).

Hope so too. In my case, I'm hoping the POG Mid stays ;)
 

Chauvalito

Hall of Fame
thanks for the info and I just ordered demo rackets (rebel 95 and Graphite 100) and free promo T-shirts:)
I can't wait to test this racket ^^

I am a bit annoyed as my brothers and I had the previous 2 weeks off for Christmas break and we tested rackets and played tennis nearly daily during that time...and now the Prince demos show up.

I will have to wait I guess.
 

themitchmann

Hall of Fame
Well, let me first say that I hit the most with the Rebel 95 and Graphite 93, but I did hit briefly with every stick in the line with the exception of the EXO3 Silver.

Rebel Team 95: With port inserts...no good for me. Too unwieldy and not control. Sloppy. The hole inserts were much better and the balance actually felt nice. Too light for my tastes, but I can see a number of players using this stick (up and coming juniors, adults who are used to a lighter frame). I did not serve with this frame.

Graphite 100: I think this may be the top selling frame of the 4 to be released this week. I did not hit 1 shot in which I didn't hit the sweetspot (which is unusual for me when switching between several racquets in a short amount of time). Good swingweight, good balance, very solid and stable...especially at net. My past experience with the Ozone Tours were that they got pushed around by the ball a lot. Not the case here. Prince did a good job of correcting this weakness. I did not serve with this frame.

EXO3 Red: Huge sweetspot. Very soft feel (it was strung with the new Prince Premier). It felt solid at net...volleys tended to fly a little, but I attribute that to the strings. Too light and too powerful for me. I didn't serve with it either.

Rebel 95 (or the Rebel Yell, as my wife calls it): Definitely for big swingers. The high swingweight was noticeable, but it didn't bother me at all (my SP Tour is weighted to 12.8 ounces). I obvious found it incredibly stable. Control and feel were very good. Spin was better than I expected with the 18x20 pattern (in fact, probably just as good as my SP Tour). It felt more natural for me than any of the other sticks in the line, leading me to conclude that other SP Tour players may prefer this stick to the Graphites...the stringbed responds similarly and I was able to start taking confidently huge rips at the ball very quickly. If was fine at the net with the weight, though I can see some finding it a little too hard to maneuver. I was very comfortable serving with it...both spin and flat serves. Great stick.

It was strung with Prince Hybrid Power EXP 17/16 with string hole inserts.

Graphite 93: The other contender to earn a spot in my bag. It really had a lot of the great characteristics of the Rebel...just felt a little stiffer with a different sweetspot. Definitely swings faster than the Rebel, and it didn't feel like there was as much mass in the head as the Rebel in terms of feel. Don't get me wrong...it had no problems with stability, but I would prefer a little lead somewhere on the hoop to get me to where I'm used to with my SP Tour. Once I found the sweetspot, I had no problems with the 93 headsize (as I worried I might not having primarily played with a headsize that small in my career). I could hit big on serves, but I felt the head came around a lot faster than the Rebel, which took a little getting used to for me (though, I'm sure some will like that). Volleys felt great.

It was strung with Recoil with string port inserts.

My ultimate inclinations and impressions with the Rebel 95 and Graphite 93:

Out of the box, I would prefer the Rebel. More of a feel and heft that I'm used to. Of course, I feel the Graphite 93 could really be improved for my tastes with some lead on the hoop, with the string hole inserts installed, and strung with a poly/multi hybrid. I'm going to demo some more this week before making my final choice, but I'm leaning towards the Rebel 95 as of now.
 
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bluegrasser

Hall of Fame
I hit with the EX team last wknd & it felt like a light Prestige, also had a small sweetspot IMHO. Really felt like a Dunlop 300 with a little more pop.
 

pennc94

Professional
Today, I saw all the Prince racquets at a shop and wrote down the specs. All specs were taken with a Babolat RDC except for the static weights. A digital scale was used for that.

My additions are for STRUNG racquets and are in "BOLD".

Graphite 93:
Power Level: 700
Unstrung Weight: 330 grams
Unstrung Balance: 31.0cm (10 pts HL)
Strung Weight: 12.35 oz.
Strung Balance: 9 pts. HL
Stiffness: 66
Swing Weight: 325

The stiffness rating you have provided is notably different than the one at TW (at 63) and mid - west (at 62). Anypne have any other readings or anectodal evidence of flex and the EXO3 Graphite 93?
 

pennc94

Professional
Bump

Can anyone comment/confirm on the flex psp2 found on the EXO3 Graphite 93 (66) versus the much lower stiffness found by TW (63) and mid*west (62)?
 

Rasta

Rookie
I hit with the EX team last wknd & it felt like a light Prestige, also had a small sweetspot IMHO. Really felt like a Dunlop 300 with a little more pop.

Bluegrasser, do you play in a band? My brother-in-law is learning the guitar by playing bluegrass tunes with some friends. The speed in bluegrass is crazy but if you can play bluegrass guitar then you can play anything, IMO.
 

slick

Rookie
Just played a couple matches with the Rebel 95 and Graphite 100. Currently play with Speedport Black and prior to that the POG OS. Prior to that nBlade, TF 335, and k90. NTPR 4.5

I very much liked both racquets. I liked the pop and spin of the Black but missed the stability and solid feeling of the POG OS. These racquets seem to combine both of these into one frame. My level of play clearly went up a notch with both frames. Ground strokes were much more solid and predictable. Not quite as much spin and pop compared to the Black but the better control clearly made up for that with my game. Volleys were excellent with both sticks. Very stable feeling. Large sweet spot particularily with the Graphite 100. I have barely missed a volley since using them. The 100 is definately stiffer, which I prefer. The Rebel feels flexy with high degree of comfort. Serves I still prefer the Black but these are close. The Black has a little more spin but not a huge difference.

Bottom line. I'm switching to the Graphite 100. Ordered 2 from TW.
 

bluegrasser

Hall of Fame
Bluegrasser, do you play in a band? My brother-in-law is learning the guitar by playing bluegrass tunes with some friends. The speed in bluegrass is crazy but if you can play bluegrass guitar then you can play anything, IMO.

I have a jam at my house twice a month & some of us put together a band and gig maybe three/four times a year - that way it's fun and not work.
 

austin_zone

New User
nice rackets i sport prince n its really good light n a good racket al in all i like it n what racket should my cousin go with a

wilson

head
 
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