Prince EXO3 Graphite & Rebel Frames

P

Poly_King

New User
PRINCE_EXO3_Frames_Lo_res.jpg


Hi all,

Recently received the following Prince frames to demo:
- Prince EXO3 REBEL 95
- Prince EXO3 REBEL TEAM 95
- Prince EXO3 GRAPHITE 93
- Prince EXO3 GRAPHITE 100

All frames strung with Polyester Prince Tour string around 59/58lbs.

Currently playtesting frames and will let you know results. Initial hit with the Graphite 100 was very positive and brings back memories of the old Chang Graphite. Very good control for an open string pattern and quite a bit of flex in the frame. Will post more in couple of days. So far - very impressed.
 
I am so jealous. I am foaming at the mouth for the EX03 G 93. When will these be available? This is no good for my R.A.A.
 
J011yroger said:
I think it is the best Prince frame I have ever hit in my life.
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You must have liked it a bunch then. Looking more and more forward to giving these a go, although the Rebel is actually the only one I would considder due to it's very, very low flex. (Elbows, arms and all my other old-age crap - anything over 64 I don't even want to think of.)

Will still demo them all though, since Prince are one of the few frames I can actually demo in my neck of the woods ;)
 
^^^ I am fighting that old age thing kicking and screaming.

It kind of saddens me when I realize that I have grown into a responsible adult.

The frame felt really good to me, not harsh at all, but my arm is pretty stout so I am a really bad judge of what is good for elbow/wrist stuff.

J
 
BestLefty UK said:
Jolly, assuming the mid plays somewhat like the Midplus does the Graphite 93 play anything at all like an 03 tour?
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Nope, totally different. Much more solid feeling, much more poppy. But I could still put some wicked action on the ball if I got the notion.

I didn't like the o3 tour very much at all, it was fun to hit with, but in a toy kind of way where it was like, "Oooo look I can do this!" *Tink*

I would associate the o3 tour as more of a compliment to a junior's game, and the Graphite Mid to better compliment the men's game.

But it is really a frame of mind/style of play thing, than anything to do with age, ability, or playing level.

J
 
BestLefty UK said:
Damn I want an excuse to buy the Graphite 100! It looks groovy
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At the very least demo it.

To me the o3tour felt very tinny, where this feels very solid and plush.

I also really liked the Recoil string from my first hit with it when I got a pre-production sample, so that probably influenced my review a bit aswell.

J
 
J011yroger said:
At the very least demo it.

To me the o3tour felt very tinny, where this feels very solid and plush.

I also really liked the Recoil string from my first hit with it when I got a pre-production sample, so that probably influenced my review a bit aswell.

J
Click to expand...

I like the 03, it's muted which kinda suits me since I had a few arm problems (I'm only 14 soon to be 15). A downside would be the stability and I'm not too confident customizing it with lead tape. I'm thinking I might need a change soon because of the availability of the O3 tour but I guess I could wait another year or two if I can't settle on anything.
 
BestLefty UK said:
What's the flex rating of the Graphite 100? I can't find it in Chauvalito's thread
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I have not been able to locate those either, but I am sure some knowledgeable poster will be able to find them.

The Japanese website only describes the flex, but does not provide an RA figure.
 
J011yroger said:
^^^ I am fighting that old age thing kicking and screaming.

It kind of saddens me when I realize that I have grown into a responsible adult.

The frame felt really good to me, not harsh at all, but my arm is pretty stout so I am a really bad judge of what is good for elbow/wrist stuff.

J
Click to expand...

I just came back from my weekly Monday drill 6-8 and I went into the pro shop before, intending to try out the new Nike Court Ballistec 1.3 and I also ended up snagging the Prince Rebel 95 to demo for free :)...

Review:

Probably one of the best Prince rackets I have tried so far. (Only Prince I have tried so far :) ) The racket felt so solid at contact. Groundies were good, although the swing weight was pretty high, it took some time to get used to. The main knock I have on the racket is the poor balance. I stuck my finger in the throat and immediately noticed the racket started to tilt (forget to which side). Volleys felt solid, nothing special. Slice was normal. On serving, I felt I got some extra pop, which was a positive with the racket. I also used my normal racket during the drill to try to get myself a comparison and it was sort of similar in terms of the fact that they are control oriented rackets. It had some green strings, but the owner told me that they weren't new strings , I think they were Lightning when I tried to identify the string. Overall , I was able to generate a heavy ball and got some good pace at the baseline. I don't think I would switch to the racket because it might be too heavy for my taste, but definitely for someone who can handle the 12+ weight and 95 sq inch head, think I am better off at 98. Overall, great racket and I hope I answered some people's question on the racket. If you have any questions , please feel free to ask.
 
^^^ If your parents are cool with it, we should get together for a hit this spring.

I play tournaments all over, and am in your neck of the woods pretty often.

J
 
J011yroger said:
^^^ If your parents are cool with it, we should get together for a hit this spring.

I play tournaments all over, and am in your neck of the woods pretty often.

J
Click to expand...

Thats fine, and I would be honored to hit with you. I was just actually at Sportime Syosset and Bill (the owner) was really impressed with all the information I loaded on him. Haha. He even questioned me when I told him about the Fall 09 Ballistec and Vapor VI colorway... I told him about some discounts I have been getting and he was like ... Yeah... but I think we can beat them.

Email me or contact me via aim. We should set something up.
 
mrmo1115 said:
Thats fine, and I would be honored to hit with you. I was just actually at Sportime Syosset and Bill (the owner) was really impressed with all the information I loaded on him. Haha. He even questioned me when I told him about the Fall 09 Ballistec and Vapor VI colorway... I told him about some discounts I have been getting and he was like ... Yeah... but I think we can beat them.

Email me or contact me via aim. We should set something up.
Click to expand...

I was at Syosset last night.

For sure we will set something up.

J
 
It's on TW now. The rebel... what in the world were they smoking? The graphite looks really nice though...
 
mrmo1115 said:
Courts are pretty fast there eh? I prefer Bethpage Sportime a bit more. BTW, did you use the Rebel from Bill's shop also?
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Yea, I think I like the lights at bethpage better, as well as the slower courts.

And no, I get my frames elsewhere.

J
 
if i didnt love tecnifibre tfight 320 XL i would so buy the rebel 95.looks like it would be an awesome stick.i think ill get my sibling it for his b-day he needs a good racket and i so wanna test one for fun.
 
J011yroger said:
Yea, I think I like the lights at bethpage better, as well as the slower courts.

And no, I get my frames elsewhere.

J
Click to expand...

Oh alright, so like I said email me at mrmo1115@yahoo.com or IM me at mrmo1115 so maybe we can arrange something. I am tournament free this weekend, so I am thinking Sunday? Or even Friday possibly, my brother has to qualify for the sectional at Roslyn, while I train my butt off to try to do some damage in the main draw the following weekend.
 
those are some massive swingweights on the rebels/graphites :shock:. i was hoping for something lower, esp for the graph 100.
 
mdjenders said:
those are some massive swingweights on the rebels/graphites :shock:. i was hoping for something lower, esp for the graph 100.
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The SW on the Graphite 100 is probably due to the 2 pt HL balance. You could add weight to the handle without raising it significantly.
 
I also want to clarify on what I didn't like about the racket, because I think I did a good job of saying what I did like:

The poor balance and the high swing weight are bad points I found in the racket. Maybe a bit too demanding for my taste to switch.

Also, generally , I can tell if a racket has too high of a swing weight for me when I am usually on the run (out of the point running for a desperation shot), having to take a one hand back hand hack at the ball. Usually, if I make any sort of connection with the ball and hit it any where near the net , the swing weight isn't too much. But with the Rebel, I was on the run, tried to hit the ball backhand and it was a terrible mishit.
 
what about the Rebel Team- did you get to use that too? - since its little lighter than the Rebel and easier to get through when you are on the run or have less set up time maybe that might suit better?

Also, check out that the exo3 website has a blog where you can talk directly with Tyler Hering - who is the head of racquet development at prince - we can go straight to the source with ?'s -good idea from prince.

http://www.princetennis.com/exo3/blog/
 
anbu4ever11 said:
if i didnt love tecnifibre tfight 320 XL i would so buy the rebel 95.looks like it would be an awesome stick.i think ill get my sibling it for his b-day he needs a good racket and i so wanna test one for fun.
Click to expand...

It is interesting that you mention the TF 320...I am beginning to suspect that the new rebel 95 may have come out of a modified 320 mold.

I can only support this on pictures but the frames look identical other than the ports and bridge that Prince have changed....

The TF 320 and 335 lines also have the same mold as the Dunlop m-fil 200 plus rackets
 
Plush feel

Can someone explain to me what is "a push feel"?
see below
Prince EXO3 Rebel Team 95 Racquets
This lighter, more maneuverable version of the Rebel offers excellent access to spin and pace. The Rebel TEAM is a great choice for aggressive hitters looking to maximize racquet head speed as well as players seeking greater maneuverability in a control-oriented racquet. From the baseline, the racquet offers a plush and comfortable feel. The response is very comfortable with no jarring on off-center hits and the sweetspot feels generous for a player's racquet. At net, the mobile response makes this an easy stick to get around. Again, comfort is impressive yet there's ample feel for touch and placement volleys. Both spin and pace come easily on serve. There's plenty of grip from the stringbed and some nice pop to add some kick and penetration to serves. All in all, an impressive stick that will appeal most to 4.0+ NTRP players.
 
Plush means solid, and lush and slightly buttery. Basically, it's a word that's used to describe most of the old school frames, PC600, PT280, etc.
 
If you are really that weak enough that you cannot handle a 12 oz racquet, then wait until prince releases the exo3 red or silver.
 
The highest SW for the group of EXO3 is 337...lower than the Ksix-one 95's. Everyone complains that Prince doesn't make player's sticks, but know that they have, they're too heavy?

ollinger: I know you were only joking, but I still wanted to make that point as a couple of people have already complained about the weight/balance.
 
Last edited:
I played with Rebel and I expected SW to be 327-330. 337 is on par with k90. However, serving with Rebel is MUCH easier. It swings really smooth and it is relatively easy to accelerate the head...
 
A heavier racquet and greater swingweight allow you to hit a heavier ball. Plus, O3 racquets are easier to swing than other racquets so the numbers can be kind of deceiving. It is really best to demo them before coming to conclusions. And if you cannot handle it, then wait until prince releases some tweener frames. lol
 
Being a POG fan, I love the looks and specs of the EXO3 graphite :)

But why is the recommended tension range for the graphite 100 lower (53-63) compared to the 93 (55-65) ? should'nt it be the other way around?
 
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