***** Prince EXO3 Rebel Club *****

[kimguroo]

I am now up to 5 of these and still loving them, although it looks like I am one of the few not planning on switching to the newer stick.

you are not alone.
I don't think I will switch new Rebels. I don't see any improvement for new rebels. I have 3 Japanese rebels, one rebel 95 team (matched with Japanese rebel weight) and 3 Japanese rebel 105. I think the weight of Japanese rebel is much better for recreational players.

 

[NYCtennis1]

you are not alone.
I I think the weight of Japanese rebel is much better for recreational players.

What is the strung weight of the Japanese Rebel's?

 

[Arthuro]

you are not alone.
I don't think I will switch new Rebels. I don't see any improvement for new rebels. I have 3 Japanese rebels, one rebel 95 team (matched with Japanese rebel weight) and 3 Japanese rebel 105. I think the weight of Japanese rebel is much better for recreational players.

I think it is the weight that many serious players are considering. As is usually the case, I will test them out when they come out and make my decision then.

 

[kimguroo]

What is the strung weight of the Japanese Rebel's?

unstrung : 310g

strung : about 330g

I found one more new Japanese rebel 105" with a nice soft case.
I put it on the corner of my room and forgot about it hahaha.

 

[sansaephanh]

Bump! I'd like to know if anyone has tried replacing the old plastic rebel 95 ports with the carbon/thermoplastic port inserts yet. I'd like to do this myself soon!

I really hope it fits, I see no reason why it wouldn't. I'll take all the feel I can get outta my rackets. I love the heft of these frames.

If anyone decides to sell their old rackets hit me up =D

EDIT: Never mind they're still for presale lol. i'm still going to order me a set of the new grommets and see if they fit and if they really change the feel of the racket. I've been looking for a tad more feel lately.

 

[NYCtennis1]

Bump! I'd like to know if anyone has tried replacing the old plastic rebel 95 ports with the carbon/thermoplastic port inserts yet. I'd like to do this myself soon!

I really hope it fits, I see no reason why it wouldn't. I'll take all the feel I can get outta my rackets. I love the heft of these frames.

If anyone decides to sell their old rackets hit me up =D

EDIT: Never mind they're still for presale lol. i'm still going to order me a set of the new grommets and see if they fit and if they really change the feel of the racket. I've been looking for a tad more feel lately.

I just played a set with the ports on the old one as my stringer had them in stock. Definitely a lot more feel (up at net especially,) the ports also made the frame a little more responsive from the baseline.

 

[themitchmann]

My demos still haven't shown up from Prince. The rep said they were to ship last Monday (which would have meant they should have been here on Tuesday). Hoping they'll show up early this week!

 

[sansaephanh]

My demos still haven't shown up from Prince. The rep said they were to ship last Monday (which would have meant they should have been here on Tuesday). Hoping they'll show up early this week!

Good Luck! Be sure to post your review here!!

Also, does anyone know if the ports from the exo3 tour would fit in the old rebel? Probably not huh? I'm just getting antsy to try some new sexy ports in my old torn up Rebels...

 

[themitchmann]

Good Luck! Be sure to post your review here!!

Also, does anyone know if the ports from the exo3 tour would fit in the old rebel? Probably not huh? I'm just getting antsy to try some new sexy ports in my old torn up Rebels...

I'm pretty sure they used the same mold, so the inserts should fit. I was thinking about getting some of the inserts for the old Rebel Team to try since they're black and will match the new PJ.

 

[Arthuro]

Does anyone know if the new Exo3 Rebels have the port vs. holes inserts as the last model, or is it all ports.

 

[klementine]

have been playing with the 95 and 98 for 3 weeks now..........im in love with both but will stick with the 95. i had used the grommets in the past but really like the ports on the new "banana" version that all are teasing me about. I strung mine with polyspin (lime) in the mains and beast in the crosses at 59lbs...heaven.

Hello Gavna,
Can't leave us hangin' like that!!!! :smile: If you could please fill out the following survey.

-Does it perform anything like the 1st rebel... any aspects at all?.... or is it a completely different racquet?

-A forum member stated that it plays in/around 'pt630' territory?... true? or false?

-Is the string pattern a touch more open (as claimed) compared to the 1stReb95? How is spin production?

-Too flexy?... just enough stiffness?

-Serve... backhand.... forehand... volley... slice?

-More of a defensive racquet... or great for put aways?

-Scrambled or over easy? :razz:

 

[themitchmann]

Does anyone know if the new Exo3 Rebels have the port vs. holes inserts as the last model, or is it all ports.

Comes stock with ports, but you can buy hole inserts.

 

[gatorskb12]

Anybody else hit with the new rebel 95's did not plan on switching
but if they keep getting good reviews, I may have to try them out

 

[ricki]

Bump! I'd like to know if anyone has tried replacing the old plastic rebel 95 ports with the carbon/thermoplastic port inserts yet. I'd like to do this myself soon!

Cmon stop talking these nonsenses! Basically every plastic you see around is thermo plastic, you heat it, you form it and it stiffens. So old grommets were "thermoplastic" too.

Same with nonsens from Prince and their Beast XP "first precision tuned thermopoly" gah...

 

[klementine]

^ Actually, the old port/hole inserts in the exo3 series were not made of this carbon-thermoplastic process and/or material.

The difference is noticeable if one plays the exo3Tour100 and compares the feel to the previous exo3 models (graph93,Reb95,etc.).

It is a much more solid feel. I have changed the inserts in the old rebel and the new exo3Tour100. The old inserts were very pliable and elastic. The exo3Tour100, if not careful, can actually crack and or break during the removal or application.

This new, stiffer insert is a mix of carbon (graphite) and plastic (or thermoplastic-heating process the two materials go through) and is responsible for the added rigidity and improved feel.

 

[mromato64]

Are they selling the port grommets for the new rebel at tw right now?

 

[sansaephanh]

Cmon stop talking these nonsenses! Basically every plastic you see around is thermo plastic, you heat it, you form it and it stiffens. So old grommets were "thermoplastic" too.

Same with nonsens from Prince and their Beast XP "first precision tuned thermopoly" gah...

It's relatively new tech and we know a ton of racket technology is just marketing, but not all of it is. What's wrong with being eager to put such things to the test? Just like 80% of everyone else in the forum are.

^ Actually, the old port/hole inserts in the exo3 series were not made of this carbon-thermoplastic process and/or material.

The difference is noticeable if one plays the exo3Tour100 and compares the feel to the previous exo3 models (graph93,Reb95,etc.).

It is a much more solid feel. I have changed the inserts in the old rebel and the new exo3Tour100. The old inserts were very pliable and elastic. The exo3Tour100, if not careful, can actually crack and or break during the removal or application.

This new, stiffer insert is a mix of carbon (graphite) and plastic (or thermoplastic-heating process the two materials go through) and is responsible for the added rigidity and improved feel.

Thanks for the quick breakdown on the tech! It gets me all riled up that I could have a Prince racket with more FEEL?

Are they selling the port grommets for the new rebel at tw right now?

I would have bought them already if they were =P

 

[TopspinAce]

Do you think I should use the old one or buy the new one?
i use a Head Youtek Speed 16/19

 

[sansaephanh]

Reviews. Now.

 

[themitchmann]

I got 2 of my new 95's, but am waiting for 2 more to fully customize and match them all. Then I will string up and post my impressions.

 

[Arthuro]

Prince Rebels

So I got two of my Prince Rebel 95's in as part of my player's package. I am excited to string them up and test them out.

Though I had a brief stint with the Wilson K Blade Tour, in my heart I've been hoping Prince brought back the Rebel line. Here are the three generations of this stick.

 

[sansaephanh]

I'd hate to admit it, but i'm going to demo the 98 first. I'm a pretty simple player with flat ground strokes. I hope I can still flatten out with this racket while really improving my spin game and consistency. Basically I want it for my kick serve while still being able to flatten it out. It should be here in on monday i think. Tomorrow if i'm lucky.

 

[sansaephanh]

I have received the Rebel 98 and the 95 today. I got to play a few really low leveled doubles matches today for about two hours.

Initial Impressions

The 98

Serves: This is a nice spinny racket with tons of control! the 16x20 string pattern really caught me by surprise today. My kicks were doing well and flats stayed low with plenty of control. This is from a 3.5 with horrible consistency! Imagine what would happen if someone with some real solid technique and racket head speed stepped up to the plate?
Feel on serves: The 98 does feel more lively than the previous Rebel. You still get some really nice confort/flex when taking a big cut, but I really think this racket is one that will depend on your string set up. Whatever synth TW put in there was very... average feeling for a synthetic gut. I would imagine this racket would get some amazing pop with a poly or some really nice ball pocketing with gut. Again I was getting some really nice spinny serves and really enjoyed serving with this racket. I'd love to add some lead to the handle and maybe some gut in there to make her shine.

Ground Strokes: ahh ill finish it tomorrw i just fell asleep on my keyboard. gnight...

 

[Arthuro]

I got 2 of my new 95's, but am waiting for 2 more to fully customize and match them all. Then I will string up and post my impressions.

Mitchman,

Are you using a hybrid set up for the rebels?

 

[themitchmann]

Mitchman,

Are you using a hybrid set up for the rebels?

I will be, but I have some sets of poly I have to try first.

 

[Arthuro]

So I hit with the new Rebel 95 and I must say it is an interesting and somewhat exciting hit.

Some specs:

Old Rebel 95:

SW: 331
W: 361 grams
Bal: 30.5

New Rebel 95

SW: 330
W: 345
Bal: 31.5

The major difference I felt was in the touch/feel of the frame. What do I mean like this? This racquet with the port inserts is like a vortex on the ball. It is extremely soft feeling, which I think is good considering. This version is 3 RDC points below the first rebel. I find the first frame to be more "topspin" friendly, but the new rebel can put some heaviness on balls that I haven't seen before.

 

[ricki]

So I hit with the new Rebel 95 and I must say it is an interesting and somewhat exciting hit.

Some specs:

Old Rebel 95:

SW: 331
W: 361 grams
Bal: 30.5

New Rebel 95

SW: 330
W: 345
Bal: 31.5

The major difference I felt was in the touch/feel of the frame. What do I mean like this? This racquet with the port inserts is like a vortex on the ball. It is extremely soft feeling, which I think is good considering. This version is 3 RDC points below the first rebel. I find the first frame to be more "topspin" friendly, but the new rebel can put some heaviness on balls that I haven't seen before.

I thought that its only 5 grams difference between them?

 

[themitchmann]

I thought that its only 5 grams difference between them?

Strung weight or customized frames?

 

[ricki]

Strung weight or customized frames?

Ah, so Arthuro customized them to have both same swing weight?

 

[themitchmann]

Ah, so Arthuro customized them to have both same swing weight?

Not sure, but my unstrung Rebels (2012 models) were all around 325grams with balance points around 31.5cm.

 

[Arthuro]

Ah, so Arthuro customized them to have both same swing weight?

My old rebel was customized. I posted the numbers on this thread a while back. I had to add about 8 grams to get them even.

 

[Ashley D]

Hi guys. Got myself 2x Rebel 95s (original) yesterday. I'd demoes them and loved the feel, weight, and control.
Got mine strung with Synth Gut at 58lbs.
Played three sets of dubs last night. Here are my impressions.
-Volleys were absolutely awesome. Cannot fault the racquet in this department.
-Backhand slice, again, was awesome. Stayed really low, lots of slice and felt really confident hitting it.
- 1h topspin backhand. Love the feel and control, but had to put in a lot of effort to get the ball over the service line. I think this will just take time, but the energy I was putting in to get the ball took wore me out by the end of the third set.
- Forehand. I hit with a semiwestern grip, lots of top. Again, had to put in a lot of effort to get beyond the service line. By the third set though, I was finding my range and was pretty happy with were the ball was ending up.
-Serve: This was my only real problem. Was getting very little power. Again, I think this is just going to take some adjustment. Shoulder is a little sore today which is a slight concern.

I'm thinking some of these problems may be solved by stringing at about 55lbs next time?

What do people think about string tension with the Rebel?

Overall, loved it though. Can't wait to hit with it again on the weekend.

 

[gatorskb12]

Hi guys. Got myself 2x Rebel 95s (original) yesterday. I'd demoes them and loved the feel, weight, and control.
Got mine strung with Synth Gut at 58lbs.
Played three sets of dubs last night. Here are my impressions.
-Volleys were absolutely awesome. Cannot fault the racquet in this department.
-Backhand slice, again, was awesome. Stayed really low, lots of slice and felt really confident hitting it.
- 1h topspin backhand. Love the feel and control, but had to put in a lot of effort to get the ball over the service line. I think this will just take time, but the energy I was putting in to get the ball took wore me out by the end of the third set.
- Forehand. I hit with a semiwestern grip, lots of top. Again, had to put in a lot of effort to get beyond the service line. By the third set though, I was finding my range and was pretty happy with were the ball was ending up.
-Serve: This was my only real problem. Was getting very little power. Again, I think this is just going to take some adjustment. Shoulder is a little sore today which is a slight concern.

I'm thinking some of these problems may be solved by stringing at about 55lbs next time?

What do people think about string tension with the Rebel?

Overall, loved it though. Can't wait to hit with it again on the weekend.

Took me about 2 weeks to get use to serving with the rebel, I never string above 56 so i am not sure what to tell u on the tension.

I would agree that the 2 problems your having would be fixed by lower tension.

 

[ricki]

Hi guys. Got myself 2x Rebel 95s (original) yesterday. I'd demoes them and loved the feel, weight, and control.
Got mine strung with Synth Gut at 58lbs.
Played three sets of dubs last night. Here are my impressions.
-Volleys were absolutely awesome. Cannot fault the racquet in this department.
-Backhand slice, again, was awesome. Stayed really low, lots of slice and felt really confident hitting it.
- 1h topspin backhand. Love the feel and control, but had to put in a lot of effort to get the ball over the service line. I think this will just take time, but the energy I was putting in to get the ball took wore me out by the end of the third set.
- Forehand. I hit with a semiwestern grip, lots of top. Again, had to put in a lot of effort to get beyond the service line. By the third set though, I was finding my range and was pretty happy with were the ball was ending up.
-Serve: This was my only real problem. Was getting very little power. Again, I think this is just going to take some adjustment. Shoulder is a little sore today which is a slight concern.

I'm thinking some of these problems may be solved by stringing at about 55lbs next time?

What do people think about string tension with the Rebel?

Overall, loved it though. Can't wait to hit with it again on the weekend.

I play horribly with multi or syngut in Rebel, i strated stringing Prince poly EXP 18 and its heaven.

btw. I received as a gift new Rebel 98, TW says it has SW 325 strung, how much it will be if I add overgrip (6 grams) silencer 2 grams and total 9 grams of lead (3 at 9,12,3 o clock)?

I know its crazy answer, but if someone has idea approx. ?

Thanks

 

[kimguroo]

I made extended rebel 95 (a little less than 27.5").
I played much better with it especially, serves were nice.
I really like it. it's Japanese rebel 95 and weight is about 330g (strung).

Yesterday, I demoed new rebels but somewhat reason, I was not impressed by both new 95 or 98 (maybe it's string. strung with Beasts which I don't like it). I thought about getting 98 but feel like I should buy old rebels (either Japanese rebel or rebel team then make extended rackets.)

 

[Boredsurfer]

Gents...trade me your Rebel 98!!

...anyone wanna trade a brand new rebel 95 (2012) 3/8 strung with solinco tour bite 18 at mid-tension. Used for one hour.... even trade for a Rebel 98 we each pay our own shipping. Thnx!

 

[gamerx52986]

I can officially counted as a member as of today. Picked up 2 Rebel 98's along with the 2012 Rebel 6pk bag.

 

[baowow]

I play mainly in the Lawrenceville area

I play in that area too. Always looking for new people to hit with. Shoot me an email if you want to hit sometimes. bdang21@gmail.com

 

[gatorskb12]

Was that directed at me Baowow, Im guessing so but just making sure I didnt miss something

 

[BC1]

I have received the Rebel 98 and the 95 today. I got to play a few really low leveled doubles matches today for about two hours.

Initial Impressions

The 98

Serves: This is a nice spinny racket with tons of control! the 16x20 string pattern really caught me by surprise today. My kicks were doing well and flats stayed low with plenty of control. This is from a 3.5 with horrible consistency! Imagine what would happen if someone with some real solid technique and racket head speed stepped up to the plate?
Feel on serves: The 98 does feel more lively than the previous Rebel. You still get some really nice confort/flex when taking a big cut, but I really think this racket is one that will depend on your string set up. Whatever synth TW put in there was very... average feeling for a synthetic gut. I would imagine this racket would get some amazing pop with a poly or some really nice ball pocketing with gut. Again I was getting some really nice spinny serves and really enjoyed serving with this racket. I'd love to add some lead to the handle and maybe some gut in there to make her shine.

Ground Strokes: ahh ill finish it tomorrw i just fell asleep on my keyboard. gnight...

Just saw here where you demoed the 98. And on your most recent thread "bandwagon" you are using the rebel 95. What were your final impressions of the 98?

 

[sansaephanh]

Just saw here where you demoed the 98. And on your most recent thread "bandwagon" you are using the rebel 95. What were your final impressions of the 98?

A great tweener for a player looking for a hybrid between a players stick and a tweener. It has great plow through and tons of spin when using a long and precise swing, just as a players stick, but has the forgiveness and power of a tweener. I personally was hitting short for a long while, but just upped my game for about an hour before the rain kicked in.

I really loved this stick for variation serves and the consistency and angle potential which really enabled me to move around my opponents. On the other end of the spectrum, I couldn't hit a flat penetrating shot for the life of me, due to the mushy flexiness of the string/racket combo. That is a deal breaker for me since I really depend on my groundstrokes to keep my opponent on his toes.

I think with the right string setup this racket can shine for players who rely spin and accuracy to win points. Great comfort, great plow, great control, great spin, and on most occasions you get what you put into it. A great tweener for those who enjoy the exo3 feel and is looking for spin and accuracy without sacrificing much power.

The weight is also a major plus. A bit sluggish for me at net, but every racket feels sluggish for me at net. I'm just horrible at volleying lol.

 

[BC1]

A great tweener for a player looking for a hybrid between a players stick and a tweener. It has great plow through and tons of spin when using a long and precise swing, just as a players stick, but has the forgiveness and power of a tweener. I personally was hitting short for a long while, but just upped my game for about an hour before the rain kicked in.

I really loved this stick for variation serves and the consistency and angle potential which really enabled me to move around my opponents. On the other end of the spectrum, I couldn't hit a flat penetrating shot for the life of me, due to the mushy flexiness of the string/racket combo. That is a deal breaker for me since I really depend on my groundstrokes to keep my opponent on his toes.

I think with the right string setup this racket can shine for players who rely spin and accuracy to win points. Great comfort, great plow, great control, great spin, and on most occasions you get what you put into it. A great tweener for those who enjoy the exo3 feel and is looking for spin and accuracy without sacrificing much power.

The weight is also a major plus. A bit sluggish for me at net, but every racket feels sluggish for me at net. I'm just horrible at volleying lol.

Very good and accurate review - I agree 100%. Nice job!

 

[kimguroo]

new rebel 98.
but 98 is not completely boxed beam.....

Two custom paint Japanese rebel 95 with extended (27.5"), regular Japanese rebel 95, Japanese rebel 105 and rebel 98.

 

[sansaephanh]

Tasty nomnomnomnom. I'd love to try the XL japanese 95s.

 

[realed]

I just picked up 2 of the new Rebel 95s and am enjoying them thoroughly after distributing 7 grams of lead in the hoop and handle and replacing the original grip with a leather grip and overgrip. Power is effortless and I feel like I can whack some wicked flat forehands with ease. Serving has been a pleasure as well. Just need to pick up a cool bag to throw these suckers in got both strung with X1 biphasic at 56 lbs.

 

[shadowshifter]

I just picked up 2 of the new Rebel 95s and am enjoying them thoroughly after distributing 7 grams of lead in the hoop and handle and replacing the original grip with a leather grip and overgrip. Power is effortless and I feel like I can whack some wicked flat forehands with ease. Serving has been a pleasure as well. Just need to pick up a cool bag to throw these suckers in got both strung with X1 biphasic at 56 lbs.

Nice, I liked the new 95s when I demo'd them, control is solid too. Where'd you add the lead?

 

[royroy85]

I recently acquired two rebels from TW in new condition. Marvellous racket I should say..however, one of them has a pressure crack on the throat area.. I have heard this is common with the rebels. My question is do they affect the way they play...should I consider buying another one??

 

[Arthuro]

The Rebel Family

Here are my rebels. I am thinking of getting some more 2012 Rebels, I like the feeling of them.

 

[realed]

Nice, I liked the new 95s when I demo'd them, control is solid too. Where'd you add the lead?

5g in the hoop at 3,9, and 12. 2g at 7inches from the bottom.

 

[Arthuro]

I would like to see what some people have done with their rebels. Does anyone still play with them?