Prince EXO3 Warrior 100 Review

I miss my Warriors :)

Great all around racquet that will take you wherever you need to go.
Its like the Swiss army knife of racquets.

I know several of you demoed the Dunlop Bio 500 Tour.......I tried to read back through the thread but cannot seem to find it. Anyway, what were your thoughts on it???
 

Dgdavid

Professional
The shop I am going to for my 3rd Exo3 Graphite (strung with Beast/Attack!) has Warriors at £90 (cheap for UK, my first ones with £152). Thinking about it!

Dill, 500 Tour is good and was on my retest list if I hadn't found the Graphites. Probably nice quite as forgiving as the Warrior but has what can be described as more "players" racket qualities - or at least, that seemed to be the consensus. Also, general view was to ensure you demo it with a Poly.

ps. I watched a video from a knowledgeable guy reading his own autocue (content good, charisma less so!) who made the very good points that no racket will be perfect for all strokes so all things being equal, choose a racket that improves your results against regular partners and has a positive impact on your SECOND serve. He claims to have sold tens of thousands of rackets in his shop and this is view after all those.
 
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Andreas1965

Rookie
I know several of you demoed the Dunlop Bio 500 Tour.......I tried to read back through the thread but cannot seem to find it. Anyway, what were your thoughts on it???

I demoed the 500 Tour for the last few days. In search of a racquet with lesser static weight and more power than my POG I tested the Prince Exo3 Black, the Yonex RDiS300 and the Dunlop.

The Yonex could have been my fav, but something was missing. I could hit a decent FH and some ugly BH slice with it, but the serve didn't work. Put away shots were tough.
The Prince was ok on serve and FH, but zero feel. Lay it away after less than 2 hours of demo time.

500 Tour... guess I must buy three of them and make it my next racquet. For a thick beam racquet unbelievable good feel, easy power and good control.
Spin production was effortless. Hit some of my best FHs with it. Best of all was the serve... my hitting partner really complained about the kick serves.
I strung my demo racquet with Silverstring 1,20 at 26/25 kg.
The paint job is awesome and QC seems to be good, the demo was exactly like the specs say.

The Bio 500 Tour should be on your demo list, if you're looking for something with power and feel.
 

BC1

Professional
The shop I am going to for my 3rd Exo3 Graphite (strung with Beast/Attack!) has Warriors at £90 (cheap for UK, my first ones with £152). Thinking about it!

Dill, 500 Tour is good and was on my retest list if I hadn't found the Graphites. Probably nice quite as forgiving as the Warrior but has what can be described as more "players" racket qualities - or at least, that seemed to be the consensus. Also, general view was to ensure you demo it with a Poly.

ps. I watched a video from a knowledgeable guy reading his own autocue (content good, charisma less so!) who made the very good points that no racket will be perfect for all strokes so all things being equal, choose a racket that improves your results against regular partners and has a positive impact on your SECOND serve. He claims to have sold tens of thousands of rackets in his shop and this is view after all those.

dgdavid, great advice above. With that in mind, I just went out and got the Warrior 100 and Rebel 98 demos (however these were both mine at one time before I traded them months ago at the local shop). Crazy - all of these racquets, and all of this time, and I'm right back where I started from. Looking forward to bonding with them again and see if they are as good as I remember. I really can't even remember what I didn't like about the Warrior. With the Rebel 98 I know I didn't like the dead area at the top of the hoop and the flex and vibration you got from hitting outside the sweetspot, but beyond that it was perfect.

Anyway.... Jack and DgDavid maybe we need to join the WARRIOR gang again!! Jack If I remember correctly you are (or at least were) the gang leader so I'm assuming we can get back in.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
dgdavid, great advice above. With that in mind, I just went out and got the Warrior 100 and Rebel 98 demos (however these were both mine at one time before I traded them months ago at the local shop). Crazy - all of these racquets, and all of this time, and I'm right back where I started from. Looking forward to bonding with them again and see if they are as good as I remember. I really can't even remember what I didn't like about the Warrior. With the Rebel 98 I know I didn't like the dead area at the top of the hoop and the flex and vibration you got from hitting outside the sweetspot, but beyond that it was perfect.

Anyway.... Jack and DgDavid maybe we need to join the WARRIOR gang again!! Jack If I remember correctly you are (or at least were) the gang leader so I'm assuming we can get back in.

I'm pretty happy with my PDRs at the moment! ;-)
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Ok. That's good. Not trying to tempt you away from a good thing.
How is the weight of the PDR working out for you? Pretty good I take it.

340 grams is perfect for me in the PDR. Heavy enough for some good plow, but not too heavy to tire me out late in long matches.
 

BC1

Professional
Jack & BC, give me your take on the Dunlop Bio 500 Tour........

Its been a year since I played with it so I'm not so sure anymore, but I remember liking it. Personally I'm convinced that all racquets in this category are more or less the same and it all boils down to personal preference on feel and flex. Pd, apd, pro open, 500 tour, warrior, extreme, etc. If you can play with one you can play just as well with any of them.

However I do remember that the 500t was comfortable had decent power and spin and felt more like a players racquet then other tweeners. Cant remember the negatives but I'm sure there are some. I need to play with it again. Maybe the stability was lower then some others. And as jack pointed out the stringbed was very open and maybe a little inconsistent. Some dont like the dunlop head shape either. Very oval. I do like that.
 
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Its been a year since I played with it so I'm not so sure anymore, but I remember liking it. Personally I'm convinced that all racquets in this category are more or less the same and it all boils down to personal preference on feel and flex. Pd, apd, pro open, 500 tour, warrior, extreme, etc. If you can play with one you can play just as well with any of them.

However I do remember that the 500t was comfortable had decent power and spin and felt more like a players racquet then other tweeners. Cant remember the negatives but I'm sure there are some. I need to play with it again. Maybe the stability was lower then some others. And as jack pointed out the stringbed was very open and maybe a little inconsistent. Some dont like the dunlop head shape either. Very oval. I do like that.

Thanks Dg, Andreas, BC, and Jack......it's always good to hear the various views beforehand. I have borrowed one to hit with tomorrow and this gives me a little insight.
 

BC1

Professional
Thanks Dg, Andreas, BC, and Jack......it's always good to hear the various views beforehand. I have borrowed one to hit with tomorrow and this gives me a little insight.

Be sure to give us your impressions. Oneithef thing, I found the racquet string sensitive. It came with dunlop silk and I didn't like it at all, I almost didn't give the racquet a chance. Restrung it with rpm blast and loved it. It felt and played like a different racquet. More power and more control.
 

Andreas1965

Rookie
Be sure to give us your impressions. Oneithef thing, I found the racquet string sensitive. It came with dunlop silk and I didn't like it at all, I almost didn't give the racquet a chance. Restrung it with rpm blast and loved it. It felt and played like a different racquet. More power and more control.

Correct. I tried Yonex Polytour Pro 1,30 and it was just... ok. The I strung it with MSV Focus Hex 1,18 at 26/26 kg and I was very impressed!
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
hey, how would you compare the Warrior 100 with the O3 white and the Speedport pro White ?

very similar. I think the WArrior is more well rounded and the White is more power oriented. Also the weight and balances are slightly different, but they still are in the same ballpark.
 

Dgdavid

Professional
Just out of interest, did any Warrior 100 or Warrior Team users try or use the Exo3 Red 105 (2011)? 105 sq inch, weighted between the Team and 100 version.
 

CaptinStiff

New User
I moved down from playing with the older O3 Red to the Warrior, but haven't tried the 2011 version. The O3 Red was a totally awesome serving stick for me (the best I've ever hit with), but beyond that I wanted something heaver with a notch down in power to help me keep the ball in play easier. So far so good for me.
 

Dgdavid

Professional
I moved down from playing with the older O3 Red to the Warrior, but haven't tried the 2011 version. The O3 Red was a totally awesome serving stick for me (the best I've ever hit with), but beyond that I wanted something heaver with a notch down in power to help me keep the ball in play easier. So far so good for me.

Thanks Captin.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Well guys, I am seriously considering a return to the Warrior :)

just to recap...I was perfectly happy with the Warrior, but due to others influences, dropped it for the similar PD12. I liked the PD12 but found it too stiff to use anything but full multi. I then tried the PDR on a whim and liked the extra mass and plow that it gave, but it still had the same stiffness issue which limits string choices. I then went to my current Organix 8-315 since it is like an arm friendly PDR. I initially liked it a lot, but lately have struggled with control. I think I played best with the Warrior and am seriously thinking about going back to it, since I never really had a reason to drop it. This time I will try adding some lead tape to increase the plow and stability, since I and more used to heavier sticks like the PDR and X8 315. I think my magic weight is around 335 grams.

I really want to "settle down" with a good choice for the fall season (thru Nov) and want to feel good about my choice. I am considering the Warrior or the new Extreme 2.0 MP or the new Dunlop 3.0. I am also dabbling with the Dunlop 600 Tour, which is another fine and very overlooked gem for 3.5 to 4.0s.
 
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RollTrackTake

Professional
Well guys, I am seriously considering a return to the Warrior :)

just to recap...I was perfectly happy with the Warrior, but due to others influences, dropped it for the similar PD12. I liked the PD12 but found it too stiff to use anything but full multi. I then tried the PDR on a whim and liked the extra mass and plow that it gave, but it still had the same stiffness issue which limits string choices. I then went to my current Organix 8-315 since it is like an arm friendly PDR. I initially liked it a lot, but lately have struggled with control. I think I played best with the Warrior and am seriously thinking about going back to it, since I never really had a reason to drop it. This time I will try adding some lead tape to increase the plow and stability, since I and more used to heavier sticks like the PDR and X8 315. I think my magic weight is around 335 grams.

I really want to "settle down" with a good choice for the fall season (thru Nov) and want to feel good about my choice. I am considering the Warrior or the new Extreme 2.0 MP or the new Dunlop 3.0. I am also dabbling with the Dunlop 600 Tour, which is another fine and very overlooked gem for 3.5 to 4.0s.

you should call the Warrior 'old reliable'. With fall season starting in a few weeks I too have to make a racquet decision. it was a tough summer for me and the Pro 1. The crazy heat made it feel heavier than it had during the winter. I've been hitting the weights to see if that helps. but the warrior sits in my closet waiting for its opportunity....along with a few others (APDGT, Prestige S, BB London & Bio Max 200). are the new Dunlops available to demo?
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
you should call the Warrior 'old reliable'. With fall season starting in a few weeks I too have to make a racquet decision. it was a tough summer for me and the Pro 1. The crazy heat made it feel heavier than it had during the winter. I've been hitting the weights to see if that helps. but the warrior sits in my closet waiting for its opportunity....along with a few others (APDGT, Prestige S, BB London & Bio Max 200). are the new Dunlops available to demo?

The Pro 1 for me was hard to "whip" when needed for sitters, etc.

I think you should pick either the APD or the Warrior. The others are too "risky". The Prestige S IMO is horrible. Had no pop and a small sweetspot.. The London is a "niche" racquet and the Bio Max is sort of too. The APD or the Warrior will not hurt you at all.
 

RollTrackTake

Professional
The Pro 1 for me was hard to "whip" when needed for sitters, etc.

I think you should pick either the APD or the Warrior. The others are too "risky". The Prestige S IMO is horrible. Had no pop and a small sweetspot.. The London is a "niche" racquet and the Bio Max is sort of too. The APD or the Warrior will not hurt you at all.

I agree that the Pro 1 is not a racquet I can whip very easily. I'm so used to the weight and feel of it it's been hard to play with the others. But I did pick up the APD & the London a lot this summer and they both proved to be easier to play with for 3 hours in 90+ degree weather. the hybrid Iontec black/prince syn gut did not hold up well in my warrior. whereas a full bed of N. VY played great in the APD as did a full bed of Klip syn gut in the London. I know you enjoyed a hybrid (PPA mains IIRC?) in your Warrior. did you ever try a full bed of syn gut or multi with any success in it?
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
I agree that the Pro 1 is not a racquet I can whip very easily. I'm so used to the weight and feel of it it's been hard to play with the others. But I did pick up the APD & the London a lot this summer and they both proved to be easier to play with for 3 hours in 90+ degree weather. the hybrid Iontec black/prince syn gut did not hold up well in my warrior. whereas a full bed of N. VY played great in the APD as did a full bed of Klip syn gut in the London. I know you enjoyed a hybrid (PPA mains IIRC?) in your Warrior. did you ever try a full bed of syn gut or multi with any success in it?

No I only used a hybrid of Beast / Attack. It worked so well, I never tried any other combo.
 

YesTennis

Semi-Pro
Jack- I know that you were playing with the Pure Drive Roddick for a while ago. Any thoughts on that racquet compared to the Warrior?
 

SonRK

Semi-Pro
Just picked this up for a demo after using Prince Speedport Tour (String Hole Inserts) since it came out. My Speedport Tour has a leather grip and I've been using nat gut mains / poly crosses on it.

I find it (Speedport Tour) a tad heavy but I love how it feels. No arm discomfort at all, and feels very crisp.

So I tried out the Warrior 100 today and found myself serving huge bombs and being able to crank out the MPH on the forehand. I was mishitting a bit, because the swingweights on both racquets are very different so Ill gave it another whirl tomorrow. I love how easy it is to get depth and how comfortable the racquet is. I wish I could try some real strings on it other than the Demo's dureflexes. Might have to extend my demo period and put on some decent multis for a real playtest :p
 
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JackB1

G.O.A.T.
pD

Jack- I know that you were playing with the Pure Drive Roddick for a while ago. Any thoughts on that racquet compared to the Warrior?

they are in different weight classes. The Warrior is 11 oz and the PDR is close to 12 oz. The Warrior compares more closely with the regular Pure Drive. They both have similar power. The Prince has a softer and more muted feel. The PD feels stiffer and crisper. I thought the Warrior was a little easier to play with...bigger sweetspot and not as jarring on mishits.
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
Well, I just demoed one today and took the plunge. The Warrior is much less demanding, as JackB1 said, and it more solid. It is very comfortable. I hit with one strung with some Black/White poly, one with the Beast, and I strung one up with Syngut.

I really like this frame and have found nothing it doesn't do well.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Well, I just demoed one today and took the plunge. The Warrior is much less demanding, as JackB1 said, and it more solid. It is very comfortable. I hit with one strung with some Black/White poly, one with the Beast, and I strung one up with Syngut.

I really like this frame and have found nothing it doesn't do well.

I agree that I couldn't really find fault with this frame. I wish I had stayed with it, but ventured into Pure Drive land.
 
Didn't understand Jackb1's post. Considering he changes racquets at the rate most of us change socks, why would he not go back to the thing if he regretted giving it up??
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Didn't understand Jackb1's post. Considering he changes racquets at the rate most of us change socks, why would he not go back to the thing if he regretted giving it up??

because I can't find one at a decent price. I am still looking.
I use 4 1/2 which isn't always easy to find. Also, I have been
pretty happy with the Donnay Formula 100 lately and want to stay
with one stick for the time being to get some consistency. It is
pretty similar to the Warrior.
 
a decent price!!! Given all the racquet buying and selling you appear to do, it's stunning to hear you quibble about price. People concerned about thrift tend to stick with a racquet for some time.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
a decent price!!! Given all the racquet buying and selling you appear to do, it's stunning to hear you quibble about price. People concerned about thrift tend to stick with a racquet for some time.

I use $ from selling racquets to buy them. I never spend extra $ on racquets.
Its weird that you would make such a generalization about someone's "thriftyness" without knowing much about them. You have no clue. I actually do a lot of buying low/selling high on Flea Bay, which ends up paying for all my tennis gear. I am far from rich, but I am smart about it.
 

smirker

Hall of Fame
Well, I just demoed one today and took the plunge. The Warrior is much less demanding, as JackB1 said, and it more solid. It is very comfortable. I hit with one strung with some Black/White poly, one with the Beast, and I strung one up with Syngut.

I really like this frame and have found nothing it doesn't do well.

Rabbit, what steered you away from the EXO Tour Team you liked so much? The Warrior gets a distinctly average TW review. Is it in fact better than it sounds or is it just that it has no stand-out attributes but does most things well? Interested in the softer, more muted PD comment.
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
Rabbit, what steered you away from the EXO Tour Team you liked so much? The Warrior gets a distinctly average TW review. Is it in fact better than it sounds or is it just that it has no stand-out attributes but does most things well? Interested in the softer, more muted PD comment.

Racquets are all about matching the player with the correct racquet. 2 of those playtesters on the Warrior review were not a good match from the start. One of them liked it so much he switched to it and the other liked it a lot. Some of those TW reviews are skewed because they don't use the right playtesters for the particular racquet they are reviewing.
 

smirker

Hall of Fame
Racquets are all about matching the player with the correct racquet. 2 of those playtesters on the Warrior review were not a good match from the start. One of them liked it so much he switched to it and the other liked it a lot. Some of those TW reviews are skewed because they don't use the right playtesters for the particular racquet they are reviewing.

Good point Jack. Chris for example hated it but he tends to gravitate towards players frames which the warrior is not. Will take another look at the review.
 

Dgdavid

Professional
i think Mike has since switched to the 6.1 95 TEAM. Interesting!
How's the F100 Jack? Sig change must mean you like it.
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
Rabbit, what steered you away from the EXO Tour Team you liked so much? The Warrior gets a distinctly average TW review. Is it in fact better than it sounds or is it just that it has no stand-out attributes but does most things well? Interested in the softer, more muted PD comment.

Basically, hitting with the Warrior, it had more power and was better off the ground, serves, and volleys for me. It came out after the Tour, and I've had my Tours over a year now, so it might also have been a bit of the new racquet bug. And, my Tours look absolutely horrible. The paint has just come off them.

IMO, the Warrior is everything the Tour is with a little kick. It has more power, more control, and is better for me off the ground. Plus, now I get to play around with string and tension.

I figure when Prince comes out with their 14X15 frames, I'll be about ready. :)
 

smirker

Hall of Fame
Basically, hitting with the Warrior, it had more power and was better off the ground, serves, and volleys for me. It came out after the Tour, and I've had my Tours over a year now, so it might also have been a bit of the new racquet bug. And, my Tours look absolutely horrible. The paint has just come off them.

IMO, the Warrior is everything the Tour is with a little kick. It has more power, more control, and is better for me off the ground. Plus, now I get to play around with string and tension.

I figure when Prince comes out with their 14X15 frames, I'll be about ready. :)

Thanks for the insightful update. I will have to try and get hold of one (Warrior) to demo. The new Prince frames should be an eye-opener for sure!
 

Veninga

Rookie
as soft as a couch

Yesterday I got my first (and long waited) hit with the Warrior.

Yes, its true, this is a spin monster (very open pattern, polarised) and very easy on the arm. Imo it is really softer than the stiffness rating of 64. It almost felt as an exo 3 tour.

My game has already some spin so I had 2 adjust a bit, otherwise all my balls were landing short (in fact before the serv line). So I will lead it up a bit at 3/9 to make it less polarised.

Also noticed that you really have to swing throught the ball. A short push shot wont get you there, and a PD does do that trick. It is definitely for medium to long strokes. Also you have to finish your stroken (WW or something like that) otherwise you hit the fence. It is definitely not for flat hitters. So low power when hitting short, big power and spin with good and long hitting.

Touch. It is definetely not a touch racket like Dunlop 300, Radical or Prestige. The new Pure Drive has more. But it does not have touch, but it provides not much. Your arm has to do it your self.

Serving, with the massive spin, is a bit strange. The racket brings you a lot of power, but because of the spin, the balls are not bombs. More like fast sliding or kicking balls.

In the end, very comfy hit. And definitely will give it a another hit. Now with some lead.

I heard from DGDavid that F100 has more control and same amount of power? Do you guys recognize this?
 

Dgdavid

Professional
JackB1 would be a good person to ask. He currently hits with the F100 and was a long time Warrior user (think he is having a good look at the Extreme 2.0 MP too). Actually, he tried the Volkl X8 you mentioned too!
 

JackB1

G.O.A.T.
JackB1 would be a good person to ask. He currently hits with the F100 and was a long time Warrior user (think he is having a good look at the Extreme 2.0 MP too). Actually, he tried the Volkl X8 you mentioned too!

The Warrior and F100 are very similar. The Warrior has slightly more power...the F100 slightly more control. The F100 has a little higher swingweight and didn't need any lead. The Warrior benefits from a little lead. F100 has better feel....the Warrior has bigger sweetspot. Both racquets have a different feeling at impact....Warrior is more muted but crisp, while the F100 feels more solid on center hits.

I liked both. You really have to try them both side by side to see which you prefer.. You really can't go wrong with either and they are both arm friendly for PD type sticks. Either one will take you where you want to go.
 
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