The EXO3 Tour 100 frames are perfect except for the O ports. Compared to competing frames the O port technology makes the frames feel hollow and even toy-like.
Are there any plans for Prince to produce solid frame (literally, as in no hollowing out for O ports) or is Prince completely committed to the O port approach?
Both the EXO3 Tour 100 with 16 mains and the Head Speed 300 share similar head sizes, string patterns, lengths, and both are soft frames. But the EXO3 feels, and literally is, hollow. The 300 feels soild.
Hi TimothyO,
We’re glad to hear that you are a fan of the EXO3 Tour Team and sorry to hear you have not been able to dial in the feel to your liking yet. We're absolutely committed to EXO3 technology, which is why there are no new performance racquets without it. Why? Because it makes the racquet perform better! EXO3 racquets have edge to edge performance. This means that the traditional "dead zone" in the upper half of the string bed is now able to return balls with authority.
Does EXO3 feel different? Yes! This is a direct result of total string freedom. To better understand “string freedom,” simply press your thumb down on the strings at the edge of an EXO3 frame. Then try it on any non-EXO3 racquet. You’ll notice that the strings are much freer with EXO3. From our experiences working with elite junior and pro athletes, we’d be curious to know if you experimented with string tension while demoing EXO3 racquets. EXO3 players often increase their strong tension by 5-10%. This will firm up the string bed and provide the more "solid" feel they’re used to, all while maintaining the edge to edge performance of EXO3 technology. Once players find the right string and string tension, it takes their EXO3 performance to a whole new level!
Moving on to your comments about EXO3 racquets feeling “hollow,” this is an unfortunate misconception. To be clear, we DO NOT remove ANY carbon fiber from our racquets during the production process. In fact, one of the most innovative aspects of this future technology is in the way the racquet is actually made. Instead of drilling holes (which does remove material) to create grommet holes, we create the EXO3 shape directly inside the mold during the curing process. That way, when the racquet comes out, the holes are already there. This eliminates the need to drill holes that would weaken the frame.
As a final disclaimer, we’d mention that our production process does include air "bladders" to create the final hollow interior of the racquet frame, but this is in line with industry standards across all brands.
Finally, we can say without hesitation that we are 100% committed to our EXO3 technology and will always continue to push the envelope of performance. Again, EXO3 frames are a next gen technology and they do feel different. And they perform different. In our Quality Demo Experiences, we encourage players to hit balls off center and observe the ball flights compared to what they feel. EXO3 produces a more comfortable feel with better ball response. By eliminating restrictive grommets, an EXO3 frame allows strings to move more freely. This translates into more response when hitting the ball outside the center of the frame. This evolution in racquet technology was designed specifically to keep up with the evolving way tennis is being played.
Thanks again for your questions, and let us know what you think of EXO3 after bumping up your string tension!
Thanks,
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