Prince users: Rebel 95 Team-->same feel, more beef?

[keithfival]

Hello Prince users. I am in search of a VERY comfortable frame with a good amount of pop that can hit flat or spin. I've tried at least 30-40 frames and the most comfy frame I have found (by some margin) is the Rebel 95 Team. I am an aggressive 4.5 and usually play with a strung weight of 340-345g so the Team is pretty light on paper although it feels fine swinging it. I hit well with it and there's plenty of pop to hit winners (b/c I can hit so flat with it) but in general the ball does not have nearly enough penetration in a hard hitting 4.5 match. I have tried adding weight but haven't been able to dial in anything that works well (other than current weight in handle).

Sooo, i'm curious about other prince exo frames with similar stiffness level. Comfort is non-negotiable as I keep having wrist or shoulder issues with my other frames. I've tried the Tour 100 and the Reb 98 and didn't like either enough to switch so those are out. Here are the ones that look similar on paper, any users of these frames please chime in on the comfort/stiffness and general performance:

Old Rebel 95
Exo White
Exo Hybrid
Exo Graphite 100
(The new Warrior looks good but demos keep being out of stock)

Thanks!

 

[TaihtDuhShaat]

The tradeoff in a very comfortable frame is the loss of some shot speed; why it's harder to put away a winner. One option is to keep using the same frame, but switch to natural gut mains/poly crosses at mid-low mid tension to get some more mph's on your shots.

 

[athleticstennis]

The Graphite 100 is a a good racquet, but its comfort is not so great. So by what you are looking, I think you should discard it.

 

[Larrysümmers]

add some lead to the 3 and 9 and on the 12. then counter it with lead right above the grip, and down by the buttcap. thats what i did and it beefed it up, but still gave me that easy swinging feeling

 

[keithfival]

The Graphite 100 is a a good racquet, but its comfort is not so great. So by what you are looking, I think you should discard it.

Ok. Thanks.

 

[keithfival]

add some lead to the 3 and 9 and on the 12. then counter it with lead right above the grip, and down by the buttcap. thats what i did and it beefed it up, but still gave me that easy swinging feeling

I tried something like that. How many grams do you have in each spot?

 

[Larrysümmers]

8 all together at the 3 n 9, 2 at the 12. and 8 at the top of the handle, and 2 near the bottom. 20 all together.

 

[TheOneHander]

My Rebel Team mods consisted of 8g in the handle and 4g at 12. This may be too polarised for what you want, but it now swings very naturally and has much more access to spin (while the 18x20 string pattern keeps your ability to hit flat shots in check).

 

[keithfival]

8 all together at the 3 n 9, 2 at the 12. and 8 at the top of the handle, and 2 near the bottom. 20 all together.

Thanks. I'll have to get some more lead!

 

[keithfival]

My Rebel Team mods consisted of 8g in the handle and 4g at 12. This may be too polarised for what you want, but it now swings very naturally and has much more access to spin (while the 18x20 string pattern keeps your ability to hit flat shots in check).

8g plus an overgrip? That's about how I have it, except with nothing in the hoop. What effect would you say making it more polarised has?

 

[TheOneHander]

Adding weight to 12 wil increase the swingweight noticeably, but because it's polarized you'll get more "whip" near contact and it'll produce more spin and pop out of this configuration. It'll swing slower overall, but produce a heavier ball.

 

[keithfival]

Good results!

So far so good! I usually prefer 2 & 10 over 3/9 or 12 for some reason so I added a few grams at 2/10 and about the same amount right above the grip (never tried that before). This is in addition to ~7g on the butt and an overgrip. Total weight was ~ 325g. Still 15-20g lower than what I've been using but swings and feels solid.

The results were very encouraging. Swung the same and didn't lose any control on dead flat hitting and gained a nice little bit of depth, spin and net clearance which helped a lot on the serve, which had been my weakest shot with this. I was getting in a much higher % of first serves and more depth on the kick serve. Definitely not serving huge but good placement and very easy to get a solid serve in. I'll have to try it against some heavy hitters but based on 3 sets with my regular hitting partner I felt like this frame might be workable after all.

I'm surprised there's not more love for the Rebel 95 Team. I find it sooooo much more comfortable than my other frames, great for volleys/all court play, and amazing control for hitting flat. I've hit more first strike flat winners with this thing in the couple weeks I've had it than I probably did in the last year!

Thanks for the tips fellows...

 

[Larrysümmers]

yeah i didnt quite like the "feel" of it but its one of those rackets that one day i will buy a couple again, because i did enjoy playing with it.

 

[keithfival]

Still digging it.

Just a follow up. After 9 sets of singles and 2 sets of dubs I am still loving this setup. Thanks to those who chimed in about further modding the Rebel Team instead of demoing still more frames.

I'm at 323g and about even balance (previous sticks were 340-345 and 6-8pmts HL, so very different.) I have roughly 2g at 2/10, 2g above the grip, 7g on the butt plus overgrip and dampener.

I can hit flatter than I ever have, blasting flat winner returns off of first serves which I normally would block back or just place deep with topspin. Sweet spot feels like everything but the frame, and very forgiving. There's enough spin and liveliness to play defense when needed. Great touch for lobs, approach shots, half volleys, slice, etc. and this is the best volleying stick I've ever had. My serve doesn't have the pop of my APDC+ but I can place it better (and it doesn't hurt my shoulder!) I'm also finding I can go cross court at shorter angles on both sides than I usually do.

And of course my favorite part is the feel. Just lovely. This is such a great all-court stick, makes me feel like I could *almost* call myself an all-courter! Almost.