TW Review: Prince EXO3 Rebel 95 & 98

[TW Staff]

Video reviews now available:

EXO3 Rebel 95:
http://bit.ly/sJn1ib

EXO3 Rebel 98:
http://bit.ly/s65OZS

Full written reviews to follow.

Jason, TW

 

[Teski]

Hey Jason - Great videos. I know you've said you really liked the new Rebel 98 along with the Dunlop 400 Tour and that you could easily transition to either of those. Bummer you weren't included in the 400 Tour video review. Can you compare those two and give some of your impressions after playing both?

Thanks!

Mike

 

[topspin18]

nice review. i am intersted in how the new rebel 95 will swing.

 

[BobFL]

Nice review guys (as usual) I must add that Spencer improved immensely. I watch TW videos since Tutankhamun was a kid and Spencer is just different player all around.

 

[TheBoom]

You guys mentioned that the rebel 98 was similar to a blx blade 98 (maybe a dunlop 300 tour as well???) could you compare them? BTW great reviews you guys are great players

 

[galain]

The old Rebel is the only yellow frame that didn't turn me completely off. These ones - they're just so ....yellow.....

Kudos to Spencer. I agree with Bob above - his game is looking better with each test.

 

[j00dypoo]

Great reviews. I'm really saddened that Prince decided to soften the rebel up in order to bring more mass appeal. I also don't like the new cosmetic, but I love the old one.

Guess I'll shop around for versions of the older rebel that I use now.

 

[Legendary]

Like everyone said, this was a great review. It's interesting how they changed the racquet specs. a little bit. I wonder how it will play out on the courts.

 

[TW Staff]

Hey Jason - Great videos. I know you've said you really liked the new Rebel 98 along with the Dunlop 400 Tour and that you could easily transition to either of those. Bummer you weren't included in the 400 Tour video review. Can you compare those two and give some of your impressions after playing both?

Thanks!

Mike

I really like both racquets but I lean more toward the Dunlop 400 Tour. Although both offer things I enjoy, the 400 Tour is geared more to what I like. I feel like it's more manuverable, which is great for my forehand and serve. The 400 Tour is also more powerful; I feel like I can get more cheap points with this racquet than the Rebel 98. I think spin is great with either, especially with a full bed of polyester.

I will say that the Rebel 98 is more arm friendly. After hitting a few days in a row with the Dunlop 400 Tour, I can feel tenderness in my elbow and shoulder. I probably should be using softer strings or at least a hybrid, but I love the feel and spin potential of polyester too much! The Rebel 98 is more forgiving for those off-center shots (which I tend to hit more than I care to admit, but I'm sure you know nothing of off-center shots )

As for feel, the 400 Tour feels more crisp and there's more feedback. The Rebel, even though it has more feel than old Speedports or O Ports, has a softer, more muted response.

Hope that helps!

Jason, TW

 

[Legendary]

Does anyone know what shoes Chris is wearing during the reviews? I'm just wondering because I've never seen them.

 

[TW Staff]

Those are the Prince T22 Mid in black.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=T22SMU1

Jason, TW

 

[movdqa]

Spencer was showing some pretty fancy footwork on the 95 video.

One thing that I noticed was how much noise this racquet makes when hitting the ball. It's nice to have aural feedback on shots.

 

[Agent Orynge]

Video reviews now available:

EXO3 Rebel 95:
http://bit.ly/sJn1ib

EXO3 Rebel 98:
http://bit.ly/s65OZS

Full written reviews to follow.

Jason, TW

Sexy. Any plans to bring in the new Black Ace 295?

 

[5imon]

do they come with the port hole or string hole grommets?

 

[klementine]

do they come with the port hole or string hole grommets?

I believe they all come with port-hole grommets.




They should have made a 16x18 95 version. I'd make a blind switch if that was the case. I'll demo one anyway.

 

[coolblue123]

Complements on the video shooting! Nice angles on the Rebel 95!

 

[Teski]

I really like both racquets but I lean more toward the Dunlop 400 Tour. Although both offer things I enjoy, the 400 Tour is geared more to what I like. I feel like it's more manuverable, which is great for my forehand and serve. The 400 Tour is also more powerful; I feel like I can get more cheap points with this racquet than the Rebel 98. I think spin is great with either, especially with a full bed of polyester.

I will say that the Rebel 98 is more arm friendly. After hitting a few days in a row with the Dunlop 400 Tour, I can feel tenderness in my elbow and shoulder. I probably should be using softer strings or at least a hybrid, but I love the feel and spin potential of polyester too much! The Rebel 98 is more forgiving for those off-center shots (which I tend to hit more than I care to admit, but I'm sure you know nothing of off-center shots )

As for feel, the 400 Tour feels more crisp and there's more feedback. The Rebel, even though it has more feel than old Speedports or O Ports, has a softer, more muted response.

Hope that helps!

Jason, TW

You're a stud Jason! I really appreciate you taking the time to put your thoughts down for me (and the rest of those reading this thread ). Off-center hits? No, never.

Thanks again!

Mike

 

[Ross K]

I really like both racquets but I lean more toward the Dunlop 400 Tour. Although both offer things I enjoy, the 400 Tour is geared more to what I like. I feel like it's more manuverable, which is great for my forehand and serve. The 400 Tour is also more powerful; I feel like I can get more cheap points with this racquet than the Rebel 98. I think spin is great with either, especially with a full bed of polyester.

I will say that the Rebel 98 is more arm friendly. After hitting a few days in a row with the Dunlop 400 Tour, I can feel tenderness in my elbow and shoulder. I probably should be using softer strings or at least a hybrid, but I love the feel and spin potential of polyester too much! The Rebel 98 is more forgiving for those off-center shots (which I tend to hit more than I care to admit, but I'm sure you know nothing of off-center shots )

As for feel, the 400 Tour feels more crisp and there's more feedback. The Rebel, even though it has more feel than old Speedports or O Ports, has a softer, more muted response.

Hope that helps!

Jason, TW

Very informative. Cheers...

 

[sansaephanh]

I might pick up the 98 and add enough led to make it 11.8-12.3 oz... I wanna see if i can hit the perfect weight/hl balance ratio with that racket.

 

[anewtypedude]

You guys haven't posted any written review in a while

 

[subz]

You guys haven't posted any written review in a while

But video is so much better you can actually watch them hit ....

Can TW crew compare the Rebel 98 to the Wilson nBlade 98 ? I am looking for a replacement for my racquets and the Rebel 98 with a 58 stiffness sounds good. Other suggestions are welcomed as well

You guys have an awesome store and doing a great job !

 

[coolblue123]

Yep, where's the written reviews? I really dig the calculations based on the TW tester's that suit my style of play.

 

[borgpro]

Video reviews now available:

EXO3 Rebel 95:
http://bit.ly/sJn1ib

EXO3 Rebel 98:
http://bit.ly/s65OZS

Full written reviews to follow.

Jason, TW

Thank you for the great review which is, more than other sides, more or les independent I guess. I too liked the benefits of thr weight of the old rebel 95, and nee though it differs only 5 grams, I might stick with the older version and buy 2 more of those..

 

[borgpro]

Video reviews now available:

EXO3 Rebel 95:
http://bit.ly/sJn1ib

EXO3 Rebel 98:
http://bit.ly/s65OZS

Full written reviews to follow.

Jason, TW

Thank you for the great review which is, more than other sides, more or les independent I guess. I too liked the benefits of the weight of the old rebel 95, and even though it differs only 5 grams, I might stick with the older version and buy 2 more of those..

 

[anewtypedude]

But video is so much better you can actually watch them hit ....

Can TW crew compare the Rebel 98 to the Wilson nBlade 98 ? I am looking for a replacement for my racquets and the Rebel 98 with a 58 stiffness sounds good. Other suggestions are welcomed as well

You guys have an awesome store and doing a great job !

I am a math geek. I need the numbers

 

[adso1973]

Hi Spencer, hope you are doing well!

Can you please compare the 95 with your current EXO 100 and with the PST Ltd?

Thanks!

 

[JackB1]

I really like both racquets but I lean more toward the Dunlop 400 Tour. Although both offer things I enjoy, the 400 Tour is geared more to what I like. I feel like it's more manuverable, which is great for my forehand and serve. The 400 Tour is also more powerful; I feel like I can get more cheap points with this racquet than the Rebel 98. I think spin is great with either, especially with a full bed of polyester.

I will say that the Rebel 98 is more arm friendly. After hitting a few days in a row with the Dunlop 400 Tour, I can feel tenderness in my elbow and shoulder. I probably should be using softer strings or at least a hybrid, but I love the feel and spin potential of polyester too much! The Rebel 98 is more forgiving for those off-center shots (which I tend to hit more than I care to admit, but I'm sure you know nothing of off-center shots )

As for feel, the 400 Tour feels more crisp and there's more feedback. The Rebel, even though it has more feel than old Speedports or O Ports, has a softer, more muted response.

Hope that helps!

Jason, TW

Hey Jason, can you compare the Rebel 98 to your current racquet...the London? The seem to be pretty similar spec wise. Could you compare power, softness, spin and overall user friendliness? I also use similar spec racquets and am currently playing with the DC Pro and used to use the London.

 

[subz]

I am a math geek. I need the numbers

Oh yes, the histograms are nice =)

I think the rebel 98 would be a good fit for me, for some reason, I am digging the yellow color as well, which is strange since I do not own any stuff that is yellow...

 

[keithfival]

Thanks TW for the review, I've been waiting on the Reb 98 ever since I demo'd the Reb 95 Team and thought, "WOW, i love the feel of this, if it only had a 98inch head and open string pattern!"

So, can any of you guys tell me if it actually feels much like the Rebel 95 Team or is it really just a new frame with it's own feel?

 

[movdqa]

It's pretty amazing that you guys spend a full month playtesting with one racquet. That's a considerable amount of labor in playtesting and doing the video and editing.

I find that it takes me about three months to get fully comfortable with a racquet but you guys probably hit a lot more frequently so it's nice to get an opinion from those that have more than a cursory playtest.

 

[Jim A]

Question for Spencer

A lot of the talk on the Rebel 98 has been access to spin.

However when watching the Video review it looks like you are hitting pretty flat and with some good pace.

Was there a big transition or did you have issues being able to hit flat?

thanks!

 

[TopspinAce]

Does anyone know what shoes Chris is wearing during the reviews? I'm just wondering because I've never seen them.

Prince T22 Mid in black -- only available at TW in that color as Kana designed the use of color on this TW exclusive.

 

[TW Staff]

Hi Spencer, hope you are doing well!

Can you please compare the 95 with your current EXO 100 and with the PST Ltd?

Thanks!

The 95 has a more stable feel than the other two as well as being a little more sluggish. I did have an issue with depth as it seemed trajectory was more the issue than that of a lack of power. The PST Ltd has a thin beam and comes through the hitting zone pretty quickly (low swing weight), but with a very tight string pattern, really lacks in power. But on the flip side, it's easy to swing out while maintaining good control. It also has more feel than the other two (in my opinion). The EXO3 Tour 100 has a nice combination of stability and maneuverability. The large sweetspot also masks some of my off center hits. The feel of this one is very different than the other two and has a very flexy response. This one fits my game best as it gives me the best combination of power, control and forgiveness.

Spencer, TW.

 

[TW Staff]

A lot of the talk on the Rebel 98 has been access to spin.

However when watching the Video review it looks like you are hitting pretty flat and with some good pace.

Was there a big transition or did you have issues being able to hit flat?

thanks!

I didn't find I had to make much of a transition here. The 98 is pretty easy to swing, offering power when asked, while providing access to spin when brushing up on the ball. I liked the fact that I could flatten out a little bit without much problem when I was looking to get offensive. Same on serve. When I was looking to get a little extra pace, the racquet responded. On top of that, when looking to get more action on a kick serve, it seemed to respond well there, too. This is a versatile stick that many types of player can take advantage of.

Spencer, TW.

 

[ricki]

And when you compare old Rebel 95 to new 95 and 98, how they stand in terms of "power"?

Im afraid that both new 95 and 98 will be lower powered as their stiffness is lower than old Rebels?

Thanks

 

[TW Staff]

Well, there really is no comparing the 98 as it is a completely different offering, and a first time offering in this line. Concerning the 95's, the old Rebel 95 has a bit more mass and I feel drives through the ball more effectively, getting better penetration. The new 95 is less sluggish and a little more predictable and controllable. In the review, Chris preferred the older one as he liked the plow and heft, while I preferred the most recent one for its better maneuverability and predictability.

So to answer your question more directly, I believe the older 95 offers more in terms of power.

Hope that helps.

Spencer, TW.

 

[Power Player]

I love that Prince is carving a nice by making modern racquets with true old school flex. There is nothing better for me, since that is what I remember from coming up with the graphite 110s.

 

[Jster]

What's Boone forehand grip? kind of extreme.

 

[jace112]

Looks like Prince QC is having some trouble...

Unstrung weights :

Rebel 98 :
312 g > + 12 g
311 g > + 11 g (3 racquets)
302 g > + 2 g

Rebel 98 Team
293 g > + 13 g
289 g > + 9 g
288 g > + 8 g
285 g > + 5 g
283 g > + 3 g

 

[Agent Orynge]

No love for my question, Spencer?

 

[Anton]

Looks like Prince QC is having some trouble...

Unstrung weights :

Rebel 98 :
312 g > + 12 g
311 g > + 11 g (3 racquets)
302 g > + 2 g

Rebel 98 Team
293 g > + 13 g
289 g > + 9 g
288 g > + 8 g
285 g > + 5 g
283 g > + 3 g

WOW - better buy in batches.

 

[Larrysümmers]

put me on the list for 3 of them in 5/8ths, TW leather, and 3 grams each at the 3and9o'clock, and string it up at 60lbs of beast xp.
im squirming

 

[JackB1]

Hey Jason, can you compare the Rebel 98 to your current racquet...the London? The seem to be pretty similar spec wise. Could you compare power, softness, spin and overall user friendliness? I also use similar spec racquets and am currently playing with the DC Pro and used to use the London.

^^^^^^^

bump for Jason...

 

[asifallasleep]

what i find most interesting is that the reviewers for the most part liked the previous versions of these frames better. the tennis manufacturers have to continually introduce new frames to make more money, but honestly how many ground breaking advances are there from one generation of a racquet to the next?

 

[Arthuro]

what i find most interesting is that the reviewers for the most part liked the previous versions of these frames better. the tennis manufacturers have to continually introduce new frames to make more money, but honestly how many ground breaking advances are there from one generation of a racquet to the next?

I think you are correct, but in the case of the Rebel 95 a 5 gram difference and lesser Head-light balance might be worth it.

 

[TW Staff]

No love for my question, Spencer?

Plenty of love, AO, but I had to ask some others on this. No plans for this racquet at this point and time.

Cheers,

Spencer, TW.

 

[JackB1]

Plenty of love, AO, but I had to ask some others on this. No plans for this racquet at this point and time.

Cheers,

Spencer, TW.

Spence, could you ask Jason to reply to my question above comparing the Rebel 98 to his London? Thanks pal.

 

[TimothyO]

The 98 sounds really tempting but I have a hard time with the Exo tech. For me the frames feel less solid compared to those of other companies.

For example, the Speed 300 and the original xtreme Pure Storm are similar to the Exo 100 with 16 mains but feel far more solid to me.

Will definitely demo the Rebel 98 anyway.

 

[Agent Orynge]

Plenty of love, AO, but I had to ask some others on this. No plans for this racquet at this point and time.

Cheers,

Spencer, TW.

Much appreciated. Thanks for your time and attention, as always.

 

[JackB1]

The 98 sounds really tempting but I have a hard time with the Exo tech. For me the frames feel less solid compared to those of other companies.

For example, the Speed 300 and the original xtreme Pure Storm are similar to the Exo 100 with 16 mains but feel far more solid to me.

Will definitely demo the Rebel 98 anyway.

They do have a "different" feel to them for sure, but feel is subjective.