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Review of the Prince EXO3 Tour 100 18x20

Donald Young switched to this racquet this year and his results are apparent. I don’t know if it’s just the racquet but there’s no denying the facts. His ranking has risen dramatically while using this racquet. Several other players are also using this racquet so it was time for me to take a look at why it’s gaining popularity. I was anxious to get this stick out on the court. This test racquet is about 11 ½ oz strung, 100 sq in, strung with a synthetic gut, an 18x20 string pattern and a stiffness rating in the low 50’s. This racquet had the open ports and not the optional grommets.

Groundstrokes

The first thing I noticed is that you can really feel the flexibility of this racquet. I currently use a pretty flexible racquet (Volkl PB10 Mid) but this one really bends on impact. It felt very comfortable and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to generate good power, considering the flexibility. The flex allowed complete comfort for my arm. At first, I thought that I might need to add lead tape to the head to squeeze more power out of the frame. But after playing a set, that feeling went away. I found that with the extreme flexibility, I was able to control the ball and place it on a dime. Even with the larger head, it controlled the ball as well as my 93 sq in frame I currently have. Slice, flat or topspin, I could do it all. My confidence was way up every time I swung. The 18x20 string pattern contributed to the control factor and spin was excellent. I can imagine that if I installed a “spiny” co-poly, this might be considered one of the best frames out there (it still may be anyway). Frankly, other than possible lead tape, I don’t have any suggestions for improvement on groundies.

Volleys/Overheads

The light head and dense string pattern aided me in getting the racquet into position and control volleys but the lack of mass hurt me a bit in depth. I just needed to make sure that I punched through the ball to get the depth I needed. This is one area where lead tape would help. However, control was easy and I loved the touch. The flex allowed me to cup the ball and drop it where I wanted. Overheads were serviceable but I wouldn’t consider them powerful. The large head provided all the hitting surface I needed to put the ball away.

Serves/Returns

Even though I didn’t have all the power I wanted on serves, I was able to control the ball with ease. I was placing the ball in the deep outside corner on the ad side with ease and good pace on the ball. That’s a tough serve to hit but I was very consistent with it. Spin was good but not earth-shattering as I could hit a kick serve that was average in “kick-height”. Returns were as expected: fantastic! Whether blocking a big serve or blistering a weak serve, this racquet delivered. The tight string pattern helped keep the ball in play no matter the situation. Again, this is one area where lead tape may aid some in power and depth but I didn’t feel it would be necessary.

Overall, I loved this racquet. This is a great racquet for singles or doubles players in the 4.0 and above range and those who are looking for more control and/or comfort. If there is any thing to change, I might add lead tape to the head to beef it up a little. That is my only “iffy” thing about this frame. Additionally, there will be an adjustment period for most players coming from any of today’s stiff racquets. There will be a noticeable difference and they might feel that the racquet is bending too much. However, with persistence, you’ll see a great difference in the control of the ball and your arm will thank you for it. I want to lead the charge for players to switch from stiff racquets and play more flexible ones. This can help compensate for the stiff strings being used today and arms can be saved. I can see myself switching to this racquet which says quite a bit. It would be tough to rip my Volkl PB10 Mid from my hands but this racquet might be able to do it!