Prince in baaacccckkk, and hitting the market with four new stick in their exo³ line.
Leading the charge is an updated exo³ Rebel that is little changed from earlier renditions but sporting a new gold and black paint job and tips the scales at 162g (strung). Featuring Prince’s traditional “fan” string pattern with 16 mains and crosses (resulting in a dense string pattern), head-heavy balance, and very stiff frame, the Rebel still favors the all-court player seeking responsiveness and what-you-see-is-what-you-get feel (in other words, you’re going to get power if you play with power, and touch if that’s more your style).
The exo³ Pro Tour offers similar characteristics to the Rebel, but with slightly more heft (164g strung)—even balance makes the extra few grams almost irrelevant. The only real difference we noticed was that the Pro Tour’s frame has a bit of flex, resulting in more power under the hood.
Unstrung, the exo³ Red is decidedly head-light, but with the factory strings (17 gauge), it plays more evenly balanced to head-heavy. The Red is the only racquet of the four with a more “rounded” frame (it is wider at the center point of the head), and adds an extra row of cross-strings (for 16 mains, and 17 crosses). Also missing from the Red are the “Energy Bridges” on the sides. Offering good feel on dropshots, you will have to swing a bit harder to generate pace and length.
Finally, the exo³ Warrior stands out in this series of racquets in that it is the only one lacking the Power Ring. Instead, the main strings extended down into the throat. The 10 main strings and 14 crosses create an extremely “open” string pattern which enhances the bite on the ball. But this head-heavy bat is loaded with power. Like the Red, the Warrior is 159g strung.