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PRINCE EX03 BLACK 100

100 square inches, 10.8 ounces unstrung, 16 x 19 string pattern

This racquet is what I like to call “a spongy power hitter.” Translated, that means it’s got a unique control feel with plentiful plough through the court.

This was Maria Sharapova’s racquet of choice in the early part of 2010. It’s a perfect fit for the Sharapova-like strikers with compact, flat, straight through strokes. This is a ball crusher frame extraordinaire. The silver square ports give this frame a definite advantage in the spin department, and the thicker beam and 16 x 19 open string pattern are probably why.

This was a fun frame to swing out with and really let go, as you could feel the EX03 Black 100 aiding you all the way. After playtesting a lot of true player’s sticks of late that made me do a bit more work, this was a nice way to finish. Balls felt “mushy” coming off the frame but then I’d look up and see the incredible length I’d get. It made me feel like a big cut was possible every single time. That’s a great feeling for control baseliners like me, and one reason I found this such an appealing stick.

I liked the feather-light feel at net this racquet gave, too. I got into a couple of rapid-fire exchanges at net and found myself wanting to give it a hug after these exchanges. The whippiness of this frame is great for those quick, on-the-rise pick-ups from the backcourt, scooper half volleys and reflexers at net.

Serves also were a real gem with this racquet. This is a nuclear serving stick for sure, so players looking for some more pop on those service games or late in matches will find this a real smart stick. The real test of that statement is how a racquet responds on those flat bombs we all love to go for but can never put it.

The Prince EXO3 Black is an opponent’s heart attack in the making, especially when in the server’s hand I ripped through virtually every serve games with this beast, and I’m usually one of those 3/4, placement type of servers. Not this day! Overheads, high balls and any big swinging stroke really felt that bit of extra juice from this frame.

Players looking for a jolt of power might want to give this racquet a test-run. Just don’t limit yourself to the power-hungry mindset.

Perfect for just about every level (though power baseliners might want to dial the tension down a bit), the EX03 Black 100 is an optimized power/control frame.

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