Bhagi Katbamna
Legend
What type of grip shape does it have?
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
ngoster
Semi-Pro
To me, it feels more oblong/oval than rectangular. I'm sure it would feel fine once you get used to it but switching back and forth between this and my Dunlops or Wilsons isn't smooth.
djNEiGht
Legend
This is where I notice it the most...but otherwise I'm okay with the grip shapes
Addxyz
Hall of Fame
Head TK82.
OldManStan
Rookie
ngoster
Semi-Pro
Are A and C the same with A having a larger butt cap?
It has a B-grip. Feels rectangular in the hand because of the elongated sides.
OldManStan
Rookie
A has a longer bevel on the top and bottom. C is even around. I believe Prince racquets use the C shaped handle.
ngoster
Semi-Pro
I got in 3 sets of doubles last night. I took some dry swings earlier in the day and felt "tennis strong". The pace wasn't particularly fast which afforded me more time to prepare with little to no pressure.
During warmups, my timing felt a little off. I was able to adjust on my FH side but did not feel confident hitting anything other than a slice on my BH side. It was a good night overall. The racquet perform well from all aspects other than the volleys, which earned an "ok" mark. Groundstrokes and return of serves were deep with good spin. The ball had some giddy-up on the bounce. Directional control was good on both wing especially on occasions where I misread the ball and had to block shots back. What really caught my attention were the serves. I was impressed with the power and spin. Generating both were much easier than the CX 200 Tour. My flat serves had more oomph and my kicks had more kick. The only thing slightly lacking was control. Most of my serves were going middle left and right but I couldn't hit anything wide on either side or hit the T from the deuce side. I'm sure this is just a timing issue to work out.
Feel-wise, the racquet felt solid and plush, notably more than the CX 200 Tour. It reminded me of the PS85 when I catch the sweet spot. I can really feel the ball sink into the string bed. Oddly though, I'm starting to feel a twinge developing in my elbow. It isn't bad now but I hope it doesn't get worse.
I think with more dedicated time, this could be a really fun stick to play with. I'm not sure I'll be able to switch back and forth between this and my current faves though. I don't think the swing weight is an issue but the differences in balance and grip shape will make it challenging.
During warmups, my timing felt a little off. I was able to adjust on my FH side but did not feel confident hitting anything other than a slice on my BH side. It was a good night overall. The racquet perform well from all aspects other than the volleys, which earned an "ok" mark. Groundstrokes and return of serves were deep with good spin. The ball had some giddy-up on the bounce. Directional control was good on both wing especially on occasions where I misread the ball and had to block shots back. What really caught my attention were the serves. I was impressed with the power and spin. Generating both were much easier than the CX 200 Tour. My flat serves had more oomph and my kicks had more kick. The only thing slightly lacking was control. Most of my serves were going middle left and right but I couldn't hit anything wide on either side or hit the T from the deuce side. I'm sure this is just a timing issue to work out.
Feel-wise, the racquet felt solid and plush, notably more than the CX 200 Tour. It reminded me of the PS85 when I catch the sweet spot. I can really feel the ball sink into the string bed. Oddly though, I'm starting to feel a twinge developing in my elbow. It isn't bad now but I hope it doesn't get worse.
I think with more dedicated time, this could be a really fun stick to play with. I'm not sure I'll be able to switch back and forth between this and my current faves though. I don't think the swing weight is an issue but the differences in balance and grip shape will make it challenging.
Devil_dog
Hall of Fame
Curious to know what was it about the TF40 and volleys that made you say just “ok?”
Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19 Racket Review
Few initial notes to put the review in perspective.
Few initial notes to put the review in perspective.
- I never played as a junior, started playing in early twenties, never took a formal tennis lesson. I used to play with Head rackets since forever: Head Pro Tour 280, Head Ti Fire Tour Edition, and then with Head i.prestige XL version for like 10 years. As I got older I've started looking for 100sq racket and at the time Head Speed MP was really the only Head racket in that size. I can honestly say that Head Speed MP is the _worst_ racket ever (ok, exaggerating a bit). Then I got handed Yonex Duel G 100 - and immediately liked it so I've switched to it. From there I went through Yonex Duel G 97, and then to Yonex VCore Pro 97 - because I like 16x19 stringbed better, plus I'm somehow addicted to thin-beamed rackets, plus I couldn't get used to 100sq racket. Now - because I've played with Head for so long I can't stand non-Head grip shape. I've been modifying Yonex handles to make them Head like. Which is why I was so excited about being picked to test Tecnifibre - because Tecnifibre's grip is very Head like shapewise. I chose 4 1/4 size in case I need to modify it a bit anyway.
- I'm also an engineer so I do not believe in 'stuff' that can't be measured (or more correctly - that cannot be noticed by a human being in non-lab environment). So I will not be commenting on 'launch angle' - since that is essentially a function of string tension or racket face angle at contact. Or about 'power' - since that is essentially a function of how deep you can hit the ball - and racket is literally the last thing that matters in that area.
- String and tension used for test:
Volkl Cyclone 1.20mm mains @48pounds / Yonex Tour Super 850 1.30mm crosses @51pounds. This is the same setup I'm currently using with my main Yonex VCore Pro 97 racket - so I wanted to compare with the same string setup. And yes, I string rather low. And never full poly.
- Tennis experience/background:
55 year young, 4.5 player (I play singles almost exclusively, doubles is not even proper sport
)
- Describe your playing style:
Baseliner, I go to the net to pick up balls only, although I am working on volleys more. Usually try to exploit opponent's backhand as I can usually outlast most in BH to BH rallies. I do not really have anything 'big' - just solid all around game.
- Current racquet/string setups:
While I have quite a few rackets these days I play exclusively with Yonex VCore Pro 97. I'm not married to any particular string setup - I string with soft poly main + multi crosses at around 48m/51c. The Yonex racket is customized to be close to Head i.prestige XL in terms of weight, balance, and swing weight - although that can't really be completely done since i.prestige is an extended lenght. I always use dampener.
- How many hours did you play with the racquet?
5 hours of singles so far
- Groundstrokes:
Absolutely outstanding. With proper preparation and body behind the shot I can really hit the ball. I can hear a nice pop which I'm not getting with the Yonex. But the most important thing - the racket feels as if it was an extended length. I'm not sure how to describe it. It definitely is a standard length racket by measurement. Maybe I'm used to Yonex head shape by now and a 'normal' shape feels different (in a _very_ good way)? The head area itself is definitely longer on Tecnifibre. Compare the size - the posts have not been moved and there's considerable space when Tecnifibre racket is placed on the stringing machine.
When you get under the ball for proper topspin you can hit a very controlled, deep shot off either side. Admittedly I'm rarely 'going for it' as I prefer not to miss, and this racket allows me to do exactly that. With my current Yonex Vcore Pro sometimes I get the feeling of incoming ball bending the frame - not so with TF40. But this Tecnifibre does not feel stiff by any means - it's just right. - Serves:
Serves are really the aspect of the game that will make or break the racket for me. That is why I could never get along with any 100sq, or wider-beam racket I've tried - I had a feeling that I could never pronate on time, that those rackets resisted turning from on-edge to square to the ball movement. I was very pleasantly surprised with Tecnifibre TF40 - it immediately felt just right. I'm still not serving bombs or anything - but I have no issues with serves. Kick ones (ok, that might be a stretch to call them kick if you watch the video) are also working - the racket gets under and around the ball as it should. I'm going to customize the racket to make it closer to my current Yonex specs - but first I wanted to try with the stock form as requested. It will be more headlight - which should make serves even better.
- Volleys:
Very solid. Never felt any jarring even if I had to just block the shot. Off-center shots did not twist the racket. With solid contact you get a nice, sharp, and clean volley.
- Serve returns:
I found it easy to both just block returns back, or taking a more aggressive swing. I was sort of expecting some instability since TF40 is way lighter than my customized VCore Pro - but I have not experienced any. But I was not playing against a big server yet, so more comments will be coming.
- Power/Control:
As I've mentioned earlier I'm not sure what exactly is 'power' when referring to a racket. But I was getting a nice, deep, consistent topspin without having to overswing. I found control to be outstanding, I think even better than with my current Yonex. Perhaps it's a function of a slightly wider beam that bends less?
- Top Spin/Slice:
As mentioned - excellent topspin. Especially with that feeling of this frame being extended it seemed like the tip of the racket just whips around the ball. Slices are very solid. No framing of the ball that I would notice - which I was a bit worried about since TF40 frame is wider than VCore Pro.
- Comfort:
I do not know whether it is foam inside the frame, or the very plush Tecnifibre grip - but this racket feels great. Absolutely great. Granted, I do not play with full poly so my stringbed is never very stiff - but still a very pleasant racket to play with.
- Feel:
I like everything about that racket. With a soft stringbed, and a dampener this racket is a gem. No jarring on framed or off-center shots, no problems with the elbow. But it's not mushy by any means. You can feel and hear when a good contact is made. Absolutely outstanding.
- Maneuverability:
This racket being lighter than my current VCore Pro felt quite alright, I wasn't ever late on my swings. The strange and very nice thing about it is that it feels extended on groundstrokes for that extra leverage but than does not feel sluggish on quick movement at all. I still do not know how to describe it. I'm gong to make it even more headlight just too see what happens.
- Stability:
Perhaps because of the wider beam compared to what I'm used to that racket feels really stable for me. No wobbling, no feeling of the frame bending on shots. It's just solid.
- General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Few things I have to mention for completeness.- Tecnifibre handle shape is very close to older Head TK57 shape. Which I absolutely love. Even the buttcap feels Head like. That is a noticeable difference compared to Yonex handle shape. Plus the original grip is very, very comfortable - although due to being so plush I think it makes the handle feel a bit bigger than the advertised size. I usually play with 4 3/8 grip, the TF40 I got is 4 1/4 size and it does not feel smaller at all.
- The advertised beam width is 22mm. And indeed it is. But due to bold raised lettering on the side of the beam it looks way wider. Not to worry (if you like thin beams) - it is indeed relatively thin 22mm.
- Paint job - awesome looking frame. The frame is not white, it is more ivory like, and not shiny. Raised black Tecnifibre lettering on the side. Non-symmetrical painting, very nice.
- Beam shape - it is _almost_ box shaped beam. The throat area is, the head has some curvature to it.
- String Bed - while it is 16x19 pattern there are still 8 strings in the throat piece. Which is actually the same as the throat piece on Tecnifibre TFight 305 RS 18x19. For comparison Tecnifibre TFight 300 RS 16x19 has 6 strings throat piece. The pattern on TF40 is denser in the middle than toward the outside. I kind of hoped it would be more uniform, and therefore wider in the middle - I just prefer it that way. The pattern is very similar if not identical to Yonex VCore Pro 97. The stringing was a pleasure though because the grommet holes at the top and bottom are big enough that you can tie off strings anywhere you want.
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Recoveringhobo
Rookie
Good review but both power and launch angle are measurable. : https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/trajectory_info.php
You should try one of those older 14x18 racquets to see how much string pattern and snap back effect launch angle.
See also:
- Spin and launch angle: https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringpattern.php
- String snap back: https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringmovementPart2.php
yes, I'm very aware of those excellent articles, and the work of Mr. Crawford in general. You are technically correct - given proper lab environment and measuring sensors I suppose those _could_ be measured. I've amended my post to read "I do not believe in 'stuff' that can't be measured (or more correctly - that cannot be noticed by a human being in non-lab environment)"
taydbear7
Professional
Played a league doubles match last night. It was cold (46 degrees) and somewhat windy condition.
Quick summary
- Nice return where the ball lands very deep and sometime dropped in no man's land.
- Very stable at the net
- Good directional control
- The only downside is there's some discomfort in the elbow. I'm about 6 hours in the poly strings and will probably give it another ~ hours and then cut them out.
Quick summary
- Nice return where the ball lands very deep and sometime dropped in no man's land.
- Very stable at the net
- Good directional control
- The only downside is there's some discomfort in the elbow. I'm about 6 hours in the poly strings and will probably give it another ~ hours and then cut them out.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Seems like the first thing to do for every racquet! Where did you add it?
ngoster
Semi-Pro
It was purely a timing issue. It was difficult for me to get the head in position quickly enough to not hit floaty popups. Defensive volleys hit at me, however, were great because of the hoop's stability.
ngoster
Semi-Pro
Another 2 hours of rallying were logged yesterday. Timing still needs to be worked out as I was hitting better balls when I focused on rhythm. My hitting partner commented that my shots had plow. BHs were still not there. I switched back to the CX 200 Tour 16x19 at the 1.5 hour mark. Regained some confidence in the BH again but lost significant free power. My partner was returning my shots like he was waiting for them.
Side note...there's still some discomfort in my elbow so I might have to call it quits with this stick.
Side note...there's still some discomfort in my elbow so I might have to call it quits with this stick.
netlets
Professional
Just to add another POV to this question...I've been using this racquet for a little over two months as I jumped on the demo when it first came out (the racquet still had plastic on the grip) and bought one after playing with it for a week. I think this is an amazing volleying racquet. It's easy to get it in position since it is not heavy even with the extra weight I added to 3 and 9 and the feel is fantastic. It also has great comfort since there is a bit of flex and it's foam filled. I used the Pure Strike for a bit and I really disliked how it performed/felt at net. It was great from the backcourt. This racquet is excellent for groundstrokes and excellent at the net. I'm an all court player that grinds or finishes at net depending on the opponent. I hope this racquet brings me forward more.
PrinceYonex
Semi-Pro
Great review. I play with a Vcore pro 97 also, wondering what spec you’ve gotten yours up to with added weight.Overall this frame is a keeper for sure. I'm going to play few more hours in stock version. Later I'll add some weight in the handle to make it more headlight.
- Current racquet/string setups:
While I have quite a few rackets these days I play exclusively with Yonex VCore Pro 97. I'm not married to any particular string setup - I string with soft poly main + multi crosses at around 48m/51c. The Yonex racket is customized to be close to Head i.prestige XL in terms of weight, balance, and swing weight - although that can't really be completely done since i.prestige is an extended lenght. I always use dampener.
- How many hours did you play with the racquet?
5 hours of singles so far
- Groundstrokes:
Absolutely outstanding. With proper preparation and body behind the shot I can really hit the ball. I can hear a nice pop which I'm not getting with the Yonex. But the most important thing - the racket feels as if it was an extended length. I'm not sure how to describe it. It definitely is a standard length racket by measurement. Maybe I'm used to Yonex head shape by now and a 'normal' shape feels different (in a _very_ good way)? The head area itself is definitely longer on Tecnifibre. Compare the size - the posts have not been moved and there's considerable space when Tecnifibre racket is placed on the stringing machine.
When you get under the ball for proper topspin you can hit a very controlled, deep shot off either side. Admittedly I'm rarely 'going for it' as I prefer not to miss, and this racket allows me to do exactly that. With my current Yonex Vcore Pro sometimes I get the feeling of incoming ball bending the frame - not so with TF40. But this Tecnifibre does not feel stiff by any means - it's just right.- Serves:
Serves are really the aspect of the game that will make or break the racket for me. That is why I could never get along with any 100sq, or wider-beam racket I've tried - I had a feeling that I could never pronate on time, that those rackets resisted turning from on-edge to square to the ball movement. I was very pleasantly surprised with Tecnifibre TF40 - it immediately felt just right. I'm still not serving bombs or anything - but I have no issues with serves. Kick ones (ok, that might be a stretch to call them kick if you watch the video) are also working - the racket gets under and around the ball as it should. I'm going to customize the racket to make it closer to my current Yonex specs - but first I wanted to try with the stock form as requested. It will be more headlight - which should make serves even better.
- Volleys:
Very solid. Never felt any jarring even if I had to just block the shot. Off-center shots did not twist the racket. With solid contact you get a nice, sharp, and clean volley.
- Serve returns:
I found it easy to both just block returns back, or taking a more aggressive swing. I was sort of expecting some instability since TF40 is way lighter than my customized VCore Pro - but I have not experienced any. But I was not playing against a big server yet, so more comments will be coming.
- Power/Control:
As I've mentioned earlier I'm not sure what exactly is 'power' when referring to a racket. But I was getting a nice, deep, consistent topspin without having to overswing. I found control to be outstanding, I think even better than with my current Yonex. Perhaps it's a function of a slightly wider beam that bends less?
- Top Spin/Slice:
As mentioned - excellent topspin. Especially with that feeling of this frame being extended it seemed like the tip of the racket just whips around the ball. Slices are very solid. No framing of the ball that I would notice - which I was a bit worried about since TF40 frame is wider than VCore Pro.
- Comfort:
I do not know whether it is foam inside the frame, or the very plush Tecnifibre grip - but this racket feels great. Absolutely great. Granted, I do not play with full poly so my stringbed is never very stiff - but still a very pleasant racket to play with.
- Feel:
I like everything about that racket. With a soft stringbed, and a dampener this racket is a gem. No jarring on framed or off-center shots, no problems with the elbow. But it's not mushy by any means. You can feel and hear when a good contact is made. Absolutely outstanding.
- Maneuverability:
This racket being lighter than my current VCore Pro felt quite alright, I wasn't ever late on my swings. The strange and very nice thing about it is that it feels extended on groundstrokes for that extra leverage but than does feel sluggish on quick movement at all. I still do not know how to describe it. I'm gong to make it even more headlight just too see what happens.
- Stability:
Perhaps because of the wider beam compared to what I'm used to that racket feels really stable for me. No wobbling, no feeling of the frame bending on shots. It's just solid.
- General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Few things I have to mention for completeness.
- Tecnifibre handle shape is very close to older Head TK57 shape. Which I absolutely love. Even the buttcap feels Head like. That is a noticeable difference compared to Yonex handle shape. Plus the original grip is very, very comfortable - although due to being so plush I think it makes the handle feel a bit bigger than the advertised size. I usually play with 4 3/8 grip, the TF40 I got is 4 1/4 size and it does not feel smaller at all.
- The advertised beam width is 22mm. And indeed it is. But due to bold raised lettering on the side of the beam it looks way wider. Not to worry (if you like thin beams) - it is indeed relatively thin 22mm.
- Paint job - awesome looking frame. The frame is not white, it is more ivory like, and not shiny. Raised black Tecnifibre lettering on the side. Non-symmetrical painting, very nice.
- Beam shape - it is _almost_ box shaped beam. The throat area is, the head has some curvature to it.
- String Bed - while it is 16x19 pattern there are still 8 strings in the throat piece. Which is actually the same as the throat piece on Tecnifibre TFight 305 RS 18x19. For comparison Tecnifibre TFight 300 RS 16x19 has 6 strings throat piece. The pattern on TF40 is denser in the middle than toward the outside. I kind of hoped it would be more uniform, and therefore wider in the middle - I just prefer it that way. The pattern is very similar if not identical to Yonex VCore Pro 97. The stringing was a pleasure though because the grommet holes at the top and bottom are big enough that you can tie off strings anywhere you want.
I played for about ten minutes with a friend’s tf40 16/19, and I found it surprisingly stable for how light and how low it’s swing weight is. Seemed more stable than my vcp, but of course it was less head light, less whippy through the air (but not sluggish really), and so I think I’d need to get adjusted to that balance if I were to play with it longer.
My customization of VCore Pro 97 310g:
- original handle replaced with Head TK82 pallet 4 3/8 and Head buttcap,
- leather grip,
- added weight in the handle to bring the weight (strung+overgrip) to ~340g
- that made it about 9points headlight and 336 swingweight
PrinceYonex
Semi-Pro
I assume you must have also added considerable weight in the hoop to get the SW up to 336.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Nice review. One of the racquets I play is a Yonex Duel G 330 and it is the only racquet I play that I don't modify the weight. SW is 334 out of the box. I am still waiting to grow into this one!
Devil_dog
Hall of Fame
Small update: I went ahead and restrung my TF40 yesterday with Volkl Cyclone Tour 16g @50 lbs. Initially had some trouble dialing in the power and strangely my backhand slice. Power was decent on serves and volleys felt good provided I set up in time. I feel like the near even balance sort of throws me off.
taydbear7
Professional
I did the same thing. I had went with a hybrid this time of MSV Focus Hex Soft in the mains and Head Velocity in the crosses. I have two doubles matches coming up and will report back.
OldManStan
Rookie
This is not an official review, but so far I thought the racquet was very nice at the net, but underpowered at the baseline. It feels lighter than the stated 305g (most likely due to the layup of the graphite) and has a very fast swing speed. I had others try it out and they had noticed how light it felt as well. I feel that this racquet would be a good stock racquet for customization. I would probably put some lead around 10 and 2 to give it some mass and increase the twistweight. The one thing that I think this racquet is missing is the oomph factor. It feels as though the ball is just glancing off the stringbed and not putting any weight behind the shots.
Devil_dog
Hall of Fame
Just curious OMS, but what's your current stick and specs? Thanks.
OldManStan
Rookie
Currently, it’s the Elevate Tour, stock. Strung with Solstice Black @ 52lbs or AK Pro CX @55.
I still play with the DR98 from time to time, but I enjoy the stability of the Elevate Tour a little more.
BillKid
Hall of Fame
How much underpowered do you think it is? What racquets are you used to?
netlets
Professional
It's so interesting reading these initial reviews from people. I've been using this racquet since end of January and have tweaked it to have quite a bit of pop now. I string at 45lbs to add more power and also added a bit of weight to 3 and 9. It has more power now than a Pure Strike with minimal tweaks. If you're coming from a wide body racquet it is clearly under powered to you and you need to swing harder to generate more pace as opposed to not having to and letting your racquet do half the work. For players that can generate their own pace, this racquet will be much more precise and have better feel and comfort, as well as being very maneuverable and having great feel at the net. It's also very arm friendly.
taydbear7
Professional
StringStrungStrang
Professional
My thoughts exactly. Sure looks good.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Seems like a good string set up ... let us know!
taydbear7
Professional
String and tension used for test: First run full bed of Tecnifibre Razor Code at 50. I cut these out around the 12-13 hour mark and hybrid the racquet with MSV Focus Soft 17 at 53 with Head Velocity 17 at 50.
Tennis experience/background: I grew up playing tennis but took a 15-year hiatus and recently started playing again in 2019.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): For singles I like to chip and charge as much as possible and more of a counterpuncher when I’m not coming to the net. For doubles I am usually the net person while my partner tends to prefer the baseline.
Current racquet/string setups: My current racquet is the Yonex Vcore 98+ hybrid with Red Devil in the mains and Head Velocity in the crosses with a little bit of lead at the 3 and 9.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12-13 hours with Razor Code and 6-8 hours with the hybrid strings of MSV Focus Soft and Head Velocity. I got one singles match in, and the rest were doubles.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: I usually play on the ad side for doubles. The first time I hit a cross court it felt like I need to power through a little more especially when playing with a full bed of poly strings. Once I used hybrid strings low powered strings, I had a little more depth on my shots and was able to attack the backhand of the server. The downside is that I could never dial in on my backhand with either poly or hybrid strings. Just felt like I had to hit big shots (leading to overswing) to keep it away from the net player. The few times that I guided the ball it was landed but it gave the server time to run away their backhand. The frame is not a very forgiving racquet. If you’re foot work is slightly off by a second, then the ball hit the frame there’s not a good chance of landing in. If you’re caught leaning towards down the middle and the opponent goes down that try to get a racquet back and it just pings out. I will have to say the launch angle is higher than its counterpart the 18x20. I noticed a big difference when the ball was clearing the net as opposed to hitting the tape which is often the case with the 18x20 racquet. This a great counterpunter racquet in my opinion.
-Serves: I really struggled with this in the beginning because playing with an extended racquet I had to adjust the toss a little bit. I don’t feel like there’s a ton of pop with this racquet (not yet). I haven’t won as my free points as I have with my Yonex but that’s maybe because I haven’t had time to practice with the toss and find the sweet spot on it. I have to say that when you hit the sweet spot you can really place the ball where you want it. Many times, I was able to hit the “T” attacking my opponent’s backhand when I took a little off on my first serve, so placement was outstanding. I tried several slices, and it did have some nice bite but again I haven’t practice enough to really give it a fair assessment. My serve is more of a flat serve so when I did get them it even though they weren’t aces, the opponent tends to dump the serve into the net so if you’re a flat server like myself.
-Volleys: Volleys were outstanding on the backhand side but from some reason I couldn’t put it away on the forehand side. When I was playing singles, I could slice it deep in the corner or just drop it in which allowed my opponent to track them down which is disappointing. It didn’t have the same pop as my Yonex or TF 315. If your foot work is off bit, then it tends to hit the frame. When it hit the frame it’s not very forgiving as my Yonex frame where at least with the Yonex it pops up and tends to land somewhere in the court of play whereas this frame it just flies out of play. Half volleys and volleys are exceptional with this racquet. There have been times where both players rush the net and I volley scoop the ball and push it over both player’s head. Overall, I it’s probably more me than the racquet when it comes to the forehand volleys as I get more opportunities from my backhand side. I think with time I can make adjustment with the forehand volleys to compliment my backhand.
-Serve returns: This is where it shines for me. When I need to block a big serve back it would land right inside the baseline whether that was from my backhand or forehand side. Sometimes it would land right on the line multiple times which my opponents would say that I’m flirting with danger on a consistent basis. There were times where I would return it spin the serve in deep in the corner backing up my opponent who has no choice to retrieve lob it back in to avoid the net player. Another great element is to slice lob it back when the net player is being overaggressive and poaching hard. During my singles match when my opponent serves it out wide, I was able to slice it back deep to the baseline which I could tell was frustrating them because they thought they had an ace. This was probably my favorite aspect of the racquet.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control – From the baseline playing with Razor Code it seems like everything was sailing long for me. I don’t know if that’s the string or racquet but once the string settles after the first match it was much easier to control my shots. I was able to hit some directional shots during my singles match and had my opponent running side to side. It didn’t have a ton of power from the baseline but when my opponent rushed the net the other great aspect of this racquet was the directional lob. Lobs with this racquet was outstanding. Several times during my doubles match it was right on the line or inside the baseline. I felt like I could fully swing the racquet with hybrid strings. I felt like it had more control with full poly once it settles in but more power with a multi string.
Top Spin/Slice – I’m more of a flat hitter but will have to say that easy access to spin when trying to mix up my shots especially during my singles match. Backhand slice deep in the corner is part of my game and while the slice is good it’s not as great as the TF 18x20 generation where I had slice that was deep and low where it was hard for my opponent to counterattack. During my singles match I felt like the slices didn’t have the bite as the 18x20 since my opponent was able to counter my move. The topspin here allowed my opponent to counter with their own topspin.
Comfort – Even though the stiffness level was 64 I felt some tennis elbow especially playing with a full bed of poly strings. Once I cut those out it was a lot easier on the elbow and shoulders. The racquet does feel heavy and can be demanding especially playing in a long singles match. When the ball hits the frame there’s a different ping sound it makes that’s a little different than my Yonex.
Feel- When I first picked up this racquet it felt almost like a Pro Staff. I was surprised to find that the strung weight is heavier than my Yonex 98+ which felt light. I thought for a minute I was holding a grenade launcher like the Pure Aero but the racquet swings fast. To get the best feel I think you need a lower power poly or multi strings. I love the feel I get when lobbying the ball and pushing it back deep towards the baseline.
Maneuverability- Maneuverability for the most part was very stable. There were times where my racquet got caught in my body which didn’t allow me to get a racquet on some volleys. Like I mentioned in my reviews, I feel like this is a demanding racquet where your foot work must move instead of staying stationary. There were instances where I failed to pick up some half volleys after reading my opponents where I couldn’t get my racquet twisted quickly enough.
Stability- I have not customized the racquet but I feel like it could probably use a small amount of lead to increase the stability and give it more power even though I didn’t have issues with this. I tend to favor my backhand volleys and have won many points with this racquet. I love to drop shots to my opponent’s backhand. Sometimes they can’t get to the volleys and drop shots but if they are able to run it down most tends to launch the ball over my head into to the fence. It’s probably missing the wow factor to put away winners this is where the extra weight might come in handy.
Tennis experience/background: I grew up playing tennis but took a 15-year hiatus and recently started playing again in 2019.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): For singles I like to chip and charge as much as possible and more of a counterpuncher when I’m not coming to the net. For doubles I am usually the net person while my partner tends to prefer the baseline.
Current racquet/string setups: My current racquet is the Yonex Vcore 98+ hybrid with Red Devil in the mains and Head Velocity in the crosses with a little bit of lead at the 3 and 9.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12-13 hours with Razor Code and 6-8 hours with the hybrid strings of MSV Focus Soft and Head Velocity. I got one singles match in, and the rest were doubles.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: I usually play on the ad side for doubles. The first time I hit a cross court it felt like I need to power through a little more especially when playing with a full bed of poly strings. Once I used hybrid strings low powered strings, I had a little more depth on my shots and was able to attack the backhand of the server. The downside is that I could never dial in on my backhand with either poly or hybrid strings. Just felt like I had to hit big shots (leading to overswing) to keep it away from the net player. The few times that I guided the ball it was landed but it gave the server time to run away their backhand. The frame is not a very forgiving racquet. If you’re foot work is slightly off by a second, then the ball hit the frame there’s not a good chance of landing in. If you’re caught leaning towards down the middle and the opponent goes down that try to get a racquet back and it just pings out. I will have to say the launch angle is higher than its counterpart the 18x20. I noticed a big difference when the ball was clearing the net as opposed to hitting the tape which is often the case with the 18x20 racquet. This a great counterpunter racquet in my opinion.
-Serves: I really struggled with this in the beginning because playing with an extended racquet I had to adjust the toss a little bit. I don’t feel like there’s a ton of pop with this racquet (not yet). I haven’t won as my free points as I have with my Yonex but that’s maybe because I haven’t had time to practice with the toss and find the sweet spot on it. I have to say that when you hit the sweet spot you can really place the ball where you want it. Many times, I was able to hit the “T” attacking my opponent’s backhand when I took a little off on my first serve, so placement was outstanding. I tried several slices, and it did have some nice bite but again I haven’t practice enough to really give it a fair assessment. My serve is more of a flat serve so when I did get them it even though they weren’t aces, the opponent tends to dump the serve into the net so if you’re a flat server like myself.
-Volleys: Volleys were outstanding on the backhand side but from some reason I couldn’t put it away on the forehand side. When I was playing singles, I could slice it deep in the corner or just drop it in which allowed my opponent to track them down which is disappointing. It didn’t have the same pop as my Yonex or TF 315. If your foot work is off bit, then it tends to hit the frame. When it hit the frame it’s not very forgiving as my Yonex frame where at least with the Yonex it pops up and tends to land somewhere in the court of play whereas this frame it just flies out of play. Half volleys and volleys are exceptional with this racquet. There have been times where both players rush the net and I volley scoop the ball and push it over both player’s head. Overall, I it’s probably more me than the racquet when it comes to the forehand volleys as I get more opportunities from my backhand side. I think with time I can make adjustment with the forehand volleys to compliment my backhand.
-Serve returns: This is where it shines for me. When I need to block a big serve back it would land right inside the baseline whether that was from my backhand or forehand side. Sometimes it would land right on the line multiple times which my opponents would say that I’m flirting with danger on a consistent basis. There were times where I would return it spin the serve in deep in the corner backing up my opponent who has no choice to retrieve lob it back in to avoid the net player. Another great element is to slice lob it back when the net player is being overaggressive and poaching hard. During my singles match when my opponent serves it out wide, I was able to slice it back deep to the baseline which I could tell was frustrating them because they thought they had an ace. This was probably my favorite aspect of the racquet.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control – From the baseline playing with Razor Code it seems like everything was sailing long for me. I don’t know if that’s the string or racquet but once the string settles after the first match it was much easier to control my shots. I was able to hit some directional shots during my singles match and had my opponent running side to side. It didn’t have a ton of power from the baseline but when my opponent rushed the net the other great aspect of this racquet was the directional lob. Lobs with this racquet was outstanding. Several times during my doubles match it was right on the line or inside the baseline. I felt like I could fully swing the racquet with hybrid strings. I felt like it had more control with full poly once it settles in but more power with a multi string.
Top Spin/Slice – I’m more of a flat hitter but will have to say that easy access to spin when trying to mix up my shots especially during my singles match. Backhand slice deep in the corner is part of my game and while the slice is good it’s not as great as the TF 18x20 generation where I had slice that was deep and low where it was hard for my opponent to counterattack. During my singles match I felt like the slices didn’t have the bite as the 18x20 since my opponent was able to counter my move. The topspin here allowed my opponent to counter with their own topspin.
Comfort – Even though the stiffness level was 64 I felt some tennis elbow especially playing with a full bed of poly strings. Once I cut those out it was a lot easier on the elbow and shoulders. The racquet does feel heavy and can be demanding especially playing in a long singles match. When the ball hits the frame there’s a different ping sound it makes that’s a little different than my Yonex.
Feel- When I first picked up this racquet it felt almost like a Pro Staff. I was surprised to find that the strung weight is heavier than my Yonex 98+ which felt light. I thought for a minute I was holding a grenade launcher like the Pure Aero but the racquet swings fast. To get the best feel I think you need a lower power poly or multi strings. I love the feel I get when lobbying the ball and pushing it back deep towards the baseline.
Maneuverability- Maneuverability for the most part was very stable. There were times where my racquet got caught in my body which didn’t allow me to get a racquet on some volleys. Like I mentioned in my reviews, I feel like this is a demanding racquet where your foot work must move instead of staying stationary. There were instances where I failed to pick up some half volleys after reading my opponents where I couldn’t get my racquet twisted quickly enough.
Stability- I have not customized the racquet but I feel like it could probably use a small amount of lead to increase the stability and give it more power even though I didn’t have issues with this. I tend to favor my backhand volleys and have won many points with this racquet. I love to drop shots to my opponent’s backhand. Sometimes they can’t get to the volleys and drop shots but if they are able to run it down most tends to launch the ball over my head into to the fence. It’s probably missing the wow factor to put away winners this is where the extra weight might come in handy.
taydbear7
Professional
General reaction/comments on overall performance: It’s a great racquet. I’ve played with a Tecnifibre TFlight 315 LTD racquet in the past and the serve on that was outstanding, but the racquet was too stiff for my liking so I sold it. I also have a TF40 315 18x20 and that racquet perform very similar to this TF40 305 with some minor differences though I haven’t played very much with the 18x20 racquet to give a fair comparison. I would give the 315 a slight edge in serve and slices and the edge to 305 in spin, feel, maneuverability, groundstrokes and power.
The one compliant I have is that they (like many other brand) do not have where the mains and crosses tie off are. Head racquets are great about labeling that on their racquets and I wish many more company would follow their lead. Even though this is an open racquet I feel like it probably feels more like an 18x20 because I get more control than spin.
My final grade is that I can make a full-time switch but need time to adjust to this racquet. The groundstrokes, stability, control, and feel were the biggest takeaway but the serve, overhead and slices needs time to gel because of the adjustment of coming from an extended length racquet. I think this racquet plays well with a blend of stiff and soft strings. I’ve only played with one set of poly but probably need more time to experiment my some of my favorite poly such as Hyper G, Mayami Tour Hex and Tourna Silver Tour 7 to see if poly works for this racquet but I just could not gel with the Razor Code.
This has nothing to do with the performance of the racquet and I might be in the minority, but I did not like the new paint job. I prefer them to have blue somewhere or more blue than the previous generation but I could understand if they wanted to distance themselves from looking like Babolat Pure Strike.
A big thanks to Tennis Warehouse and Tecnifibre for allowing me to play test this racquet. I’m glad they listen to their customer and I do prefer this over their 18x20. I would have to say that they are 1B with my Yonex 98+. I’m going to keep playing with this racquet and trying more polys and report back.
The one compliant I have is that they (like many other brand) do not have where the mains and crosses tie off are. Head racquets are great about labeling that on their racquets and I wish many more company would follow their lead. Even though this is an open racquet I feel like it probably feels more like an 18x20 because I get more control than spin.
My final grade is that I can make a full-time switch but need time to adjust to this racquet. The groundstrokes, stability, control, and feel were the biggest takeaway but the serve, overhead and slices needs time to gel because of the adjustment of coming from an extended length racquet. I think this racquet plays well with a blend of stiff and soft strings. I’ve only played with one set of poly but probably need more time to experiment my some of my favorite poly such as Hyper G, Mayami Tour Hex and Tourna Silver Tour 7 to see if poly works for this racquet but I just could not gel with the Razor Code.
This has nothing to do with the performance of the racquet and I might be in the minority, but I did not like the new paint job. I prefer them to have blue somewhere or more blue than the previous generation but I could understand if they wanted to distance themselves from looking like Babolat Pure Strike.
A big thanks to Tennis Warehouse and Tecnifibre for allowing me to play test this racquet. I’m glad they listen to their customer and I do prefer this over their 18x20. I would have to say that they are 1B with my Yonex 98+. I’m going to keep playing with this racquet and trying more polys and report back.
taydbear7
Professional
Loved it! Won both matches with it so we'll see. First time playing with MSV strings and really impressed with it.
EricNormanA
New User
is this softer than the Solinco White Out and the Pure Strike 98 16x19 305?
netlets
Professional
I haven’t used the white out but definitely more comfortable and lower RA than the Pure Strike.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
How is the power and control compared to your Vcore 98+ and the Pure Strike? Easier or more challenging to play with?
netlets
Professional
I don't have a Vcore stick so can't comment on that. I added some tungsten tape to the 3 and 9 so it now has a bit more power IMO than the Pure Strike (I string at 45lbs). Prior to the added weight the Pure Strike has more power. I don't find any of these easier or harder to play with once you put in the right string and tension. They all are comparable. Some more comfortable, some slightly more powerful, some stiffer and some with more control. The Pure Strike is not as solid at net as the TF40 and it's stiffer than the TF40. I always liked the Pure Strike for my groundstrokes. By putting a bit more weight to the TF40 I now have a slightly more powerful racquet than the Pure Strike and a much more comfortable and better volleying one.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
Thanks, I string in the same range so that helps a lot. I feel the same about my Pure Strikes. I like them but the don't feel as solid as a ProStaff etc. and I miss that. They do feel a bit better with some tape and silicone in the handle, but out of the box this Technifibre TF40 sounds like a racquet that I'd like. Similar but a little more solid - just what I'm searching for.
Devil_dog
Hall of Fame
Okay, here's my review. I tried to be as objective and impartial as possible and believe I gave the Tecnifibre TF40 a fair shake before I posted this.
Huge thanks again to Tennis Warehouse and to Tecnifibre for this incredible opportunity to playtest the TF40! It's truly awesome that guys like me have this chance to offer our opinions and impressions about tennis equipment. I really enjoyed this opportunity. Thank you.
String and tension used for test: razor code 17 @ 50 lbs for two sessions then Volkl Cyclone Tour 16 @ 50 lbs. for the rest of the time.
Tennis experience/background: I've played in high school and college. I've played singles and doubles and currently play for a 4.0 team.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I play mostly baseline but I’m capable of coming to the forecourt. I play mostly doubles and occasional singles.
Current racquet/string setups: 2021 Babolat Pure Drive+ @ 50 lbs Volkl cyclone tour
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I played with the racquet for 5 sessions for 60-90 minutes each session.
I wanted to put my general impressions first before I get into the details since my overall impressions became more clear after my latest hitting session.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I know my review may be a departure from others but I believe I gave the TF40 an honest and fair review based on my playing abilities and time used on court.
The TF40 when you first hold it feels wonderful. Balance feels good, it feels solid and, initially, agile. But upon hitting with it, I could tell my timing felt off. I believe that with the slightly head heavy balance, the TF40 can feel sluggish at times. With a bit more concentration and focus, I could feel the racquet doing what it does well: it absorbs incoming shots well and has decent plow through. It’s dampened but it can feel unforgiving when the ball is struck outside the seemingly small sweetspot. The whippy, agile feeling went away when taking on attacking balls. When I was late - and it seemed like it happened to me a lot of the time - the TF40 falls short of its attributes. But when it came to volleys, the TF40 was solid and stable most of the time. For serves, I wish I had a bit more pop but I was able to hit my spots fairly well. Overall, though I wanted to embrace this racquet, I’m left with mixed feelings and not feel as confident to choose it as my stick of choice on match day. That said, I believe someone who’s a strong, advanced player that easily generates power will love the TF40. The stick seems to want full strokes off the ground and unfortunately it’s a more demanding stick than I prefer. I truly believe if the racquet had the same static weight but be more headlight, I believe I would appreciate this racquet more.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
Groundstrokes:
Well stuck balls felt very nice, plush feel, nicely dampened. Launch angles were lower than my usual experience and thus balls fell shorter in the court. When I finished with a longer stroke, my shots were rewarded with a deeper penetrating ball. I really wanted more spin and net clearance but I couldn’t seem to reproduce that on a consistent basis. The foam dampening provided comfort but not overly so. Occasionally, I had trouble dialing in my slice backhand shots for some strange reason.
Serves:
I hit decent serves and hit spots well but I lacked pace even when I switched to a softer, more powerful string like Volkl CT. I thought I hit with about the same amount of sizzle but partners claimed my serve speeds seemed slower.
Volleys:
Volleys, for the most part, were stable and solid provided I got the racquet out in front for the shot. Occasionally, the TF40 felt sluggish which I believe is due to the balance and not the static weight. But volleys felt crisp and absorbed shots well.
Serve returns:
The TF40 responded with good pop though the trajectory was lower than I preferred. I like to give my ball a little more air for net clearance but could never really dial that in. The racquet was stable on big serves and I had good plow-through on second serves.
Power/Control:
Good power and control was fine when I got the racquet around. Someone who hits flat would really enjoy this stick. People with full swings can truly reap the full benefits of this stick. The sweetspot does feel a little smaller than I’m accustomed to so if I’m off, I will know it. But handling heavier shots felt good. I do prefer more spin and net clearance which I cannot seem to find in the TF40. But overall, I liked the control but wished for more pop.
Top Spin/Slice:
I found myself wanting more spin overall. Maybe it’s the string? After restringing with Volkl CT, I got better topspin on my groundstrokes. I find myself having to really pay attention to how much clearance I have hit over the net. Overall, I felt inconsistent on producing spin or slices.
Comfort:
The foam filled stick offers very nice cushioning. Shots coming off the racquet never really felt jarring unless it was off-center. But the dampening is there for sure.
Feel:
I initially had a hard time dialing in “feel” on my shots but I finally got a handle on it especially on touch volleys. Probably was my most rewarding experience when lunging for a volley and then deftly placing a drop volley for a winner. Also felt very good about hitting approach shots with good placement.
Maneuverability:
I wish the TF40 was more headlight. Racquet felt heavy on the move. I really like how the racquet feels in the hand, very solid but just can’t seem to get the head around fast as I prefer. I needed a lot of mental fortitude to keep the racquet out in front and on top of the ball.
Stability:
Pretty stable overall but, again, doesn’t seem forgiving on off-center shots compared to my Babolat racquets. Volleys and returns were great. Groundstrokes were inconsistent. Serves, no problem with stability.
Huge thanks again to Tennis Warehouse and to Tecnifibre for this incredible opportunity to playtest the TF40! It's truly awesome that guys like me have this chance to offer our opinions and impressions about tennis equipment. I really enjoyed this opportunity. Thank you.
String and tension used for test: razor code 17 @ 50 lbs for two sessions then Volkl Cyclone Tour 16 @ 50 lbs. for the rest of the time.
Tennis experience/background: I've played in high school and college. I've played singles and doubles and currently play for a 4.0 team.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I play mostly baseline but I’m capable of coming to the forecourt. I play mostly doubles and occasional singles.
Current racquet/string setups: 2021 Babolat Pure Drive+ @ 50 lbs Volkl cyclone tour
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I played with the racquet for 5 sessions for 60-90 minutes each session.
I wanted to put my general impressions first before I get into the details since my overall impressions became more clear after my latest hitting session.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I know my review may be a departure from others but I believe I gave the TF40 an honest and fair review based on my playing abilities and time used on court.
The TF40 when you first hold it feels wonderful. Balance feels good, it feels solid and, initially, agile. But upon hitting with it, I could tell my timing felt off. I believe that with the slightly head heavy balance, the TF40 can feel sluggish at times. With a bit more concentration and focus, I could feel the racquet doing what it does well: it absorbs incoming shots well and has decent plow through. It’s dampened but it can feel unforgiving when the ball is struck outside the seemingly small sweetspot. The whippy, agile feeling went away when taking on attacking balls. When I was late - and it seemed like it happened to me a lot of the time - the TF40 falls short of its attributes. But when it came to volleys, the TF40 was solid and stable most of the time. For serves, I wish I had a bit more pop but I was able to hit my spots fairly well. Overall, though I wanted to embrace this racquet, I’m left with mixed feelings and not feel as confident to choose it as my stick of choice on match day. That said, I believe someone who’s a strong, advanced player that easily generates power will love the TF40. The stick seems to want full strokes off the ground and unfortunately it’s a more demanding stick than I prefer. I truly believe if the racquet had the same static weight but be more headlight, I believe I would appreciate this racquet more.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
Groundstrokes:
Well stuck balls felt very nice, plush feel, nicely dampened. Launch angles were lower than my usual experience and thus balls fell shorter in the court. When I finished with a longer stroke, my shots were rewarded with a deeper penetrating ball. I really wanted more spin and net clearance but I couldn’t seem to reproduce that on a consistent basis. The foam dampening provided comfort but not overly so. Occasionally, I had trouble dialing in my slice backhand shots for some strange reason.
Serves:
I hit decent serves and hit spots well but I lacked pace even when I switched to a softer, more powerful string like Volkl CT. I thought I hit with about the same amount of sizzle but partners claimed my serve speeds seemed slower.
Volleys:
Volleys, for the most part, were stable and solid provided I got the racquet out in front for the shot. Occasionally, the TF40 felt sluggish which I believe is due to the balance and not the static weight. But volleys felt crisp and absorbed shots well.
Serve returns:
The TF40 responded with good pop though the trajectory was lower than I preferred. I like to give my ball a little more air for net clearance but could never really dial that in. The racquet was stable on big serves and I had good plow-through on second serves.
Power/Control:
Good power and control was fine when I got the racquet around. Someone who hits flat would really enjoy this stick. People with full swings can truly reap the full benefits of this stick. The sweetspot does feel a little smaller than I’m accustomed to so if I’m off, I will know it. But handling heavier shots felt good. I do prefer more spin and net clearance which I cannot seem to find in the TF40. But overall, I liked the control but wished for more pop.
Top Spin/Slice:
I found myself wanting more spin overall. Maybe it’s the string? After restringing with Volkl CT, I got better topspin on my groundstrokes. I find myself having to really pay attention to how much clearance I have hit over the net. Overall, I felt inconsistent on producing spin or slices.
Comfort:
The foam filled stick offers very nice cushioning. Shots coming off the racquet never really felt jarring unless it was off-center. But the dampening is there for sure.
Feel:
I initially had a hard time dialing in “feel” on my shots but I finally got a handle on it especially on touch volleys. Probably was my most rewarding experience when lunging for a volley and then deftly placing a drop volley for a winner. Also felt very good about hitting approach shots with good placement.
Maneuverability:
I wish the TF40 was more headlight. Racquet felt heavy on the move. I really like how the racquet feels in the hand, very solid but just can’t seem to get the head around fast as I prefer. I needed a lot of mental fortitude to keep the racquet out in front and on top of the ball.
Stability:
Pretty stable overall but, again, doesn’t seem forgiving on off-center shots compared to my Babolat racquets. Volleys and returns were great. Groundstrokes were inconsistent. Serves, no problem with stability.
ngoster
Semi-Pro
Nice review.
I agree with your assessment. Timing was a big challenge for me. I think it's made for a strong high intermediate to advanced player.
I may try to add some weight to the handle to make it more headlight.
Devil_dog
Hall of Fame
Though it will make the static weight higher, I may try the same thing. Please post your impressions after you add the weight.
netlets
Professional
There is no doubt this racquet is for upper intermediate to advanced players. If you are coming from a wide body very powerful racquet where you don’t have to generate much of your own pace, I would be surprised if you felt comfortable with it. Everything is relative. As for thin beamed racquets with control this one has very good pop to it.
Addxyz
Hall of Fame
Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19 Playtest
String and tension used for test: Velocity 1.25 50#/ Cream 1.23 48#- 8 hours, Lux gut 1.25 53# / Ghostwire 1.17 50# - 4 hours+.
Tennis experience/background: Messed around with tennis when I was young, didn’t start to seriously play until 5 years ago. In the 3.5-4.0 range.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-court player. I play mostly doubles, but when playing singles, I am comfortable finishing points at the net.
Current racquet/string setups: Recent frames- Ultra Pro: Gut/Poly 56/53#, Six.One 100: VS gut/ MaxPower 55/51#, Prestige MP-L: T1 BK 47/45#, TF40 305 18m(previous version): Lux gut/GW 54/51#
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~12 hours total. 8 hours were played stock. I had to add a little weight to the head since mine came in under spec strung w/ OG: 320g, 32.8cm, 315SW. With 2g each side at 3/9 I got to 324g, 33.1cm, 323SW. This got me closer to the TW-measured stock specs. For my current setup, I added a head butt cap, a leather grip, 1g at 12, 5g in handle to get to: 341g, 32cm, 325SW. This matches my setup with the TF40 305 18m (previous version).
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: I had some preconceived notions of this racquet having a low launch angle due to having 8m in the throat. The launch angle is slightly higher than the TF40 18m, but not by much. Groundstrokes while stock were fairly effortless with good depth and spin. At the stock setup, I did have a small adjustment period since I am not used to something so head heavy, but after I adjusted, the racquet was easy to swing. Slices were a tiny bit less piercing than the 18m version. With my preferred setup, I gained slightly more pop on my groundstrokes, but I still consider this a control racquet.
-Serves: Serves were more effective at the stock weight due to the whippiness. Flat serves were above average. The racquet doesn’t bomb flat serves like a Blade Pro. Slice and kick serves were far better at the stock weight. I'm not a big server and I usually hit serves with more spin. I loved hitting kick serves at the stock weight.
-Volleys: Volleys were easy at the stock weight. The racquet was very maneuverable and stable. It was easy to redirect pace. I could get a little more court penetration with the weighted up setup, but I lose out on maneuverability during fast exchanges.
-Serve returns: Serve returns were good at both weights. The racquet is stable and lets me either swing for the return or block / chip. The racquet is also fairly forgiving so that gives you confidence on serve returns.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- I’d say it has average power for this type of racquet. When I played it at 315SW, it felt way too underpowered for me and I had to swing much harder than I’d like. At 323-325SW, power was adequate for me. Control was excellent. It’s not as controlled as the 18x20 version, but it’s not far off. I was debating if I wanted to go lower tension to try to recoup some free power, but I might just stick with the current string / tension. I’ve mostly played in 50-65F weather, so the current string setup is ideal for me.
Top Spin/Slice- Playing stock, it had a bit more spin because I could get more RHS on my shots. The racquet felt whippy and I was able to hit deep topspin strokes. The slice was above average, but could not match a good 18x20 racquet. The TF40 18m was far superior with slice.
Comfort- The frame was comfortable and I did not feel that it was harsh outside of the sweet spot. I haven’t played this with full poly so I can’t vouch for the comfort of this frame with full poly. I do have a sensitive wrist, but I did not have issues with this racquet. The racquet stiffness is right in that goldilocks zone of not being too stiff and not being too soft.
Feel- The feel is outstanding. It has the same feel as the TF40 18m that I really loved. The feel helped out immensely at the net where I could angle volleys and dig out half-volleys. I normally play with a rubber band tied to the strings.
Maneuverability- In stock form, it was super maneuverable. It felt great to whip through ground strokes and react to volleys. At the start, it felt sluggish because of the balance but after I adapted, it felt really quick.
Stability- The racquet is very stable in all aspects. It felt similar in stability to a Blade 18x20 v7. Super solid frame.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: There seem to be a few racquets at this spec in the 305g range. The v7 Blade had similar characteristics, but some might find it far too muted. Compared to the previous 18m version, the 16m version provides just a little bit more pop, forgiveness, and ease of use. Both TF40 305 provide outstanding feel and control, but might not provide enough free power. The Solinco Whiteout gives more power and spin at a loss of feel and control compared to the TF40. Overall, this is a great racquet compared to the 18m version in overall playability and doesn’t lose too much to the 16m in control. As a holic, I won’t say that I would switch to it, but I thoroughly enjoyed hitting with it and wouldn’t hesitate to put it in my regular rotation.
A big thanks to Tecnifibre and Tennis Warehouse for this playtest!!!
String and tension used for test: Velocity 1.25 50#/ Cream 1.23 48#- 8 hours, Lux gut 1.25 53# / Ghostwire 1.17 50# - 4 hours+.
Tennis experience/background: Messed around with tennis when I was young, didn’t start to seriously play until 5 years ago. In the 3.5-4.0 range.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-court player. I play mostly doubles, but when playing singles, I am comfortable finishing points at the net.
Current racquet/string setups: Recent frames- Ultra Pro: Gut/Poly 56/53#, Six.One 100: VS gut/ MaxPower 55/51#, Prestige MP-L: T1 BK 47/45#, TF40 305 18m(previous version): Lux gut/GW 54/51#
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~12 hours total. 8 hours were played stock. I had to add a little weight to the head since mine came in under spec strung w/ OG: 320g, 32.8cm, 315SW. With 2g each side at 3/9 I got to 324g, 33.1cm, 323SW. This got me closer to the TW-measured stock specs. For my current setup, I added a head butt cap, a leather grip, 1g at 12, 5g in handle to get to: 341g, 32cm, 325SW. This matches my setup with the TF40 305 18m (previous version).
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: I had some preconceived notions of this racquet having a low launch angle due to having 8m in the throat. The launch angle is slightly higher than the TF40 18m, but not by much. Groundstrokes while stock were fairly effortless with good depth and spin. At the stock setup, I did have a small adjustment period since I am not used to something so head heavy, but after I adjusted, the racquet was easy to swing. Slices were a tiny bit less piercing than the 18m version. With my preferred setup, I gained slightly more pop on my groundstrokes, but I still consider this a control racquet.
-Serves: Serves were more effective at the stock weight due to the whippiness. Flat serves were above average. The racquet doesn’t bomb flat serves like a Blade Pro. Slice and kick serves were far better at the stock weight. I'm not a big server and I usually hit serves with more spin. I loved hitting kick serves at the stock weight.
-Volleys: Volleys were easy at the stock weight. The racquet was very maneuverable and stable. It was easy to redirect pace. I could get a little more court penetration with the weighted up setup, but I lose out on maneuverability during fast exchanges.
-Serve returns: Serve returns were good at both weights. The racquet is stable and lets me either swing for the return or block / chip. The racquet is also fairly forgiving so that gives you confidence on serve returns.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- I’d say it has average power for this type of racquet. When I played it at 315SW, it felt way too underpowered for me and I had to swing much harder than I’d like. At 323-325SW, power was adequate for me. Control was excellent. It’s not as controlled as the 18x20 version, but it’s not far off. I was debating if I wanted to go lower tension to try to recoup some free power, but I might just stick with the current string / tension. I’ve mostly played in 50-65F weather, so the current string setup is ideal for me.
Top Spin/Slice- Playing stock, it had a bit more spin because I could get more RHS on my shots. The racquet felt whippy and I was able to hit deep topspin strokes. The slice was above average, but could not match a good 18x20 racquet. The TF40 18m was far superior with slice.
Comfort- The frame was comfortable and I did not feel that it was harsh outside of the sweet spot. I haven’t played this with full poly so I can’t vouch for the comfort of this frame with full poly. I do have a sensitive wrist, but I did not have issues with this racquet. The racquet stiffness is right in that goldilocks zone of not being too stiff and not being too soft.
Feel- The feel is outstanding. It has the same feel as the TF40 18m that I really loved. The feel helped out immensely at the net where I could angle volleys and dig out half-volleys. I normally play with a rubber band tied to the strings.
Maneuverability- In stock form, it was super maneuverable. It felt great to whip through ground strokes and react to volleys. At the start, it felt sluggish because of the balance but after I adapted, it felt really quick.
Stability- The racquet is very stable in all aspects. It felt similar in stability to a Blade 18x20 v7. Super solid frame.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: There seem to be a few racquets at this spec in the 305g range. The v7 Blade had similar characteristics, but some might find it far too muted. Compared to the previous 18m version, the 16m version provides just a little bit more pop, forgiveness, and ease of use. Both TF40 305 provide outstanding feel and control, but might not provide enough free power. The Solinco Whiteout gives more power and spin at a loss of feel and control compared to the TF40. Overall, this is a great racquet compared to the 18m version in overall playability and doesn’t lose too much to the 16m in control. As a holic, I won’t say that I would switch to it, but I thoroughly enjoyed hitting with it and wouldn’t hesitate to put it in my regular rotation.
A big thanks to Tecnifibre and Tennis Warehouse for this playtest!!!
OldManStan
Rookie
String and tension used for test: Tecnifibre Triax (mains) / Razor Code (crosses) @ 52lbs
Tennis experience/background: I have been playing tennis for 10 years. Played both high school and college tennis, stopped for a few years for work but starting playing again in 2019. Self-rated 4.0-4.5 player.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Baseline counter puncher.
Current racquet/string setups: Diadem Elevate 98 Tour w/ Gosen AK Pro CX @ 52lbs.
I prefer racquets such as the Wilson ProStaff 97, Blade 98, Yonex DR98, Diadem Elevate Tour, Babolat Pure Drive, or Pure Strike.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I've only managed to hit about 6-7 days total with this racquet due to the inclement weather. Total it's been approximately 16 hours.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes:
I came into this playtest with an open mind in order to understand who Tecnifibre designed this racquet for. Just from holding it in my hand, I could feel the whippiness from the headlight weight distribution. While rallying, I noticed that I would need to take much bigger cuts at the ball to get the ball deep where I wanted. I would not call this racquet demanding, but rather control oriented. The racquet feels like it was built for your modern day aggressive baseliner. It accelerates so easily into the ball that even head high shots become easy put aways. Big cuts at the ball are rewarded with scalpel like control and precision. I did however feel that my shots were lacking pace because it didn’t have as much mass in hoop compared to my Diadem.
-Serves:
I noticed on services I had less power and spin, but that may be due to the string setup. My 2nd serve only bounce to about shoulder height instead of above the head as normal. I felt that if it had more weight at 3 and 9, and 12, it would allow for a lot more free power.
-Volleys:
At the net, I felt very comfortable attacking the ball. My friends and I agreed that this racquet was meant for the net. Very point and shoot like. The balance allows for the racquet to quickly move at net. Also, off-center shots are very forgiving as the foam absorbed a lot of the shanks.
-Serve returns:
Honestly, one of the best redeeming qualities of this racquet is the return of serve. Found it to be very easy to slice, chip, or hit deep returns without it going out. It’s also great at handling high balls as you can easily slap the ball without too much worry.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control-
Power is on the low-medium side. I could stay at the baseline and swing as hard as I could without the ball going out. Some may like that, some may not. I preferred using this racquet against counter punchers as it allowed you to hit deeper shots corner to corner without too many mistakes. I found that it was very easy to move the ball where you want it without thinking too much.
Top Spin/Slice-
With the TF40 305, the top spin generated comes more from your own swing style than the racquet itself. It’s definitely not a Pure Aero in terms of free spin. Reminds a little bit of the Pure Storm Limited GT, but that was a thin beam 18x20, but a completely different racquet in and of itself. Slices were low and deep, but lacked the backspin to make it difficult for opponents.
Comfort-
The foam-filled frame does make a difference if you mishit or shank the ball. Not much shock at all. I didn’t experience any arm issues with this racquet. If you use a string dampener with this racquet, it completely mutes the whole stringbed to the point where you can’t tell where you hit the ball. I prefer to keep an O-shaped dampener which dampens only the pinging.
Feel-
Although the comfort was great, it was harder to feel for drop shots and drop volleys with this racquet. I didn’t feel connected with the racquet despite hitting with it over several weeks. I felt that I had to just trust the racquet when I hit deep forehands as I couldn’t quite judge where it was going to land.
Maneuverability-
Another great aspect of this racquet is the maneuverability. Great for volleys as mentioned above. The racquet makes you feel like you have hands as fast as the Bryan brothers at the net. I also found it pretty easy to accelerate the racquet for hitting balls on the rise.
Stability-
Great at absorbing the pace off of hard servers. Very forgiving on mishits. Would’ve like some weight at 3 and 9 to raise the twist weight a bit, but did not have an issue otherwise.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Overall the racquet is an interesting release from Tecnifibre. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. If you play a lot of doubles, this may be a great racquet to demo. I will have to definitely circle back with a second review once I add 10-15g. At 305g unstrung, it's a great platform for those who like to spec up their racquet.
Other (added on):
I wasn't a huge fan of the rectangular grip shape as I would sometimes catch myself in between bevels while transitioning between forehands and backhands. It’s one of those things that I could probably get used to given enough time, but for now they’re more accustomed to the Wilson/Yonex grip shapes.
Tennis experience/background: I have been playing tennis for 10 years. Played both high school and college tennis, stopped for a few years for work but starting playing again in 2019. Self-rated 4.0-4.5 player.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Baseline counter puncher.
Current racquet/string setups: Diadem Elevate 98 Tour w/ Gosen AK Pro CX @ 52lbs.
I prefer racquets such as the Wilson ProStaff 97, Blade 98, Yonex DR98, Diadem Elevate Tour, Babolat Pure Drive, or Pure Strike.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I've only managed to hit about 6-7 days total with this racquet due to the inclement weather. Total it's been approximately 16 hours.
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes:
I came into this playtest with an open mind in order to understand who Tecnifibre designed this racquet for. Just from holding it in my hand, I could feel the whippiness from the headlight weight distribution. While rallying, I noticed that I would need to take much bigger cuts at the ball to get the ball deep where I wanted. I would not call this racquet demanding, but rather control oriented. The racquet feels like it was built for your modern day aggressive baseliner. It accelerates so easily into the ball that even head high shots become easy put aways. Big cuts at the ball are rewarded with scalpel like control and precision. I did however feel that my shots were lacking pace because it didn’t have as much mass in hoop compared to my Diadem.
-Serves:
I noticed on services I had less power and spin, but that may be due to the string setup. My 2nd serve only bounce to about shoulder height instead of above the head as normal. I felt that if it had more weight at 3 and 9, and 12, it would allow for a lot more free power.
-Volleys:
At the net, I felt very comfortable attacking the ball. My friends and I agreed that this racquet was meant for the net. Very point and shoot like. The balance allows for the racquet to quickly move at net. Also, off-center shots are very forgiving as the foam absorbed a lot of the shanks.
-Serve returns:
Honestly, one of the best redeeming qualities of this racquet is the return of serve. Found it to be very easy to slice, chip, or hit deep returns without it going out. It’s also great at handling high balls as you can easily slap the ball without too much worry.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control-
Power is on the low-medium side. I could stay at the baseline and swing as hard as I could without the ball going out. Some may like that, some may not. I preferred using this racquet against counter punchers as it allowed you to hit deeper shots corner to corner without too many mistakes. I found that it was very easy to move the ball where you want it without thinking too much.
Top Spin/Slice-
With the TF40 305, the top spin generated comes more from your own swing style than the racquet itself. It’s definitely not a Pure Aero in terms of free spin. Reminds a little bit of the Pure Storm Limited GT, but that was a thin beam 18x20, but a completely different racquet in and of itself. Slices were low and deep, but lacked the backspin to make it difficult for opponents.
Comfort-
The foam-filled frame does make a difference if you mishit or shank the ball. Not much shock at all. I didn’t experience any arm issues with this racquet. If you use a string dampener with this racquet, it completely mutes the whole stringbed to the point where you can’t tell where you hit the ball. I prefer to keep an O-shaped dampener which dampens only the pinging.
Feel-
Although the comfort was great, it was harder to feel for drop shots and drop volleys with this racquet. I didn’t feel connected with the racquet despite hitting with it over several weeks. I felt that I had to just trust the racquet when I hit deep forehands as I couldn’t quite judge where it was going to land.
Maneuverability-
Another great aspect of this racquet is the maneuverability. Great for volleys as mentioned above. The racquet makes you feel like you have hands as fast as the Bryan brothers at the net. I also found it pretty easy to accelerate the racquet for hitting balls on the rise.
Stability-
Great at absorbing the pace off of hard servers. Very forgiving on mishits. Would’ve like some weight at 3 and 9 to raise the twist weight a bit, but did not have an issue otherwise.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Overall the racquet is an interesting release from Tecnifibre. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. If you play a lot of doubles, this may be a great racquet to demo. I will have to definitely circle back with a second review once I add 10-15g. At 305g unstrung, it's a great platform for those who like to spec up their racquet.
Other (added on):
I wasn't a huge fan of the rectangular grip shape as I would sometimes catch myself in between bevels while transitioning between forehands and backhands. It’s one of those things that I could probably get used to given enough time, but for now they’re more accustomed to the Wilson/Yonex grip shapes.
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StringStrungStrang
Professional
Nice review! I like that several people have noted Return of Serve and Net /maneuverability as strengths two critical areas, so definitely has my attention. Thanks
