@snoflewis was kind enough to let me borrow the TF 305 RS to do a more in-depth demo/review.
Ok. The new TF 305 RS...Yeah, the specs say it’s a 67RA. Doesn’t feel that way to me. Feels softer and more comfortable than that. Yeah, the specs say the SW is 333. Swings lighter than that. Yeah, specs say it’s 11.4 oz strung. Plays stable. In other words, this is a very good racquet!
I spent a good 2 hours hitting groundstrokes and volleys with it and the crosses in the center of the string bed are pretty well ground down from all the topspin after 120 mins. During the 2 hours, I did mix in some baseline points.
This is a great offering from Tecnifibre as a possible alternative for those of you who like the Blade 18/20s but find it too sluggish to generate rhs due to the high SW or for those of you who like the POne7 but find it too hard on the arm.
The RS swings easier than my 2015 Blade 18/20 which was measured to have a 291 unstrung SW. While it swings faster, it isn’t quite a stable nor does it hit as heavy of a bulldozing ball as the Blade. The Blade just pushes people back and induces ball spray from the heavy, penetrating balls it produces. But not many sticks I have tried have this quality which is why the 2015 Blade 18/20 always has a place in my collection. I must thank
@snoflewis for my 2x 2015 Blades. Credit where due!
The RS is very stable - more stable than my modded UT but not quite as stable as the Blade which is probably the closest a racquet can get to brick wall stability at a 305g static weight spec. I had no issues or complaints about the RS on volleys. Solid.
Where the Blade and RS differ is in frame response. The RS has some flex and resonance in the hoop that gives it a “livelier” less dampened feel than the Blade or the modded UT. It’s also livelier than the TF40 305 which had a very solid and muted feel. The RS’ livelier feel is not a bad thing; it’s just different. Didn’t bother me one bit.
Power - the RS has less power than the Blade and the POne7 but more than the modded UT. Seems pretty close in power to my Graphene XT Prestige Pros.
Control - the RS has excellent control. I could control depth and direction very well. Additionally, I could easily modulate the ball trajectory. This was something I had a lot of trouble with the TF40 305. The RS felt like an extension of my arm in this regard. Excellent control. As good as the Blade. Better than the POne7. Not as good as the UT but I haven’t found anything that is quite as good.
Topspin - was able to generate plenty of topspin with the 18/19 pattern, but spin generation is generally never an issue for me as I have no trouble generating a ball that kicks up with my other 18/20 frames.
Slice - the RS slices are nasty, nasty, nasty!!! So easy and so much fun to knife the bh slice with this stick. The blade and UT are excellent already but the RS takes the ease of hitting consistent nasty slices to a new level.
Volleys - the RS did very well on volleys. It easily absorbs pace, pockets it, and easily returns the ball at the spot you are aiming for. The Blade volleys excellent but is just slower to move around. The UT volleys well, but it could use a little more stability on volleys.
Serves - shoulder has been acting up a bit lately so I didn’t try any serves today.
I gotta say I’m impressed by the new TFight 305 RS. I like it much more than the TF40 305 for me because the launch angle and trajectory are so much easier to control. I could easily find myself using this stick and enjoying it.