Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Tecnifibre TFight 305 ISO

abhi_trip said:
You can use https://imgur.com/ to upload pictures.

I had a brief hit with the frame yesterday and found razor code at 53 a bit firm, but not even remotely uncomfortable. The feel is quite different from the RS 305 in my experience.
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thank you. Yes I like the xtc over the RS to be honest. Not that the RS is bad. Better feel. I swung the new ISO a bit and feels like the xtc more than RS. Taking it to get strung later.
 
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ChrisJR3264 said:
anyone start hitting with it yet?
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I've hit with it but for only 30 mins. My TFight ISO racket is strung with a hybrid of Razor Code in the mains and Triax in the crosses at 53lbs each.
I felt that either the ISO 305's sweetspot is a tiny bit larger or hitting outside the sweetspot feels less harsh compared to the outgoing version.
The racket feels solid due to the foam fill.
Conversely, the sweetspot is not as sweet feel wise compared to my Synergy 98 or the RS305 that I'd hit with last year. I guess I still need more time to get used to razor code.
The thing that impressed me the most so far is the weight distribution of the racket. It feels surprisingly maneuverable despite the balance and the beefy SW.
I'll be playing a match with the TF ISO tomorrow and hitting with it for the next week or two.
 
I played some doubles with it this morning and was quite impressed with the amount of controlled power I got from it vs my trust DR. Will have more thoughts when I have a hitting session with it later this week.
 
NastyWinners said:
I played some doubles with it this morning and was quite impressed with the amount of controlled power I got from it vs my trust DR. Will have more thoughts when I have a hitting session with it later this week.
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I use the xtc and rs 305. The control for the attacking style I play is why I love the racket. I get the iso 305 tomorrow so hopefully I’ll be out playing Monday and Tuesday.
 
I played a set today with the TFight ISO 305 and it was a seamless transition from my Synergy 98. If I had one word to describe the racket, I'd pick "solid". The racket has a good mix of power and control.
Razor code feels great on this racket once it has broken in. The white paintjob looks gorgeous, but I don't know how my racket got some black specs on it :(
The one thing that I don't like is sound coming from the stringbed. I don't know if it's due to the Triax crosses or the Razor code mains.
 
Strung up. Weighs in almost 332 grams strung. This includes over grip and dampener.

strung with triax MP fusion 16 G at 53 lbs. I don’t normally use multis (I have before and enjoy them but use poly for durability ) but playing 4-5 days a week with red code 17G or outlast 17G I’ve been feeling some discomfort in the arm so I’m going back to a multi - especially one I haven’t tried before :)

first initial thoughts on cosmetics and feel compared to my xtc and RS: feel in the handle seems good. Compared more to the xtc. Swing timing is similar to both xtc and RS.
This is probably the best cosmetic/paint job I’ve seen.

I do have some weight in the handle to my xtc’s - about 5-6 grams of tungsten under the grip. Play at an average of about 5 points head light and 338 grams strung after Customization.

can’t wait to post my review. Plan is to give initial thoughts after Saturday and full review the following Saturday. Will try and get some film as I’m waiting for my tripod to come in as well. :)

https://imgur.com/a/IWEcsGA
 
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Hope some of the playtesters have access to swingweight machines.
Tennis nerd measured his at 342!!!!
That is pretty insane for a retail, 305g frame.
Curious if it's an early run QC issue or what.
TW's average is almost 10 points below that.

Thinking anyone buying this will need the matching service.
 
Chairman3 said:
Hope some of the playtesters have access to swingweight machines.
Tennis nerd measured his at 342!!!!
That is pretty insane for a retail, 305g frame.
Curious if it's an early run QC issue or what.
TW's average is almost 10 points below that.

Thinking anyone buying this will need the matching service.
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I mean I’ve got 2 xtcs and an RS 305. The rs came in at 304 unstrung. Both xtcs at 306.5 and 307.

as posted above this play test came in at 306.3( with the plastic on handle).

honestly you don’t notice the difference.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
I mean I’ve got 2 xtcs and an RS 305. The rs came in at 304 unstrung. Both xtcs at 306.5 and 307.

as posted above this play test came in at 306.3( with the plastic on handle).

honestly you don’t notice the difference.
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I'm talking swingweight, not static weight.

Agreed though, 1 or 2 grams on static weight is nominal.
 
abhi_trip said:
My specs unstrung with plastic were 304.5g in weight and 304 swingweight. The specs are close to the TW average - add 18 grams for the string and 30 points to the swingweight for strung specs.
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That looks spot on, I was surprised when I saw the tennis nerd review with a swingweight of 342.
 
Chairman3 said:
I'm talking swingweight, not static weight.

Agreed though, 1 or 2 grams on static weight is nominal.
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Understandable. My guess is if the static weight is close to the 305 - I’m sure swing weight is within that same range. Also depending on how high you string and type of string. Stringing with the triax multi is about 5 grams lighter than red code 17g
 
Played a practice set with it. Demanding racquet for sure, need more time to acclimate. Hit a few omg shots but also sprayed. Serving was awesome. Mine feels like 340ish sw. Its good on my sensitive arm, no twinge with razor code at 50
 
So I am an xtc and Rs user. I went out and hit some serves last night with the iso. I will be playing matches this weekend so I should get a review out by mid week.

trying not to get to crazy with the review but I feel like the triax gave me more power. The feel of the iso seems close to both the RS and Xtc. Swinging it you can tell the R shaped beem as it cuts through lighter than the xtc. To me they all seem similar - as I’ve changed rackets in a match for a dry grip and didn’t notice a difference.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
Understandable. My guess is if the static weight is close to the 305 - I’m sure swing weight is within that same range. Also depending on how high you string and type of string. Stringing with the triax multi is about 5 grams lighter than red code 17g
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Swing weight can vary greatly. Often the lower static weight racquets from the same group of racquets has a heavier swing weight. You really can’t tell at all without a swing weight machine. I use the matching service at TW because QC is so wild with most brands. To me, swing weight is the most important aspect of a racquet to get right.
 
Fed Kennedy said:
Played a practice set with it. Demanding racquet for sure, need more time to acclimate. Hit a few omg shots but also sprayed. Serving was awesome. Mine feels like 340ish sw. Its good on my sensitive arm, no twinge with razor code at 50
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Going from 7pts headlight with my DR to this being roughly 1pt headlight has been an adjustment. But when I time it, man that controlled power is nice haha.
 
Grateful to be a part of this play test and I will have a review and specs of the frame received within a week.

Today I have 3.5M Regionals matches and really thinking about using this racquet to put it through the ultimate test. I won my friendly scrims against my teammates with it as part of the play test review.

Hmmmm!
 
Also happy to be apart of this play test.
So have been hitting and played 3 matches with the isoflex recently. As a tfight 305 user (xtc and rs) - I’m a huge fan. I’ll have my review posted in the next week.

I go back and forth between poly and multis. I recommend this racket strung at 53-54 lbs to unlock its playability. I strung mine with triax at 53 lbs.

the iso really connects in the sweet spot. I have a total of two grams of copper at 3 and 9 (7 grommets length) on my RS to improve the stability ans sweet spot. I feel like with the isoflex - I maybe miss hit the ball a couple times. Really clean hitting.
being a RS and XTC user- I’d say the feel overall is similar. Flex is similar to the XTC and you can tell the familiarity with the R shaped beam on the RS.

overall Tecnifibre is doing great things. Cosmetic on this frame is fantastic too :)

ill post my full review by the end of next week. I’ve still got more tennis to play in the next few days. I’ll include how I customize my frame fully and what I’d recommend for folks wanting to demo or buy this racket.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
the iso really connects in the sweet spot
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I agree. They've done something magical with the dampening. Hitting the sweetspot feels great, but even misshits are not jarring at all. The RS305 was more raw in feel I guess. Misshits could definitely be felt and it felt a bit jarring outside the sweetspot if I recall correctly.
The power level is quite good as well. I should have my review ready by the 14th.
 
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I played a match under very hot conditions yesterday and was completely surprised by the amount of pop the frame had. I'd like to advise others to string this beauty tight :)
 
My Playtest and Review - Please note I am a user of both the XTC 305 and RS 305.


String and tension used for test: Strung with Triax – 53 Lbs; then Solinco Outlast 53 lbs
Tennis experience/background: Currently a 4.0 to 4.5 player. More towards 4.5 player; D3 Collegiate tennis player - #1 singles and Doubles; All Conference team. Over .500 record

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Attacking Style – Baseliner. Strong Groundstrokes and Serves;


Current racquet/string setups: Tecnifibre T-Fight 305 (XTC and RS versions). Set up on those is Leather Grip in the handle, Over Grip, Dampener, and 1 Gram of Copper Tape Each at 3 and 9 (covers 7 grommets). Weight is about 342-344 grams over all 3 rackets. Balance of about 6 points HL.


How many hours did you play with the racquet? I would say about 18 hours over the last 2 weeks. Played 5 matches total.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: This racket continues to impress in the groundstroke department. As a T-fight user of the most recent models (xtc and RS) the ISO is just as strong in this department. As an attacking baseliner – I felt excellent precision, control and access to top spin when needed. I am able to get heavy top spin on my shots when I want to. I felt dialed in on my groundstrokes hitting the ball very clean with a rare miss-hit during this playtest. I feel super confident with my forehand and backhand to swing aggressively without overhitting. The sweet spot was definitely an upgrade on this ISOFLEX.


-Serves: On serves I prefer to mix up flat, kick and variety. I’m more of a platform stance server and generate some good power and spin from this stance. Like the previous versions – the Isoflex gives you sound precision and control. It’s not going to give you a lot of free power on serve. I found myself generating a lot of free points with the slice serve out wide when serving to the deuce court. The heavy kickserve at the body on Ad- court was also a plus. I felt very in control to where I wanted to place my serves.


-Volleys: This is a highlight I found quite comforting. I am not a net player and feel awkward coming into the net on points. However I found great stability on my volley game. Coming in on points - The racket was quite stable and I was getting some nice drop volley winner shots. As I continued playing with this racket, I felt a bit more comfotbale coming to the net. Did not frame volleys and I was hitting some clean overheads. I'd probably still add a leather grip to increase the stability more to my liking in this department but overall - My volley and overhead game was on point.


-Serve returns: Hard to give a review on service returns as players are different in strategy. On first serves – I was able to block the ball back or slice the return and got some low trajectory on my slices that barely cleared the net, which is nice as it turned a big first serve return into my point to control. I found good control on backhand return strokes and finding angles to get into the point instead of just blocking back returns. The number one benefit I found with this racket is the ability to find the sweet spot consistently.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- Given the 18x19 string pattern, this racket will give you a little more access to free power than any 18x20. However, I feel this is a racket that is geared to those who are already able to generate power and are looking for more control. Stringing with a Multi at 49-52 lbs will help with the power and probably give you more spin.




Top Spin/Slice- I find the slice shot down the line while approaching the net being a good tactic in matches. I got good bite on my backhand slice but haven’t been able to hit the cleanest drop shot as I feel the ball hangs up a bit. You do get good topspin on the frame especially on a multi. The 18x19 pattern gives you a nice bite to the ball especially when you’re generating some heavy top spin angles cross court. I’m more of a flat ball hitter on the forehand and generate more top spin off my backhand and find it very spin friendly.


Comfort- This racket is very comfortable and haven’t had any issues with many rackets on the market. I only got tennis elbow when I strung up my TFIGHT RS with Ice code at 55 lbs. Flex is similar to the XTC than the RS but overall – I’d recommend a soft poly strung to your comfort level. Mine is 52-53 pending the weather. Multi you can probably string at 53-54 lbs. Both the Solinco Outlast and Triax were quite comfortable for this play test.


Feel- Best part of this line from both the ISOFLEX and previous versions. The Feel of this racket is incredible. I felt dialed in consistently finding the sweet spot. The only think I would customize is adding weight to the handle.


Maneuverability- The 3 Points headlight makes it seem like this isn’t very maneuverable. However, I was quite surprised how light this felt swinging. The R shaped beam plays role in swing speed and maneuverability. My performance on overheads are usually a sign of how maneuverable a racket is and I had no issues in this department. My personal preference would be to add weight to the handle with a leather grip but you don’t really have to.


Stability- Stability compared to the RS has improved. Outside of adding a leather grip – I do not believe you’d need to add the weight at 3 and 9 like I did to the previous model. The feel on volleys is much improved from the previous RS version and I generally feel the sweet spot consistently. There are some

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
With both the XTC and RS 305’s in my Bag as my main weapons – this is a great update that compares favorably to the previous two versions. The T-Fight 305 is a racket for those who are at a 4.0 or higher level that play an aggressive baseline style. I recommend this frame for those who can generate their own pace and are looking for more control. While I mostly hit the ball flat, this racket generates some very good top spin with the 18x19 String pattern. I feel like this unique level of string pattern is one of the best on the market. If you’re an 18x20 user and looking for a bit more bite to your stop spin shots and a bit more power- I’d recommend this frame as a perfect switch.

The sweet spot on this update is the highlight. I used both the multi and poly for this playtest over the last two weeks (Outlast 17 Gage and Triax 16 G). While I maybe should’ve strung the Multi at 54/55 (strung at 53) – I’d prefer a poly at 52-53 lbs. as I get more control. Outlast, Red Code, or Kirschbaun (Max Power or Pro Line) are what I normally use. I felt so dialed in with my ground strokes and volleys (which mentioned above is a weak point to my game).

With the Multi – I definitely generated more spin and power. I had to use a bit more top spin in matches on my ground strokes to keep the ball in play ( especially on my backhands). When strung up with Outlast – it was the usual as I felt I could swing out more without sacrificing control.



This definitely is a racket for more advanced players and can be very demanding for those who are not used to a heavier swing weight. For those looking for good plow through and good precision, I highly recommend this frame. The 18x19 gives you access to more top spin and slice than an 18x20. If you’re a current 18x20 user and looking for a bit more bite to your ground strokes while maintaining the same level of control – this is the racket for you.

My personal preference would be to add some weight to the handle. A leather Grip in my opinion would be the best way to go as it equally distributes that extra 10 grams throughout the handle – plus overgrip. This is what I have on my current XTC and RS 305 frames.

I wouldn’t add any weight to 3 and 9 like I did with the RS model. I generally found the sweet spot consistently with the iso. I’ll provide an update later on if I do add copper to 3 and 9 but overall – I would just keep it at a leather grip with an overgrip and you’re good to go.
 
First off, I want to thank TW for selecting me for this play test. I hope that my review is helpful to those that are interested in trying out the racket and that I didn’t write too much fluff making it too difficult to read through. I wanted to accurately describe my thoughts and experiences as an average club level player that anyone who reads this could use as reference material.

String and tension used for test: Solinco Tour Bite Diamond Rough 16g @49lbs

Tennis experience/background: 4.0-4.5 played 14 years

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): aggressive baseliner that will occasionally come up the net to finish the point

Current racquet/string setups: Wilson blade v8 16x19 Solinco Tour Bite Diamond Rough 16g @48lbs and Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 Weiss Cannon Ultra Cable 17g @48lbs (switched to the ATS when it released and was playing with it before I got selected)

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 17

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groundstrokes: Initially, I really thought that I would struggle on my forehand due to the higher swingweight on the ISO compared to the blade and the ATS since I’ve been hitting late on my forehands recently. However, I was able to time my forehands correctly for the most part and was late on my backhand when I first picked the racket up. The ISO provides easy depth and access to pace and spin provided I don’t swing late on the ball. Blocking shots are a bit more difficult due to the fact that it’s harder to complete a swing path with no wind up at 335 swingweight. The launch angle on the forehand side was high which caused me to have trouble flattening out high forehands, but hitting topspin or hitting flat was easily doable on both wings on a low to hip level. My only consistent response on high forehands were to loop it back, but I could also flatten out or loop back high backhands without much thought. My only gripe with the racket on groundstrokes was that there was a transition period where it was hard to play defense and be neutral on shallow balls. At my level, this racket really encourages going on the offense at the start of the point, but normally I would prefer to slowly construct my point instead rather than being forced to go for a winner or be overly aggressive shot at the start of the point.

-Serves: I serve with a pinpoint stance. Initially, it was a struggle getting the timing down on the serve as my motion would be a little later than normal. My service motion would lag at the trophy position. I had to consciously remind myself to swing faster, but I was able to remedy the acceleration issue by tossing the ball a bit further into the court and adjusting my timing. The racket gave a lot of free spin on my slice and kick serves and I didn’t have trouble placing my serves on the T, body, or corner. I think that I could get more free power if I string it at 48lbs instead of 50lbs. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a lot of free power/ plow through with the ISO once I got my toss/motion timing down (~3 sessions in/ ~6 hours). Overall, I would say that it was a struggle adjusting to this racket, but ultimately I was able to produce similar results to usual.

-Volleys: The swingweight wasn’t much of a factor on volleys and it was nice and stable. The only thing I didn't like about the volleys was that I had to make a conscious effort to volley deeper since my normal motion would cause the volley to land shorter than intended around the service line area on the first bounce. After 15-20 balls in a volley drill, I finally adjusted and was able to easily volley deep into the baseline. It took me around 2-3 sessions to fix my touch on drop volleys, but my drop volleys have always been a bit subpar. As for hitting angled volleys, it felt about the same as usual with no added difficulty or added ease even though the ISO has a tighter string pattern than the usual rackets I play with. I didn’t struggle with digging out low volleys and was able to keep it competitive by not just popping up the ball when returning the low volleys. The feel was exceptional on high backhand volleys. I felt that the added swingweight and the 3pt headlight balance helped me drive the ball down aggressively. Smashes were about the same, but I felt that my swing was a bit more sluggish than usual.

-Serve returns: The returns were immaculate on this racket. Perhaps it is due to the 3pt HL balance, once I was able to get solid contact with the ball on flat serves (going roughly 75-95mph) I was able to hit deep returns that let me start a bit more aggressively on my opponent’s service games. Sometimes I would be too aggressive on my return causing the ball to fly out as I wanted to press my opponent early with a flat return deep into the court. Initially, the ball would also be more likely to go out if I wanted to aim for a more precise spot away from deep into the center (down the line or deep cross court). It was easy to block flat serves back deep into the court once I got the timing of my opponent’s serve and it was also easy to return serves deep into the court with heavy spin instead if I was facing a kick/slice serve too.

(End of Pt. 1 of 2) Turns out I did write too much :X3:. Part 2 below.
 
(Part 2 of 2 Cont'd)

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control- I loved the control I had with this racket. I had an easier time hitting backhands cross court than normal. According to my hitting partners, the pace on my rally balls was faster compared to when I hit rally balls with the blade or ATS even though I was hitting with my normal rally stroke. I was able to confidently take big swings at the ball when I found that I had the advantage in the rally and aggressively target areas deep in the baseline with pace. Though I would struggle to hit with more power on high forehands and keeping the ball in, I believe that that is probably a technique problem. It was fairly easy to swing normally (low to hip level) off both wings while generating plenty of pace on the ball due to the high swingweight and the low head balance. There was a pleasant surprise in hitting high backhands as I discovered those types of balls were easier to hit with pace.

Top Spin/Slice- I was able to hit an aggressive jumping topspin that didn’t just jump up but jumped at my opponents. However, the slice on the ISO is a bit lacking. Though I could hit slices with it just fine, the slices would float a little higher compared to the rackets I play with normally. For instance, I found that slicing low balls with my normal motion, the ball would be about half a ball to one ball out compared to the blade and the ATS where both balls would hug the baseline with my normal slicing motion on low balls. However, the ISO stood out when slicing high balls. It could be due to the head balance, but I found that slicing high balls on my backhand with the ISO, it was easier to push the ball down and slice it into no man’s land, but the ball would still float a little bit after the bounce. However, after hitting with the ISO for 2-3 more sessions, I was finally able to adjust my slice and keep it deep and low so that my opponents couldn’t punish me as easily when returning my slice. Drop shots were definitely a struggle with this racket as the ball would float up higher than normal when leaving the racket.

Comfort- I normally do not use any dampeners and I didn’t for this playtest either. There’s a great plush response when I hit topspin on the sweet spot with the ISO that definitely makes hitting with this racket feel rewarding. My wrist did feel a bit sore after playing with the racket for two hours in the first session. After I fully got used to playing with the ISO (3rd hour on) I stopped mis-hitting the ball as much and found that the racket is comfortable to play with and doesn’t need a dampener. I would say that the key to making sure that the racket is comfortable to hit with is to take the racket back earlier than normal and swing so that there is less chance of mis-hitting the ball.

Feel- The racket feels good when I’m going on the offensive. On defense, the racket would feel a bit more sluggish and I seemed to mis-hit more often. It’s harder to hit good drop shots since the ball leaves the pocket too quickly for me to absorb the pace of the shot. My main dislike with this racket is that the ball pocketing period during the groundstroke would be a bit shorter compared to the ball pocketing period on the blade and the ATS. It could be a string tension issue which could be solved if I strung the ISO 2lbs lower. It also felt like the launch angle on the ISO was higher than what I was used to. I didn’t have an issue hitting drop volleys, but that could be because of how solid the frame is at the head and the thicker beam allowing it to absorb the pace. Perhaps due to the tighter string pattern (18x19) compared to the more open string pattern on my blade/ATS (16x19), I felt that it was easier to hit angled shots cross court which could also be because of the tighter string pattern.

Maneuverability- Do not let the static weight of 11.3oz/320g fool you. The 3pt headlight and the 335 swingweight makes me like I’m swinging a slightly lighter version of the VCore Pro 97 330 (2019). It was a pain to maneuver, but eventually I got used to the heavier swingweight and was able to play as normal by taking back my racket earlier. I found that if my opponent would increase the pace of the rally and I was on defense, I was more likely to lose the rally just because I would have a harder time blocking back shots (that weren’t moon balls or short). It took me about half an hour of hitting time before I could consistently stop popping the ball into the air while blocking and redirect the force of the ball properly. I found that I would hit late on my forehand more often with the ISO. The adjustment time to stop hitting late was about 10 minutes of baseline rallying time. Occasionally, I would still hit late on my forehand and backhand (4th hour), but it was a quick fix on my backhand (just needed to remember to take the racket back earlier on the next ball), but it would take 2-3 more balls before I could properly adjust my forehand (balls would start flying out). The biggest struggle I have with this racket is when I want to swing my racket with little to no take back (returning faster balls than normal or getting caught hugging the baseline); the lack of easy acceleration led to me being punished or would end up putting me in a bad spot.

Stability- I love how stable the racket is and it’s a selling point for this racket. It almost felt as if there was a tradeoff when designing this racket; though it has less maneuverability, it makes up for it in terms of stability. I wasn’t easily blown back by the heavier shots of my opponents even though the racket is only 11.3oz/320g (only if I hit the ball on time). I could swing through fast balls with less effort than normal and add my own pace rather than just redirecting the pace being sent at me. Even if I were to mishit on shots (happened more times than I would like), the racket face wouldn’t shake or contort. At the most, I would just hit some weird spin. The stability is probably due to the fact that beam width is thicker compared to the beam width of the blade. I wouldn’t struggle blocking back hard shots on the volley. I had an easy time sticking volleys on the forehand and backhand side if I wanted to end the point.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: (TLDR) To summarize succinctly, I would say that this racket is extremely different from a lot of the popular rackets on the market (noticeably different from the blade and ATS), and definitely worth a try to see if it suits your taste. Do be advised that this racket will have an adjustment period if you’re used to playing with a (5-6pt) headlight racket with a lower swingweight (<=325).

There was added juice in rally balls compared to rallying with the blade or ATS. Volleys, returning serves, power/control are all exceptional on this racket. I found the launch angle a bit too high for my liking on my forehands, but I loved hitting backhands with this racket. I had better experiences hitting high backhands and high backhand volleys with this racket than with my usual rackets.

I had to take my racket back earlier than usual to hit quality balls. Otherwise I would hit balls that sat and was punished for it. I struggled with this racket on defense since I couldn’t swing it fast enough and it felt like forever adjusting my service motion to this racket. Drop shots weren’t as viable with this racket and it took a bit of time to adjust my slice so that it wouldn’t be punished for sitting too high or flying out.

Ultimately, I must reiterate that I recommend this racket if anyone is looking to try something new. This racket feels different from a majority of the popular rackets on the market and it produces similar results to the popular rackets on the market. There was a challenge in adapting to the racket but the journey was rewarding and the racket has its own features that sets it apart from the rest making it worth a try.

End of Review. Thanks for reading everyone and thank you TW for giving me a chance to review this fun racket!
 
Tecnifibre TFIGHT ISO 305 REVIEW

First of all I'd like to thank TW for selecting me for this playtest. I never thought that an intermediate player would be selected for a racquet playtest. I found a lot of pros of the racquet, and some of the cons of the racquet could be attributed to my own technical flaws and not the racquet itself.

String and tension used for test
Tecnifibre Razor Code 1.20 in the mains at 53lbs and Tecnifibre Triax 1.33 in the crosses at 53lbs

Tennis Experience and Background
I had started playing tennis in November 2019 and have played a lot over the past 2 and a half years with some breaks in between. I’ve played singles tennis leagues like Ultimate Tennis and Playyourcourt and am currently playing a UTR flex league. My NTRP/USTA level is around and I am taking lessons on improving my technique and overall level.

Describe your playing style(i.e. serve & volley)
I was a counterpuncher when I started playing tennis. However, these days I play an aggressive baseline style. I like to move my opponents from corner to corner with my groundstrokes and occasionally come to the net to put away some easy volleys. I still counterpunch sometimes against better opponents. My strengths are my forehand and my 2 handed backhand.

Current racquet/string setups
My current racquet is the Prince Synergy 98 with a poly in the mains and Gosen OG sheep micro in the crosses. I string both of my mains & crosses at tensions ranging 51 to 55lbs. My favorite poly strings are Tourna Big hitter Silver 7 tour, Kirschbaum Pro Line evolution, and Tecnifibre ice code. My current racquet has unstrung specs - 307.3g, 303 SW,and 7.75 HL balance. The Tfight ISO that I received from TW has unstrung specs of 304.5g and 304 SW which is spot on with TW’s average specs. In the past I used to play with the Prince Textreme Beast 100.

How many hours did you play with the racquet ?
I have played with the racquet in stock form for more than 15 hours. I played 4 matches with it, hit for 2 weeks with it with my hitting partners, and even used it for my tennis lessons.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke(each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum)

Introduction
I instantly clicked with this racquet as the stock specs are close to what I play with. I think that this racquet has a slightly different weight distribution compared to my synergy. The synergy feels like it has some extra weight in the throat whereas the Tfight feels like it has more weight in the head. The Tfight ISO has a more ovaloid head shape than my Synergy thereby feeling a bit bigger. Also, the ISO 305 has a denser string pattern at the center with a more open stringbed towards the edges as compared to my Synergy which has a bit more uniform string spacing.

GroundStrokes
I know that this is more of an all-court versatile racquet, but it felt really good from the baseline. The racquet will suit aggressive baseliners and counterpunchers alike. The dense string pattern along with the the high swingweight allows you to hit deep and penetrating shots. Flat shots were a joy to hit with this racquet. The access to spin is there, but this racquet that will better suit a player who likes to hit through the ball(e.g. Rublev) as opposed to someone who hits a loopier ball(e.g. Ruud). The racquet handles incoming pace and spin well and you can punch back strokes with good depth even with a medium swing as long as you hit the ball in front.

Serves
The racquet has a good balance of power and control on serves. My flat and slice serves worked well with this racquet. The flat slice out wide on the deuce side, slice down the T on the ad side, and the flat wide serves on the ad side were my favorite serves to hit with this frame. My serves had a bit more zip with the Tfight than my Synergy and I was able to hit more aces than usual. I’m working on my kick serve and the few kick serves that I hit had the same amount of kick with the Tfight as they did with my Synergy.

Volleys
I don’t often come as often to the net as I should, but volleys were one more area where I preferred the Tfight to my Synergy. It’s stiffer and a bit more stable in stock form, and you can easily punch down deep volleys as long as you keep the racquet in front. The few overheads that I hit with this racquet felt good too.

Serve returns
This is another area where the racquet really shone. The racquet is stable enough to block fast serves and still generate good depth. On fast serves, I shortened my swing and hit a fast flat ball that was tough for the server to return back. I usually mishit more returns on the backhand side, but with the generous sweetspot even some mishits landed in which was a pleasant surprise. The controlled pattern allows you to take some big swings on weak 2nd serves and produce a heavy ball without the fear of overhitting.

Part 1/2
 
(Continued - Part 2/2)
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke(each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum)


Introduction
I instantly clicked with this racquet as the stock specs are close to what I play with. I think that this racquet has a slightly different weight distribution compared to my synergy. The synergy feels like it has some extra weight in the throat whereas the Tfight feels like it has more weight in the head. The Tfight ISO has a more ovaloid head shape than my Synergy thereby feeling a bit bigger. Also, the ISO 305 has a denser string pattern at the center with a more open stringbed towards the edges as compared to my Synergy which has a bit more uniform string spacing.

GroundStrokes
I know that this is more of an all-court versatile racquet, but it felt really good from the baseline. The racquet will suit aggressive baseliners and counterpunchers alike. The dense string pattern along with the the high swingweight allows you to hit deep and penetrating shots. Flat shots were a joy to hit with this racquet. The access to spin is there, but this racquet that will better suit a player who likes to hit through the ball(e.g. Rublev) as opposed to someone who hits a loopier ball(e.g. Ruud). The racquet handles incoming pace and spin well and you can punch back strokes with good depth even with a medium swing as long as you hit the ball in front.

Serves
The racquet has a good balance of power and control on serves. My flat and slice serves worked well with this racquet. The flat slice out wide on the deuce side, slice down the T on the ad side, and the flat wide serves on the ad side were my favorite serves to hit with this frame. My serves had a bit more zip with the Tfight than my Synergy and I was able to hit more aces than usual. I’m working on my kick serve and the few kick serves that I hit had the same amount of kick with the Tfight as they did with my Synergy.

Volleys
I don’t often come as often to the net as I should, but volleys were one more area where I preferred the Tfight to my Synergy. It’s stiffer and a bit more stable in stock form, and you can easily punch down deep volleys as long as you keep the racquet in front. The few overheads that I hit with this racquet felt good too.

Serve returns
This is another area where the racquet really shone. The racquet is stable enough to block fast serves and still generate good depth. On fast serves, I shortened my swing and hit a fast flat ball that was tough for the server to return back. I usually mishit more returns on the backhand side, but with the generous sweetspot even some mishits landed in which was a pleasant surprise. The controlled pattern allows you to take some big swings on weak 2nd serves and produce a heavy ball without the fear of overhitting.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control
I was a bit surprised with the amount of power that I got from this racquet. It’s not as powerful as a tweener racquets such as the pure aero/drive, head instinct, but definitely more powerful than a Blade/Gravity and even my own Synergy 98. You can easily hit deep shots from the baseline as long as you make contact with the ball in front and have a medium to long swing. I enjoyed good success on serves, groundstrokes, and approach shots with the racquet. The racquet has a controlled 18x19 pattern that Is quite dense in the center, so you get good trajectory and directional control. It’s not launchy and you can definitely hit flat shots without much fear of overhitting. The racquet has a good blend of power and control, where you don’t have to tradeoff one to achieve the other.

TopSpin/Slice
The Tfight with its versatile 18x19 pattern is ideal for players who hit driving topspin as opposed to vertical topspin. You can still hit loopy shots with this racquet, but there are better racquets suited for that purpose. Short angle cross court, approach shots all felt good to hit with this stick. The launch angle is quite controlled allowing you to hit aggressively and aim for smaller targets.
I enjoyed the drop shots, defensive Forehand slices , and forehand squash shots with this stick. I liked defensive floating backhand slices where I wished to neutralize the pace of the rally. However, for some reason I struggled to hit aggressive skidding backhand slices. This is probably due to my own technique than the fault of the racquet.

Comfort
You don’t need a dampener to play with this racquet in my view. The comfort is very good. The racquet is not as soft as my current racquet, a blade, or a gravity, but definitely not harsh or stiff. It just has a more direct feel. I don't know what Isoflex technology is, but I felt less vibrations on off-center mishits with this racquet than my current racquet or even the Tfight RS 305 that I had demoed last year. Also, mishits at the upper part of the hoop felt more comfortable than my current racquet. The poly/syn-gut hybrid that I strung this racquet with felt comfortable at 53lbs and I will probably up the tension the next time I play with this racquet.

Feel
The racquet has a direct and connected feel. The ball doesn’t stay on the stringbed as long as my own racquet which may be a good or bad thing depending on what you prefer. You certainly get feedback from the racquet when you mishit the balls. Touch shots such as drop shots, slices, and volleys all felt good with this racquet, but I prefer my current racquet for slices, and the Tfight ISO for volleys.

Maneuverability
The racquet that I received from TW was almost spot on in specs. If you’re used to 305grams with high swingweight then you will feel right at home with this ISO 305. The weight distribution is slightly different to my own racquet, and it took me about 5 to 10 mins to get adjusted to the racquet on serves. The only time that I faced some maneuverability issues was on points when you’re stretched wide and you need to produce a heavy loopy ball to stay in the point. However, it is something that I got used to. This is definitely more maneuverable than similar SW racquets with higher static weights and you shouldn’t think about the balance point too much as it feels surprisingly maneuverable given the low HL balance and high SW. For singles play, I think you can play with it stock, but doubles players may need to add some handle weight to make it more headlight.

Stability
The racquet in stock form is stable to handle pace and heavy spin from the baseline. I don’t think that it needs any modification to the head of the racquet. Even when you’re at the net and someone hits a fast ball at you, the racquet doesn’t twist in your arm. The racquet feels slightly more stable than my Synergy 98 which in turn felt more stable than racquets like the Blade 98v7 , Gravity pro etc.

General reaction/comments on overall performance
This is a fantastic addition to the group of 98 sq inch racquets that weigh 305grams. It can be played in stock form if you don't mind the balance. You may wish to add some weight to the handle to make it a bit more headlight if you prefer a more HL balance. The paintjob is absolutely gorgeous. Some things to note are the TF grip size is a bit rectangular and about the same as a Prince grip size. It may feel slightly smaller to people who use Babolats, Head, Wilson, and Yonex racquets. Also, the handle length is a bit shorter than Prince, so it’s something that 2 handers need to be aware of.
It’s not as controlled as say a Blade or a TF40, but has a good blend of power and control like a Synergy 98, a Pure Strike, or a Head Speed pro. I guess they are targeting the same category of players.
As the racquet has a good amount of pop, so I'd suggest to string this racquet at a tension tighter than 50lbs.
If you're an intermediate or advanced player looking for a versatile racquet that does everything well and you can handle a 330 SW, then you must consider this racket.
It will work best if you play with people who also hit with good amount of pace/spin and not just push/bunt the ball back.
I definitely plan to continue using this racquet and I slightly prefer it to the previous RS 305 edition and my Synergy 98.
 
First of all I would like to thank tennis warehouse for allowing me to do another racket review. This is always such a fun thing to do to share my thoughts from the perspective of a 4.5 player, and hopefully help those out within those NTRP ranges.

String/Tension Used: Biphase Mains 16, Razor Code Cross 18 at 52lbs, also used Solinco Revolution 17 Mains and Yonex Poly Tour Fire 17 at 50lbs but only for a short time, so this review is reflected of the multi/poly hybrid setup.

Tennis Experience/Background: Current 4.5 NTRP, been playing for about 20 years

Playing Style: Attacking counterpuncher is how I would describe myself. Will hang back at the baseline until I get a short ball to attack and approach the net with.

Current Racket/String Setup: Yonex Ezone DR98, with Solinco Revolution Mains and Yonex Poly Tour Fire crosses with tensions ranging between 50-54lbs

How many hours did you play with this racket?: Roughly 10, we had USTA playoffs so didn’t get as much time as I wanted with it, will post extended thoughts if they change post review deadline once I get more and more time with it.



Groundstrokes: Impressive amount of control and power, ample amounts of spin despite a tighter string bed, launch angle was higher than my DR98, at least that’s what I perceived. Had to change my swing path a bit to flatten out shots as my normal swing path was getting too “spinny” and not penetrating the court. Flat balls were a dream, would really drive through the court (playtest was done on Har-Tru exclusively). My hitting partner noticed right away the amount of pop on my shots vs my usual setup.

Being on the defensive wasn’t an issue with this racket with how much control it had, made it easier to get a ball back deep and potentially get back on the offensive with one shot.

Forehands/Backhands were obviously good, the weight in the hoop made a big difference with the amount of power I was able to get on my shots.

I never really got into a groove with my slice, the ball flew up a little bit more than I prefer

However, after an hour and a half the racket did get a bit cumbersome due to the SW, my racket ended up being even balanced when strung, which is vastly different than my DR98 which is 7 pts headlight.



Serves: One of the best rackets I have served with, hands down. However, after that hour and half mark I was getting gassed.

  • Flat – Able to get ample power and hit my spots out wide, down the T and into the body. Control was outstanding.
  • Kick – Had no issues with kick serves, balls were jumping off up off the court and causing issues for the returner. I typically do not use a kick serve but found myself using it more with this racket due to the jump it gave.
  • Slice – my favorite serve with this and any racket. Was able to really slide the ball off the court on the deuce side with ease.
 
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Volleys: The difference in balance point made it a bit more difficult than I imagined with volleys at first. Once I got comfortable and used to that, I was able to stick my volleys better and find some nice touch with my angles and drop volleys. Not as maneuverable due to SW and balance but for the modern player they likely aren’t coming to the net unless its on their terms and with an easy-ish volley to put away. Overheads were great, ample power and control like the serves.



Service Returns: I tend to stand far back on returns (a la Thiem/Nadal) so I was able to take some big cuts on returns and for the most part this racket excelled at that. I had an adjustment period though when trying to block back returns that I would like to say is due to the balance of the racket and mistiming. When I did take full cuts, whether it was a flat stroke or top spin, it was very impressive. Able to penetrate the court or get my opponent off the court with good angles or depth of shot.



Power/Control – Ample power and control, never felt like the racket was too overpowered or underpowered, was really in a good sweet spot for both of these characteristics. The 18x19 pattern provided more control than my 16x19 and similar amounts of power.

Topspin/Slice – very spin friendly and higher launch angle, which came as a bit of a shock to me. Able to generate nice angles when needed. Slice, when I dialed it in had some nice cut on it and direction. However, it did float on me a bit more than I prefer which lead to me using the defensive capabilities of the racket.

Comfort – I have wrist issues and this racket did not create additional stress on the wrist. Both hybrids have been comfortable in their tensions of low 50s.

Feel/Touch – Felt the touch on this racket was superb once I adjusted to the SW/Balance. Felt connected to the racket on groundstrokes and serves and would receive feedback when hitting off-center. However, the feedback was not jarring to my arm. As mentioned before, touch shots with my volleys were really nice but never got a good consistent feel on the slice.

Maneuverability – Definitely a hefty racket that requires good footwork and prep. Much different to what I am accustomed to, would absolutely need to add handle weight whether it be a leather grip or lead. Despite the even balance when strung, it was rather easy to use on groundstrokes once I adjusted my swing-path to a flatter hitting shot. Was able to hit all my serves pretty well but after hour and a half of hitting the racket did tire my arm out

Stability – The racket in stock form performed well and was able to handle 4.5 level pace/power. I would still need to add weight at the handle to make it more stable at the net and whippier.

General reaction/comments on overall performance – Was really impressed by the controlled power on this racket on every shot. There was an adjustment period with the SW and balance as I have mentioned above. I would recommend this racket for players in the upper echelon of 4.0 and 4.5+, and those that play either offensively or defensive games from the baseline. If you are a doubles player I would very much recommend adding weight to the handle. The sweet spot at least in my opinion doesn’t need to be changed with lead tape, found it to be vast. I know this doesn’t impact racket performance but the aesthetics are very clean, has the looks of a classic racket. All in all, this is a racket that I will be tinkering with for months to see if it’s a potential change from my DR98’s, it was that impressive from my point of view.
 
String and tension used for test: Razor Code 18 @ #50

Tennis experience/background: Grew up playing for fun, went to a bunch of camps, nothing too serious. Took soccer and baseball more seriously. As an adult, became daily tennis bum/raging racaholic from 2008-2017. Was playing at 4.5. Job promotion/baby/pandemic took me out of the game for a few years, started playing 3-4x a week again this year. Currently, I would put myself squarely in the 4.0 Middle Aged Man God Tier (™).

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I have very consistent topspin shots and I generally grind out matches and rely on my athleticism over my tennis IQ, although recently I am experimenting with a more aggressive approach. I have a steady slice, a good but not great 1hbh and a reliable forehand. I have a good serve for my level and I can jam people with pace or slide one out wide. The limiting factors on my game are my quintessential Dad bod and overall absentminded Dadness, it is hard to beat a 4.5 who is 15 years younger than you when you are wondering between points if you need to pick up more Go-Go squeezes.

Current racquet/string setups: Head PT 2.0 w/Hawk Touch @ 44#. Head Prestige MP 360+ w Razor Code at 50#.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I would estimate around 12-15 hours, a bunch of practice sets and a ton of drilling.


-Groundstrokes: This is where the racquet shines. My best, most frequent hitting partner commented that I hit the ball harder with this frame. This frame has a high swingweight (mine feels close to 340) so you need to prep and contact out front. I was obliterating high balls to my forehand with this frame. I was also spraying shots all over the place in point play because I was making late contact. This mellowed out over the course of the playtest. The high swingweight feels terrific on my 1hbh. I was able to generate more pace off this wing and do more damage vs my HEAD 18x20 mps. It just feels good to hit hard with this frame.

-Serves: The head heavy feel kind of begs you to go for the flat bomb. I felt like I was serving bigger with this frame. It doesn’t quite have the knife edge feel/box placement of my PT 2.0 20mm beam, but no question I could get more gas on the ball. Slice serves to the deuce court were a standout. Kick serve was OK. I can’t really hit good kickers unless I’m using a weird racquet with a huge spin window like a POG OS.

-Volleys: There is plenty of stability for volleys, and I hit some nice stop volleys, but it doesn’t feel like a natural volleyer. The balance is just kind of gnarly for those quick react shots.I can get more touch with my PT 2.0 and more stick with a 100si Pure Drive type frame. Still, if you are the type of player that likes to crush a groundie to the corner and come in off that, it could work. It just doesn’t have that intuitive fast feel up at net for a full blown net rusher.

-Serve returns: I had the most success backing up and taking bigger rips at the ball on return. Kind of similar to the volley thing, if I tried the Rogi sabr quick pick up return, it was hard to get the frame adjusted last second. But hanging back and going for a bigger swing worked beautifully and I was able to push my opponent back with nice deep returns.


Power/Control- This is where this racquet just might be unbeatable in today’s offerings. There are more powerful racquets out there and there are more controlled racquets out there but here you get a high level of both. It’s rare to have a frame that can get this much bump on the ball but still have a really dialed in response off the stringbed. I’ve spent this year pinging between 100si power frames and 95si control frames and this one might be the best compromise. The only frame on the market that I have tried that really comes close is the Babolat Pure Strike Tour, but this TEC has more control and is 15g lighter.

Top Spin/Slice- It’s not a spin monster. With good technique you can manipulate the shape of the ball easily though. The slice is pretty good. Not HEAD 18x20 laser slice level but more deep floaty point reset type slice. The 18x19 string pattern is unique, it plays closer to 18x20 than 16x19 imo. 18x20 control with just a dash more pop. More companies should try 18x19! I enjoyed that little extra depth for sure.

Comfort- To my surprise this frame is more comfortable than my PT 2.0 and Prestige MP. It’s solid with a full bed of poly and no harsh vibes. I zapped my arm earlier this year with a Solinco Blackout/Confidential combo and I can feel it if something isn’t right but this frame is comfortable. It even feels better than an ezone 98 IMO. This was the most surprising and appreciated aspect of this playtest for me. To get this level of power plus comfort is very unique.

Feel- It has enough feel for my game. I am not out there hitting drop shots and Tomic butters. It doesn’t have the super amazing every string is humming FEEL of my PT 2.0 but nothing does, really. Feel to me is worth like 1 point per set. Hopefully not set point. LOL. Feel to me is more about when you are not playing tennis and you are thinking about how good your racquet feels and how badly you want to play tennis. Some racquets give you that (Pt 2.0, some old Volkls, old twintubes, etc). This racquet isn’t like that. But it doesn’t affect performance. It’s pure psychology. (All Babolat players nod vigorously.)

Maneuverability- It has a light pick up weight but the balance is straight up LOG Lady. If you are a strong person, it might feel really maneuverable. I definitely was able to flick some crazy defensive shots that became offense for how hot they came off the stringbed. But overall, the main feel you get from this frame is that it is hefty. The swingweight is no joke. If you have a swingweight limit, I would use the TW matching service to get what you want. Because you could get a battle axe. You might want a battle axe!

Stability- This thing is a rock for 305 grams. (Mine was 308). But still, it puts any other 305 gram racquet that I have tried to shame. It felt similar to a Babolat Pure Strike Tour, but that is a 320gram 315 unstrung sw frame. So this frame punches above its weight for sure. Is it an RF97? No. But dude for 305g you will not get more stable.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: You have to respect what Tecnifibre is doing here. They have blended the dna of several well known racquet lines into something versatile and unique. The beam and power of an old 6.1, with a Blade like balance and older gen Radical thump and comfort. All in the forgiving but still fast feeling 98 head size. I could totally switch to this racquet. I think I might add a leather grip or something to pull the balance point down a little. But I am wary about adding weight to a frame that already felt pretty beastly. But there’s no question that from a pure performance standpoint this racquet is a contender. The blend of power/control and comfort in a high sw low static frame is super attractive.

If I have to nitpick I would wonder why there is no trapdoor. Also, the white on white on white. It kind of screams look at me. I get it, that’s marketing but it makes me ask: am I cool enough to use this frame? I am a 44 year old DAD. It looks like it belongs in a Rick Ross video. White bumperguard? White bumperguard. I am definitely cutting out the white razor code and going with a silver poly if I decide to switch to this frame. At this point though, give TEC all the credit, this is an amazing racquet and they have given us something powerful and unique to play this game with! I will now pass this frame to the SOCAL chapter of the racaholics so that they can post their takes!

Thank you TW for the playtest and the forum, you are pure class!

FK
 
Good evening Talk Tennis! I know I am scraping towards the end of the time limit, but I decided to create a little video to go along with this review! Thank you again for the opportunity to be part of this play test. Due to time constraints, I had to cut a lot of stuff I wanted to include (even though the spoken content alludes to more content, that's what happens when you go in without a script and don't have enough time to put it in):

Video Review + Play Footage!


Start at 17:07 to see 4 games worth of set play. My partner for the video is a 3.2332 according to Tennis Record. My phone died during the last recording session which was the best "quality" tennis I had. Unfortunate, but it allowed me to wrap up the editing in time for today's review submission. If I am chosen for a future playtest, I will better pace myself on the kind of stuff I want to record and upload.

Unstrung Specs: For all my spec nerds here, I went ahead and got it specced out before I strung it up. Plastic on handle without the cardboard cutout. 305.4g/32cm/301SW

String and tension used for test: I used Hyper G Soft 18g and Tier One Ghost Wire 18g at 48lbs

Tennis experience/background: Started off tennis at the age of 15 in high school because I wanted to pick up a sport. Found a racquet in the basement and took it to a huge wall and started playing! I got into the team (our high school team was bad) and loved the sport ever since. I have been playing USTA 3.5 for the last 8 years, and I have captained a team for those 8 years. I took a team to regionals 3 times and it's been an amazing experience the entire way.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): So I am not a tall guy, but I definitely try to embody the "North American" modern tennis. I try to basically end the point in 2-3 shots maximum and hit flat with power from the baseline (check out the video). I don't have a big/consistent serve, but this style has worked out for me as my consistency has slowly improved over the years.

Current racquet/string setups: I use a Wilson Blade v8 with Hyper G Soft 18g and Tier One Ghost Wire 18g at 52lbs. Trying to jive with the Prince TT98, but the Blade is still my best racquet in match play.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I spent a total of 12-15 hours of play time with this racquet.

-Groundstrokes: This racquet feels amazing on the backhands for me on this frame. I get great depth, and it feels stable as it goes into the ball and my follow through. You can see in the set play portion of my video that the ball comes out very effectively. I felt that I suffered greatly on my forehand side because I rely on a racquet, strings, and tension to provide a big launch angle. The forehand side resulted in me either hitting into the net more often than I would like, or short balls that could be fairly abused by a good opponent.

-Serves: I really liked this frame on the serves, mostly because I don't hit with a lot of top spin! The weight, and balance really allowed a lot of plow through into the ball. This resulted in flat serves and the most velocity I have seen in a while for me. I didn't double fault THAT much but I know for a fact that if I had to play a long 3 setter, it might have been too much.

-Volleys: As a 3.5 baseliner, I don't run into the net too much to finish points unless I absolutely have to. I think the frame feels very stable if I have to hit a volley, meaning it doesn't twist much in my hands. It feels rather heavy to move around though compared to my actual frame (Blade V8)

-Serve returns: Pretty much doubling down into this concept of this being a "stable" frame that I am hinting at. It felt good and solid when I had to return with the frame, especially on the backhand side. I didn't feel like I was being pushed around, and big balls coming from my partners didn't feel too hard to handle.

Power/Control- Control is extremely high on this racquet for me. This means that if I had the right prep with footwork and racquet setup, then the ball went exactly where I wanted to go directionally. Power felt extremely good, BUT the lower launch angle resulted in my forehand balls falling short. SO velocity wise, it was higher compared to my Blade, but my balls were less effective (for my play style) if that makes sense. The power definitely comes from the added weight and head heaviness of the racquet, and the real tough part is whether you can keep swinging it around for 2-3 hours in a long match.

Top Spin/Slice- Topspin felt basically very low on this racquet compared to the Wilson Blade V8 16x19 and Prince TT98 (personally). I don't want to fully discredit the topspin potential because depending on how I hit it (how the racquet face was angled), it would result in "decent" top spin, but my hitting partners would say it didn't have that good penetration compared to my other racquets. Slices on the other hand felt very nice! The ball stayed low, and kind of skid on the ground, and the weight/balance kind of let me carve the ball if that makes sense.

Comfort- So I have been playing primarily with the Blade and Clash lines of racquets for the past few years. This racquet felt very "crispy" and definitely at times felt like it was much stiffer than my Wilson frames. Obviously they are very different in RA and string pattern BUT I will say as a former sufferer of Tennis Elbow, I haven't had a twinge of pain at all with this racquet. Just note that I did use a very thin soft poly at a low tension, but if you suffer from TE then you're not trying to use setups that hurt you.

Feel- Tight Pattern, Heavier Frame, Stiffer RA. I think all these 3 attributed to me not actually having a lot of feel for this frame compared to my usual. It felt like a weapon to attack and hit the ball with for deep rallies, but I really couldn't trust myself in doing any touch shots and what not. Not that they make up too much of my game, but it was just a strong contrast to a lighter/softer frame that I am used to. The ball kind of exploded out, and I didn't feel a lot of flex or dwell time otherwise.

Maneuverability- My take back definitely felt more sluggish than what I was used to, but once I started swinging it around, the racquet felt like it carried itself to finish with good smoothness. Serves took a little bit to adjustment as the extra mass and balance had to be whipped around. On the volleys side, since you (shouldn't) be swinging it around, it felt fine to move around and hit the ball with. it was most noticeable on the forehand side, where I am more used to whipping the racquet around. The prep felt slower and I felt like I was playing catchup and swinging it around faster until the racquet takes over like I mentioned in the beginning.

Stability- The racquet really shines in this category. I think this is why I like it and it results in a good ball on my backhand side. It just pounds into the ball and doesn't twist around and has good plow through. No twisting in my hand, and I never felt that it needed extra weight or lead tape.

Final Thoughts- Okay! I had a lot of fun trying out this frame but it definitely isn't for me and my play style. It definitely is a high quality frame though, based on the feel, comfort and the balls being produced when I could hit well. If I could just take the backhand performance of this frame and incorporate it to the Blade, then I would never leave the Blade! This doesn't mean the racquet doesn't have its merits though. I think a strong 4.0+ player with a flat playing style would be able to use it to better potential, or those that value more of a point and shoot racquet and if your game doesn't require or need a lot of spin. I hope you guys enjoy the footage (as that will speak way more to my ability with the frame than what I could type out).

This racquet deviates most from the standard Prue Drive tweeners / Blade clones that I try out and I realized that after 6+ hours, you can hit a pretty good ball with any racquet you try. There is a transition period though, but I think this opened my eyes to really breaking out of the usual style of racquets I try out. To close the review, I tried this frame in 3 practice matches, and 1 USTA 3.5 Regionals Singles 2 match. The most important is the match that counted and I went to 3-1, but as soon as it went to 3-3, I lost my confidence and went back to the Blade to close out the match. Still, if I am feeling the frame, I can perform/compete/and use this racquet, just maybe not 2-3 hours at a time.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to be a part of this play test!
 
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