JGads
G.O.A.T.
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
Great review.
