Tecnifibre TF40 305 tested

Finally we got our hands on a Tecnifibre TF40 305. Mike tested it extensively and was impressed with its stability, control and consistency!

Tested racket:

Brand: Tecnifibre Model: TF40 305 Head size: 98 sq/inch Weight: 305 gr Balance: 32.5 cm Stringing pattern: 18x20 Length: 27 inch RA: 64 Beam: 22 mm Stringing: Tecnifibre Ice Code 1.25 on 21/20 kg

Tester:

Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Type of player: somewhat classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself. Had shoulder problems in the past. Racket history player: Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP, Prince Textreme Warrior 107 , Diadem Elevate 98 .

Test scores Tecnifibre TF40 305:

Power: 7 Control: 9 Spin: 7 Comfort: 7.5 Agility: 7.5 Touch: 8.5

Baseline:

The TF40 305 from Tecnifibre is a control stick par excellence. The racket is quite low-powered, which means you have to swing hard and full to get good length. This can be a disadvantage, but on the other hand it is also an advantage. So you don't get much for free, but you don't have to be afraid of overheating and losing control. This even with a fairly lively Tecnifibre Ice Code stringing in it, one of my favorite strings at the moment. The sweet spot doesn't feel very generous, but to be honest I didn't expect anything else from a 98 sq/inch head with an 18x20 string pattern. Still, it feels smaller than, for example, a Wilson Blade 98 18x20 V7.0 . This was also one of the reasons why I went a bit lower in kilos for stringing the TF40.

My baseline shots felt very solid and consistent. Slice backhands are very responsive, which was definitely noticeable. This TF40 305 is not easy to push away, but still feels very maneuverable despite the 32.5 (unstrung) balance. This balance still gives the racket some punch from the baseline, but it remains absolute control over power.

Service:

The service is not my strongest point. I can always use some extra service power. This was average with the TF40 305 I must say. So you will have to bring some muscle yourself with this racket. The serve was very solid and consistent, actually just like my strokes from the baseline. You really get what you put in in that sense. Kick and slices were reasonable to hit, although my current Diadem Elevate 98 with 16x20 string pattern grips the balls a bit easier.

Just:

Rock solid! At the net it is clear that the TF40 is a solid tool. Hard balls were easy to parry, but also the somewhat finer touch balls are easy to hit. I found the racket more maneuverable/faster than expected at the net.

Power/control:

This is an easy one: it is, as said before, absolutely control over power with this Tecnifibre TF40 305. It is also noticeable that this racket comes from the former 'pro-stock' line-up of the French brand. Previously, these rackets were only available to contract players. And with many of these players, the power and good technique are of course present, making control essential. And this TF40 definitely offers that. This does not mean that you cannot get any power out of this racket, on the contrary. You just have to show a good full swing for it.

Comfort/arm friendliness:

I found the comfort decent, especially because of the stable character of this frame. The TF40 feels nice and 'full' and does not let itself be pushed away quickly. Of course it remains a spicy frame that is absolutely not playable for everyone. But for a racket in this genre the comfort is more than sufficient.

Bottom line:

The Tecnifibre TF40 305 is a very solid weapon. This racket is not suitable for the masses, but Tecnifibre has the T-Fight and T-Flash series for that. What makes this racket quite unique, however, is the excellent control and stability for a racket in this weight class. Nice stuff for players with good technique and/or a big, full swing!