Tecnifibre TF40 (315) Racket Review

Tecnifibre have given their entire range of rackets a sleek looking overhaul as far as paint jobs go. Their rackets are finished in a classic white paint with a nod to the brand’s French heritage as they have recently celebrated 40 years of making tennis equipment.

The whole range includes a host of new technology with their TF40 line, and this 315g is no exception. The Dynacore braid helps keep the stiffness rating down to a 64 stiffness rating, helping the racket be a bit more plush and soft feeling.

This means the racket can pocket the ball nicely and help you feel more dialled in to your shots, whilst the weight and swing weight offset this flexibility so the racket remains solid on contact. What’s more, the XTC material keeps harsh vibrations at bay, so you get a clean feel and a pure catching sensation when you hit the ball.

As far as groundstrokes go with this racket, it is a joy to hit with. It is made for pure ball strikers and feels plush out the middle of the racket. The 18×20 string pattern helps you feel in control of the ball, which is definitely also helped by the 98 sq in head size.

The thinner, square beam adds to the control element of this racket, giving it a more classic feel compared with a lot of modern rackets that are tending to favour thicker and thicker beams these days.

Whilst this is great for adding power to frames, it does take away from that old school feel that a lot of advanced players are always harking back to.

The racket combines manoeuvrability and stability brilliantly, as it glides through the air with ease but has a surprisingly solid feeling on contact. It effectively blends the best attributes of a lighter racket and a more hefty racket to create a real goldilocks stick.

Whilst the 18×20 string pattern and higher swing weight don’t get you whipping the ball around like a lighter racket would, the mass helps you get great plow through and gives you a lot of control.

The weight seems just right with the TF40. It isn’t overbearing but gives you enough mass to feel like you’re striking the ball with a solid weapon.

These elements of the racket allow you to pick your targets and hit them with confidence, as the racket feels true and stable thanks to the added weight. It is a well balanced stick with a lot of feel and precision, so you can hit with accuracy no matter where you are on the court.

Whilst a beginner may not think much of these finer details, an experienced player will appreciate the attention that Tecnifbre has paid to their TF line as they offer outstanding feel and really are more than a sum of their parts.

The Tecnifibre TF40 315g is definitely aimed at an advanced level player that likes to take a big cut at the ball and needs a control focussed racket to dial back their raw pace. This racket certainly fits the bill and offers an amazing blend of comfort, stability, control and an overall plush feel.

As you can probably tell, I’m already a big fan of the TF40 so it comes as no surprise that volleying was also a joy with this racket. The fact that the racket is nice and supple with a great level of dampening means you can volley the ball comfortably for an extended period of time, making it a great racket to play doubles with.

Many racket brands nowadays seem to be focusing a lot on dialling out vibrations from their rackets in a bid to increase comfort and playability across their ranges.

Whilst this is great for things like arm issues and opening up a brand to a wider market, it can sometimes reduce the feel so much that there is no connection left. When a racket is overly damped it can actually feel mushy and a bit lifeless.

Tecnifibre strikes the balance of dampening the TF40 enough for it to feel comfortable and not too harsh on off centre hits, but not too much that an advanced player won’t be able to feel any significant connection to the ball.

After all, when you are at the net you need to be precise and know exactly where to put the ball, particularly when you are taking pace out of your opponent’s shots with a drop volley.

You can really stick your volleys nicely and you get a nice crisp feel from the 18×20 stringbed. It is easy to place the ball exactly where you want with this racket and it is fairly manoeuvrable considering its weight. Feel is always a subjective thing, but this TF40 sure feels good!

Another solid performance by the TF40 on serve! It is more geared towards control and precision than out and out power, which is clear from how easy it is to pick your spots and hit them consistently.

It doesn’t offer as much spin compared to one of its competitors with a more open string pattern, but what you lose in spin you can more than make up for in accuracy.

The racket could have perhaps done with a little more weight in the hoop to add a bit more pop, but this is just personal preference and despite it being a control oriented racket, the swing weight is still high enough that you can get plenty of power when you need it.

The TF40 is a solid feeling racket that is a good all rounder on the serve.

Returning serve can be a little tricky for a lot of players. The unpredictability of what a server may do especially when you play different players often can make it hard to dial in and get a good feel for your return.

However, if consistency and a pure connection is what you want, the TF40 is a great racket to go for. You can strike the ball cleanly and with a lot of precision even with a compact backswing, making returning a whole lot easier.

The weight of the racket gives it a lot of stability so it is great for blocking the ball back deep with minimal effort, but the balance allows you to get the racket into position easily and get on top of second serves quickly.

The racket could perhaps have done with a little more weight which would have made it even more of a ball clubbing machine, but the feel and accuracy of the racket can’t really be improved by any significant margin.

Overall, the Tecnifibre TF40 315 is a fantastic all rounder that allows advanced players to tune into their best game thanks to the ultimate precision and control this racket offers.

It is very impressive in a number of departments as the weight and swing weight of the racket offers a good amount of power and stability, whereas the technology Tecnifibre have implemented along with the lower stiffness rating makes the racket comfortable to play with whilst being solid and stable on contact.

It is a well judged, well balanced racket that is ideal for the advanced player looking to get the most precision out of their game. If you are still looking for your next racket of choice, feel free to try out our custom fitting service, where we take the hassle out of racket searching.

It is always reassuring to know you have experts on your side, and without custom fitting service, you get a personalised recommendation from us of the most appropriate rackets and string combinations for you!