How Tecnifibre's T-Fight 300 RS tennis racket elevated my game
After years playing with a racket that was too heavy and too powerful for my style of play, testing out the T-Fight confirmed I needed to make a change.
As I keep progressing in tennis, and as my shots continue to improve, I feel that I will grow with the T-Fight rather than outgrow it: It forces me to practice increasingly better technique and generate my own power.
Other than weight and size, there are several racket specifications that can impact the feel dramatically:
A stiff racket will typically be more powerful than a flexible racket, since it more efficiently transfers energy to the ball. However, stiffer rackets tend to cause more arm injuries than flexible ones, since it absorbs less impact from the ball.
Stiffness is measured on the “RA” scale, and most tennis rackets fall between 55 and 72 on this scale — 55 is very flexible and 72 is as stiff as a board. The T-Fight is a 66, which I would consider medium stiffness.
Beam Width can also impact a racket’s power. Thinner beams (closer to 20 millimeters or lower) generally offer less power compared to thick beams (closer to 25 millimeters or higher), since those rackets tend to be more flexible. The T-Fight’s beam is between 22.5 and 23 millimeters, so its beam has medium thickness.
Considering the balance point is important for several reasons. A racket with more weight in the handle (head-light) will feel much easier to swing than a racket with more weight in the head (head-heavy). Head-light rackets also tend to be less powerful than head-heavy ones. If you picture hitting a nail with a hammer in contrast to holding the head and hammering the nail with the handle, you’ll get the idea. The T-Fight, with strings, is 4 points head-light (each point is one-eighth of an inch away from the middle of the racket), so the balance point is slightly down the throat of the racket.
Ultimately though, all this talk of racket characteristics and specifications comes second to how it feels on the court and how it improves or complements your game. When you’re out on the court, it’s an extension of your body, and you have to be supremely comfortable with your racket to play with conviction. That’s what I felt with the T-Fight — the confidence to play my game without having to think about it. Try as many rackets as you can — and hopefully, you’ll find the perfect match as I did.
Buying a tennis racket is an incredibly personal choice, and it depends a lot on your level of tennis. After having tested and tried multiple rackets, I’ve got some in mind for anyone looking for an upgraded racket and across various needs.
If you’re a beginner or an older player, you might prefer a racket with an oversized head (usually 105 square inches or higher) that provides more power. That player might also want a racket closer to the 10-ounce range or under, such as the Head Titanium Ti.S5 (with a 107-square-inch head size and sub-9-ounce strung weight), since it’s easier to swing.
Professional players tend to use rackets that are much heavier (closer to 12 ounces or even higher) and with small head sizes (often between 95 to 98 square inches, and generally no more than 100 square inches) for extra precision on their shots. If you’re a former college player or have played in professional tournaments before, something like the Yonex Vcore Pro 97H 330 (97-square-inch head size and strung weight of over 12 ounces) might be worth a try.
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