TECHNIFIBRE 2013 TFight 320 Tennis Racquet Review
|
|
 
Groundstrokes
The TFight 320, although about .3 oz lighter than its brother the 325, still has plenty of weight off the ground. Relaxed swings pay off here as you can let the racquets mass drive the ball. I found that my shots didn’t seem to be landing as deep as the 325. Part of this may be due to a bit more spin being generated from the slightly more open pattern of the 320 in addition to the reduced mass. Even with a dampener, the 320 had a metallic ping to it that was a bit of an annoyance. Off center shots didn’t feel as clean as with some of the other racquets in the TFight line. The 320 felt a bit jarring at times if you didn’t strike the ball in the sweet spot. It also felt a little more head heavy than the 7 pts. head light spec. Despite it being the same head size as most of the TFight Tour Prepped line, the 320 seemed less forgiving. I found it slightly more difficult to bring the head through the zone than even the 325, especially on shots where I was pulled out wide or stretched out. Slices were very effective with the 320. The standout was my backhand slice, which stayed low and skidded away from my opponents. Touch shots were easy to pull of as well. I was able to disguise and then place several drop shots from the back of the court with confidence.
Volleys
The 320 still has great punch on volleys but doesn’t feel as maneuverable as other frames in the TFight line. Reflex volleys were a bit tougher as I felt the frame was a bit sluggish to turn around at the net. Volleys up high and overhead were easily put away. The 320 still has great touch as well. I was able to execute drop and angle volleys with ease. Early preparation is key to solid volleying with the 320. It became difficult for me on volleys where I was rushed or late.
Serves
My most successful serve with the TFight 320 was to flatten out my first serve up the T. The racquets mass put nice pop on the ball while also keeping the trajectory low. Slice serves were also pretty effective. The 320 seems to do a good job keeping slices low and skidding. I did not have the same confidence with my kick serve. To me it felt like I was constantly leaving the ball short and sitting up when I tried to kick it. I felt like the 320 was more difficult to get the racquet head through the zone with the right amount of head speed for my kick serve to be effective. Directional control was average. The 320 doesn’t have poor directional control, it just does not stand out in that respect like some other frames.
Comfort
The 320 was less comfortable overall than others in the TFight line. It has a bit of a jarring, tinny feel on off center shots. It also plays stiffer than other frames in the line. After 2 hrs, I could feel some fatigue in different areas of my arm. I also don’t feel like it was as head light as it is listed.
Overall
The TFight 320 is a racquet best suited to power baseline tennis. The beefy weight allows it to stand up to big hitters while still generating pace and decent depth of its own. While not the scalpel at the net that some of the other TFight line frames are, it can still put away volleys when needed. The TFight 320 is a solid offering for baseline grinders and players that can use stiffer, power oriented frames.
|
