Tecnifibre TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 78

There was plenty on offer for our playtest team when swinging the Tecnifibre TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP from the baseline. Karly stated, "The maneuverability came as a huge surprise the first time I took it out for a hit. I couldn't believe how fast this racquet swung considering it weighs almost 12 ounces strung. The whippy feel and natural momentum made it an extremely easy racquet to bring around quickly. The TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP also offered good access to power and spin. My PlaySight Smart Court data showed increased RPMs on my groundstrokes with a boost in my speed averages, and I liked how naturally I could swing the racquet to get good power and spin. The biggest drawback for me, however, was the very firm and stiff feel. The higher RA rating irritated my wrist after about an hour of hitting and left my arm feeling sore after the hit was over. Unfortunately, the TFlash was just too stiff for my arm."

Andy shared a similar experience with the stiffness of this frame, mentioning, "This racquet packs a punch from the baseline! It was easy to generate lots of power and good spin off both sides. I thought there was more control and improved feel/comfort compared to the previous version. I was able to really knife my backhand slices through the court. My one knock has to be the stiff feel. It wasn't as jarring as the previous version, but long hitting sessions from the baseline definitely took their toll on my arm and wrist."

Being on the playtest team for both the Tecnifibre TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP and the lighter 300g version, Chris drew some insightful comparisons. He said, "My favorite area of the court with this racquet was the baseline. It responded very well on a fast swing. When I was attacking the ball I was able to hit with my usual pace, and the racquet felt solid. On slower swings it felt like the racquet wasn't as forgiving as the 300g version -- this one had a smaller sweetspot and was less stable. The response outside of the sweetspot felt noticeably firmer and less comfortable than the lighter version. I wasn't able to get as much spin, either, and that took its toll on my consistency. While I was finding my usual pace, I wasn't getting the dip on my topspin shots that I get from my Wilson Six.One 95S or the TFlash 300 Dynacore ATP, and that had me hitting long at times. I tracked my hitting on our PlaySight Smart Court and noticed that with less spin my consistency was down 10 to 15 percent."

Finding a bit too much power for her liking, Michelle lost a bit of control. She said, "There was loads of power in this racquet! It is very powerful and quick. It also plays pretty stiff, just as stiff as its rating states (71 RA). I never found it uncomfortable, but I did find it to be a little unforgiving outside the sweetspot. I struggled to get a consistent feel, and at times I felt I was hitting a good shot and I would miss by 5 feet. I generate a lot of my own power, so this became a dangerous combo for me. I found myself overhitting, by a lot, if I had any sort of adrenaline or wound up a little extra. There wasn't a lot of control to be had with this racquet. It is worth noting that since we reviewed the last version of this racquet I switched to a frame that is a little softer and has a smaller beam (the RF97), and my taste in racquets has changed as well. So while the TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP reminds me of a Pure Drive-esque frame, and that used to be all I could play with, I was getting too much power from it."

Volleys - Score: 79

The maneuverability of this racquet proved to be a real benefit for our playtest team's volleys. Andy found himself at home at the net, saying, "I liked this racquet from the baseline, but I liked it up at net even more! It was 'point-and-shoot' -- just get the racquet into place and let it do the rest. It took very little effort to get the ball back deep into my opponent's court, and the stiffness of the racquet really helped with stability against harder hit shots or off-center contact. Maneuverability was good as well, making it easy to get the racquet into place quickly."

Karly liked the way that the Tecnifibre TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP played up at net, but she also felt that hitting the sweetspot was key. She said, "The maneuverability proved to be a standout feature again. This racquet gave me the confidence to set up quickly and get into position in time for fast reflex volleys. I loved how simple it was to move the racquet from side-to-side, and there was plenty of power as long as I hit within the sweetspot. I did notice that the TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP wasn't quite as forgiving at net, and I experienced more instability if I made contact near the frame. That unstable response and the stiff feel was tough on my wrist at times."

Chris felt the specs weren't quite adding up. He explained, "This racquet felt fast and easy to maneuver at net, and it felt like there was a lot of room for me to add some weight to the frame to beef it up. In stock form the racquet felt too head light for its weight, and I had some stability issues. I found I had to either punch through the volley or grip the racquet tightly to shore things up. When trying to lightly caress the ball I found the racquet had a tendency to twist in my hand and get pushed around by the incoming ball. I didn't have that issue with the lighter version -- most likely due to its closer to even balance."

Finding a lack of feel at net, Michelle opted to hit her volleys firm and deep. She claimed, "I felt like I could easily block balls back when volleying, but it was no secret that there wasn't a lot of feel in this racquet. It was also slightly unstable at the net. Attacking with swinging volleys was ideal for me rather than trying to find any touch."

Serves - Score: 83

A few of our playtesters noted that the serve was where the Tecnifibre TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP really came into its own. Chris found a good balance of pace and spin, exclaiming, "My favorite shot to hit with this racquet was the serve. I was able to get solid pace and had better luck getting spin compared to when I was hitting groundstrokes. It felt easy to snap this racquet through contact and that enabled me to get the racquet head speed I needed for my desired pace and spin."

Andy had more control on his serve with the TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP than he did with its predecessor. He added, "Serving was another aspect of my game where I was having some really nice success during the playtest. It was easy to get this racquet moving, and the power and spin that it offered got the ball moving through the court quickly. Control was improved over the previous version, and I felt very confident going for my spots within the service box. The serve may have been my favorite stroke to hit during this playtest!"

Karly found plenty of power on her serve. She said, "Power was magnified on serves. It was noticeably easier to get more pace behind the ball when serving with the TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP than it was from other areas of the court. The maneuverability was there again, which made hitting a powerful serve easier. I could swing the racquet effortlessly for a hard, powerful shot. When it came to my second serves, I was able to rely on its great spin for an aggressive kick serve that had good power and topspin. I did have a tougher time keeping my serves from flying long due to the increase in power. My consistency definitely dropped lower due to all the extra power."

Michelle struggled to find consistency on her serves. She could generate plenty of pace, but she had to pick big spots to get her percentage up. She explained, "I felt confident going for big first serves with this racquet and definitely enjoyed the free power. However, that confidence evaporated when I had to be precise. I felt like my second serves were coming in pretty big, and I could really go after my kick and slice serves. I just couldn't aim for the lines."

Returns - Score: 76

Our testers found it really easy to snap the TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP into position, but they would have liked a little more stability for an even better returning experience. Chris reiterated this, saying, "I could get this racquet into position quickly to take a good cut at an incoming serve. Again, I preferred the response of this racquet when I was hitting through the ball aggressively. I was hitting well when I took a good cut at my shot. I had just enough spin to retain control, and I felt confident enough to swing through the ball. The TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP felt a tad lacking on more defensive returns. I'd definitely add some weight to this racquet to increase the stability on block returns."

Karly enjoyed returning serve with this racquet, stating, "The mix of maneuverability and natural power made it easier to take the offensive quickly. I could take this racquet back in plenty of time, and when I made contact the ball popped off the stringbed. I never felt pushed around, either, with its good stability and plow through. I just had to be careful not to overhit when returning. It was easy to hit long with the TFlash because of its easy power."

Michelle had mixed feelings about returning with the TFlash 315 Dynacore ATP. She said, "I found I could really attack returns with this racquet, but there was a lot of power, and that power was unpredictable at times. I like to take risks on my returns, and I didn't feel like I could really get away with hitting riskier shots. Again, I had to find big targets or aim for the middle of the court. This racquet was pretty helpful when I was blocking big serves back, but I didn't feel like the response was consistent. I knew I would get the ball back into play, but I didn't know if it was going where I wanted it."

Andy ended up feeling most comfortable aiming for safe targets. He explained, "I really liked the power, maneuverability and forgiveness of this racquet when I was returning serve. It was easy to get the racquet around my body, and when I connected just right, WATCH OUT! It just took a simple, easy swing to generate tons of pace and depth. Knifing backhand slice returns was great as well. I would've liked a bit more control to give me the confidence to go for smaller targets. I ended up taking big cuts at the ball and aiming close to the middle of the court."

Overall - Score: 77