GAËL FORCE
It was lucky number 12 over the weekend for Gaël Monfils: after a 21-month wait, the Frenchman won the latest of his ATP titles at the Stockholm Open. At the ripe old age of 37, he might be in the twilight of his career, but he remains one of the most entertaining players on tour, full of tricks, slides, glides, jump smashes and acrobatics. He’s the definition of audaciousness and knows how to put on one hell of a show.
And he’s winning using a racket made in partnership with sports megastore Decathlon and their tennis subsidiary, Artengo. Known more for their entry level rackets, the brand is signalling a move to target more intermediate and advanced players with the Artengo TR960 Control, which is sleekly-designed and comes in a black and purple colourway. What’s more seductive is the price. It’s just £99, making it an accessible racket for anyone looking to step up their equipment.
The TR960 Control is similar in design to the Wilson Blade, but like the slap shot Gaël produced against Rublev at the UTS, there’s something special about this racket. BAGEL tested out both the 16x19 and the 18x20 string pattern rackets. There’s not much difference, but if you prefer more power, opt for the 16x19. Both weigh 305g unstrung and have a swing weight of 285g, so it's on the heavier side. If your forearms lack strength, you’ll feel it from shots seven and eight in a rally. Despite the weight, it combines power and control well and sounds great when you hit the sweet spot.
After a lengthy warm-up, we found that the baseline is where the TR960 excels. We added a synthetic and poly blend of strings to our racket, strung at 25g to give us extra topspin control. Those strings with this frame gave us both baseline consistency and some added venom in attacking situations. Sweet, clean hitting, a lovely arching trajectory over the net, you feel like you could hit for days. Or in my case, when the lungs give up.
In the short court game, it’s a similar story. This racket gives you stability and touch in abundance. Granted, the strings helped provide more control, but if you keep the racket out in front of the body, the feedback from the racket as you make contact is very reassuring. Handy if net play isn’t your thing. Deadly if it is.
If the TR960 has any faults though its on its suitability. Advanced players shouldn’t have a problem, but those looking to move from intermediate to advanced, a word of caution. As you progress, demands on the muscles increase. If you lack the strength in the forearms and shoulders, then this racket could be fairly unforgiving. Fatigue in these areas can happen with heavier rackets, particularly on slices and serve with the TR960.
The weight of the frames can drop the racket too far below the ball, causing a few miss-hit issues. On serve, if you fail to use the legs to drive up, it’s left to the shoulder to generate the power, so a heavier racket can stress the rotator cuff. The good news though is that muscles are pretty quick to recreate themselves to meet sporting demands, so it's nothing a couple of gym sessions and some time on court can't fix.
Overall, the TR960 is a solid racket that nicely balances power and control and comes at an unbelievably good price. Once you find your groove with it, it's a joy to play with. You can even start trying some Gaël-style slap shots.
SPECIFICATIONS
Balance: 31.5cm
Head-Size: 630cm2
Stiffness: 62ra
Swingweight: Sw=285
String Pattern: 18x20 Or 16x19
Length: 68.5cm
Price: £99.99
Retailer: Artengo