Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft Squash Racket Range

Product Information

Well, the new version of the Carboflex 130, now with an S added to its name – how is it different than the previous model? Tecnifibre has opted to remove the bumper strip on their latest Carboflex X-Top, instead designing a brand-new ‘Active Fibre’ material (a combination of Kevlar and Teflon). This is designed to achieve three things:

The 500 squared cm head size further attributes to the forgiveness of the Carboflex and gives the user a very generous surface to hit on. Composed of Basaltex, graphite and iBlades on either side of the frame giving it an increased level of stiffness and stability, I believe this racquet hits the ideal level of sturdiness without losing feel of the ball. An ideal combination for any Squash player. Now let’s talk about the playing characteristics – the playability has not been changed, only improved. It still offers very good power (maybe even slightly more of it now) and durability, plus control has been boosted – the racquet has an amazing feel, especially hitting drop shots is much better now, you can play with confidence that the ball will go exactly where you want it. A lot of power, good control and durability– now in an upgraded "S" version which offers better feel, removable bumper and enhanced maneuverability. For advanced squash players with good technique and timing, the smaller sweet spot is a total non-issue. However, for club level players still developing this aspect of their game, they’ll have a harder time consistently finding the sweet spot, and therefore the unforgiving feel is going to be a little more noticeable. Overall Simply, if you liked the Airshaft, then you’ll like the X-Top. They feel similar in practice, albeit a smidge faster through the air. The difference is subtle – with the Carboflex line proving so popular with professionals and club players across the globe, think of this as a ‘refinement’, rather than a fundamental change. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!

Reviews:

As somebody who has used Tecnifibre racquets religiously for a good few years, I'd like to assure you that my opinion of this racquet is completely unbiased! On a related note, if the price of the Airshaft range goes down, I think there will be some great bargains to be had in the near future!

Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top 125 – The 125 is Endorsed by Mohamed ElShorbagy, and used by (brace yourself) Fares Dessouky, Gregoire Marche, Joshna Chinappa, Mahesh Mangoankar, Mohammed El Sherbini, Ramit Tandon and Farida Mohamed, to name a few. As a UK Squash player myself, I would say that I have a reasonably large swing and I'm certainly the type of player that likes to take his space! I found that, as the X-Speed is slightly on thehead-heavy side, it manages to do an awesome job of assisting a big swing, and also allows a smooth follow-through without throwing you off balance. The Carboflex 130 Basaltex Multiaxial is the slightly heavier brother of the popular Carboflex 125. The 5 gram difference doesn’t seem like a lot but players report you can definitely feel the difference when swinging, I rate the 125NS especially high in this area, as I found the thinner grip really aided with control – previously I’ve described this as ‘pen-like’, which I still believe to be the case.The (inexplicable in my mind) decision to coat the entire frame for the sake of design, which offsets any perceived advantage of not having a bumper Tecnifibre aren’t the first brand to remove a bumper strip. In fact, they themselves allowed players to manually remove the bumper strip on the older Carboflex 125S, though this wasn’t advised as the top of the frame wasn’t reinforced. I’m certain there’s a number of reasons for keeping the three weights so close to each other – manufacturing costs, customer demand, marketing and so on. Still, I would love to see something like a 120, 130 and 140g range to give more distinction between each frame. Manoeuvrability Concerning other playing capabilities, it has a lot of power (although not as much as the 125), nice feel and responsiveness, it’s durable and the string is top notch. Only the grip could have been better.

I honestly think having a Carboflex 120, along with just a 130 or 135 would be the perfect sweet spot.If you choose a vibration dampener go with the Python Vibration Dampner (Our favorite), Head Smart Sorb, Head Megasorb, or the BBB (Big Bad Band). The Buyer must fill in the attached form and send with the parcel. It is advised that you use a recorded method, so as to cover any potential loss in transit. When you buy through a sponsored link, Squash Source receives a small commission (at no additional cost to you), which supports my efforts on Squash Source — thanks!