Dunlop CX 400 Tour Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 84

The Dunlop CX 400 Tour came around the body swiftly, which allowed our playtesters to quickly get dialed in from the backcourt. Chris found a complementary blend of power and control on his groundstrokes. He said, "The CX 400 Tour offered a familiar and fast feel on a full swing from the baseline. Those who have hit a Dunlop FX 500 or a Babolat Pure Drive will find a similar sense of maneuverability here. What sets this CX 400 Tour apart is its softer, plusher response in contrast to the stiffer and more powerful response of those other frames. I liked how I could manipulate the ball with this racquet. I was able to generate lots of spin and could whip some nice angles. I felt very connected to the ball, and my placement was on point. There was some useful mass toward the tip of the racquet, and I liked how it came through the ball to offer easy access to depth."

Kristen used the CX 400 Tour's speedy feel to stay aggressive during points. She said, "The highlight for me on groundstrokes was the maneuverability. The CX 400 Tour swung super easily through the air, allowing me plenty of time to set up and strike the ball early in a neutral rally. I found I was getting easy depth and good power on the ball, and it was easy to tap into spin as well. I did feel, however, that the control could waiver on me at times, mainly due to my catching the ball toward the upper hoop where the string spacing is a bit wider. When catching the ball there, I felt both the control and stability to be lacking a bit. For competing, I would want to add some weight to the hoop to better counteract pace and up the stability from the back of the court since I thought the racquet got pushed around a bit in point play against big hitters."

Testing two racquets from the updated CX line simultaneously, Tiffani was able to draw some comparisons. She noted, "When I first picked up this CX 400 Tour and started hitting groundstrokes, I could sense some weight in the head compared to the CX 200 I was also testing. It didn't feel too sluggish; rather, this beefier feel offered better plow through and power than the CX 200. I appreciated this heavier response when I was hitting my slice shots. Although it had a more powerful response, the CX 400 Tour delivered the same feel and comfort level I found with the CX 200, and there was still plenty of control. Off the ground, I preferred the CX 400 Tour over the CX 200 for the easier depth."

Erik enjoyed the quick nature of the CX 400 Tour, but he would opt to customize the frame a bit. He explained, "This racquet offered really easy depth and spin. However, there were times when the ball would spray long on me due to the launch angle. There was a little bit more power than control for me. I would've liked some added weight at 10 and 2 or 3 and 9 o'clock because the racquet got pushed around slightly. With that being said, it was effortless to maneuver the CX 400 Tour into position and easy to generate racquet head speed."

Volleys - Score: 83

While timing varied for some at net, the CX 400 Tour's feel and stability stood out across the board. Erik found the racquet to be very user-friendly. He described, "This racquet was really easy to use up at net. It was quite point and shoot, in my opinion, and I really enjoyed its feel. I felt connected to my shots and was able to hit some nice deep and drop volleys as a result."

The stability issues Kristen noted from the baseline weren't as apparent when moving forward. She said, "I was surprised to find decent stability when moving forward. It was easy to react quickly, and volleys felt controlled out of the stringbed while also allowing for effortless depth. Touch was decent as well."

The CX 400 Tour's speed and feel came together nicely for Chris, who said, "I volleyed well with the CX 400 Tour. The racquet felt easy to maneuver, and I was able to catch up to some fast-moving passing attempts that had me volleying at full stretch. I also liked the feel of the racquet at impact. The response was plush, comfortable and loaded with control. The weight distribution felt good, and there was just enough stability to go along with the fast feel."

The weight in the head of the frame that Tiffani benefited from on groundstrokes felt a bit more cumbersome up at net. She explained, "It was more of a struggle for me at the net with the CX 400 Tour. When given the time, I enjoyed the stability and feel on volleys, and I could block the ball back deep with accuracy. If I hadn't been comparing it side by side with the CX 200, I might not have noticed quite as much, but on quick reflex volleys I struggled to get the CX 400 Tour into position. I was getting caught and hitting the ball late more often."

Serves - Score: 84

When stepping up to serve, our playtesters were quick to notice the CX 400 Tour's easy access to pace and spin, as well as its ability to hit controlled serves for good consistency. While the CX 400 Tour offered a different feel than Chris typically gravitates toward, he was still impressed with the racquet's serving potential. He said, "I was surprised by the amount of pace I could generate on serves with the CX 400 Tour. I usually prefer some added mass or stiffness in the frame to help me generate power, but the CX 400 Tour had enough juice to help me out. Again, getting spin was easy, and it helped me control the pace and keep my serves inside the lines."

Kristen appreciated how effortless serves felt, but she was longing for a bit more plow through behind the ball. She explained, "I really loved how easy it was to get this racquet moving overhead; I definitely didn't have to worry about arm fatigue during my matches. I felt I had great access to spin and decent power because I could get the racquet swinging fast overhead. However, there wasn't a lot of weight behind my shot, so I wasn't hitting a very heavy serve. Because of that, it was easier for my opponents to hit through my flatter serves, so I kept my focus on spin and pinpointing spots."

Of the two racquets Tiffani was testing from the updated CX line, this 400 Tour won her over on serves. She said, "I again liked the increased swingweight for my serves. Although I appreciate a quick swing for ease of use, I do like racquets that come through the hitting zone with a bit of weight to add some juice to my rather lackluster serves. I thought the CX 400 Tour edged out the CX 200 on serves thanks to its more powerful response."

"This racquet gave me some nice pop on serves," Erik added. "I was able to hit my serves deep and load them with spin, which helped me set up open-court opportunites to attack and come in. My favorite serves were the body serve on the deuce side and the kick serve out wide on the ad side."

Returns - Score: 83

Speedy through the air and controlled on contact, the CX 400 Tour made returning a breeze. Tiffani found the ideal blend of characteristics from this racquet when returning. She said, "The CX 400 Tour offered the combination of control and stability I look for when I’m returning. I could return with depth and be aggressive, or I could be more defensive when a bigger first serve came at me. I had no complaints on returns."

Erik also had a very positive experience when returning with the CX 400 Tour. He said, "This racquet was solid on returns. I felt like it absorbed pace well, and I could hit my returns nice and aggressive and deep in the court. This racquet was also maneuverable enough to get into position and defend on first serve returns when necessary."

Chris found he could stay aggressive with his return strategy. He explained, "The CX 400 Tour worked really well for me on returns. The racquet came around my body quickly, so I was taking a good rip at anything that looked even remotely tasty. I had fun driving my backhand slice return low and cross court to force my opponent to dig out a tough shot while leaving ample court for me to attack on the next shot. When hitting topspin returns, I had a lot of feel for the depth and amount of spin I had on the ball, which allowed me to play with angles and flirt with the lines."

Kristen noticed this frame's control and stability wavering slightly against heavier servers. "It was literally hit or miss with me on returns," she said. "The CX 400 Tour swung quickly, but if I was trying to swing through a heavy serve, the racquet would get pushed around. I had to resort to blocking back more serves than I normally would. I like to stay aggressive on returns, so again, I think adding some weight in the hoop would help me to better drive pace back through the court when returning."

Overall - Score: 83