Review: Dunlop CX 400 Racquet · Unstrung
By Tennis Expert
Brandon M.
10 photos
The Curated Take
3.8/5
The Dunlop CX 400 tennis racquet is ideal for intermediate to advanced junior players seeking more power and versatility in their game. Despite its stiff construction, it offers excellent stability and maneuverability, due to its near-even balance and high-quality materials. A large, forgiving sweet spot and easy power generation on serves and groundstrokes make it perfect for various play styles. However, its stiffness may not suit players who prefer a softer feel or more control. Its durability, good handling of power, and compatibility with diverse playing styles make it a worthwhile investment.
Ideal for
- Very stable for a 285g racquet
- A machine at the net
- A big server's dream
Not ideal for
- Jarring feel due to high stiffness rating
Control
With more power than I am used to, I found myself over hitting quite often early in my test of the Dunlop CX 400. I was able to adjust my...Read more
Volley
With solid stability and good maneuverability, I found the Dunlop CX 400 was a great racquet when getting to the net. I could react to fast passing shots and, even...Read more
Maneuverability
More often than not, a racquet that offers great stability is tougher to get around when on the run or overhead on serves. The Dunlop CX 400 bucks this trend...Read more
Stability
I often struggle with stability when I test these 285g class racquets as they are geared toward more intermediate type players who need a more maneuverable frame to help generate...Read more
Feel
I generally prefer racquets with a much lower stiffness rating than the 71RA that the Dunlop CX 400 has. Stiff frames like this feel bouncy and harsh on impact, whereas...Read more
Comfort
The Dunlop CX 400 is one of the stiffest racquets I've tested and, as a result, didn't offer a lot in terms of comfort. With the stiff beam, the impact...Read more
Sweet Spot Size
The Dunlop CX 400 has a really forgiving sweet spot size that extends well out towards the frame on both sides and towards the tip. The response off the stringbed...Read more
Durability
The Dunlop CX 400 has a great looking paint job and uses high quality carbon fiber and fiberglass construction which stands up to a lot of use. Even though my...Read more
Ground Stroke
Depth and pace come easy with the Dunlop CX 400 when hitting both forehands and backhands. The stiff construction and just slightly head light balance makes the ball jump off...Read more
Power
Dunlop has three different racquet silos or model lines and the CX is the most control focused of the three. I went in expecting a nice and controlled response like...Read more
Serve
My serve has long been a strong part of my game and find I can serve well with most racquets. The Dunlop CX 400 gave me a little more easy...Read more
Versatility
The Dunlop CX 400 is a really versatile racquet for intermediate and advanced junior players who are developing their games for the next level. With good maneuverability, stability, and power,...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Dunlop CX 400 Racquet
Brandon M. The Dunlop CX400 is a user-friendly racquet for intermediate players looking for the power and spin that are necessary in today’s modern game. It offers good stability for players moving up to play tougher opponents, a large and fairly forgiving sweet spot, and it works well for all-court players. With a very stiff 71RA rating, the feel is quite jarring, even with a softer multifilament string. Control is also not quite as good as other similar racquets, such as the Head Speed Team and Babolat Pure Strike Team. All in all, the CX 400 should work well for intermediate players looking to play more aggressively, for high schoolers looking to move onto the varsity team, and even for advanced players who have lost a step from their prime.
Product Specs
| Age Group | Adult |
| Stringing | Unstrung |
| Head size (sq in) | 100 sq. in. |
| Length (in) | 27" |
| Balance | Head light |
| Beam width | 24 mm |
Review Ratings
Control
3/5
Brandon M. gave 3 of 5 stars. With more power than I am used to, I found myself over hitting quite often early in my test of the Dunlop CX 400. I was able to adjust my game to suit the racquet and find my range, but other racquets in the class, such as the Babolat Pure Strike 100 Team, offer much better control.
Volley
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. With solid stability and good maneuverability, I found the Dunlop CX 400 was a great racquet when getting to the net. I could react to fast passing shots and, even when out of position, get ample depth on my volleys. The stiff beam resisted twisting on impact, so I was able to be confident that my volleys would go where I intended. For a 285g racquet, this was quite impressive against my bigger hitting opponents.
Maneuverability
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. More often than not, a racquet that offers great stability is tougher to get around when on the run or overhead on serves. The Dunlop CX 400 bucks this trend a bit and offers really good maneuverability despite having a really high swing weight for its static weight class. I never once felt like it was slow or that I couldn't get the racquet into position. This may be because I am used to playing higher static weight racquets with higher swing weights to match. Someone coming from a more typical intermediate level racquet swing weight may say that the CX 400 is unwieldy.
Stability
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. I often struggle with stability when I test these 285g class racquets as they are geared toward more intermediate type players who need a more maneuverable frame to help generate racquet head speed. The opponents I typically play with hit the ball quite hard and can overpower me when I use one of these racquets. The Dunlop CX 400 trades some of the out and out speed common to these racquets and makes the balance a little more even which offers really nice stability. That balance along with the stiff beam made it so I rarely found the racquet twisting in my hand, which was a nice surprise.
Feel
3/5
Brandon M. gave 3 of 5 stars. I generally prefer racquets with a much lower stiffness rating than the 71RA that the Dunlop CX 400 has. Stiff frames like this feel bouncy and harsh on impact, whereas I like racquets that offer more ball pocketing so that I can change direction almost at will. Dropping string tension and moving to a multifilament string did improve the feel, but I still found myself wanting more flex when changing directions of the ball mid point.
Comfort
3/5
Brandon M. gave 3 of 5 stars. The Dunlop CX 400 is one of the stiffest racquets I've tested and, as a result, didn't offer a lot in terms of comfort. With the stiff beam, the impact of the ball translated quite directly into my elbow and wrist and started to irritate my arm after some time. Switching to a softer multifilament string did make this much better, but I lost some control and spin from my usual set up.
Sweet Spot Size
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Dunlop CX 400 has a really forgiving sweet spot size that extends well out towards the frame on both sides and towards the tip. The response off the stringbed was quite similar if I hit it clean and centered or if I was late and off target. This should really help developing players who aren't quite as consistent in their contact points.
Durability
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Dunlop CX 400 has a great looking paint job and uses high quality carbon fiber and fiberglass construction which stands up to a lot of use. Even though my racquet was a demo that had definitely seen its fair share of court time, it still looked and performed as one would expect a high quality tennis racquet to.
Ground Stroke
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. Depth and pace come easy with the Dunlop CX 400 when hitting both forehands and backhands. The stiff construction and just slightly head light balance makes the ball jump off the strings with good pop. The open 16x19 string pattern helped to grip the ball, making it easy to generate topspin. With the combination of depth, power, and spin, I was able to pin my opponents deep with heavy shots off both sides.
Power
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. Dunlop has three different racquet silos or model lines and the CX is the most control focused of the three. I went in expecting a nice and controlled response like the Babolat Pure Strike Team or Head Speed Team, but found much more explosiveness from the CX 400 than either of those competitive models. That stiff beam and 1 pt head light balance that I've mentioned over and over really combine for big power in the CX 400.
Serve
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. My serve has long been a strong part of my game and find I can serve well with most racquets. The Dunlop CX 400 gave me a little more easy pace, especially on my first serve, which made them more effective than usual. I didn't generate quite as much kick on my second serve as I usually do, but the ability to hit bigger first serves made that less of an issue than I expected.
Versatility
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Dunlop CX 400 is a really versatile racquet for intermediate and advanced junior players who are developing their games for the next level. With good maneuverability, stability, and power, it lets me play confidently using a power serve/baseline game as well as an attacking all court style finishing points at the net. As players grow in their ability, the CX 400 will help them use their new skills effectively all over the court.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Brandon M. The Dunlop CX400 really stood out for me in a match against my friend Derek. I had just broken his serve after a long game and could close out the set with a hold of my serve. Derek usually has a pretty solid return game and, as a result, we have tight matches because he neutralizes my strong serves. This game, I stepped to the line and hit four unreturnable serves in a row. No clean aces, but solid and well placed serves with enough pace and spin to handcuff him.
Why did you choose this product?
Brandon M. Dunlop racquets often get overlooked because they don’t have the marketing and sponsorship push of other brands, but they make some of my favorite racquets. The CX200, which is a heavier version of the CX400, is a racquet that I really liked testing, and gave my Head Gravity MP a run for its money when I was choosing my last racquet. While the CX200 fits my game better due to its heavier weight, the CX400 offers intermediate players a great introduction to Dunlop and their high performance frames.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Brandon M. The Dunlop CX400 provides a fair value in the market, as it is priced right in line with other similar options such as the Babolat Pure Aero Team and the Head Speed Team 100 2022.
What do you love about this product?
Brandon M. The Dunlop CX400 is a user-friendly racquet for intermediate players looking for the power and spin that are necessary in today’s modern game. It works quite well on ground strokes and is easy to serve with. The maneuverability is top notch and the stability is surprisingly good for a racquet in its weight class.
