HACK 04 CMF 26

Highlights

The feel

How it's built to play, by shape, core and construction — rated low / mid / high rather than on a false 1–10 scale. Higher isn't always better; it depends on the game you want.

The spec sheet

Our verdict

What the shape, core and construction tell us about how this racket is built to play.

How it's built to play

The Hack 04 CMF 26 sits inside Bullpadel's longest-running power line and represents its most accessible entry point: same diamond geometry and aerodynamic architecture as the top-tier Hack 04 TF, but with a Fibrix face that softens the contact and broadens who can realistically play it. At 360–370g with a 26.4cm high balance, this is unambiguously an attacking racket — but the CMF variant is what happens when Bullpadel asks whether the Hack concept can also work for advanced players who aren't willing to sacrifice their arm to hit hard.

The Fibrix face is the defining spec of the CMF version. Where the TF uses TriCarbon 18K for maximum stiffness, Fibrix weaves glass fibre with carbon filaments and bonds them in a more elastic resin — the face flexes slightly at contact instead of staying rigid, which means the ball spends a fraction longer on the surface and the player has more influence over direction. It's a meaningful difference in feel rather than just a marketing tier distinction. The MultiEVA core underneath works in a three-layer sandwich: denser outer EVA on both sides reacts to fast incoming balls with a sharp, powerful rebound, while the softer inner layer cushions slower contacts and damps residual vibration. For a high-balance diamond, that inner layer matters — it's the difference between a racket that feels planted and one that buzzes in your hand on every touch volley.

The 100% bidirectional Carbon Tube frame keeps the perimeter rigid under load — no torsional flex when you catch the ball toward the edge of the face. Total Channel runs around that entire frame perimeter as a hollow aerodynamic groove, and Bullpadel's own data cites a 17% aerodynamics improvement and 7% more stability versus a non-channelled frame. The Tricore internal structure reinforces the throat area with three thickened channels, reducing vibration resonance through the heart of the racket and keeping the frame from deforming under repeated high-impact strikes. Vibradrive in the handle adds a high-elasticity rubber insert that splits the handle longitudinally — on off-centre volleys, that insert absorbs the shock spike before it travels up the wrist.

At the net on the left side, the Total Channel effect is immediately noticeable on bandeja and smash preparation — the racket moves through the windup faster than the weight suggests, and that speed advantage compounds into extra pace at contact without requiring a longer swing. The 3D Grain rough surface in concentric circles adds grip on the ball at impact, and when the timing is right on a flat overhead, the spin generation is sharp and consistent. The Fibrix face means that controlled drop volleys and short angles feel less like guesswork than they would on a stiffer carbon surface — there's enough flex to feel the ball settle before it leaves the face.

The Custom Weight system deserves attention here: the frame accommodates up to four 3g plates at the top of the racket, allowing up to 12g of additional head weight. Most players won't need to go that far, but the ability to fine-tune balance by even one configuration step is genuinely useful on a diamond — a slight reduction in head weight makes the racket feel more manageable during long defensive stretches without altering the overhead character. The Ease Vibe dampeners are the last line of defence on arm load: positioned in four holes across the face, they reduce the vibration that reaches the hand especially on mistimed contacts. This doesn't make the Hack 04 CMF arm-friendly in absolute terms — diamond, high balance, and stiff frame construction still carry risk — but it moves the risk profile meaningfully compared to a bare diamond with no damping.