2021 Yonex VCore Pro Official Thread

[JW89]

Exciting news! Just received email with the specs for my (3) matched VCP100's, very impressed to say the least! SW will be ~320 strung which is exactly what I was looking for. Keep in mind these specs include the plastic on the handle, placard removed.

#1: W:303.90g Bal:31.4cm (9pts HL) SW:290

#2: W:303.29g Bal:31.4cm (9pts HL) SW:290

#3: W:303.42g Bal:31.4cm (9pts HL) SW:290

 

[baowow]

Quick take on the 97D. Most expensive racquet I've ever spent on. But man! This thing is rock solid. Like it way more than the HD. Stock grip suck, will need to replace it. Came in 2 grams under advertised weight. That was a quick fix. Total strung weight is 342 grams 8 pts HL.

 

[25-TENNIS]

Quick take on the 97D. Most expensive racquet I've ever spent on. But man! This thing is rock solid. Like it way more than the HD. Stock grip suck, will need to replace it. Came in 2 grams under advertised weight. That was a quick fix. Total strung weight is 342 grams 8 pts HL.

Why do you like the D better than the HD?

 

[baowow]

Larger sweet spot, RF97A stability and plow without extra weight, doesn't feel mushy or too flexible. I'm also comparing it to:

RF97A v13
Prostaff v13
Ezone 98 tour
Blade v7 18x20
Blade pro 18x20
Prince synergy 98
Phantom 100x 18x20

All great racquets. 97D is on top of the list right now though.

 

[Mischko]

yonex pro level frames are intentionally 2g below spec, so that they can be matched easily without becoming too heavy. same for head as well. IME of course

what is your dislike with the stock grip? I like yonex stock grips, wilson too, head is too mushy and spongy, bevels are rounded etc, but I find yonex stock base grip very good

97D sounds super interesting and tempting..

 

[Keoni068]

Larger sweet spot, RF97A stability and plow without extra weight, doesn't feel mushy or too flexible. I'm also comparing it to:

RF97A v13
Prostaff v13
Ezone 98 tour
Blade v7 18x20
Blade pro 18x20
Prince synergy 98
Phantom 100x 18x20

All great racquets. 97D is on top of the list right now though.

Can you please give us some comparisons to the Blade V7 18x20?

 

[High Lama]

I got a 97D demo. It had a 292 unstrung SW and 317 strung SW. I was hoping it would be a softer duel g 330 but it feels so light. Waiting for the rain to stop so I can try it. I also got to see the new prestige line and they look nice.

 

[!<-_->!]

I got a 97D demo. It had a 292 unstrung SW and 317 strung SW. I was hoping it would be a softer duel g 330 but it feels so light. Waiting for the rain to stop so I can try it. I also got to see the new prestige line and they look nice.

A new prestige? didn't even know there was another version slated to launch, or are you referring to the graphene 360+?

 

[High Lama]

Yeah the rep said the new prestige comes out in November. The new paint job looks much better. It’s black with the logo in red. They made changes to the specs.

 

[408tennisguy]

I played with the new VCP 310 and couldn't get over the low launch angle. anyone else experiencing this?

 

[baowow]

Can you please give us some comparisons to the Blade V7 18x20?

Off the rack comparison, the 97D is better all around. Your are comparing a 305 gr to 320 gr. My blade is customized though. If you're a head light balance kind of person, definitely go with the yonex and don't have to customize. Go with the blade for more even balance preference. Both great but not apple to apple comparison.

 

[glenWs]

Spent an hour with the 97 310 16x19. It felt really nice off the ground. A bit head heavy so a little sluggish on volleys. Definitely a step up from the older model but not a huge step. Can’t say I like the paint job in person. Looks cool in pictures. Not so much in person. Did not feel great on volleys. Just ok. I thought it might be a contender to knock out the VCore 95 but that ain’t happening. Sticking with the 95. Also, I laid these rackets up one on top of the other and I don’t not see a 2” head size difference. In fact they look virtually identical in size.

 

[cortado]

Spent an hour with the 97 310 16x19. It felt really nice off the ground. A bit head heavy so a little sluggish on volleys. Definitely a step up from the older model but not a huge step. Can’t say I like the paint job in person. Looks cool in pictures. Not so much in person. Did not feel great on volleys. Just ok. I thought it might be a contender to knock out the VCore 95 but that ain’t happening. Sticking with the 95. Also, I laid these rackets up one on top of the other and I don’t not see a 2” head size difference. In fact they look virtually identical in size.

So are you thinking the 95 is really a 97? Or the 97 is really a 95?

 

[cortado]

I got a 97D demo. It had a 292 unstrung SW and 317 strung SW. I was hoping it would be a softer duel g 330 but it feels so light. Waiting for the rain to stop so I can try it. I also got to see the new prestige line and they look nice.

That's quite low on the swing-weight? It's supposed to be 330 strung?

 

[High Lama]

Yeah low swing weight. I strung it with hyper g soft 18 gauge and no dampener. The TW people typically use heavier strings but it wouldn’t be more than 325. I use to have the previous version of this model and it was 329 SW with a O dampener.

 

[glenWs]

So are you thinking the 95 is really a 97? Or the 97 is really a 95?

I’m thinking the 95 is closer to 97.

 

[isukatennis]

Got two of the new 310s today… not digging the paint job, but no biggie…but def don’t like the thicker beam from an aesthetic standpoint and how it feels in the hand…thinner beam is what I loved about the previous versions…playing with it tomorrow so we’ll see how it plays.

 

[isukatennis]

Spent an hour with the 97 310 16x19. It felt really nice off the ground. A bit head heavy so a little sluggish on volleys. Definitely a step up from the older model but not a huge step. Can’t say I like the paint job in person. Looks cool in pictures. Not so much in person. Did not feel great on volleys. Just ok. I thought it might be a contender to knock out the VCore 95 but that ain’t happening. Sticking with the 95. Also, I laid these rackets up one on top of the other and I don’t not see a 2” head size difference. In fact they look virtually identical in size.

Head heavy? You think so?

 

[isukatennis]

I played with the new VCP 310 and couldn't get over the low launch angle. anyone else experiencing this?

they’ve always had a low launch angle…I string mine (older versions) at 52/48 lbs to help the launch angle a bit…seems to help

 

[Power Player]

Spent an hour with the 97 310 16x19. It felt really nice off the ground. A bit head heavy so a little sluggish on volleys. Definitely a step up from the older model but not a huge step. Can’t say I like the paint job in person. Looks cool in pictures. Not so much in person. Did not feel great on volleys. Just ok. I thought it might be a contender to knock out the VCore 95 but that ain’t happening. Sticking with the 95. Also, I laid these rackets up one on top of the other and I don’t not see a 2” head size difference. In fact they look virtually identical in size.

Its gonna be real tough to beat the 95. Interesting that yours was head heavy though.

I played with the new VCP 310 and couldn't get over the low launch angle. anyone else experiencing this?

What racquet do you normally use?

 

[408tennisguy]

they’ve always had a low launch angle…I string mine (older versions) at 52/48 lbs to help the launch angle a bit…seems to help

I went 49x45 full poly. diadem solstice power 17G and Ghostwire 17g

 

[408tennisguy]

Its gonna be real tough to beat the 95. Interesting that yours was head heavy though.




What racquet do you normally use?

A customized prince phantom 100x 305 16x18

 

[Artanis]

I expect VCP 97 to be more confy than VC 95

 

[RFfan88]

Have had a good session with the vcore pro 97H for the past two days fellas… man it’s so hard to not fall in love with this racket. Coming from the v7 blade and the blade pro this racket felt right at home with the same great soft feel but the plow on this stick is incomparable to any of the rackets that I’ve tried. Keep in mind, I’ve never used yonex rackets in my life because I always thought they were underpowered but this stick has changed the way that i feel about yonex entirely.

the specs that I had for my racket came to 350g with overgrip and strings and 335 sw. Compared to my 18x20 blade pro with a 350 SW, the 97H had even more plow than my bruiser blade pro. It’s incredible just how much action the racket puts on the ball when you set up properly and really drive through the ball. The only downside to this racket is that it is still pretty heavy to swing and I feel like many recreational players will not be able to benefit from the racket due to the weight. But if you get the proper timing and your feet set, there’s no other racket in the market that can match the plow that you get from this racket. And also the feel is on the more muted side so players that like getting direct feedback when they hit might not gel with this racket. However, that can be off set by playing with stiffer polys. I had mine strung with head lynx tour and the racket just feels so smooth and soft just like the v7 blades.

I’ve also had the chance to try out the vcore 310 because my hitting partner ended up getting the racket on the same day I got the 97H. I can say that the 310 is a good racket as well. It’s got the same soft feel as the 97H but a lot more maneuverability. I think recreational players would benefit more from using the 310 for this reason. The one thing I did not like about the vcore 310 is that it is lacking in plow and power. The racket can get pushed back by heavy hitters and volleys feel a little bit unstable when the ball isn’t hit on the sweet spot. Some modifications might be needed but overall, the vcore 310 is a good racket as well. Yonex really did a great job with these new vcore pros! I’m leaving my blades behind and riding off with my new 97H

 

[Bronc10is]

I am very excited to say the least. I received an email from Yonex two days ago that I won one of the VCore Pro giveaways that they promoted on social media. I am getting the 97 310, the strung specs look great to me, excited to get it and see how it plays.

 

[Syfo-Dias]

I am very excited to say the least. I received an email from Yonex two days ago that I won one of the VCore Pro giveaways that they promoted on social media. I am getting the 97 310, the strung specs look great to me, excited to get it and see how it plays.

 

[tennisislife4622]

Had a very brief hit with the Vcore 100 and it was a pretty decent experience, I strung it with YPTP 16L @54 LBS. First impressions, really good feel slightly muted but great on drop shots/touch shots. This racket actually has a ton more free power than I was expecting/hoping as I was missing long quite frequently. Might take an adjustment period, but the launch angle was also higher than I was expecting, hopefully I can adjust or dial in the string setup. Definitely promising so far, but the increased beam and throat thickness has really increased the power and access to depth, maybe more than I would like but we will see. I will say that the sweet spot looks and feels absolutely massive so that was a massive upside. Stability was pretty good and definitely an upgrade compared to last version. (I am an 11 UTR and playing lower D1 level)

 

[Power Player]

Got the 310 and strung it up with Tour Bite 16L. This thing feels like absolute butter. Not overly muted, in fact less muted than the VC95. I should be hitting with it tomorrow AM.

 

[!<-_->!]

Less muted than vc95 you say. Now I'm very intrigued

 

[isukatennis]

Played the new 310 tonight…not enough to give it a fair chance, but first impressions I’m not thrilled…I’ve been playing the og blue/orange the last few years and hoping this was going to be a better version, but it’s a completely different racket all together. I did notice more power, but low power is what I liked about the vcp line. If I wanted more power I’d go to a different line. I felt it wasn’t as quick/maneuverable as the older versions, even with the same balance and lighter swing weight…maybe it’s just that wider beam playing tricks on my mind, idk. Every time I looked down at it all I could see was a Wilson blade, not a vcp. Call me crazy, it has a lower RA, but it felt a little harsh compared to my older version too… same string setup, grips etc. Again, not much hitting, just some friendly doubles with it so far…I may be singing a different tune in a few days, who knows…I may just still be mourning the passing of what I’ve considered the perfect frame…wish they’d just painted the old version black and called it a day, but we’ll see. Anxious to hear what others experience. Cheers

 

[Power Player]

Played the new 310 tonight…not enough to give it a fair chance, but first impressions I’m not thrilled…I’ve been playing the og blue/orange the last few years and hoping this was going to be a better version, but it’s a completely different racket all together. I did notice more power, but low power is what I liked about the vcp line. If I wanted more power I’d go to a different line. I felt it wasn’t as quick/maneuverable as the older versions, even with the same balance and lighter swing weight…maybe it’s just that wider beam playing tricks on my mind, idk. Every time I looked down at it all I could see was a Wilson blade, not a vcp. Call me crazy, it has a lower RA, but it felt a little harsh compared to my older version too… same string setup, grips etc. Again, not much hitting, just some friendly doubles with it so far…I may be singing a different tune in a few days, who knows…I may just still be mourning the passing of what I’ve considered the perfect frame…wish they’d just painted the old version black and called it a day, but we’ll see. Anxious to hear what others experience. Cheers

Wild, mine feels soft AF hitting off the wall. I will get a better idea tomorrow when I play.

Everything else you are saying is quite exciting for me since I felt the orange/blue was an amazing frame but a bit flimsy and quicker through the air than I wanted, plus it was lacking a little power. I actually left that frame for the v7 Blade, so to potentially have a 16x19 Blade with a more HL balance is exciting.

I will see tomorrow how it goes.

 

[isukatennis]

Had a very brief hit with the Vcore 100 and it was a pretty decent experience, I strung it with YPTP 16L @54 LBS. First impressions, really good feel slightly muted but great on drop shots/touch shots. This racket actually has a ton more free power than I was expecting/hoping as I was missing long quite frequently. Might take an adjustment period, but the launch angle was also higher than I was expecting, hopefully I can adjust or dial in the string setup. Definitely promising so far, but the increased beam and throat thickness has really increased the power and access to depth, maybe more than I would like but we will see. I will say that the sweet spot looks and feels absolutely massive so that was a massive upside. Stability was pretty good and definitely an upgrade compared to last version. (I am an 11 UTR and playing lower D1 level)

I think the vcp 100 is going to be the star of this new update (s)… I’m a 97 fan, but I’ve always tried the 100 just to have one in the bag, and was never impressed. It was like it was just an afterthought for Yonex just to fill a slot… but from the specs, I think they got it right this time. The same updates, I’m not really liking on the 97, but I would like them in the 100. I think I’m gonna have to try one

 

[isukatennis]

Wild, mine feels soft AF hitting off the wall. I will get a better idea tomorrow when I play.

Everything else you are saying is quite exciting for me since I felt the orange/blue was an amazing frame but a bit flimsy and quicker through the air than I wanted, plus it was lacking a little power. I actually left that frame for the v7 Blade, so to potentially have a 16x19 Blade with a more HL balance is exciting.

I will see tomorrow how it goes.

Yeah, I totally get someone who likes the blade, loving this one! Honestly they should make this a line all itself, there’s definitely room for it and still make the old vcp specs. Wishful thinking lol. Glad you’re liking it!!!

 

[Power Player]

Yeah, I totally get someone who likes the blade, loving this one! Honestly they should make this a line all itself, there’s definitely room for it and still make the old vcp specs. Wishful thinking lol. Glad you’re liking it!!!

Give me some time and ill see how it goes after this weekend..haha.

I really love the VC95 currently. That frame blew me away. Let's see how the VCP97 can match up.

 

[Syfo-Dias]

Have had a good session with the vcore pro 97H for the past two days fellas… man it’s so hard to not fall in love with this racket. Coming from the v7 blade and the blade pro this racket felt right at home with the same great soft feel but the plow on this stick is incomparable to any of the rackets that I’ve tried. Keep in mind, I’ve never used yonex rackets in my life because I always thought they were underpowered but this stick has changed the way that i feel about yonex entirely.

the specs that I had for my racket came to 350g with overgrip and strings and 335 sw. Compared to my 18x20 blade pro with a 350 SW, the 97H had even more plow than my bruiser blade pro. It’s incredible just how much action the racket puts on the ball when you set up properly and really drive through the ball. The only downside to this racket is that it is still pretty heavy to swing and I feel like many recreational players will not be able to benefit from the racket due to the weight. But if you get the proper timing and your feet set, there’s no other racket in the market that can match the plow that you get from this racket. And also the feel is on the more muted side so players that like getting direct feedback when they hit might not gel with this racket. However, that can be off set by playing with stiffer polys. I had mine strung with head lynx tour and the racket just feels so smooth and soft just like the v7 blades.

I’ve also had the chance to try out the vcore 310 because my hitting partner ended up getting the racket on the same day I got the 97H. I can say that the 310 is a good racket as well. It’s got the same soft feel as the 97H but a lot more maneuverability. I think recreational players would benefit more from using the 310 for this reason. The one thing I did not like about the vcore 310 is that it is lacking in plow and power. The racket can get pushed back by heavy hitters and volleys feel a little bit unstable when the ball isn’t hit on the sweet spot. Some modifications might be needed but overall, the vcore 310 is a good racket as well. Yonex really did a great job with these new vcore pros! I’m leaving my blades behind and riding off with my new 97H

Oh man you're making me jones for this racquet so hard right now! I've been waiting for Yonex to make another heavy flexible racquet for so long. There's something about that old Yonex buttery feel that hasn't been seen in a long time. Before the 2010's that's how pretty much all Yonex player's racquets used to be.

 

[ichaseballs]

i played extensively with two versions of ezones 98, the dr98, and ezone tour...
been using the new vcore 98. liked it so much i got 2.

this new vcore pro 97 310g is the first vcp line i am trying.
got the 310 on launch day. got to play about 3 hours of doubles across 2 days.
it is very soft with a dampened/muted feel. lower launch angle coming from the vcore98.
the vcp is easily the lowest power of the yonex lines.
serving was pretty seamless. volleys were easier when blocking, but struggled to find my deep punch volleys.
i do think i need more time with the vcp to play better with it. it is a unique feeling racquet i def give it that.
it does feel a bit like an underpowered dr98 dare i say?

 

[Artanis]

I also played with DR98 for a couple of years, and switched to the VCP 310. I found it more dampened, manouverable and easy on the arm. Lower power I've mitigated by string setup. I'm really curious now about the new VCP 97 on how it compares with the outgoing model...

 

[smalahove]

I’m thinking the 95 is closer to 97.

I agree, but I do notice the difference between the VC95 and most 97/98 frames when I want to be aggressive against heavy pace. The latter are more forgiving when not hitting the ball flush, where the VC95 sometimes coughs up a shorter, attackable ball.

 

[smalahove]

Yeah, I totally get someone who likes the blade, loving this one! Honestly they should make this a line all itself, there’s definitely room for it and still make the old vcp specs. Wishful thinking lol. Glad you’re liking it!!!

Exactly. I think this iteration takes the DG/VCP97 into Blade and perhaps even Pure Strike territory, which is neither good or bad in itself, but it is a departure from the Prestige "heritage" of this line.

 

[ichaseballs]

I also played with DR98 for a couple of years, and switched to the VCP 310. I found it more dampened, manouverable and easy on the arm. Lower power I've mitigated by string setup. I'm really curious now about the new VCP 97 on how it compares with the outgoing model...

the new vcp 310 felt a little softer/flexier than the dr98
if you thought the dr98 had too much power, this might be your next racquet

 

[ichaseballs]

played a little with the presitge mp. great racquet, had more pop than i thought, was great but just an hour and my elbow hurt later that night.
the new vcp compared to that is so soft. i think a great "player's racquet" for those struggling with arm/elbow issues.

the stock 305 vcore98 (317 SW) plays very well. surprisingly very stable.

my new vcp is 322 SW. felt it twist a bit on off-center shots.
i do want to try adding some weight to the head on this vcp though. (i think 3+9)
i guess more SW does not necessarily mean it will be more stable. perhaps this is "twistweight"? idk who here has a phd in physics?

 

[galahad]

I moved from a DR98, and wanted a little more control, so am anxious to hear about how the VCP310 compares, playing with the new VC98, and it is far too bright a frame, much less control than DR98, I need to course correct…FAST!!!..LOL

 

[Power Player]

I posted a long review here - http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/diary-of-a-racketaholic.347887/post-15676007

But I will say for me the VCP97 is definitely not muted at all. The feel is soft with a crisp sweetspot (I used tour bite). The VC95 to me is more of a muted frame. I really like both frames, but currently prefer the playability of the VC95. For feel, the VCP is one of the best feeling frames I have hit with since the Blade Pro and Wilson Ultra Tour.

 

[T&M Returns]

Exactly. I think this iteration takes the DG/VCP97 into Blade and perhaps even Pure Strike territory, which is neither good or bad in itself, but it is a departure from the Prestige "heritage" of this line.

Do you think the VCP97 line still has lower power than the Pure Strikes?

 

[jdx2112]

Do you think the VCP97 line still has lower power than the Pure Strikes?

How is

Exactly. I think this iteration takes the DG/VCP97 into Blade and perhaps even Pure Strike territory, which is neither good or bad in itself, but it is a departure from the Prestige "heritage" of this line.

how is a 61RA make this racquet similar to the pure strike?

 

[jdx2112]

Do you think the VCP97 line still has lower power than the Pure Strikes?

The 97 Almost certainly. The D and H deliver power through weight. Pure strike does it through stiffness.

 

[T&M Returns]

The 97 Almost certainly. The D and H deliver power through weight. Pure strike does it through stiffness.

I have my pure strikes 3rd gen tours weighted up to about 360 grams, with 5 grams in the butt and about 5 at 12 in the hoop. No problem with SW or weight.

But I've always liked Yonex. However I am also sick of demoing. Just trying to get some feedback from people who have tried it who might have experience with both.

 

[smalahove]

Do you think the VCP97 line still has lower power than the Pure Strikes?

For sure, different leagues.
Btw my demo was perhaps an outlier when it comes to SW.

 

[ichaseballs]

For sure, different leagues.
Btw my demo was perhaps an outlier when it comes to SW.

what was the sw strung?

 

[smalahove]

How is

how is a 61RA make this racquet similar to the pure strike?

Have you played with it? Ime, a low stiffness rating is just a metric that means little by itself. In this case the low racket vibration frequency and static stiffness rating (ra) translated into a very muted frame, and not that plush Prestige feel that most low RA fans are looking for.

I would have expected a much higher SW with this level of mutedness, but it could have been that my demo was a low SW outlier.

The one i demoed did remind of the mutedness or «plushness» of the Blade B7, which I’m not a big fan of. And some aspects of that mutedness also reminded me of the PS and ET.