2021 Yonex VCore Pro Official Thread
- Thread starter ryushen21
- Start date
RF_PRO_STAFF
Professional
I'm getting mine today. Will string it up with Hawk Touch 1.20 at 22/21 kg first since that is great reference point for me + I love the setup. I only have a few more weeks of outdoor clay season left (+some matches on artificial grass) and then I'll also go for gut/poly.
Tranqville
Professional
I really like your string setup! Would it work if I substitute lux gut with Kirschbaum Touch Multifibre @ 1.25 or 1.30? I have VC95 and plan to get a 310 in a couple of weeks.
Yonex VCORE PRO 97D 320 Racquet Review - Tennis Warehouse
www.tennis-warehouse.com
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
Damn.... is that the highest rating they've even given to a racket?Yonex VCORE PRO 97D 320 Racquet Review - Tennis Warehouse
rader023
Rookie
Well DR 98+ has a 90.Damn.... is that the highest rating they've even given to a racket?
Tennis Warehouse - Review
www.tennis-warehouse.com
RF_PRO_STAFF
Professional
My 97 got delivered this afternoon. Unstrung stock specs were 310.99g / 30.7 cm / +-278 SW (RDC is currently not too accurate). RA is 61
Strung it with Hawk Touch 1.20 at 22/21 kg. Strung specs 326.01g/ 31.7 cm / 308 SW (via SwingTool) / 58 RA. Clearly I got a very low SW 97 310. I would've liked to play it stock first but 308 SW is not playable for me, so I added 3g to 12 to raise the SW to at least something that's playable for now. That got it to 317 (SwingTool). I also replaced the base grip with a Yonex AC128EX, put a Supergrap overgrip on and put on a little rubber band dampener. Specs for now are 336.50g / 31.6 cm / 319 SW. Static weight and balance point are already around my preference specs for most Yonex racquets. Swingweight is close.
I planned an afternoon session tomorrow to have a first hit with it. Unfortunately I won't be able to play with it much these coming weeks, since I'm playing in a competition till the end of October. I won't mess around with other racquets much till then. After that, it's play time.
Ps: don't mind the long knot tails in the stringing pic. I always cut those to the proper length when I'm finished.
Strung it with Hawk Touch 1.20 at 22/21 kg. Strung specs 326.01g/ 31.7 cm / 308 SW (via SwingTool) / 58 RA. Clearly I got a very low SW 97 310. I would've liked to play it stock first but 308 SW is not playable for me, so I added 3g to 12 to raise the SW to at least something that's playable for now. That got it to 317 (SwingTool). I also replaced the base grip with a Yonex AC128EX, put a Supergrap overgrip on and put on a little rubber band dampener. Specs for now are 336.50g / 31.6 cm / 319 SW. Static weight and balance point are already around my preference specs for most Yonex racquets. Swingweight is close.
I planned an afternoon session tomorrow to have a first hit with it. Unfortunately I won't be able to play with it much these coming weeks, since I'm playing in a competition till the end of October. I won't mess around with other racquets much till then. After that, it's play time.
Ps: don't mind the long knot tails in the stringing pic. I always cut those to the proper length when I'm finished.
How does the AC128EX grip differ from what came stock on it?
RF_PRO_STAFF
Professional
I'm honestly not too sure. Read a lot of different things about it. My feeling is that it might just be exactly the same grip, but Yonex stock grips get glued on at the factory. These AC128EX's I bought retail so they have a sticky backing on them, which makes them feel a little thicker and heavier. I also always take off the Yonex stock grip because I don't really like how it's wrapped when I have it in my hand. I think the weight difference is generally about 2 grams more when I switch them out + the feeling for me is perfect then.
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
Looks like you have 2 four inch strips of 1/4 inch lead tape at the tip. That would be 2 grams not 3.
Classic-TXP-IG MID
Hall of Fame
Damn.... is that the highest rating they've even given to a racket?
The Vcore Pro 97HD also got an 88 (as mentioned DR98+ got 90), and G360+ GP got 87.
RF_PRO_STAFF
Professional
It's double layered. Don't know how long they are but I weighed it on a scale. Exactly 3.00 grams.
A thicker gauge string will increase the swing weight. Test one with 1.30 string and compare.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
@Syfo-Dias Interesting that it seems both the D and H, the new versions, have a slightly larger sweetspot than the previous models.
Racquet Comparison Tool
Racquet Comparison Tool
Nate7-5
Hall of Fame
Finally got to hit with my VCP 97D. Huge thanks to @yonex_usa for sending it to me after I was one of the winners of their giveaway sweepstakes. I specifically requested one that is a little below the average swingweight and they sent me one that is 291sw unstrung and of course 320g on the dot. Strung with Confidential 1.15 it comes out to 318sw. This is pretty much what I was looking for - if I put in thicker poly or gut, it should be around 325sw.
Going to resist comparing it to my 97HD at this time because I've had a very different string setup in that one for a while, and my level and strength has increased since the last time I was using full poly in it.
Had no problems hitting forehands with a lot of spin with the 97D. Was also able to hit flick shots on the run with ease. I struggled hitting flat serves at the start, but this is likely because I've been switching between racquets too much lately (I just played 2h with the navy 330g on Sunday). Kick and slice serves were easy to hit from the start.
So what I have is a supremely comfortable, stable yet maneuverable frame with 18x20 accuracy and plenty of spin. It looks awesome and is a joy to use - I'm probably going to be splitting my time between it and my VCore95 (will probably keep gut/poly in 1 and full poly in the other).
Going to resist comparing it to my 97HD at this time because I've had a very different string setup in that one for a while, and my level and strength has increased since the last time I was using full poly in it.
Had no problems hitting forehands with a lot of spin with the 97D. Was also able to hit flick shots on the run with ease. I struggled hitting flat serves at the start, but this is likely because I've been switching between racquets too much lately (I just played 2h with the navy 330g on Sunday). Kick and slice serves were easy to hit from the start.
So what I have is a supremely comfortable, stable yet maneuverable frame with 18x20 accuracy and plenty of spin. It looks awesome and is a joy to use - I'm probably going to be splitting my time between it and my VCore95 (will probably keep gut/poly in 1 and full poly in the other).
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Bronc10is
Semi-Pro
congrats man! I was one of the winners of the giveaway also!
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Nice, D version is getting really good reviews. How much more difficult is it to use compared to the Vc95, and is the trajectory lower or higher?
Nate7-5
Hall of Fame
My 97D (344g / 318sw) is just as easy to use and whippy like my VC95 (332g / 313.5sw). If you bumped it up to 334sw like the TW early samples, I can imagine it would play a lot differently.
The trajectory is slightly lower and you will dump a few more balls into the net if you switch to it from an open pattern, but the adjustment is relatively minor. It also helps that I have a lot of experience with the HD and used the same 47/45lbs tension that worked well for full poly.
JOSHL
Hall of Fame
Project one 7 also got a 90.
Classic-TXP-IG MID
Hall of Fame
I never tried the racquet, but from all the reports of sore arms... maybe getting a high score is not such a great thing (or there are other forces at play when coming up with a high score
).The best indicator is trying out the racquet and seeing what one's personal thoughts are (let's face it... that's really the only thing that counts).
RF_PRO_STAFF
Professional
True. I just don't like playing with thicker strings.
GummiiBear
Semi-Pro
I still think the 97H is the one out of the lot that sounds most appealing to me, with regards to the changes made and such.
It’d be so sweet if it plays like a lighter, more comfortable RF97, heh.
It’d be so sweet if it plays like a lighter, more comfortable RF97, heh.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
They made it heavier than the Vcore Pro (330) without changing balance, it would be a miracle if it played lighter than the RF97 at a SW around 340 plus.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Really good stick, strangely enough the power/stability/maneuverability/control reminds me of the Vcore 95 (2021), BUT it was a bab and like many of them the stiffness caused arm issues. But, when that racket came out, it was a really hot seller.I never tried the racquet, but from all the reports of sore arms... maybe getting a high score is not such a great thing (or there are other forces at play when coming up with a high score
The best indicator is trying out the racquet and seeing what one's personal thoughts are (let's face it... that's really the only thing that counts).
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I'll have a real review of the D sooner than later, but full natural gut. Never had a racket respond so well to full natural gut like the HD did and now the D is the same sweet experience. I tried Hyper G and Confidential, plus Yonex Pro in them too, the gut is just something everyone should try once at least.
CosmosMpower
Hall of Fame
Finally got to hit with my VCP 97D. Huge thanks to @yonex_usa for sending it to me after I was one of the winners of their giveaway sweepstakes. I specifically requested one that is a little below the average swingweight and they sent me one that is 291sw unstrung and of course 320g on the dot. Strung with Confidential 1.15 it comes out to 318sw. This is pretty much what I was looking for - if I put in thicker poly or gut, it should be around 325sw.
Going to resist comparing it to my 97HD at this time because I've had a very different string setup in that one for a while, and my level and strength has increased since the last time I was using full poly in it.
Had no problems hitting forehands with a lot of spin with the 97D. Was also able to hit flick shots on the run with ease. I struggled hitting flat serves at the start, but this is likely because I've been switching between racquets too much lately (I just played 2h with the navy 330g on Sunday). Kick and slice serves were easy to hit from the start.
So what a have is a supremely comfortable, stable yet maneuverable frame with 18x20 accuracy and plenty of spin. It looks awesome and is a joy to use - I'm probably going to be splitting my time between it and my VCore95 (will probably keep gut/poly in 1 and full poly in the other).
I felt the 97HD was sluggish, curious if the 97D is more maneuverable.
For me, the 2018 (blue) and 2020 (green) VCP 97 330’s (which is what I’ve been playing with for the past couple years) are pretty close to exactly a lighter, more comfortable but still very stable, high-plowthrough frame as compared with the RF97.
It’s been a couple years since I last hit with an RF97, but when I recently demoed the new VCP 97H it felt very much like I remember the RF97 to me; that is, too heavy for me.
Interesting, I never played with full bed of gut, just hybrids with my prostaffs. Doesn't the ball fly long?
Syfo-Dias
Professional
You can string gut tight to keep it from being too powerful. Back when I played with a full bed, I'd usually string it 60 - 65 lbs.
Falcons023
New User
I would love to know others thoughts on this as well. I am playing with Hyper-G 18 with my old racquets. I am getting Hyper-G 18 on one of my new VCP 97 310 and trying Rip Control 17G on the 2nd one.
JOSHL
Hall of Fame
Let me know if you decide to move this! 318SW is perfect!Finally got to hit with my VCP 97D. Huge thanks to @yonex_usa for sending it to me after I was one of the winners of their giveaway sweepstakes. I specifically requested one that is a little below the average swingweight and they sent me one that is 291sw unstrung and of course 320g on the dot. Strung with Confidential 1.15 it comes out to 318sw. This is pretty much what I was looking for - if I put in thicker poly or gut, it should be around 325sw.
Going to resist comparing it to my 97HD at this time because I've had a very different string setup in that one for a while, and my level and strength has increased since the last time I was using full poly in it.
Had no problems hitting forehands with a lot of spin with the 97D. Was also able to hit flick shots on the run with ease. I struggled hitting flat serves at the start, but this is likely because I've been switching between racquets too much lately (I just played 2h with the navy 330g on Sunday). Kick and slice serves were easy to hit from the start.
So what a have is a supremely comfortable, stable yet maneuverable frame with 18x20 accuracy and plenty of spin. It looks awesome and is a joy to use - I'm probably going to be splitting my time between it and my VCore95 (will probably keep gut/poly in 1 and full poly in the other).
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I'll preface this by saying I can adjust to many rackets on the fly, I've only experienced the fly long scenario with pure drives, I can't tame that beast to make it a good racket for matches.
I strung mine with full gut at 50 pounds. The HD and D are "different" rackets when it comes to tension, as detailed in the HD thread, pages and pages about tension there. For poly in the HD and I will say same goes with the D I think 48 pounds is the correct tension. I don't know how that informs the "right" tension for full gut, but mine at 50 pounds is still very much a control racket. If I was using the 330 or D I would probably bump the tension 3-4 pounds.
Personally the HD could always use more power, but I didn't want more power from the HD if it lost the basic characteristics of the playability overall, control and feel.
Thats around 22 kg. I string at 25,5 kg. Perhaps I should try lowering the tension before changing strings...
GummiiBear
Semi-Pro
It’s curious, my customized 97HD has a SW of 340, yet feels/swings lighter than my RF97 at 332. Curious still, my Prestige MP is 5g lighter in static weight but one day after 1.5-2 hours it started to feel heavy, while my 97HD didn’t.
Edit: I’ve got both the 97H and 97D demos headed my way, just to sate my curiosity. I’m glad I’ll be able to try both together.
Had a first hit today with the new VCP 97 strung with Focus Hex and enjoyed it. Coming after a couple of month playing with the previous version (green one) it definitely felt more muted and confortable.
Liked the balance (strangely it seems a bit lighter than the old one), but I need to precisely weigh it.
Need more play with it, but first impressions do not dissapoint.
Liked the balance (strangely it seems a bit lighter than the old one), but I need to precisely weigh it.
Need more play with it, but first impressions do not dissapoint.
Classic-TXP-IG MID
Hall of Fame
That is such a broad question. It depends on what you're looking for from your string. Since you're using Hyper-G 1.15mm, does that mean you want the string to be shaped, or you don't care? Are you interested in full poly, or hybrid, or you don't care? Do you want your string to be soft, or firm, or you don't care? Does colour matter to you in relation to the racquet? Are you only interested in thin strings, or are other gauges possible?
Since none of this is specified... here are some random strings you might want to try:
Völkl Cyclone 18L (1.15mm) - shaped, thin, great spin potential and control, black
Weiss Cannon Red Ghost (1.15mm) - shaped, thin, great spin potential and control, softer feel, red
MSV Co-Focus Yellow (1.18mm) - round, good spin potential, softer, livelier feel than black colour which plays deader
Poly Tour Pro Yellow (1.20mm) - round, thin, softer feel
Head Lynx
Head Lynx Tour
Tier 1 Black Knight - shaped, softer feel, thin (but also comes in larger gauges), good spin potential and control
Grapplesnake Tour Sniper - shaped, 1.25mm, good spin potential
Grapplesnake Alpha - same as Tour Sniper, but a little softer, and more lively
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Tier 1 Ghost Wire in the Crosses
Any of the above shaped strings in the Mains, and any of the above round strings in the Crosses
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Gosen OG Sheep Micro in the Crosses
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Head Syn Gut PPS in the Crosses
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Klip Tournament XL Syn Gut in the Crosses
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Babolat Origin 1.25mm in the Crosses
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Isospeed Cream in the Crosses
Any of the above strings in the Mains, and then Weiss Cannon Explosiv (1.30mm Multi) in the Crosses
Reverse order Hybrids
Gosen AK Control 17 in Mains, any of the above polys in the Crosses
Babolat Origin 17 in the Mains, any of the above polys in the Crosses
Isospeed Cream in the Mains, any of the above polys in the Crosses
Gut in the Mains, and any of the above round polys in the Crosses
Head Syn Gut PPS in the Mains, any of the round polys in the Crosses
Gosen OG Sheep Micro in the Mains, any of the round polys in the Crosses
Hope that small list of strings, combinations, and permutations helps.
Starsailor84
Rookie
God I love this place.
rader023
Rookie
Apparently i am the only one who likes V-square, but i have used Cylcone 18 in my 18x20 with good results, why not try 18 or 19 v-square if you are looking for some spin. Hyper-G has never worked for me as it hurts my arm, but V-square and cyclone doesn't.
I've tried about 4 different setups in the 97HD and Head Lynx Tour @ 42 has been my favorite. I could still have used a bit more free power, especially on defense, so I'm hoping the 97D fixes that.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
lynx tour is so good. Im about to play 2 hours with 1.25 in the 310 97 and will report on how it goes.
Classic-TXP-IG MID
Hall of Fame
If you still have your 97HD, try adding a small amount of weight at 2,4,8, and 10 o'clock (like 0.5g in each location), if you haven't tried that already. Then counter-balance with about the same weight (2-3g) at 7" above the butt cap. It worked very well for me and gave me excellent defence capabilities.
Just a thought. Oh... and still get the 97D, of course.
Yes, agreed. My go-to reference strings were always Alu and YPTP 1.20, but my stringer recommended Lynx Tour a few months ago and it was a surprise discovery for me. Solid all round string without any obvious weakness. Currently have it in my VCP 330 (2019) @ 45 lbs too and liking it.
Thanks for the suggestion. I did try 1g each at 11 and 1 per another poster's suggestion (Cortado maybe?) but it didn't seem to do much for me. I could try that setup. I think it could also be a FH technique issue, because I was able to hit lots of clean winners with my (flatter) OHBH while my (whippier) FH would come up short more often. I'm working on flattening out my FH, but for now using my VCP 330 (2019). Too bad, because for me the 97HD feels like the perfect racket in terms of balance, weight, and the way it cuts through the air. Hopefully the 97D in stock will offer a bit more power - I'll plan to demo in the next couple of weeks and report back.
10S-Junkie
Semi-Pro
Stay away from the General Pro Player discussion forum otherwise your opinion will definitely change!
Classic-TXP-IG MID
Hall of Fame
Keep us posted... and I hope the 97D exceeds your expectations. It's important to find out what works for you personally, because at the end of the day we are all different and there is no one right answer.
I had to tinker with my 97HD for a bit before I found what worked for me. I have more weight on it then just what I outlined (in addition about 1.5 or 2g @ 12 o'clock, 5-6g at 7" above butt cap, 3g of Tungsten Putty inside the butt cap, and 2 overgrips). However, it was the addition of weight at 2,4,8, and 10 that made the difference (I basically spread what I had at 3&9 previously to the other spots).
I'll demo the 97D and the 97H a bit later (when all the frenzy dies down).
fundrazer
G.O.A.T.
97HD and probably the new 97D are perfect candidates for gut/poly. Maybe go with a bit of a crisper poly though for the crosses. Something like gut/poly tour pro is still good, but I think it's a bit muted for that frame.
I like the vs gut/rpm hybrid. Can get it in a single pack which is kinda convenient too.
I like the vs gut/rpm hybrid. Can get it in a single pack which is kinda convenient too.
Falcons023
New User
Hyper-G is one of the softest poly's out there. Your EZONE also plays a role. My hitting partner has EZONE and he could not make Hyper-G work in it. For him racquet is the culprit. He moved on to Gravity MP and using Hyper-G soft and he is a happy camper.
Not asking you to change the racquet. Just saying that it's always racquet and string combo plus our own technique.
