2021 Yonex VCore Pro Official Thread

[Nate7-5]

My 97D is a bit lower in swingweight than my HD (323 with 1.25 gut/poly, 318 with 1.15 Confidential), and it was playing well but I was missing the incredible 1st serve pop from the HD. So I decided to try putting 2g at 12 and immediately I was bombing 1st serves again and they were all going in. This is in contrast to my VCore95 where every attempt to add weight to the hoop hasnt worked for me and I keep going back to stock. Next step is to see if I can keep most of the benefit by slightly reducing the 2g. I agree with Mischeko about the HD/97D necessitating full long strokes. This was my main issue with the HD - if I was off balance or trying to hit a flick shot on the run, the ball was usually going into the tape. This still happens with the 97D, but less often. Still keeping my HD in the bag because it was a gift from my g/f and it will remain a classic, and I can easily switch between them during play.

Edit: Current string setup is Klip Legend 1.25 54lbs x Yonex PolyTour Rev purple 1.25 51lbs

 

[Bal]

a 330g 18x20 flexy low powered frame is a no go. 18x20 is lower powered than 16x19, sometimes really dead, so in a 330 it's difficult to get it moving fast enough, even for a top pro player. it'd work in some shots where you have time to reaaaaaaaaaaly swing back, but you'd mostly be really slow on attack with it in attacking style of tennis, and late on defense, although it might work for defensive baseliners. both novak and medvedev play dense patterns in heavy frames, and both are not-so-great in attacking, but great at blocking the ball back, they depend on incoming pace. already the 97D is too slow for 18x20, and I'd prefer it as 16m x19 or x20 in it to get power, and as a 315g frame, simply because it really costs time to swing it back and forth. I added some lead at 12 and it helps, but now it's even slower. that's why 18x20 should be in a lighter frame.. and since this got me thinking, I actually think they should merge the 97 and 97D into 315g and offer both string patterns. they could introduce a 305g for juniors of course. at the same time they could reduce the 330 to 325g but it would still remain a low sales volume product.

I think string choice and tension makes a difference how this frame plays to compensate for the string pattern. I demoed it a couple of months ago with syn gut at 53lbs and felt it had enough power and control without having to really swing out.

 

[10S-Junkie]

I think string choice and tension makes a difference how this frame plays to compensate for the string pattern. I demoed it a couple of months ago with syn gut at 53lbs and felt it had enough power and control without having to really swing out.

+1
I string my 97D with thinner gauge strings to achieve a lower swingweight and around 50 lbs tension. Power/control are good for me too.

 

[ichaseballs]

^ this is why custom yonex is popular in japan

 

[Kurt0707]

Finally received my 97D, and I have to stay it didn't disappoint me having played a few hours with it now... I could easily play lengthy heavy shots which I couldn't do with 97HD or even weighted up Vcore 95 2018. Also for some reason it was easier to clear the net than 97HD from the start and play on the defense. I was afraid 97D would be too muted but feel was there too... I am very happy for now although I know I dont have the ideal setup.

- SW is for sure lower than 330 as many here commented/measured, probably around 325 stock (with 16L string), so I will experiment with some lead to bring it to around 330.
- Had strung it with PTP Yellow @ 45 lbs and it was too powerful actually,, will try a full poly setup at higher tension or even gut/poly maybe, which plays very well in VC95

Finally I feel I found a more stable & forgiving option to my weighted VC95 2018, with better shot options (such as slice), and may even switch to this after trying a few different setups....

 

[Tranqville]

with better shot options (such as slice)

Interesting that you like the slice: with 310, I keep struggling with the slice, but it's wonderful with VC 95. I do not understand why.

 

[Kurt0707]

I was referring to 97D (320 gr version).... not that VC95 is bad (with the weight on hoop), but VC97D and previous 97HD are better for me.

 

[What'sABackhand]

Currently demoing the 330g version with polytour rev. Plays pretty similar to me compared to the 2018 version, just more muted and with a slightly higher swingweight. The feel is a bit different. Playing it without a dampener feels similar to the 2018 version with a dampener maybe, just a touch harder to swing. Hard to tell if the strings are very muted or the racquet or both, but the strings feel like a slightly more muted version of PTP. I'll play with it a few more times.

 

[Crashbaby]

Rev is more muted than poly tour pro, that’s my experience.

 

[AlexSV]

Hard to follow the racquet talk in here. A question for the racquet geeks...

Is the 2019 version the more 'muted' version? Is it due to the thinner beam and different stiffness rating? I'm trying to figure out why I like the 2019 version more so I can speak to it a bit better. I tried a friend's 2019 VCP 310 and really liked the feel and maneuverability. I recently tried the 2021 VCP 310 and 330 and they don't seem to have the same feel or control as the 2019 version.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

Rev is more muted than poly tour pro, that’s my experience.

@Crashbaby @What'sABackhand
-muted??? as in quiet (sound wise)??
-what about power level ,(between yptp and y.pt.rev) which seems more powerfull 2you?

 

[Crashbaby]

I’m using 1.2mm Pro, 1.25 in Rev. Pro feels more powerful and more responsive for me. Rev is muted and soft. They are very different feeing strings. In a harsh frame, I would use Rev. In my Blade Pro, I much preferred poly tour pro to Rev. I tried them back to back. First hit with Rev after using pro and I was pretty shocked at the difference. I did get used to Rev, but it took hours. I’ve got Strike 1.25mm in one BP at present and prefer that to both Pro & Rev in that racquet.

 

[Tranqville]

If you want a string that matches VCORE PRO playing character perfectly, Luxilon Element is the answer. Most buttery feel ever!

 

[Crashbaby]

@Crashbaby @What'sABackhand
-muted??? as in quiet (sound wise)??
-what about power level ,(between yptp and y.pt.rev) which seems more powerfull 2you?

I’m using 1.2mm Pro, 1.25 in Rev. Pro feels more powerful and more responsive for me. Rev is muted and soft. They are very different feeing strings. In a harsh frame, I would use Rev. In my Blade Pro, I much preferred poly tour pro to Rev. I tried them back to back. First hit with Rev after using pro and I was pretty shocked at the difference. I did get used to Rev, but it took hours. I’ve got Strike 1.25mm in one BP at present and prefer that to both Pro & Rev in that racquet.

 

[What'sABackhand]

I’m using 1.2mm Pro, 1.25 in Rev. Pro feels more powerful and more responsive for me. Rev is muted and soft. They are very different feeing strings. In a harsh frame, I would use Rev. In my Blade Pro, I much preferred poly tour pro to Rev. I tried them back to back. First hit with Rev after using pro and I was pretty shocked at the difference. I did get used to Rev, but it took hours. I’ve got Strike 1.25mm in one BP at present and prefer that to both Pro & Rev in that racquet.

I haven't used Rev much but I'd have to agree. PTP is more lively and has more feel. I had a hard time feeling the ball and hitting touch shots with Rev. Maybe Rev gets better after a few hours of hitting, unlike PTP which starts trampolining but I can't say for sure.

 

[Classic-TXP-IG MID]

Hard to follow the racquet talk in here. A question for the racquet geeks...

Is the 2019 version the more 'muted' version? Is it due to the thinner beam and different stiffness rating? I'm trying to figure out why I like the 2019 version more so I can speak to it a bit better. I tried a friend's 2019 VCP 310 and really liked the feel and maneuverability. I recently tried the 2021 VCP 310 and 330 and they don't seem to have the same feel or control as the 2019 version.

2019 VCP 97 310g is stiffer than the 2021 VCP 97 (310g). Maybe you prefer the stiffer feel?

It (2019) is also thinner in the beam... and therefore might be lower powered.

Go with what you like. Especially that you can get it for much cheaper now.

 

[What'sABackhand]

@Crashbaby @What'sABackhand
-muted??? as in quiet (sound wise)??
-what about power level ,(between yptp and y.pt.rev) which seems more powerfull 2you?

Muted as in there is no feel. I could hit the ball, but didn't feel much of anything. No vibration, which could be good, but hard to tell how the ball is reacting. PTP is more powerful. I can't call rev a control string though, because I couldn't feel the ball well enough to have better control.

 

[What'sABackhand]

Hard to follow the racquet talk in here. A question for the racquet geeks...

Is the 2019 version the more 'muted' version? Is it due to the thinner beam and different stiffness rating? I'm trying to figure out why I like the 2019 version more so I can speak to it a bit better. I tried a friend's 2019 VCP 310 and really liked the feel and maneuverability. I recently tried the 2021 VCP 310 and 330 and they don't seem to have the same feel or control as the 2019 version.

I think 2021 and 2019 are similar in feel because of the vibration dampening mesh. 2018 is definitely not muted. 2021 might be a bit more muted/softer than 2019 because it is less stiff. But the beam is a tiny bit thicker in 2021. The 2018 and 2019 versions seem a bit livelier to me, but I've only tried the 330g version of the 2021.

 

[Pp3355]

I just ordered a yonex vcore pro 97 to try what is all about.

Strung with luxilulon natural gut

 

[galahad]

Just played a 2 hour match with a the 2021 Vcore Pro 310, and can safely say it has at least 5% more pop than the previous iterations. Was using technifibre NRG 17g at 53 lbs. and felt awesome, especially noticeable for me when in the corners driving the ball cross court, sticking volleys as well as on 2nd serve….and comfortable to boot, no resonant elbow or wrist issues at all

 

[1HBHfanatic]

I think 2021 and 2019 are similar in feel because of the vibration dampening mesh. 2018 is definitely not muted. 2021 might be a bit more muted/softer than 2019 because it is less stiff. But the beam is a tiny bit thicker in 2021. The 2018 and 2019 versions seem a bit livelier to me, but I've only tried the 330g version of the 2021.

-i have this one, like it a lot
-the weight is no joke!, lots of mass 330g (to counter ball impact)
-playes great, if i get setup on time, sucks when im late to the impact zone
-ive been trying to demo light and heavy racquets back and forth, it does not work for me
-when i play exclusively with 330g racquets, i can get away with it
-but switching from a 310weight to a 330weight creates too many errors
-over all, i like the new weight and/or the racquet thickness of the 2021 vcore.pro models

 

[DJTaurus]

Has anyone ever played/tried VCP 290gr version ? I ve been hearing great comments that it has the missing free power that 310 lacks and the feel on contact is almost identical…. from my experience with VC98L and ezone 98L these sticks play exactly like their bigger brothers and they just lack the plow….. but they are pretty stable for their weight. Back then my favourite DRs were DR100 and DR98L.

 

[naylor73]

Curious as to whether anyone has had any vibration issues with these frames, in particular the 310 gram version. I am having issues with the old models (both the green and blue) developing vibrations after playing for a while. I want to try this new version but I'm not happy with the vibrations these older frames are picking up after playing a while. My most recent purchase has only been played with a few months and is starting to vibrate like my older frame (that I thought was possibly broken)

 

[johnmccabe]

Curious as to whether anyone has had any vibration issues with these frames, in particular the 310 gram version. I am having issues with the old models (both the green and blue) developing vibrations after playing for a while. I want to try this new version but I'm not happy with the vibrations these older frames are picking up after playing a while. My most recent purchase has only been played with a few months and is starting to vibrate like my older frame (that I thought was possibly broken)

maybe try different strings before concluding it's the frame.

 

[naylor73]

It's without a doubt the frame. It vibrates when you tap the top of the headguard on the ground and you can definitely feel it on high misses. They haven't always had this feel and I only play with one brand string.

 

[10S-Junkie]

No vibration issues with my 97D

 

[safinruslan]

vcp 97 310 2019 - no problem

 

[Zeh]

I take 4 vcore97 310. The weight is ok 309,309,307 and 310. But the swing weight is complete under specs. 273, 273, 277 and 273.5.

I bought the two identical 273. With hyper g soft 1.25mm the SW was only 304 and 304. Put 2g of lead 12h and now is 310 and 310. I Like the racquet. Way more easy and HL then mais radicals pro 2021 with leather, but I would like one with SW between 318 and 322 and would be too much lead to do it.

 

[veedo]

I take 4 vcore97 310. The weight is ok 309,309,307 and 310. But the swing weight is complete under specs. 273, 273, 277 and 273.5.

I bought the two identical 273. With hyper g soft 1.25mm the SW was only 304 and 304. Put 2g of lead 12h and now is 310 and 310. I Like the racquet. Way more easy and HL then mais radicals pro 2021 with leather, but I would like one with SW between 318 and 322 and would be too much lead to do it.

sheesh… that’s consistent, but so low… I am noticing too many of these anecdotes with extreme yonex SWs, considering their QC rep. I have my eyes on the 97D, and at this point I wouldn’t dare buy it without the matching / weighing service.

 

[emaz8724]

sheesh… that’s consistent, but so low… I am noticing too many of these anecdotes with extreme yonex SWs, considering their QC rep. I have my eyes on the 97D, and at this point I wouldn’t dare buy it without the matching / weighing service.

I ordered 2 VCP 97 310s in November and both the static weight and balance were perfect. The sample of 10 had an average unstrung sw of 279! TW customer service was so cool and understanding about my decision to cancel the order. I’m now about to pull the trigger on 2 Boom Pros or new EZone 98s. Loved both demos but struggling to decide.

Boom Pros are coming in with more weight at the tip than listed specs and higher sw. Should be strung balance of 7 pts hl and sw around 315-320 tops, and the beam being off spec (22.5 instead of listed 22 mm) is throwing me off.

New EZone concern is the same as my cancelled VCP 97 - too low swingweight. TennisNerd’s review video showed a strung sw of 309. I don’t know what to do at this point because both demos were great, but qc looks like a pain in the *** across all brands.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

Curious as to whether anyone has had any vibration issues with these frames, in particular the 310 gram version. I am having issues with the old models (both the green and blue) developing vibrations after playing for a while. I want to try this new version but I'm not happy with the vibrations these older frames are picking up after playing a while. My most recent purchase has only been played with a few months and is starting to vibrate like my older frame (that I thought was possibly broken)

-on all my yonex frames i string/strung in the mid40s-mid/low 50s range
-various full bed polys, mostly med to high power polys
-i also tend to favor (not always) 2-4lbs less on the cross strings

-i experienced bad vibrations due to bad stringing and/or string choice
-it was a demo racquet (new 2021 yvcp.97) someone else strung up
-it was strung with some lime yellow string, not yptp, something else
-the vibrations turned me off from this racquet at first hit!!, not just me, my hitting partner also, it was awful feeling
-i have no idea what tension it was set to, "no label" (please put a label when you string, date/tension)
-i tried it again ,(a couple days later) after i kept reading all the positive reviews, which contradicted my hitting experience
-the second time i strung it myself using y.p.t.REV(purple, came with the racquet realease) at 52lbs
-the stringing and the tension choice made such a huge difference

 

[naylor73]

-on all my yonex frames i string/strung in the mid40s-mid/low 50s range
-various full bed polys, mostly med to high power polys
-i also tend to favor (not always) 2-4lbs less on the cross strings

-i experienced bad vibrations due to bad stringing and/or string choice
-it was a demo racquet (new 2021 yvcp.97) someone else strung up
-it was strung with some lime yellow string, not yptp, something else
-the vibrations turned me off from this racquet at first hit!!, not just me, my hitting partner also, it was awful feeling
-i have no idea what tension it was set to, "no label" (please put a label when you string, date/tension)
-i tried it again ,(a couple days later) after i kept reading all the positive reviews, which contradicted my hitting experience
-the second time i strung it myself using y.p.t.REV(purple, came with the racquet realease) at 52lbs
-the stringing and the tension choice made such a huge difference

I absolutely love the racquet but experimented with a Pure Strike for a month or so in hopes of some free pop but I just lost too many shots I came to rely on with the VCP. The VCP really brings my one-hander to life and I have so many feel shots with that racquet that I have no plans to change. However, having your favorite racquet change feel from something you trust to questioning it's integrity because of vibrations really has me stumped. I don't think they're cracked in the hoop because one of them has been restrung since this vibration started with no issues stringing but no change in the vibration. I did crack a 330 in the neck about a year ago and it had a similar vibration so maybe I need to check the necks of these.

I generally string these at 50# both ways with Hyper G 1.2 and I feel most comfortable with the string once it gets to around 45#. I've experimented with ALU once in my first VCP and I really liked it but it seemed to lose playability much sooner than the HG. What benefit do you feel stringing the crosses looser provide?

edit: yes one of them is cracked next to the throat grommets, not sure about the old one.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

......
What benefit do you feel stringing the crosses looser provide?
......

-lowering the cross tension creates a softer landing for the ball
-i get the control from the mains tension, the crosses just blunt the impact for me
-im not a "big fan" of big tension differences in mains to crosses (some on these boards are!!),
-ill just drop cross tension by just 2 or 3 lbs, just for addititonal comfort mainly, but i guess "snapback" as well as a secondary effect of it

 

[ichaseballs]

i always felt dropping the crosses a few lbs evened out the stringbed
cause the mains are longer

 

[1HBHfanatic]

i always felt dropping the crosses a few lbs evened out the stringbed
cause the mains are longer

-yet another way to look at it

 

[naylor73]

sorry for the threadjack. thanks for the insight!

Do any of the former 2019 VCP users and current 2021 VCP users feel like the racquet is a big upgrade over the past models? I know specwise they're going to be fairly different but I'm really specifically wondering if the racquet is as fast as the former models and if the thicker beam is noticeable?

 

[hoodmaxi]

I was using the blue VCP 2018 330g. I also tried the 310g Version then and it was lackluster.
With the new Version i feel I get away with the 310g Version and the 330g got even beefier

 

[donnygg]

I was using the blue VCP 2018 330g. I also tried the 310g Version then and it was lackluster.
With the new Version i feel I get away with the 310g Version and the 330g got even beefier

I'm also using the blue VCP 330 and curious about the new 310g version. Would you be switching? How would you compare the two? Do you feel like you lost anything with the new 310?

 

[hoodmaxi]

I did switch from the old 330 to the new 310.
My 330 was great when attacking and good footwork but when I was late and had to be defensive I had my troubles with the 330g.

I feel like the new one is lighter but still hat great stability. All i did was adding 2g at 12 for a higher swingweigth.
It feels a bit flexier then the old version but like it. Great feeling with my OHBH

 

[Pp3355]

TW finally shipped my VCORE Pro 100 matched rackets -- got 1 and 2, was hoping for lower stiffness since it is declared as 53 on Yonex specs...

 

[Classic-TXP-IG MID]

TW finally shipped my VCORE Pro 100 matched rackets -- got 1 and 2, was hoping for lower stiffness since it is declared as 53 on Yonex specs...

I understand you mean 63... and those are unstrung specs, so when the racquet is strung they will go down to 63 and 62 respectively.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

sorry for the threadjack. thanks for the insight!

Do any of the former 2019 VCP users and current 2021 VCP users feel like the racquet is a big upgrade over the past models? I know specwise they're going to be fairly different but I'm really specifically wondering if the racquet is as fast as the former models and if the thicker beam is noticeable?

-i do like this update to the 2021 line
-it is fairly user friendly and/or easy to use,
-which ever model/weight your looking at, you def. should demo
-it is a noticeable departure from the 2019 models,
-good/bad is all a personal preference

 

[Pp3355]

I understand you mean 63... and those are unstrung specs, so when the racquet is strung they will go down to 63 and 62 respectively.

Yes correct. I always get confused with strung and unstrung specs

 

[galahad]

Curious as to whether anyone has had any vibration issues with these frames, in particular the 310 gram version. I am having issues with the old models (both the green and blue) developing vibrations after playing for a while. I want to try this new version but I'm not happy with the vibrations these older frames are picking up after playing a while. My most recent purchase has only been played with a few months and is starting to vibrate like my older frame (that I thought was possibly broken)

I actually own a blue 2018, a green 2019, and the new 2021 version…. no vibration on any

 

[dgoran]

New 310 version is quite possible the easiest pick up and play racquet i tried

 

[Kurt0707]

A few more hours with 97D, and a few grams on 10&2, however my one handed backhand was lacking some power and pop, when I switch back to my Vcore 95, had no issues.. not sure its the head shape or strings or something else, actually 97HD was amazing on my OHBH, surprised I did so poorly with this one

 

[Tranqville]

A few more hours with 97D, and a few grams on 10&2, however my one handed backhand was lacking some power and pop, when I switch back to my Vcore 95, had no issues.. not sure its the head shape or strings or something else, actually 97HD was amazing on my OHBH, surprised I did so poorly with this one

Do you have some weight added to Vcore 95?

 

[Torps]

Just picked up a used 310 with ptgp to go with my 2021 vcp100.. 10 grams makes a huge difference! I demoed the 330 in December and fell in love with the feel but not the weight. The 310 is so similar feel wise without the added heft. Strung swing weight is 315.. I’ll want it around 320-325. What’s the consensus on added gms at 10-2 to get me there?

 

[Tranqville]

Just picked up a used 310 with ptgp to go with my 2021 vcp100.. 10 grams makes a huge difference! I demoed the 330 in December and fell in love with the feel but not the weight. The 310 is so similar feel wise without the added heft. Strung swing weight is 315.. I’ll want it around 320-325. What’s the consensus on added gms at 10-2 to get me there?

1g each at 10 and 2 will definitely get you there. I researched this a lot on the forum, and the consensus is that this is the best location for the Yonex frame. I added starting from the upmost cross string and going down. However, if you want to add just 5 points in SW, adding 1g at 12 is still very reasonable.

I got some great responses to my request in this thread:

Modifying VCORE PRO 310 (2021)

I want to add a bit more SW to my VCP 310: bring it up from 320 to 330. I searched the old threads and the consensus was that it was a difficult frame to modify. Of course, this was about the old versions of 310. Adding weight @12 was often criticized, as the racquet felt sluggish and lost...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[naylor73]

Just picked up a used 310 with ptgp to go with my 2021 vcp100.. 10 grams makes a huge difference! I demoed the 330 in December and fell in love with the feel but not the weight. The 310 is so similar feel wise without the added heft. Strung swing weight is 315.. I’ll want it around 320-325. What’s the consensus on added gms at 10-2 to get me there?

I add (4) 4" strips equaling 4 grams at one string up from centered @ 3/9. On the 2019 versions I needed to silicone the handle to achieve desired static weight and balance.
Finished specs are 346 grams strung with overgrip and alpha dampener, 31.5 balance. The racquet is fast enough to hit a heavy ball and flip those low balls in but stable enough for doubles net play. The racquet serves great. I can't imagine playing this racquet at stock weight. I'm not sure of the swingweight.

I also loved the feel of the 330 but at 349 strung, it was just too heavy to up the twistweight.