Minimum skill level required to play with any of the volkl 10 series

[Mad hatter]

Would any of the volkl 19 series I.e. C 10 Pro,organix 10 295,organix 10 325

Be suitable for a 3.5 level player . Would appreciate any replies. Thnx

 

[mhkeuns]

I think it all depends on how much you want to improve as a player, I guess. A 3.5 player with developed strokes shouldn't have too much problem playing with them.

You can play with sticks that are easier to play with if you need to have the immediate results, but playing with the mid's have their rewards if you are willing to put in some time to develop your footwork.

 

[BretH]

I'm a 3.5 rated player (in all honesty probably a 4.0 now but USTA hasn't seen results enough to bump me) and I am only using the Volkl O10 295 and loving it.

So I don't think you would have any trouble. You do have to have good intentions when you hit the ball because it won't do work for you, but I am committed to making my strokes better so I see that as a Good Thing.

I have mine weighted to 11.6-11.8 oz with lead tape just above where I grip (one hander BH) and some at 3 and 9 because it helps when I hit against friends with hard topspin shots.

The beauty of the O10 295 is there's so much room for customization, if you aren't afraid of tweaking things.

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

Depends on your goals but yes if you are a true and solid 3.5 looking to develop past that a 10 series will encourage you to maintain good form on everystroke. The mid might be stretch but any of the MP's is actually a very good option. Head Prestige MP's in the past were the goto stick for such goals and they probably still are but the Volkl's are nicer on the arm to be sure.

I use the lowest powered MP out there at the moment, the Paxific x Feel Pro 95... because I wanted something lower powered + flexier, spinnier and more maneuverable than the Head IGPMP (still a great stick). The XFP95 and the Babolat PCT probably arent for 3.5's (more for very strong 4.0's +) as you'll just watch as shot after shot goes predictably into the net but most any other players frame MP from any brand is going to be fine for a 3.5. The xfeel pro 95 has less power than some mids (which is great for those of us who like to really swing away at the back couirt and still do extreme touch stuff at the net). The yonex ai 98, Pacific X Force 98 etc are also good options. Make certain to demo first.

For you pick something you feel comfortable with because a demanding frame needs to feel "refreshingly demanding" and rewardingly so, not just aspirational.... you gotta like putting the extra effort into using the frame. It will likely help your game in the long run (but definitely shave a few MPH off your 1stserve... and maybe make your second sit up). More control oriented frames will allow you to attack with your return game more... there is a reason Murray and Djokovic use more control oriented frames... it compliments someone who makes their return game a major part of their overall strategy.

 

[TennisCJC]

Yes, a 3.5 player can and should play with a volkl o10 or sg10 racket. I suggest you try the lighter o10 295 or sg10 295. The stock swing weight is about 318 on both the lighter 295 and heavier 325 so both have about the same plow and mass. But, the 295 is a little easier to swing.

You can also add a little lead tape to the 295 and give it more plow and wallop as you improve.

In stock form, the 295s are light, easy to swing and have a good size sweet spot especially if you string them toward the low end of the range with nylon or gut, or in the 40-50 range with poly.

I never bought into only advanced players can use these sticks. I personally think any 13 year old or older intermediate level player that wants to improve can and should use o10 rackets.

 

[ChicagoJack]

Would any of the volkl 19 series I.e. C 10 Pro,organix 10 295,organix 10 325

Be suitable for a 3.5 level player . Would appreciate any replies. Thnx

That could work, but wouldn't be my first choice for an improving 3.5. I would recco any of the 102 sq in V1 Volkl frames. There must be 40+ different updates and versions to this racquet over the years, but that is a frame that's a bit more user friendly for you right now, and yet and you wouldn't out grow for a long time.

 

[TennisCJC]

That could work, but wouldn't be my first choice for an improving 3.5. I would recco any of the 102 sq in V1 Volkl frames. There must be 40+ different updates and versions to this racquet over the years, but that is a frame that's a bit more user friendly for you right now, and yet and you wouldn't out grow for a long time.

The regular V1 at 102 or the V1 Pro at 99.5" would be good choices too. You'll get a little more help from the racket but these are still controllable frames that you can play with at advanced levels.

I like the feel of thin beam frames and cannot use regular V1 but have 3 V1 Pros and 3 o10 295s.

 

[Muppet]

You haven't told us which racquet you're currently using, or what specs. If you're already swinging something 11.5 to around 12 ounces, I wouldn't worry too much about the upgrade. But the proof is in the pudding. If you can get demos from TW where you live I would try that first. If not, call the shops in your area to see if they have demos. If you try one of theirs that has similar specs to what your looking at, you'll be more comfortable pulling the trigger. If you find a racquet you like at a shop, you could give them the sale.

 

[Mad hatter]

Minimum skill level required to play with any volkl 10 series frames

Thanks to all who have replied to my thread. I currently use the Prokennex 5 g
Customized to 12.5 oz 10 pts H/L.While I enjoy using this racquet I am looking for something a tad lighter but with the same amount of plough. I play eEastern forehand,one hbh. The negative I send using my current racquet is that I tend to hit a little too flat. Having trouble generating spin.

I read many threads on talk tennis about the volkl org 10 295 and they were very positive.

 

[Mad hatter]

TennisCJC I used the volkl v1 Classic for three years,leaded up to 11.5 oz
5 pts H/L .Found it very comfortable and a good fit. However I found it lacked some stability against heavy hitters so I moved up to the Prokennex 5 g. I guess I am searching for a tool(racquet) that would be a step up and possibly help me to continue to improve

 

[BretH]

I'd recommend you demo several of the Volkls - buy a couple rolls of lead tape beforehand so you can do some on-the-fly adjustments of the 295.

Gotta admit the price is right for the O10 295 though My second arrived two days ago.

 

[fuzz nation]

I'm another Volkl nerd - used the C10 for a number of years and added a pair of O10 325g's to my bag two years ago. If you want to lighten up a little from your 5g, the C10 probably wouldn't be too much help there. Mine have lead on the handles for more HL balance. Although they have improved maneuvering like this, they also tip the scales up around 12.8 oz.

I did NOT like the O10 325g when I first sampled it in its stock layout, but when I steadied up the hoop with only a little lead tape, I found a real love connection. The feel and general performance were exactly what I wanted from an alternative to my heavier C10's and I also added some lead to the handles of these O10's for that HL balance that's most familiar for me. I ended up at 12.4 oz. with these.

Last fall, a buddy of mine tried my tuned O10's after sampling some other demos and he loved them, too. He decided to get a pair the O10 295g's for himself and also added just a little lead tape to their hoops. Coming from an older Volkl 8-series V-engine, these have been a very good step for him.

A kid who plays at the club where I work in the summer also tried my O10 - this is a little guy, maybe 11 or 12 years old, and not an especially strong junior. He worked out with my Volkl for an entire afternoon, not just 10 or so minutes, and he was loving it, too. Pretty sure his regular racquet was a rather light Wilson BLX Surge (I think), which I think weighs closer to 10 oz. than 11 oz.

More and more it seems to me that both the O10's and newer Super G 10's have much to offer to quite a wide range of players. If you get an O10 295g along with a pack of lead tape, it shouldn't be hard for you to get pretty close to what you're looking for in a new frame at a great price. If you get some demos, you may also want to have a go with the Super G 10 325g. That one might not need any tuning at all to fit your needs and it will likely weigh in lighter than your ProKennex in its stock form.

 

[Mad hatter]

Fuzz Nation
Appreciate your suggestions. I am torn between the O10 295 or 325. My pk5 g
Is customized to 12.4 oz 12 Pts H/L.I love the plush feel and plough but I am looking for more racquet head speed. Perhaps the O10 295 customized to about
11.8 oz 10 Pts H/ L could be the answer.

 

[Muppet]

Maybe try removing some of the weight from your 5G. Do you have a leather grip on it that you can replace with a lighter synthetic one? Is there any lead or putty on or inside the handle that can be decreased or removed? If you still want a new racquet, that's fine. But you're in a good position to use your 5G to identify which exact specs you like before you buy.

 

[fuzz nation]

Fuzz Nation
Appreciate your suggestions. I am torn between the O10 295 or 325. My pk5 g
Is customized to 12.4 oz 12 Pts H/L.I love the plush feel and plough but I am looking for more racquet head speed. Perhaps the O10 295 customized to about
11.8 oz 10 Pts H/ L could be the answer.

Worth a try for sure.

My O10's were only around 11.8 oz. strung with syn. gut in their stock form - a good bit less than the 12+ oz. heft I expected after looking at the spec sheet for this frame. Instead of trying to tune them into clones of my C10's, I just added small increments of lead until they got to feeling right for me. As I mentioned above, these ended up at 12.4 oz. and after I leaded the handles for what felt like the balance I wanted, they turned out to be 10 pts. HL.

The O10 295g is probably a smart call because it's so affordable at TW. It obviously needs a little more lead added on to get into the setup you're looking for compared with a heavier Super G 10 325g, but the price difference is a no brainer.

If you have access to a backboard or a ball machine, that will let you do some starting and stopping if you're going to tune by feel. This worked great for me (hitting the backboard) when I decided to experiment on my O10's. Once I got enough stability with 3/9 o'clock lead on the hoop, I left that end alone and eventually dialed in the balance. I didn't want these to be sluggish (too little HL balance) or too twitchy (too HL), so I think I needed an extra outing to get the balance feeling good.

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[PMChambers]

Thanks to all who have replied to my thread. I currently use the Prokennex 5 g
Customized to 12.5 oz 10 pts H/L.While I enjoy using this racquet I am looking for something a tad lighter but with the same amount of plough. I play eEastern forehand,one hbh. The negative I send using my current racquet is that I tend to hit a little too flat. Having trouble generating spin.

I read many threads on talk tennis about the volkl org 10 295 and they were very positive.

The racquet is not the issue here, if you had a small head 85-90" 18x20 with syth strings, something more open and larger would assist. The 5g should generate enough spin, as long as you can handle the mass (high head speed) a heavier racquet will generate more spin. It's not easy to generate spin with an Eastern grip, obviously it can be done hence Federer's dominance but it's harder than a semi-western. If you are hitting flat then it does not matter what racquet you use, you wont get spin. Try a Semi-Western for a week see if you can generate more spin and hit harder first.

I'm thinking about going to something like what your currently hitting with. I current use a Redondo 98 with about 17-18g of lead at top handle, but I'm starting to struggle to recoup between matches and I've worn through the head after a few scraps across the back fence and half volleys. I used to hit with a 5g PSE and always felt fresher afterwards but I'm aging and it's not just the arm that needs more rest the legs are struggling.

Post a forehand & backhand video. If you hit flat and don't want to change then you need a low powered racquet as you won't be using top spin to assist bringing the ball down. Pin point placement will be your weapon.

 

[Mad hatter]

The racquet is not the issue here, if you had a small head 85-90" 18x20 with syth strings, something more open and larger would assist. The 5g should generate enough spin, as long as you can handle the mass (high head speed) a heavier racquet will generate more spin. It's not easy to generate spin with an Eastern grip, obviously it can be done hence Federer's dominance but it's harder than a semi-western. If you are hitting flat then it does not matter what racquet you use, you wont get spin. Try a Semi-Western for a week see if you can generate more spin and hit harder first.

I'm thinking about going to something like what your currently hitting with. I current use a Redondo 98 with about 17-18g of lead at top handle, but I'm starting to struggle to recoup between matches and I've worn through the head after a few scraps across the back fence and half volleys. I used to hit with a 5g PSE and always felt fresher afterwards but I'm aging and it's not just the arm that needs more rest the legs are struggling.

Post a forehand & backhand video. If you hit flat and don't want to change then you need a low powered racquet as you won't be using top spin to assist bringing the ball down. Pin point placement will be your weapon.

Sorry I did not get back to you sooner. Thanks for your suggestions. I tend to agree with you and will definitely put your suggestions to the test the next couple of weeks. As most of my p,aging partners say,"the problem usually is not with the racquet but with the racqueteer"

If I continue to hit flat I will definitely need a lower powered racquet but perhaps a lighter one if such exists. I have been eyeing the Prokennex q tour 295 or perhaps the O 10 295.

 

[joohan]

obviously it can be done hence Federer's dominance

If you have Feds liquid-whip-of-a-wrist then it most certainly can be done.

 

[sma1001]

Super G 10 gives easier pop on your strokes than the O10. You could aquire an O10 and swap the grommets out for Super G 10 grommets before stringing: then you are most of the way to having an SG anyway. If you get the 295 you have more room to modify, provided you are comfortable adding weight on the handle, as that is where the difference is.

Despite the 10 series supposedly being Volkl's "players" sticks, in their later forms they are usable for a wider audience, give good plow through and spin. A very accomplished stick. Given the weight you are playing in the 5G they would be no trouble for you. Give them a try!