Racquet Received: V1 Pro
String and tension used for test: Signum Tornado 45lbs
Tennis experience/background: Played a bit as a kid and a year in high school, then returned to the game in my 30’s. A bit of a gear freak in all of my hobbies. Currently play rec and USTA matches at the 4.0-4.5 level.
Describe your playing style: From style of play to stroke mechanics, think of a vastly inferior David Ferrer, a 4.0 David Ferrer if you will. So a grinding, topspin heavy baseline game, though I’m trying to adapt a strike-first mentality. Also play a lot of dubs, where I play more like an adapted singles player. I’m aggressive at net and love to poach, but don’t frequently serve and volley or try to rush the net after returns.
Current racquet/string setups: Prince Phantom Pro 100 / Signum Tornado 45lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 15
Comments on racquet performance
Groundstrokes: Upon the first swing, I immediately noticed the easy depth and power I was getting with the latest V1 Pro. The racket had a very solid response, and I was easily returning balls deep into the court with interest. Along with the power, came good control and adequate spin. Though I would have liked a little more spin at times to help keep the ball in play or to roll hard angles; this may largely have been a product of me preferring my rackets more headlight, as I was having some trouble accelerating through contact on my forehand. The racket felt a little clunky at times, and I’m sure my rackethead speed was down. But the ease of use was apparent, and the free power and stability really bailed me out when I was on the defensive. Compared to the previous version, it felt a bit stiffer, more stable, with a boost in power, at the expense of some comfort and maneuverability. Given the specs, this racket still feels relatively comfy, particularly when you’re hitting casually and striking right in the plush sweetspot. But I could start to feel the stiffness when ramping up the intensity, especially when catching balls towards the upper hoop.
I found slicing with the V1 Pro a pleasure. With what felt like a decent amount of mass in the hoop, and plenty of inherent power, I could keep slices deep and low. The only exception was when trying to hit backhand slices on balls that were bouncing up to shoulder height; then the clunky trait reared its ugly head again.
Serves: I enjoyed serving with this racket, particularly coming from my Phantom Pro 100 which really lacks punch in this area. Like on groundstrokes, I thought the V1 Pro offered easy power on serve, with pretty good control. I was getting a little less action/spin on my serves than expected, which probably can again be attributed to desiring a more headlight setup. I wasn’t getting the racket moving over my head as quickly as I’d like.
Volleys: I loved how solid this racket was at net. It felt stable with plenty of punch, and maneuverability wasn’t an issue. Volleys came off the racket hard and fast, and it was really easy to be offensive up at net. It allowed me to let the racket’s power do most of the work. For a stiff frame, I even thought touch volleys were pretty good, thanks to the racket’s stability and consistent response.
Serve returns: This is the area of the playtest where I had the most mixed results. When trying to step in and take a good cut on a return, I struggled with timing and getting the racket moving quickly enough; it’s not as maneuverable as I’d like. However, it was super stable and great for chipping/blocking returns back deep into play. Essentially it was great when on the defensive, but I couldn’t dial it in when trying to be more offensive.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I’ve tried all the V1 Pros, beginning with the original Organix. The V-Feel definitely feels the stiffest of all models, but also the most stable. It lacks some of the maneuverability that the Super G and V-Sense models had, which was also my main knock on the original Organix . And while it does have a little boost in power over the V-Sense, I didn’t encounter the same lack of control I sometimes had with the Super G. I’d say that with this latest version, Volkl has nudged the V1 Pro even more towards the Pure Drive realm, while the original Organix was a more unique offering that felt more flexible and possessed more in the way of traditional players racket qualities. Personally I would like to see the V1 Pro in a more headlight package with a slightly softer layup, for as it currently stands, there are already so many rackets that occupy a similar space, including Volkl’s own 8 series. That said, I think this stick is a great option for someone looking for a little more arm friendly and control oriented Pure Drive type racket. It’s really easy to use, and I had some great results with it on court, even if I didn’t always feel that dialed in when swinging it. I’m going to try adding some weight at the buttcap, which should make things more to my liking.
UPDATE: Tail-weighting my V1 Pro with about 5 grams definitely brought it more in line with what I'm accustomed to. I think it may have benefited my serves the most, and I was swinging through my service motion more naturally. Although it felt better on groundstrokes, I still can't quite get my forehand down, specifically on short balls and approach shots. I found myself chipping or slicing as I came into net more frequently than normal, rather than commiting to a heavier topspin shot, which would normally be my go-to.
