Volkl C10 Pro-Any Volkl with same feel, less weight?

[acer]

Hi

I recently purchased some Volkl C10 Pro racquets. I love the racquet. Groundstrokes and Volleys are great. However, I can't generate good spin on my serves like I can with my Wilson Prostaff 7.1. I think the problem is that the Volkl racquet is a little heavier at 12.2 ounzes compared to my Prostaff (11.5 ounzes) and I can't generate enough racquet head speed. I am a fairly big guy so I didn't think this small difference would be an issue. I believe Swing weight is about the same. I bought two Volkl's used and they came strung with Prince Synthetic Gut 16G and the other with Bobolat Xcel Premium 16 G. The Volkls feel like they are strung at about 56-58 lbs each. I usually used Head Rip 16 G at 54 LBs in my Wilsons. So I have four questions:

1) Is there a Volkl racquet similar to the C10 Pro but is a little light, say 11.5 ounzes.

2) Do all Volkl's have that so call "Volkl Feel" where the hoop flexes? I love that feel and the control and comfort you seem to get from it.

3) Can strings be causing the sore shoulder and lack of spin problems?

4) Is the new Head Flexpoint have the same Volkl feel?

Any input with Volkl users or others really appreciated.

Thanks

Acer

 

[hoosierbr]

The specs from the new DNX 9 seem to match what you're looking for. Haven't played it yet but have heard good things about it.

Never had a problem serving with the C10 Pro, though it is a little heavy. Practice should do the trick. Also, the strings might not be what you're used to. Suggest you try something different, maybe a thinner gauge or the same string at a lower tension. Maybe try your normal setup with the frame when it's time for a new string job to see if that makes a difference.

Natural gut is great with this frame.

 

[acer]

Thanks Hoosierbr

Hoosierber

Thanks for the input. I sure am hoping that practise and a string change will do the trick. Hoosierbr, do you know if all Volkl's have that flexy feel in the hoop?

 

[hoosierbr]

I can't tell you for certain if all of them do. There are some Volkl experts like NoBadMojo, Rabbit and others who have played with many more frames and can give you a better perspective.

 

[acer]

Nobadmojo-Would appreciate your input, thanks?

Nobadmojo-Would appreciate your input, thanks?

 

[Michael Musok]

1) There is a racquet very similar to the C10 Pro and weighs about 11.5 ounces (strung weight), it's the C9 Pro but unfortunately not made anymore. All of the later C9 replacements weigh around the 11.5 mark but have been pretty stiff feeling and feel nothing like the C10 or the original C9 Pro. The latest 9, the DNX 9, has been a better effort and a racquet you may be interested in.

2) All Volkl racquets do not have the so called "Volkl Feel" if the feel you are referring to is the feel of the hoop flex of the C10 Pro which is pretty exclusive to the C10 Pro and somewhat to the C9 Pro.

3) I think string and tension certainly can have something to do with shoulder soreness and spin production. If your starting to play with a new racquet, I find that there can be a temporary transitional adjustment period of some arm or shoulder soreness that usually wanes with time. It has been my experience.

4) Not really familiar with the Head Flexpoint but I'm thinking that the "Volkl Feel" is pretty exclusive to Volkl racquets and the C10 Pro has a feel that is in a league of it's own.

I play with Volkl racquets exclusively and after playing with one or another Voklk 10 series racquet for 6 months, one or even two years, I usually find myself coming back to the C10 Pro and feeling like I'm home. I, however, find the same thing that you and many others have found, that after a while the C10 Pro gets a little heavy to swing. Right now I'm playing with the DNX 9 and liking it, and so far not thinking about going back to the C10 Pro, not yet anyways.

 

[BreakPoint]

acer,

I would give the Volkl Tour 10 MP Gen II a try. It's also a heavier racquet with a very headlight balance. However, it's a bit lighter at 12.0 oz., and more significantly, has a much lower swingweight at 315 versus 323 for the C-10 Pro. You will definitely feel the difference in serving and should give you much higher swing speed on the serve, as well as, less stress and soreness in your shoulder. The Gen II also has a flexy hoop like the C-10 Pro, although not as flexy, and they have somewhat similar "old school" Volkl feels to them.

This one: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCVOLKL-VT10G2.html

Good luck.

 

[NoBadMojo]

Nobadmojo-Would appreciate your input, thanks?

Sure....Hard to add anything to what Michael said...he covered it well. The problem you have is that if you combine a flexy hoop with a light weight you end up with a frame with not enough energy for how the game is played these days.
I also suggest the DNX9..it's firmer in the head but still plays soft within the sweetspot and is around a 315 swingweight..not quite as headlight as the c10...it's still a make your own power frame like the c10 but you will def get more racquetheadspeed going and it should be very easy on that shoulder and the RHSpeed will sure help you with the spin
As a guess, both your sore shoulder an lack of spin is likely because you are trying to handle too much swingweight, so I think you are on the right track..the DNX9 is sweet..give it a go!
afterthought: You should also try the Cat8VE...now that one does feel flexy in the hoop and is the closest frame I can think of to the C10 in a lighter package..

 

[acer]

Thanks for the input, everyone.

Thanks for the input, everyone. It was helpful. I am going to switch my strings and will try to find a C9 Pro to try as well.

Thanks

Acer

 

[Django]

Above advice is dead-on, in my opinion and experience. BreakPoint beat me to the punch in recommending the Gen2, but it may not be quite as much difference weight-wise as you're looking for. The C9 is/was a sweet stick, but that much flex in a lighter weight made it a bit underpowered, in my opinion. (I added a bit of lead tape, which helped.)

If you can't find the C9, your best bets are the DNX 9 and the Cat 8VE. But I wouldn't expect quite the same flexy feel in the hoop.

It's all about trade-offs.

BTW -- I remember switching to a lighter gauge string on my C-10 and it REALLY helped the spin and "bite" on the ball.

 

[louis netman]

Only the C9 and C10 have that skinny, flexy hoop feel. Although you may find swingweights and headsizes, etc., that fit what you require, you will NOT find the feel you desire in any other frame, trust me on this one. In addition to the hoop flex, the old C series lacks the Sensor Tour in the handle, allowing a less-dampened/more stringbed "feel" over the later Sensor Tour incarnations. The flexy "C" series did not require it. My personal dilemma was by the time I modded the C10 grip, etc to my liking (leather, butt expansion, bevel increase, grap and cable grommet), the frame was 375g 12pts HL. Just too heavy for me to lug around at my age. It actually kept me more grounded, and less attacking (to my own detriment). I have C9s that have all the mods I require, but by the time I'm through with them, they're exactly where I want them, 12 pts HL, but 13-15g less weight. Agree with others saying the C9 is just too flexy for its light weight, but add weight to get the SW just below that of the C10 and you're good to go...

 

[ericsson]

agree with with louis, the 9 is way too flexy for its weight, there is no second C10, closest to c10 i would suggest tour 10 gen II and certainly not dnx 9,again, you cant compare dnx 9 to c 10, but i suggest give it a test drive.

 

[jonolau]

Demo the DNX9 and make the decision yourself.

I have tried adding weight into the handle of my C10 Pro to make it more headlight, but overall it did nothing but make it heavier to swing.

You can try and go with the thinner gauge strings which has benefitted me. I've now removed the weights and play it stock, and settled with 19 gauge Gamma TNT Extreme Spin 19. But do bear in mind that this is an aramid and the feel may not be to everyone's liking. I personally like it's feedback as I love the crisp feel when the ball hits the strings.

My main stick now after the C10 Pro is currently the Tour 10 V-Engine mid. It's exactly the same weight strung as the C10 Pro but feels more flexy and I personally find that it much easier to swing than the C10 Pro. IMO it feels more comfortable and maneuverable than the C10 Pro, and cuts throught the air with more ease. If you don't feel comfortable with the smaller headsize, you could probably try and demo the T10VE Midplus.

As for the Flexpoint - don't go down that path. I bought the FXP Radical Tour thinking it would play similarly to the C10 Pro. Big mistake, the feel and comfort is miles away from the Volkl. I junked it after a couple of weeks as my game headed south.

Don't go down the Babolat path too. I had a PD and compared to the C10 Pro, it was not easy to play with as you'd need to generate a lot of your own pace.

 

[NoBadMojo]

Perhaps Rabbit will jump in..he's our resident Cat8VE expert and previous VERY long time user of the c10pro. he was looking for something like the c10 but in a less demanding package and went with the Cat8VE.
I dont think the Gen2 feels like the C10..with that one you can feel the stringbed flexing and not the hoop. The frame itself feels very neutral. It's also low powered. more so than the c10 i think. It does have a sweet feel though and if the OP can generate all the power he wants, might be a good choice as well

 

[jonolau]

However, forgot to add, we do not have a Volkl demo program where I am. NBMJ and Rabbit have tremendous valuable experience with Volkl frames and they would in a great position to advise you.

 

[acer]

Thanks all, How about a Wilson Pro staff 7.1?

Awesome feedback everyone, thanks so much it is so helpful. I hope everyone doesn't mind if I add another question about another racquet here. You guys all seemed so well informed that you are the target audience that I wanted to hear from so I thought I would ask here. I was wondering what people thought about the Wilson Prostaff Zone 7.1 and the Hyper Prostaff Zone 7.1. Why I ask is that the original Prostaff 7.1 is the racquet that I used to use before the Volkl? I just wanted some general feedback, if anybody had any on this racquet. I should say that I am about a level 4.5 player, play 3-4 times a week, use Head Rip Strings at a lower weight as I have some tennis elbow (from the old Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 that I used to use) and golfers elbow (from throwing a football). The rare late one handed backhand doesn't help it heal completely but it is manageable. I love the Prostaff 7.1 as well? Does anyone know if the Hyper Prostaff plays different than the original 7.1 Zone? Any comments on these racquet? For me, low power control racquets are geared for my game.

Thanks again all
Acer

 

[Rabbit]

IMO, you just need to give the C10 and yourself a little time. When I moved from the C9 to the C10, the spin wasn't there. After a couple of weeks of hitting though, it came back in spades. Give yourself a little time with the frame. You may want to try and string the crosses 2 - 3 pounds less than the mains. That increases dwell time and enhances spin. You have, in the C10, one of the spin friendliest rackets around.

If you are looking for somthing lighter, give the Cat 8 a whirl. I play with some albeit weighted, and they are very close in playability to the C10. They have the same friendly flex and comfort and are a little easier to play with.

 

[Redflea]

My son demo'd the Cat 8 a while back when he was looking for a racquet...his first comment was "The sweet spot is as big as the whole racquet."

He ultimately chose another racquet that suited him better overall, but he was very high on the Cat 8.

 

[Django]

That Wilson 5.3 is/was a very stiff stick. As you've learned, you'd be hard-pressed to find something further removed from the weight/flex/feel of the C-10. Not sure why you're looking at the 7.1 if what you're really looking for is something that plays like a slightly lighter C-10.

 

[jonolau]

I used to own the Wilson 5.3 and it plays nowhere near the C10 Pro. I had a 2 hour game last night with my C10 Pro and it still played like a dream.

With your elbow in such a state, I would stick with the C10 Pro as it is a great all round racquet with a comfortable and buttery feel that is unsurpassed.

Perhaps what would also really help is to incorporate some strength building exercises into your routine. As we get older, our muscles will atrophy naturally, hence the need to workout at home or in the gym.