Volkl V Feel first impressions

[beltsman]

Were are the TW reviews on the new V-feel line??

They're coming.

 

[Crocodile]

Just a technical question for those who have played with the Feel 9: Is this really a widebody frame? The Volkl website says it's a constant 22mm beam, but TW's measurements indicate a tapered beam considerably thicker...

It looks slightly thicker than 22mm (but I could be wrong). It's the shape of the beam that is deceptive. It's very flat in profile yet very stiff in graphite lay up.

 

[Alex78]

It looks slightly thicker than 22mm (but I could be wrong). It's the shape of the beam that is deceptive. It's very flat in profile yet very stiff in graphite lay up.

Thanks, Croc! - So it's in fact a constant beam, right? Probably 22mm, as the Volkl website says (I've found paint can be deceptive when judging beam thickness by eye ). Specs on TW product page probably are a mistake, then.

 

[Crocodile]

Thanks, Croc! - So it's in fact a constant beam, right? Probably 22mm, as the Volkl website says (I've found paint can be deceptive when judging beam thickness by eye ). Specs on TW product page probably are a mistake, then.

If I get a chance in the next few days I will get the 9 demo and measure it at 3 sections, shaft/throat/Hoop and see how it measures.

 

[Crocodile]

Well I haven't had a chance to measure the V Feel 9 beam width personally because the demo is out, but one of the retailors did confirm that it has a variable beam and was something like this: 25,27,25mm when they measured it.

 

[Crocodile]

Of more interest is the release of new 10 where there will be some changes coming with one model being deleted and a new one to replace it. These are due in August.

 

[Crocodile]

Incidentally, what do you guys think of the TW reviews of the 8 in both the 300 and 315 models.
I think the frames are probably a little better than the reviews they got. The 315 in particular was found to be too powerful, stiff, erratic and muted yet some of the testers who in the past have always found their Pure Drive Roddick's to be a guilty pleasure and choice of frame. Just an observation.

 

[Crocodile]

any of these V-Feel have much power?

Yes that's what they have tried to do with this generation.

 

[A_Instead]

If you think about it...TW has access to hit pretty much every racket they sell which is mostly what the market has to offer..
In their reviews if they say a racket is "x" and "y" I tend to believe them as they can bench Mark it against any racket...as they can make comparisons to basically everything...and they can create their own opinions based on their direct experiences..expert opinions..not bias opinions..certainly they have their preferences..but so do we...

 

[DrWang]

Received the V-Feel 4 today and had it strung with Cyclone 19g 52lbs. Gonna give it the run tomorrow. This is a beautiful looking racquet. The black is super nice! Yes, I know it's lite. With the strings, Wilson comfort OG, and dampener, it tops out at exactly 293grams 32.70 balance which I think is around +5HL. Unstrung it weighed in at 272 grams. Pics are without the OG. Super nice cover included.

 

[A_Instead]

The v sense 4 is the racket of choice of my wife...very nice racket imo..I bet the v feel 4 will be a good one to..

 

[Crocodile]

Received the V-Feel 4 today and had it strung with Cyclone 19g 52lbs. Gonna give it the run tomorrow. This is a beautiful looking racquet. The black is super nice! Yes, I know it's lite. With the strings, Wilson comfort OG, and dampener, it tops out at exactly 293grams 32.70 balance which I think is around +5HL. Unstrung it weighed in at 272 grams. Pics are without the OG. Super nice cover included.

Yes I've hit with this and while it's well out of my usual specs it's the most comfortable of the V Feel like to date, a great racquet.

 

[DrWang]

Yes I've hit with this and while it's well out of my usual specs it's the most comfortable of the V Feel like to date, a great racquet.

This is one of the most comfortable racquets I've ever played with. It is the best racquet for its class that I've ever used. It swings so easy and doesn't feel anything you'd expect from a 27.6" racquet. I was very surprised at the power level of this racquet given its light weight. Control, power, spin, everything is there with this racquet and it is very maneuverable too. I can imagine this thing turning into a beast with added weight. For me, I like it just the way it is and is certainly going to be my go to racquet for doubles. Volkl did a very good job with this racquet. Huge sweet-spot as well. It's a little muted, but I never felt disconnected from the ball. I can pretty much point and aim with this racquet very easily. With the 19g string I got some really nice ball pocketing. Volleying not a problem either and stood up quite well against some heavy balls. The added length really helps on the serves. I liked this racquet so much, I ordered another one today. I've not played with the v-sense version of this racquet. I want to mention that the swing speed of this racquet is not medium as listed on TW. It swings just as fast, if not faster than my V-sense 8 285g which is rated as a fast swinging racquet. The TW rating power for the v-feel 4 is medium, which is about right.

 

[DrWang]

Small update after playing with it now for a few days. It doesn't hit as heavy as a ball as my 2018 PD Plus, but the ball travels at the same speed. It's the racquet has a twist weight of 15.15, which is probably why it's fairly stable. The thing I just can't get over is how maneuverable this thing is. I think that Catapult technology from Volkl may be the reason why it has the power to boot. Here's something I found on a website about the technology. Also, some pics of the side of the racquet.

 

[A_Instead]

That's the problem I find with mid 10 oz rackets...pop is fine...but the weight of shot is noticeably less. Some can told up quite well in big hitting..but just can't get that extra umph that an extra 1 oz gives you..
But what helps the 4 is the extended length...one can really unleash on the ball..just as Doc mention...the 4 is so moble..Its extended length doesn't get in the way of it self..
Doc..try adding 2 grams across the entire bumper..
Use 2 layers of electrical tape...it helps a little .

 

[scotus]

Small update after playing with it now for a few days. It doesn't hit as heavy as a ball as my 2018 PD Plus, but the ball travels at the same speed. It's the racquet has a twist weight of 15.15, which is probably why it's fairly stable. The thing I just can't get over is how maneuverable this thing is. I think that Catapult technology from Volkl may be the reason why it has the power to boot. Here's something I found on a website about the technology. Also, some pics of the side of the racquet.

The last Volkl 4 that I tried was the Organix line. I could not get used to those bulky catapults. It was fine on groundies but whenever I tried to serve, the racquet would twist strangely when pronating.

 

[A_Instead]

The organic was a bad one...the v feel is the nice one..

 

[Crocodile]

The 10's are coming soon, some interesting changes I have been told.

 

[DrWang]

That's the problem I find with mid 10 oz rackets...pop is fine...but the weight of shot is noticeably less. Some can told up quite well in big hitting..but just can't get that extra umph that an extra 1 oz gives you..
But what helps the 4 is the extended length...one can really unleash on the ball..just as Doc mention...the 4 is so moble..Its extended length doesn't get in the way of it self..
Doc..try adding 2 grams across the entire bumper..
Use 2 layers of electrical tape...it helps a little .

Added 2 grams to one of my v-feel 4's this morning. Solo session with my spinfire 2 pro ball machine. The 2 grams makes a big difference indeed! I also added 3 grams to the handle. It really wakes up the racquet even more. This is a really excellent platform racquet. I'm going to try 3 grams. I'm running the thin strips from around 11 to 12 and some tungsten in the tail as I prefer a more polarized setup.

The thing I never liked about the lighter racquets is that they tend to make them head heavy or even balanced. I just don't like that feel. This is why the v-feel 4 appeals to me so much.

 

[tapitas]

New volkl v-feel 10 300g.

 

[tapitas]

And new v-feel 10 320g

 

[tapitas]

And......

 

[Crocodile]

320g Tour 10 mp- I better start stocking up on C10's and SG 10 mid 330's. I wonder what RA they will be ?
It seems to me that so far from what I've tested Volkl must have had feedback from V Sense buyers that they want more power.

 

[tapitas]

For v-feel 10 300g I’d like a RA of 66-67 and a SW of 320 and the touch of volkl X10 Super G 295.

For me, more than 20 years playing with volkl....the v-feel series are the worst vokl racquets ever made and I’m not sure about the “new” v-feel series quality. it will be almost a paint jog, I hope to be wrong.

It was a time volkl made best racquets but not nowadays. I’m really dissapoint to them.

Please, volkl... come backkkkkkk!!!. You are copying puredrives!!!!

 

[time_fly]

300 and 320 ... interesting. I would have rather seen 305 but still good choices. 295 was too light for anyone interested in a 98 head and thin beam and the 325 just seemed to be a bit heavy for the level of performance.

 

[avocadoz]

And......

What’s the difference between this new V1 Classic and the V1 MP?

 

[tennisaddict03]

What is everyone's thoughts on the V-Feel 10 300g and 320g? I've been hitting with the 300 and love the point and shoot accuracy on it. I do have to take a bigger cut at swings to get what I want though. I strung it up with Volkl Torque Tour 17g at 55 and started to like it more as it lost more tension and got into the high 40s (about 48lbs).

 

[Crocodile]

What is everyone's thoughts on the V-Feel 10 300g and 320g? I've been hitting with the 300 and love the point and shoot accuracy on it. I do have to take a bigger cut at swings to get what I want though. I strung it up with Volkl Torque Tour 17g at 55 and started to like it more as it lost more tension and got into the high 40s (about 48lbs).

I've hit with both frames now and have mixed feelings about these frames. The most notable impression for me is the change in the way the racquets are weighted, especially the 320 and as many have already mentioned the firmer feel of the frame.
Firstly with the weight distribution it reminds me of the 10 tour in the way the mass seems to be concentrated around the throat and head, as opposed to a more traditional headlight balance. A few of the manufacturers are doing this right now and I feel it takes away from the scalpel or precise feel that a players frame should have and instead you have this surprising power like a hammer. In time one could get used to it but I don't think I want to go down that route because I prefer something lower powered and demanding that responds directly to the level of input I make.
With the flex, my preference is in the low 60's because that's the feel I like. I don't mind the 66 RA for the 320g frame but feel that the 10 series should be lower. Incidentally the 300g which is rated around 69 RA, or there abouts, didn't feel that stiff to me and the mass is such that I could probably customise it to feel more like a traditional frame.
Basically for traditional Volkl fans that leaves you with the C10 Pro, and it seems the PB 10 mid is running low on stock. Suprisingly the V Feel 4 with its 70ra probably is one of their more comfortable frames but the specs are all wrong for me. Will be intetsted to see what Volkl do with the 10 mids and V1 Pro.

 

[Crocodile]

Just to add some further comments about the V Feel range I feel that traditional Volkl fans who like soft feeling frames will want to compare this range to what other brands are doing right now that would compare favourably and at present I like the following frames as alternatives:
1. Yonex V Core 95 and 98
2. Prince Textreme 95
3. Dunlop Srixon 2.0
4. Pro Kennex Q Tour plus 325 and Redondo 98
5. Pacific X Tour 97 and X Force Pro
6. Angell V3 95 and 97
7. Head Rafical anniversary oversize and Prestige mp
Some good racquets here that one can still choose from.

 

[tennisaddict03]

I've hit with both frames now and have mixed feelings about these frames. The most notable impression for me is the change in the way the racquets are weighted, especially the 320 and as many have already mentioned the firmer feel of the frame.
Firstly with the weight distribution it reminds me of the 10 tour in the way the mass seems to be concentrated around the throat and head, as opposed to a more traditional headlight balance. A few of the manufacturers are doing this right now and I feel it takes away from the scalpel or precise feel that a players frame should have and instead you have this surprising power like a hammer. In time one could get used to it but I don't think I want to go down that route because I prefer something lower powered and demanding that responds directly to the level of input I make.
With the flex, my preference is in the low 60's because that's the feel I like. I don't mind the 66 RA for the 320g frame but feel that the 10 series should be lower. Incidentally the 300g which is rated around 69 RA, or there abouts, didn't feel that stiff to me and the mass is such that I could probably customise it to feel more like a traditional frame.
Basically for traditional Volkl fans that leaves you with the C10 Pro, and it seems the PB 10 mid is running low on stock. Suprisingly the V Feel 4 with its 70ra probably is one of their more comfortable frames but the specs are all wrong for me. Will be intetsted to see what Volkl do with the 10 mids and V1 Pro.

I appreciate your insight. Surprisingly I felt that the VF10 300g seemed to hit better volleys at the net compared to the C10 pro, which was my racket before. I'm also testing to see if it's due to the racket being lighter and giving me more time to position for volleys. I'm a bit afraid to try the 320g because I definitely don't want a hammer like feeling when swinging but will give it a shot and hope to find something good.

I really do like the feel of my C10 pro but I light the update to the butt cap, which seems to feel more solid as far as I can tell. On my C10 pro, I have cracked it in the handle 2 times now and very close to a third. The racket doesn't seem to like forceful spin shots or maybe I have some sort of bad habit. I would really like to love the C10 pro again but I feel like the Matte Black/Neon Yellow (2012 version?) felt the best and different than the other versions and is becoming harder to find.

 

[Crocodile]

I appreciate your insight. Surprisingly I felt that the VF10 300g seemed to hit better volleys at the net compared to the C10 pro, which was my racket before. I'm also testing to see if it's due to the racket being lighter and giving me more time to position for volleys. I'm a bit afraid to try the 320g because I definitely don't want a hammer like feeling when swinging but will give it a shot and hope to find something good.

I really do like the feel of my C10 pro but I light the update to the butt cap, which seems to feel more solid as far as I can tell. On my C10 pro, I have cracked it in the handle 2 times now and very close to a third. The racket doesn't seem to like forceful spin shots or maybe I have some sort of bad habit. I would really like to love the C10 pro again but I feel like the Matte Black/Neon Yellow (2012 version?) felt the best and different than the other versions and is becoming harder to find.

Yes I have the all yellow version of the C10 but am collecting different generations of Volkl's 10 series to get a clear understanding of how things have evolved.
The 320 would be fine once you get used to it. At present I quite enjoy the Yonex V Core 95.

 

[RiggensAuroraHO]

Tonight I had a chance to hit with the following new racquets from Volkl:
V Feel 9, all three versions of the 8, the 6 and the 4.
To put my views in perspective my preference has always been for heavy, flexible traditional racquets hence I like C 10's and tour 10's type of frames. At present Volkl hasn't yet released a new 10 mid or mp, V1mp or pro so I reserve judgement of their whole range.
Now with the ones I have tested the racquet that has changed the most is the 9. It's very powerful and stiff. It actually feels like it's a longer racquet with the the way the weight is distributed around the throat and hoop. The problem with racquets this stiff is while they are ok to hit groundstrokes with, you really feel the stiffness with serves and for this reason I could not use this racquet. No amount of comfort technology can help here.
The 8's there is not much to report about, they are pretty similar to the V Sense with a mild change in feel. A different string would be enough to alter your impression.
The 6 is very light and would be a good option for a 12 year old or small adult and it was quite good actually an improvement for players who would fit into this category,
Probably the most Volkl like feeling frame from the ones I tested here was the 4, very comfortable but the extra length and 275g weight makes it too light. It's a good option for your ladies mid week rec player or over 55's Comp player. I could coach with this quite happily.
Out of all the racquets tested here I probably enjoyed the 8 in the 300g version. Even though it's not something I wouid use it actually feels quite comfortable after you have hit with the 9. It continues to be a more worthwhile option for your pure drive, T Flash player.
From a personal perspective I feel that Volkl have moved a fair way away from what they were traditionally known for doing and while I can understand why they are doing this it's not what I like. I,ve always searched out Volkl for their comfort and feel in their whole range and I guess it's things like 10 series and V1 that attract me to them. Will be watching to C what they do with their new 10.
I am also keen to compare how this range sits with what other brands are doing right now to get a perspective of the racquet environment with regard to comfort and feel.

I thought that they hit a home run with the VF 9!

 

[Imago]

They posted a review of the VF8-300 a few days ago. It doesn't appear that they loved the racket...definitely a more neutral review than what they stated about the VS8-315 last year.

Seems that this is an L5-L6 racket. Best fit for Brittany out of the four testers.

Oh, and it sounds like fyolkl, not vocal...

 

[Crocodile]

I thought that they hit a home run with the VF 9!

Have you bought one, what are your thoughts about the VF 9 and anyone else who has tried it.

 

[Crocodile]

Seems that this is an L5-L6 racket. Best fit for Brittany out of the four testers.

Oh, and it sounds like fyolkl, not vocal...

I'm always interested in the comments and sentiments expressed by the TW testers. I'm curious though whether a stiff Volkl is reviewed in the same light as a stiff Babolat in terms of the harshness these racquets may have and whether it was something they appreciated or not.

 

[beltsman]

Have you bought one, what are your thoughts about the VF 9 and anyone else who has tried it.

I haven't but I'm curious. Looks like a great PD alternative.

 

[time_fly]

I tried the V-Feel 10 320g briefly today. When I first received my demo in the mail a couple days ago, I bounced a ball on it and was dismayed about how much more muted and stiff it was compared to my V-Sense 10 325g. However, when I tried rallying with it today I liked it more than I thought I would. It definitely does not have the classic, flexy feel of the previous 10 series. It's more like a cross between my V-Sense 10 325g and the V-Sense 10 tour. It feels very solid at contact, but with enough dampening to still be comfortable. It's not completely muted like a Countervail frame or the latest Pure Drive; although the flex and feel is reduced, there is still some useful feedback at contact. If I were to play it long term, I would try a lower tension string setup to increase the dwell time and perhaps make the response closer to my V-Sense. Overall, I think this is a very worthwhile demo for someone who is looking for a heavier racquet with some modern characteristics -- for example if cross-shopping the Dunlop CX or Head Graphene Prestige lines.

 

[A_Instead]

Yeah....V Feel line is more firm..crisper than prior models..but with that they have more pop....almost a necessity to compete with comparable offers of other MFG's...

 

[Crocodile]

I wonder why TW didn't review the v Feel 9. Out of all the reviews in the V Feel like it's the 8 300g and 10 320 that have had reasonably positive reviews. It's been a while that they have done a great 10 series.