VSense 10 Tour Club! (probably just me talking to myself)

[chic]

Just got these racquets and wanted to leave a review since there's not many out there.

Got them and volkl leather grips. Put 4" lead on the hoop following the almagro specs. Racquet came a couple grams apart and off balance so I adjusted to make them match and put on some overgrip (alien pro). Total weight came in at 325g each and about 9.5pts HL unstrung (not quite matching the almagro specs, but enough extra weight I was willing to give it a round one).

Strung with pros pro HSTxIH at 46#x44#.

Strokes: Initial feel I loved it, much nicer than the super weighted up volkl dnx 6s I've been getting by with. Haven't noticed any problems with off center hits that the tw review mentioned but I do agree if my 2hbh gets really streched it's hard to do much. Other than that I'm loving the ground game; enough access to topspin for my spin heavy play, but way more plow through than I'm used to.

Net: feel great both taking cuts and point and shoot, felt pretty mobile still despite the weight. Not as stable as an RF97 maybe; but far easier to get in place in time and plenty of heft for most volleys.

Didn't get many overheads tonight so that's yet to be seen. I'm sure I'll play a pusher in the next couple days and have more than enough of them to get a feel.

Serves: nice access to spin (me gusta) I'm serving light right now because landing irritates my plants fasciitis but the few hard servers I took felt decent. Underhand serves are quite effective with this one and I think I woulda make Nick K. proud.

Will report back when I get some real serving in and with other string setups I like (fb cyclone is next, got some orange 17 gauge otw).

Gonna update this thread with any positives and negatives I find as I fully adjust to these racquets. Also curious what string setups people have loved and hated in the racquet?

 

[oemarriskov]

Just got these racquets and wanted to leave a review since there's not many out there.

Got them and volkl leather grips. Put 4" lead on the hoop following the almagro specs. Racquet came a couple grams apart and off balance so I adjusted to make them match and put on some overgrip (alien pro). Total weight came in at 325g each and about 9.5pts HL unstrung (not quite matching the almagro specs, but enough extra weight I was willing to give it a round one).

Strung with pros pro HSTxIH at 46#x44#.

Strokes: Initial feel I loved it, much nicer than the super weighted up volkl dnx 6s I've been getting by with. Haven't noticed any problems with off center hits that the tw review mentioned but I do agree if my 2hbh gets really streched it's hard to do much. Other than that I'm loving the ground game; enough access to topspin for my spin heavy play, but way more plow through than I'm used to.

Net: feel great both taking cuts and point and shoot, felt pretty mobile still despite the weight. Not as stable as an RF97 maybe; but far easier to get in place in time and plenty of heft for most volleys.

Didn't get many overheads tonight so that's yet to be seen. I'm sure I'll play a pusher in the next couple days and have more than enough of them to get a feel.

Serves: nice access to spin (me gusta) I'm serving light right now because landing irritates my plants fasciitis but the few hard servers I took felt decent. Underhand serves are quite effective with this one and I think I woulda make Nick K. proud.

Will report back when I get some real serving in and with other string setups I like (fb cyclone is next, got some orange 17 gauge otw).

Gonna update this thread with any positives and negatives I find as I fully adjust to these racquets. Also curious what string setups people have loved and hated in the racquet?

Keep it up man... Would be nice if could share some pictures of the Racquet

Sent from my RMX1851 using Tapatalk

 

[chic]

Keep it up man... Would be nice if could share some pictures of the Racquet

Sent from my RMX1851 using Tapatalk

Once I get the second one strung tonight I'll post a few!

 

[GeoffHYL]

I like my V-Sense 10 Tour, but the V-Sense 10 325 is even better. Your weighting up of the 10 Tour makes it pretty close to the 10 325.

 

[grhcan99]

I like my V-Sense 10 Tour, but the V-Sense 10 325 is even better. Your weighting up of the 10 Tour makes it pretty close to the 10 325.

Oh uh, wrong thing to say

 

[chic]

I'm in school XD

I can afford 2 racquets 30% off on black Friday that are already on clearance for $99

I can't afford the 2 of the newest model of anything or I woulda demoed more. But I'm happy with it which is good because I bought it relatively blind off my historic like of volkl

 

[chic]

I'll also add on I let a friend borrow it while I was stringing his RFs and might have made another believer

 

[grhcan99]

I'm in school XD

I can afford 2 racquets 30% off on black Friday that are already on clearance for $99

I can't afford the 2 of the newest model of anything or I woulda demoed more. But I'm happy with it which is good because I bought it relatively blind off my historic like of volkl

Good for you. Stay the course

 

[Rabbit]

If you like the VS 10 Tour, wait until you hit the Yonex VCore 98! I cut over from the VS10T and haven't looked back. The Yonnie is hands down a better frame (for me at least).

oops.....I hope that didn't get you thinking...…

 

[chic]

If you like the VS 10 Tour, wait until you hit the Yonex VCore 98! I cut over from the VS10T and haven't looked back. The Yonnie is hands down a better frame (for me at least).

oops.....I hope that didn't get you thinking...…

Next year when I have a paycheck I'm gonna demo a bunch and buy like 4 matched racquets. But for now I'm very content

 

[Crocodile]

I like the 19.5mm beam of the 10 Tour. It reminds me of the Tour 10 mp that replaced the C10 back in the day and I wish Volkl would bring this back with the 325g static weight.

 

[chic]

I like the 19.5mm beam of the 10 Tour. It reminds me of the Tour 10 mp that replaced the C10 back in the day and I wish Volkl would bring this back with the 325g static weight.

Leather grip, over grip, and 4" tape at the top of the hoop put one of mine right at 325. The other one took a little lead to get there. Modding can get you there ezpz

 

[paul_tennis]

Could anyone tell if there is any difference in feel with K90/BLX 90?

 

[djNEiGht]

recently just joined the club

teaching pro bud of mine had recently picked up this racquet as it was within the specs that he likes. he doesn't like the grip shape though and offered it up to me. I have played some Volkl racquets in the past and the grip shape isn't too bad for me but it's not my favorite.

So far hitting it with Yonex Dynawire (I usually like to start off a new frame with synthetic). Started with it stock and then have since added leather and lead at 3/9. Will prob put in a hybrid, a multi, or a poly bed. I like the way it is set up now. I'll put it on the SW machine to get unstrung specs but currently strung/dampener/OG it is 321

It swings fairly fast/light for me and I've been getting good depth and spin with the current string. I've only taken a few serves so far. Been mostly doing baseline drills as well as volleys in live ball drills.

I wonder if anyone using this frame has been a former DC London user.

 

[chic]

recently just joined the club

teaching pro bud of mine had recently picked up this racquet as it was within the specs that he likes. he doesn't like the grip shape though and offered it up to me. I have played some Volkl racquets in the past and the grip shape isn't too bad for me but it's not my favorite.

So far hitting it with Yonex Dynawire (I usually like to start off a new frame with synthetic). Started with it stock and then have since added leather and lead at 3/9. Will prob put in a hybrid, a multi, or a poly bed. I like the way it is set up now. I'll put it on the SW machine to get unstrung specs but currently strung/dampener/OG it is 321

It swings fairly fast/light for me and I've been getting good depth and spin with the current string. I've only taken a few serves so far. Been mostly doing baseline drills as well as volleys in live ball drills.

I wonder if anyone using this frame has been a former DC London user.

I am a former BB DC London 98 user! I've weighted up the vsense enough that its not super comfortable though. Up to 345g unstrung after I felt like I wanted a little more (had them at 326g for about a year)

 

[Pneumated1]

recently just joined the club

teaching pro bud of mine had recently picked up this racquet as it was within the specs that he likes. he doesn't like the grip shape though and offered it up to me. I have played some Volkl racquets in the past and the grip shape isn't too bad for me but it's not my favorite.

So far hitting it with Yonex Dynawire (I usually like to start off a new frame with synthetic). Started with it stock and then have since added leather and lead at 3/9. Will prob put in a hybrid, a multi, or a poly bed. I like the way it is set up now. I'll put it on the SW machine to get unstrung specs but currently strung/dampener/OG it is 321

It swings fairly fast/light for me and I've been getting good depth and spin with the current string. I've only taken a few serves so far. Been mostly doing baseline drills as well as volleys in live ball drills.

I wonder if anyone using this frame has been a former DC London user.

How ironic! I just picked up a pair last week for my son. After stringing his and hitting volleys against the wall, I've secured a third and maybe a fourth. We both really like it and may try to find a bunch. I've hit everything under the sun the past 6 months. The moment I picked this frame up, it was like clarity. Back to my roots ... as you know, I'm a former London user. Also, try to locate Attiva S pallets; makes all the difference. I don't like the Volkl grip shape, although going down from my usual L4 to L3 seems to help for whatever reason.

 

[Pneumated1]

I am a former BB DC London 98 user! I've weighted up the vsense enough that its not super comfortable though. Up to 345g unstrung after I felt like I wanted a little more (had them at 326g for about a year)

I get the 'sense' this one is much more stable and capable than the London, even at lighter weights. I have my kid's currently at 332g/33cm balance with two overgrips over an L3 pallet. Have to say it feels pretty good and stable at that weight, but his needs a gram or two at 2/10. I'll probably try to hit it fully dressed around 338g and little more hl. Like the London, agility feels like one of this stick's better attributes, so I don't want to diminish that.

 

[chic]

How ironic! I just picked up a pair last week for my son. After stringing his and hitting volleys against the wall, I've secured a third and maybe a fourth. We both really like it and may try to find a bunch. I've hit everything under the sun the past 6 months. The moment I picked this frame up, it was like clarity. Back to my roots ... as you know, I'm a former London user. Also, try to locate Attiva S pallets; makes all the difference. I don't like the Volkl grip shape, although going down from my usual L4 to L3 seems to help for whatever reason.

I get the 'sense' this one is much more stable and capable than the London, even at lighter weights. I have my kid's currently at 332g/33cm balance with two overgrips over an L3 pallet. Have to say it feels pretty good and stable at that weight, but his needs a gram or two at 2/10. I'll probably try to hit it fully dressed around 338g and little more hl. Like the London, agility feels like one of this stick's better attributes, so I don't want to diminish that.

I have most of my weight in the handles on my racquets, leather grip and lead. I started with 1g at 12 and added another gram when I needed up the weight the second time. Balance at 7pts or so.

I haven't had any stability issues and I hit hard/heavy shots. Favorite string setup is tourna big hitter silver 7 tour @42#.

Mostly a baseliner with some s&v mixed in, big serve (120+ max prob 105 avg first)

I went back and bought a London (old ones were stolen a couple years ago when I was rarely playing) for nostalgia. I found it to swing similarly but much harsher feedback and smaller sweet spot. At the time the vsense racquets were leather grips and 1g at 12, ~327 strung with an overgrip.

 

[Pneumated1]

I have most of my weight in the handles on my racquets, leather grip and lead. I started with 1g at 12 and added another gram when I needed up the weight the second time. Balance at 7pts or so.

I haven't had any stability issues and I hit hard/heavy shots. Favorite string setup is tourna big hitter silver 7 tour @42#.

Mostly a baseliner with some s&v mixed in, big serve (120+ max prob 105 avg first)

I went back and bought a London (old ones were stolen a couple years ago when I was rarely playing) for nostalgia. I found it to swing similarly but much harsher feedback and smaller sweet spot. At the time the vsense racquets were leather grips and 1g at 12, ~327 strung with an overgrip.

If you're hitting 120+ serves and 105 average, I now understand your static weight. You're facing a bigger ball at a higher level. Say no more.

So many reviews mention the small sweet spot. Realize sometimes these impressions leak from review to review and become contagious, but what do you think? I'm personally coming from years with the TC95 to the UT more recently and currently the UP 16x19. The sweet spot doesn't seem that small in my limited time with the frame against the wall. Guess sometimes it depends on points of reference.

 

[chic]

If you're hitting 120+ serves and 105 average, I now understand your static weight. You're facing a bigger ball at a higher level. Say no more.

So many reviews mention the small sweet spot. Realize sometimes these impressions leak from review to review and become contagious, but what do you think? I'm personally coming from years with the TC95 to the UT more recently and currently the UP 16x19. The sweet spot doesn't seem that small in my limited time with the frame against the wall. Guess sometimes it depends on points of reference.

We'll ... I'm only 3.5 so grain of salt there. I just have some good flow/balance on shots from being a swimmer (and only 26). My footwork is ... Ok...

Personally I think the sweet spot is pretty big, with the right string. Self stringing really helps this. My previous racquets (in between these and the bb) I was stringing cyclone at 50. Felt way too harsh in these frames and small sweet spot. Kept lowering until I was hitting with it at 35x33lbs which felt good again, and bagged out in a week. I also tried out the prince phantom 93 18x20s which had a smaller sweet spot for obvious reasons.

Even some strings (lynx edge, poly tour spin, some pros pro strings, tour bite soft) felt smaller sweet spot or harsh feedback even at 45 to 48 lbs. But I think that experimentation is the key to opening up the response and sweetspot a bit with these racquets.

Successful setups I like:
-Tourna bhs7t 42x42
-15L or 16 gauge syn gut mains pros pro red devil crosses (great budget/elbow friendly setup) 49x44
-Cyclone 35x33

 

[djNEiGht]

@chic & @Pneumated1 cheers

At times I miss the London. My brother in law has them so maybe I could get one of them back. lol

I didn't really feel a small sweet spot except towards the top of the hoop. As mentioned by some posts, it really tells you when you hit high in the string bed.

Wonder where some Attiva pallets could be found...but I'm not in a rush.

This racquet doesn't plow through the ball like some other frames but you can really bring the racquet around fast.

 

[chic]

This racquet doesn't plow through the ball like some other frames but you can really bring the racquet around fast.

I haven't had this issue, but I've never used them without the leather and 1g at 12oclock.

I guess it's not an rf97 or a price phantom 93, but I feel like I sacrifice so much spin with those racquets that the plow doesn't do much outside of swinging volleys.

Regardless, pretty funny that we all have this similar racquet history.

In terms of attiva pallets, seems like a risky switch since part of the dampening tech is in the handle.

I would write it off as marketing, but given the stiffness of these frames and their thinness, their feedback is pretty good.

 

[Pneumated1]

@chic & @Pneumated1 cheers

At times I miss the London. My brother in law has them so maybe I could get one of them back. lol

I didn't really feel a small sweet spot except towards the top of the hoop. As mentioned by some posts, it really tells you when you hit high in the string bed.

Wonder where some Attiva pallets could be found...but I'm not in a rush.

This racquet doesn't plow through the ball like some other frames but you can really bring the racquet around fast.

I used to think I missed the London, and then I got the chance to hit it against more recent favorites, and it didn't stack up to be honest.

And that's music to my ears about the sweet spot as I hit a little lower in the string bed, which is one reason I like the egg shape of Volkls.

Volkl pallets aren't sold by any retailers anymore as far as I know. If I run into any, I'll let you know.

Regardless, pretty funny that we all have this similar racquet history.

In terms of attiva pallets, seems like a risky switch since part of the dampening tech is in the handle.

The pallets have nothing to do with the dampening in the handle. Replacing the pallets is replacing plastic with plastic. Whatever the dampening is (seems to change), it has always appeared to me to be a layer of rubber or foam or some dampening material inside the hairpin, separating the two empty hairpin chambers.

Also, to your comments about strings and higher tensions with this frame ... I had a friend a few years back who let me try it out for a few matches. I loved it in a doubles match I played, but that was with a poly that had lost a lot of tension. I strung it myself with Cyclone for the next match at around 52. It was nearly unplayable, like a completely different frame. I dismissed it after that but glad I've given it another chance, especially since finding low tensions with shaped poly mains and Ghost Wire crosses. That said, this one might play great with gut/multi/syn gut mains and poly crosses. The multifeel/GW setup I just strung in the pair we got feels great against the wall (47/50).

 

[chic]

Cyclone for the next match at around 52. It was nearly unplayable

Aa far as pallets I just wasn't sure if removal would risk doing something to whatever foam is in there.

But yeah string differences are wild in any frame, but this one in particular seems to have a huge variation. As long as one can string for themself then that's nbd, but could be annoying if you have to pay a stronger.

 

[Pneumated1]

Aa far as pallets I just wasn't sure if removal would risk doing something to whatever foam is in there.

But yeah string differences are wild in any frame, but this one in particular seems to have a huge variation. As long as one can string for themself then that's nbd, but could be annoying if you have to pay a stronger.

Not in my experience on the pallets, but I think it was a pair of Londons, actually, that I put Attivas on once, and there was a layer of rubber/foam dampening on the outside of the hairpin under the pallets. I accidentally gouged this material with my chisel/knife a few times, but it was pretty resilient. You just have to be patient. I can't remember if other Volkls had this or not, but all that I've opened up have had the dampening inside the hairpin.

And yeah, I string for myself so can afford to experiment.

 

[djNEiGht]

I used to think I missed the London, and then I got the chance to hit it against more recent favorites, and it didn't stack up to be honest.

Volkl pallets aren't sold by any retailers anymore as far as I know. If I run into any, I'll let you know.

My brother in law also has a pair of my iRadicals which are 18x20. He used to play with the Dunlop AG 200. Fatherhood sort of ended his regular tennis schedule due to time as well as he injured his wrist while carrying the baby carrier where it twisted on on him...Anyways...he can still play with the 200 but he barely uses it now. He really liked the London but the iRadicals were on another level. He said it reminded him of his 200 but less exhausting to play with and had more control than the London.

Appreciate letting me know. Unless I get into this racquet more and pick up another or two...I will prob just "suffer" with the standard pallet it has.

 

[djNEiGht]

Aa far as pallets I just wasn't sure if removal would risk doing something to whatever foam is in there.

Not in my experience on the pallets, but I think it was a pair of Londons, actually, that I put Attivas on once, and there was a layer of rubber/foam dampening on the outside of the hairpin under the pallets. I accidentally gouged this material with my chisel/knife a few times, but it was pretty resilient. You just have to be patient. I can't remember if other Volkls had this or not, but all that I've opened up have had the dampening inside the hairpin.

And yeah, I string for myself so can afford to experiment.

I have yet to do a pallet change on Volkl but have done them on numerous Head and Technifibre. The Head Radical Trysis 260 had a cut out on the pallet with a maroon/purple colored rubber insert. It was pretty flat about 1mm thick/thin that ran along the length of the pallet. On some of the Volkls I've seen, I've noticed something in the butt cap. I wonder if some of their racquets had some sort of dampening system in the butt cap.

 

[djNEiGht]

I guess I'll see how string sensitive this racquet is. For the London...I didn't find it too sensitive from the various beds that I had used. It did change a bit how it felt/played but overall I had a good experience. Maybe one or two strings I just didn't like and I think it was a poly. Synthetics, NG and multis also had a good run in them too along with hybrids

 

[Pneumated1]

@djNEiGht, yes, the older Radicals are pretty sweet. I had a special 10-minute encounter with a friend's Flexpoint Radical one day but dismissed it because I almost hit it too well. Sounds strange, I'm sure, but I was locked into the London at the time.

Regarding pallets, I have a few and may have a lead on a few more. Depending on what I do with the 10 Tours and how many I hit, if this develops, I may have a spare or two. Let me know if the 'suffering' gets to be too much. I also developed a simple but somewhat intricate system of layering hockey tape on Volkl/Becker pallets, and it worked well. Only takes 3-4 layers on each side with some tapering onto the thin bevels and a layer or two on the top bottom, and it truly transforms the shape.

They claim butt cap/pin technology, but I think that's all gimmick. The Organix had a pin that locked into the butt cap and hairpin that supposedly diminished vibration, and the V-Sense had a rubber 'pin' that did the same. Pure gimmicks, imo. The pins even came in differing stiffnesses for the Organix, haha.

In my brief, limited experience with the 10 Tour previously, this frame seemed to be sensitive to stiff strings. I like softer polys and hybrids anyway, and the lower I can take the tension the better, so this could work out for me. I agree on the London that it was not so string sensitive, but I think this 10 Tour is a better frame. With the London, my go-to was Cyclone/NvY at around 53/55, but I also remember a sublime experience with a locked Alu Power/Mantis Comfort Synthetic. The best, however, was Babolat + tonic gut/V-Pro hybrid. I usually don't like gut/poly because it gets launchy after 6-8 hours, but it played great in the London. I'm thinking it will play even better in the 10 Tour.

Interested to see how this works out for us. I'm hitting my UP 16x19s very well, even my Gravity Tour. And I have a Touch PP on the way today. I'm coming to the end of a long, 6-month+ racquet-testing frenzy, and I'm patiently looking to settle on one.

 

[djNEiGht]

@Pneumated1 IIRC hockey tape is similar to the bumper guard tape? Either way, did you notice if it added significant weight? I've done athletic tape to build up a couple butt caps that didn't flare out as much but not to build up a grip.

I don't know if I really want to like this racquet as much as others. My racquet closet is kinda full. lol

 

[Pneumated1]

No, more like athletic tape. Very thin. I'm not sure on weight exactly, but probably 5g or so total, but I only layered it to about 4" above the top of the butt cap.

I know what you mean. I'll keep an open mind about this one. If it's that good, I'll embrace it. If not, I have others That said, it's nice to have a Volkl in hand again.

 

[JustTennis76]

I bought a couple of VSense 10 Tours 2 years ago because the specs were so appealing with a thin 19.5 mm beam and a tad over 11.5 oz. I tried hard to like them but it felt stiff when I hit outside the sweetspot with different types of strings. So, I had to let them go and stick with my prestige pro.

 

[chic]

Everyone with the haterade on volkl pallets, meanwhile I think the shape is part of the reason I don't really like other brands.

@Pneumated1 @djNEiGht what grip do you all use on the FH? I wonder if that's a factor

 

[Pneumated1]

Everyone with the haterade on volkl pallets, meanwhile I think the shape is part of the reason I don't really like other brands.

@Pneumated1 @djNEiGht what grip do you all use on the FH? I wonder if that's a factor

SW forehand grip for me, and strong Eastern on my 1hbh. I actually like the standard Volkl pallet on topspin groundstrokes because there's extra grip contact and getting adequate spin is natural. My struggle is finding my grip on backhand slices and on serve. My son loves the Volkl grip shape. I've tried; trust me.

 

[chic]

SW forehand grip for me, and strong Eastern on my 1hbh. I actually like the standard Volkl pallet on topspin groundstrokes because there's extra grip contact and getting adequate spin is natural. My struggle is finding my grip on backhand slices and on serve. My son loves the Volkl grip shape. I've tried; trust me.

Also SW and the equivalent with my left hand on my 2hbh. I love the more recent volkl pallets on my serves though (the vsense line is less rectangular than my organix or quantum from highschool).

I slice conti and don't really find an issue with it, but bh slicing isn't a huge tool for me. I hit them but usually as a way to give myself time when I'm stretched or late. I have definitely had stronger slices with smaller head size, box beam racquets.

 

[GummiiBear]

I have a soft-spot for Volkl. When I was a kid (10, 11), my first “real” racquet I picked out (I still have it, I’m sentimental) after demoing a bunch was the Volkl HotSpot 5 Titanium. I’d hoped to try demoing Volkl racquets last year when I picked up the sport again after many years, but my local place doesn’t carry Volkl. After several months with my Speed Pro it was recommended that I demo racquets more akin to what I used when I was younger (Babolat Pure Control Team) so I went to another store and they only seem to have OS Volkl racquets. I’ve been wanting to try this V-Sense 10 I’ve heard about, and/or the C10 Pro and V-Feel 10, which I understand is like the... successor to the V-Sense 10? Might even be willing to demo the two off TW because Volkl will always hold a special place in my heart. [Edit: Never mind, can’t demo the C10 Pro. Womp womp.]

 

[djNEiGht]

[Edit: Never mind, can’t demo the C10 Pro. Womp womp.]

sometimes a c10 pops up in the classifieds at a nice price

 

[djNEiGht]

Everyone with the haterade on volkl pallets, meanwhile I think the shape is part of the reason I don't really like other brands.

@Pneumated1 @djNEiGht what grip do you all use on the FH? I wonder if that's a factor

i'll drink the haterade...it's an acquired taste.

SW FH w Eastern or sometimes a version of it for 1HBH.

I just need to run with it for a while. It was fine when I was playing with Head TK82 racquets consistently...but now that I'm using the TK82s and sometimes playing with Wilson racquets...the shape difference is more noticeable.

 

[socallefty]

Unfortunately my experience with the Volkl V-Feel 10 (320) was short and not very good.

The only Volkl I bought was a VFeel-10 (320). I demoed it and loved how it played, but ignored the slight discomfort I felt because it was strung with poly. I bought it, strung it with 17-gauge VS gut at 55 lbs and got major elbow pain within 90 minutes. I told my drilling partner that I would have to sell it. So, he tried it for an hour and he got pain too - his pain developed into proper tennis elbow and he was out for about a month. So, I sold my racquet to a player outside my club after three hours of use and later found out the VF spec is 147 which is in my danger zone.

All brands make elbow-friendly and elbow-unfriendly racquets and while the famous Volkl C10 is a very comfortable racquet, it does not seem to hold true for Volkl’s latest players racquets.

 

[GummiiBear]

Uh, by like I mean I appreciate the feedback, not the pain you experienced.

 

[Pneumated1]

Also SW and the equivalent with my left hand on my 2hbh. I love the more recent volkl pallets on my serves though (the vsense line is less rectangular than my organix or quantum from highschool).

I slice conti and don't really find an issue with it, but bh slicing isn't a huge tool for me. I hit them but usually as a way to give myself time when I'm stretched or late. I have definitely had stronger slices with smaller head size, box beam racquets.

I mix in the slice a lot on my bh side, and others tell me it's a weapon. It's a driving, flat shot, and I like a Dunlop/Wilson/Babolat/Yonex pallet for that ... and on serve. Shame we can't have everything in a perfect package ...

I have a soft-spot for Volkl. When I was a kid (10, 11), my first “real” racquet I picked out (I still have it, I’m sentimental) after demoing a bunch was the Volkl HotSpot 5 Titanium. I’d hoped to try demoing Volkl racquets last year when I picked up the sport again after many years, but my local place doesn’t carry Volkl. After several months with my Speed Pro it was recommended that I demo racquets more akin to what I used when I was younger (Babolat Pure Control Team) so I went to another store and they only seem to have OS Volkl racquets. I’ve been wanting to try this V-Sense 10 I’ve heard about, and/or the C10 Pro and V-Feel 10, which I understand is like the... successor to the V-Sense 10? Might even be willing to demo the two off TW because Volkl will always hold a special place in my heart. [Edit: Never mind, can’t demo the C10 Pro. Womp womp.]

The V-Sense 10 325 is a stellar frame, as is the 10 Tour, obviously. I wouldn't waste my time with the V-Feels. Volkl has lost their way, and you wouldn't recognize the shape/feel anymore. Older stuff is still good though; I'd say anything V-Sense and earlier is worth a look. The exception is the V-Feel V1 Pro. My son hits it, and it's a great frame. How Volkl hides that 69RA I don't know, but feels like a 63RA with the benefits you'd expect from a stiffer racquet. In fact, I recommend any version of V1 Pro from the Organix to the current.

 

[djNEiGht]

I've been hitting with this pretty regularly now with my mods. Lead 3/9, handle about 6" up fr butt cap, and leather grip. I've been doing mostly drills and rallies. I played 2 games since getting this racquet sometime last month. In those games, I felt a bit off serving. Serving though is my greatest weapon and weakness. It shows that I haven't played a match but had some sunshine with flat and kick serves (using synthetic gut). Will now start the progression with more strings (multi/poly/hybrid of some sort/etc)

unstrung specs
316g
293 SW
31.9 cm

 

[Pneumated1]

I've been hitting with this pretty regularly now with my mods. Lead 3/9, handle about 6" up fr butt cap, and leather grip. I've been doing mostly drills and rallies. I played 2 games since getting this racquet sometime last month. In those games, I felt a bit off serving. Serving though is my greatest weapon and weakness. It shows that I haven't played a match but had some sunshine with flat and kick serves (using synthetic gut). Will now start the progression with more strings (multi/poly/hybrid of some sort/etc)

unstrung specs
316g
293 SW
31.9 cm

We finally got on court so my son could test his 10 Tours. This turned out to be a good purchase for him, and I'm in the process of picking him up a few more. My memories of this frame are a little more golden than my experiences with it the other day. I didn't hit it more than five minutes, but (stock), the launch angle was off for me, and I was immediately disconnected. You know that intimacy with a frame when the ball just does everything you intend it to do, automatically? That didn't happen with this one, haha. But the good news, again, is that my son loves it and hits a big ball and plays his all-court game with it ... very naturally. It was immediate for him. I'll tinker with some weight on one, but it's probably not for me.

My UP 16x19s continue to impress, and my experimental Touch Prestige Pro blew me away. The 10 Tour is a very good racquet, so my feedback shouldn't be taken as criticism as much as an example of a mismatch.

 

[chic]

I've been hitting with this pretty regularly now with my mods. Lead 3/9, handle about 6" up fr butt cap, and leather grip. I've been doing mostly drills and rallies. I played 2 games since getting this racquet sometime last month. In those games, I felt a bit off serving. Serving though is my greatest weapon and weakness. It shows that I haven't played a match but had some sunshine with flat and kick serves (using synthetic gut). Will now start the progression with more strings (multi/poly/hybrid of some sort/etc)

unstrung specs
316g
293 SW
31.9 cm

If you can handle higher weights I would try a little more lead for the serve. I'm a big swinger 1st and 2nd and while I had no stability issues, plow through was initially lacking. Some lead at 12 fixed that right up, but then I had to counterweight it in the handle to keep the balance.

Any racquet that prevents aggro serving is not a racquet for my game, but there exists a setup where these are definitely golden in that regard.

(If you don't have a high swingrate 1st and second, disregard)

Also I found syn gut mains with a smooth poly cross to be a pretty good setup. I was going for a cheap combo so I did some 15l syn gut and pros pro red devil 1.19 cross ~50#x46#(racquet weight was 319 unstrung, 326 string and overgrip, balance about 7.5-8 unstrung).

I imagine any smooth poly would do, just as a starting point for a next setup. I'd avoid overly stiff polys based on my exp.

But as with the serving setups, if you don't have high swingrate shots, my setups prob don't apply.

 

[chic]

If you can handle higher weights I would try a little more lead for the serve. I'm a big swinger 1st and 2nd and while I had no stability issues, plow through was initially lacking. Some lead at 12 fixed that right up, but then I had to counterweight it in the handle to keep the balance.

Any racquet that prevents aggro serving is not a racquet for my game, but there exists a setup where these are definitely golden in that regard.

(If you don't have a high swingrate 1st and second, disregard)

Also I found syn gut mains with a smooth poly cross to be a pretty good setup. I was going for a cheap combo so I did some 15l syn gut and pros pro red devil 1.19 cross ~50#x46#(racquet weight was 319 unstrung, 326 string and overgrip, balance about 7.5-8 unstrung).

I imagine any smooth poly would do, just as a starting point for a next setup. I'd avoid overly stiff polys based on my exp.

But as with the serving setups, if you don't have high swingrate shots, my setups prob don't apply.

Also, I can ship you 39ft of tourna silver7tour if you wanna try it out. You just have to pay postage.

 

[djNEiGht]

We finally got on court so my son could test his 10 Tours. This turned out to be a good purchase for him, and I'm in the process of picking him up a few more. My memories of this frame are a little more golden than my experiences with it the other day. I didn't hit it more than five minutes, but (stock), the launch angle was off for me, and I was immediately disconnected. You know that intimacy with a frame when the ball just does everything you intend it to do, automatically? That didn't happen with this one, haha. But the good news, again, is that my son loves it and hits a big ball and plays his all-court game with it ... very naturally. It was immediate for him. I'll tinker with some weight on one, but it's probably not for me.

My UP 16x19s continue to impress, and my experimental Touch Prestige Pro blew me away. The 10 Tour is a very good racquet, so my feedback shouldn't be taken as criticism as much as an example of a mismatch.

Great to hear for your son.

I also have a Prestige Pro from the XT series. I have a love it or hate it relationship. I traded my pair to Maddog and had sellers remorse after he kept telling me how much he is liking it. The thing for me was I didn't take the time to work with some lead and just did my usual leather grip and played. I was fortunate enough to get another pair from a friend who wasn't using his anymore and have been trying some lead. For now though they are just in the closet till I am done with my vSense as well as sorting out strings on my 360+ Prestige Mid (prob my fav racquet right now).

 

[djNEiGht]

If you can handle higher weights I would try a little more lead for the serve. I'm a big swinger 1st and 2nd and while I had no stability issues, plow through was initially lacking. Some lead at 12 fixed that right up, but then I had to counterweight it in the handle to keep the balance.

Any racquet that prevents aggro serving is not a racquet for my game, but there exists a setup where these are definitely golden in that regard.

(If you don't have a high swingrate 1st and second, disregard)

Also I found syn gut mains with a smooth poly cross to be a pretty good setup. I was going for a cheap combo so I did some 15l syn gut and pros pro red devil 1.19 cross ~50#x46#(racquet weight was 319 unstrung, 326 string and overgrip, balance about 7.5-8 unstrung).

I imagine any smooth poly would do, just as a starting point for a next setup. I'd avoid overly stiff polys based on my exp.

But as with the serving setups, if you don't have high swingrate shots, my setups prob don't apply.

I have a feeling that I like a strung SW of about 325-335 depending on balance and weight distribution. My 360+ Prestige Mid is about 330 SW and I feel that I have been serving best with that. Although it is probably I woke up on the right side of the bed on the days I play matches with the Mid.

Just strung up the vSense with a un-named multi (I think it is prince) that looks to be 15g with a 17g poly.

Strung SW 321
w oval volkl dampener went up to 324 and finally with an OG was 326. just nerded out a bit.

I'll keep in mind maybe some more lead like at 12.

 

[Alex78]

Looks like I'll be joing this club - I have a couple on their way to me. Will put on Völkl leather grips and some lead at 2 and 10, probably.
Now who's handing out those membership certificates for this club?

 

[Pneumated1]

Great to hear for your son.

I also have a Prestige Pro from the XT series. I have a love it or hate it relationship. I traded my pair to Maddog and had sellers remorse after he kept telling me how much he is liking it. The thing for me was I didn't take the time to work with some lead and just did my usual leather grip and played. I was fortunate enough to get another pair from a friend who wasn't using his anymore and have been trying some lead. For now though they are just in the closet till I am done with my vSense as well as sorting out strings on my 360+ Prestige Mid (prob my fav racquet right now).

How ironic. It was his praise of the XT and Touch Prestige Pros that finally led to my purchase. Several years ago I bought an XT PP, and I liked it a lot, but the polarized balance and higher swing weight weren't for me. The Touch PP, on the other hand, at the same weight but more hl and lower sw is amazing with just an over grip and Sampras dampener.

All that said, I'll have plenty of time and opportunity to tinker with the 10 Tour more. Added weight/customization may transform it. In fact, I bought one from a sponsored coach in NY, and it's coming heavier than Almagro's specs, so that'll be a good test--for the frame and my fitness

 

[djNEiGht]

Looks like I'll be joing this club - I have a couple on their way to me. Will put on Völkl leather grips and some lead at 2 and 10, probably.
Now who's handing out those membership certificates for this club?

Welcome

Now there will be 4 of us talking to ourselves.

Those mods sound like it would be nice. I hit with it stock for a while then added lead on the handle. Figured I liked it and put on a leather grip. I do like the volkl leather a bunch. Even had/have some Becker grips on a few racquets.

What are you playing with now?