Anyone got feedback on the current vcore pro 97 290 version? I've demoed the 310 version and quite like it but with an overgrip, it basically becomes a 315g racquet in the low 330g range when strung. This is actually pushing the upper limit in terms of weight for me, as I am fairly skinny. However, the thin beam and 97 head made it very easy to swing through when I demoed it. I was surprised how uniform and predictable it was, even with my flatter eastern grip forehand. In Australia they don't sell the 290 version, but TWE has them and it has me intrigued. I've been meaning to play as light as I can without getting pushed around too much. I find my serve is much more consistent with lighter frames. Does the 290 play similar but lighter and with a little less plow and stability? There's always the leather grip + overgrip treatment, which will get it to around 305 unstrung mark which is right in between a 290 + overgrip (~295g) and the 310 + overgrip (~315g).
I've owned quite a few Duel G/VCore Pro 97 in both 310 and 330 g, but no 290g.
However looking at the specs, the 290 will most likely feel very different as it has an even balance when strung, as opposed the 310 and 330 which hover around 7 pts HL.
With that balance, I highly doubt the SW is going to be much lower than the 310 version, which is the important thing here: how "heavy" the racket feels to swing.
You could of course counterbalance it by tail-weighting it to get it more headlight, but that would prob lead to the same specs as a 310 version more or less (and it wouldn't change the SW).
If you think your frame is just a little too heavy to swing, you should first check what the exact measurements are, because even if Yonex has top QC, the weight varies.
One possible solution is to ask for the lightest 310 version the shop has in stock. That could well be 4-5g under spec. Just make sure the balance is close to spec, and if you can, check the SW too (or ask the shop to do it).
If you're buying from TWE, they have a paid program (around 20 euros), where they measure the specs you want, of 6 rackets that you then can chose from.