Yonex VCORE Si: officially announced

[Michael Lesbowicz]

The new VCORE Si series has been announced:

http://www.yonex.com/sports/tennis/products/tennis/racquets/vcore-si-series/

There are the usual Si 98 and 100 models, which are Made in Japan, and the cheaper Si Team and Si 105, which are Made in China.
The Si 98 and 100 both come in lower and higher weight versions. String patterns are the same as before, 16 / 20 for the Si 98 and 16 / 19 for the 100.

The focus this time is on improved spin, Si = Spin Effect.

New features are the new "Bt HYBRID" grommet design, for increase spin.
The Micro Core technology has been upgraded and is now called Black Micro Core.
The 3D Vector Shaft throat design has also been modified with extended throat grooves.
Those are the three main differences compared to the Xi series.

Release date is supposed to be in October, according to unofficial sources.

I doubt the Si series will generate the same level of attention and psychotic euphoria as the RF97, so the forum is unlikely to be flooded with VCORE Si threads.

 

[Snaab]

Looking forward to it. I like the "flash" orange and white cosmetics. It should sell well amongst Cincinnati Bengal fans.

 

[coolblue123]

dang. the ai line just came out less than 6 months ago. is this suppose to be the replacement for this?

 

[Dan Z]

oh great... somthing else to spend money on.

No its not a replacement for the AI line - Yonex have two lines - ezone (to which the AI belongs) and vcore (to which the SI belongs). This is an update to the vcore XI which was released around 18 months ago.
How different they feel remains to be seen but I'll be sure to post when I get my hands on one.

 

[Michael Lesbowicz]

@Dan Z: You plan on getting a VCORE Si too? Which one, 98 or 100?

I have a habit of getting every new racket Yonex releases.

 

[Dan Z]

yeah will go with the 98 probably. its a costly habit though I didnt quite go to the same lengths of loyalty as you with the Regna

 

[Michael Lesbowicz]

I would not call it loyalty, more a curiosity.

The Regna was the most expensive tennis purchase I have ever made.
I was curious to see if a racket that expensive is worth the high price.
I had to steal money from my brother's piggy bank to buy it.

 

[QuadCam]

The head shape looks like the AI series.

 

[ollinger]

what was the thinking behind Si = "spin effect"?

 

[prosealster]

oh great... somthing else to spend money on.

No its not a replacement for the AI line - Yonex have two lines - ezone (to which the AI belongs) and vcore (to which the SI belongs). This is an update to the vcore XI which was released around 18 months ago.
How different they feel remains to be seen but I'll be sure to post when I get my hands on one.

Can I ask what's the suppose difference between the ezone and vcore lines?
(and also wondering what the differences might be b/n ai98 n si98 )

Thanks in advance

 

[Dan Z]

Can I ask what's the suppose difference between the ezone and vcore lines?
(and also wondering what the differences might be b/n ai98 n si98 )

Thanks in advance

Well the lines are rather blurred now but it was loosely this - ezone were your more forgiving "modern" frames where as the vcores had a slightly more players frame thing about them but like I say - bit harder to differentiate these days.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

Can I ask what's the suppose difference between the ezone and vcore lines?
(and also wondering what the differences might be b/n ai98 n si98 )

Thanks in advance

Comfort vs stiff raw player

 

[martini1]

So just bigger grommet holes to produce more spin? If Prince is not doing great with the 03 line how is this gonna be much better?

I want to see play tests on this...

 

[Fed Kennedy]

So just bigger grommet holes to produce more spin? If Prince is not doing great with the 03 line how is this gonna be much better?

I want to see play tests on this...

Yonex is like Head, they are constantly changing tech. But the racquets usually end up good.

 

[Automatix]

So just bigger grommet holes to produce more spin? If Prince is not doing great with the 03 line how is this gonna be much better?

Actually if I understand correctly it is a different approach...

There have been many grommet techs increasing string movement.
Volkls Big Grommets, Prince's Sweetspot Suspension System, Wilson's Power Holes etc. and they are always placed on the central mains and crosses.

If you take a look at the graphic Yonex provides...

You can see that the central crosses are normal. The size of the grommet hole increases when going out of the center (it is not like the techs of other manufacturers where the wider grommets are the same). I think that this is meant to increase the size of the sweetspot while maintaining a uniform response.

The central crosses are the longest anyway so they always deflect the most.
With these grommets the rest of the crosses thanks to the wider grommet holes will have increased deflection in order to make them "behave" as similar to the central crosses as possible. IMHO by this Yonex wants to achieve a wider/bigger sweetspot without a "hot spot" in the centre.

It actually makes sense if you think about it.
If you place identical wider grommets on the entire racquet you get more deflection, a bigger trampoline effect but since the central strings are the longest the response is not uniform. You get a huge boost in power in the centre but everything outside, especially outside the wider grommets you get a relatively dead response.

It's just a theory though.

 

[Jamesm182]

Any news on whether there will be an update to the Vcore Tour97 included in this line? or is it only the xi models?
Thanks

 

[Automatix]

Xi -> Si
The Tours get a new model - VCT 93.

 

[db379]

nice! what are the specs of the 93?

 

[Automatix]

nice! what are the specs of the 93?

The 93 has been delayed and is not present in the most recent Yonex racquet map.

 

[sargeinaz]

Looking forward to the 93. And that grommet tech makes a lot of
Sense to me.

 

[Jamesm182]

So is there no update to vct97 planned , is it being discontinued? Tour G is a separate line of frames?
Or is there just going to be a bit a of a delay as with this one?

 

[Automatix]

No updates for the 97s for now.