Yonex VCORE Tour F 97 (290g) Review

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Yonex VCORE Tour F 97 (290g) Scores
Power	72
Comfort	80
Touch/Feel	83
Serves	82
Groundstrokes	82
Returns	82
Slice	81
Topspin	84
Volleys	80
Overall	82

Upsides

• Good maneuverability
• Lots of control
• Fast through the air

Downsides

• Slightly too light for our playtesters

Summary

As the Yonex Tour 97 line continues to evolve it was inevitable that a lighter version would join its ranks. The Yonex VCORE Tour F 97 (290g) takes its place as the lightest racquet in the line-up. With it, our playtesters could swing fast and take big cuts at balls while maintaining a steady level of directional control. The unique 16x21 string pattern offered a much denser stringbed, which allowed more strings to grip the ball with every shot. The result of those extra strings was greater control over the trajectory of shots. The ability to place the racquet in position quickly was also a big bonus with the Tour F 97 (290g), allowing our testers to move it fast enough to make plays on balls they couldn't reach with heavier frames. While the VCORE Tour F 97 (290g) may have lacked enough weight for our bigger hitters, it did impress our team with its maneuverability and control from all areas of the court.

Groundstrokes - 82

At only 10.8 ounces strung, the VCORE Tour F 97 (290g) was lighter than the racquets our testers typically gravitate toward. However, Brittany noted that it didn't necessarily always play like a light racquet. She explained, "I definitely think this racquet played heavier than the weight indicated, but it was still easy to maneuver from the baseline. I found the sweetspot to be a little smaller than I would have liked. When I missed it there was definitely a drop in power and my shots were lacking depth. When I did hit the sweetspot I was rewarded with the ball coming off with some power. Normally, there isn't much of a difference between my forehand and backhand, but I really found myself preferring my backhand with this racquet. With my two hands on my backhand I was able to generate more racquet head speed, and I was more consistent."

Marco had a great time swinging for the fences, yet he still found a high level of predictability from the stringbed. He said, "I enjoyed the increased maneuverability of this racquet compared with the Tour F 97 (310g). I was able to get more racquet head speed, which really helped on the low balls and also allowed me to get more action on my approach shots. I favored this lighter version because I could really wind up and attack balls while maintaining enough racquet head control to be in charge of where my shots landed."

Like Marco, Chris found that he could really take big swings at the ball and still get a high level of control and precision, but if he didn't have the time to wind up and hit it he struggled to get enough pace and depth. He stated, "Wow! This racquet was super fast from the baseline. It was one of the more maneuverable control-oriented racquets I've hit. The ease of swing was a good thing because this racquet felt better and better the faster I swung it. However, there simply was not enough mass for me to consistently find depth on a medium paced or slow swing. Once I found that out I swung for the fences, and all was right with the world. When I took a big swing I managed to get much better depth, pace and, of course, spin. I had to punch through my slice backhand a little more to generate a biting slice, but spin and accuracy were solid. The only issue I had was when I couldn't get a big swing on the ball. In defensive situations I tended to hit short, allowing my opponent to attack even more."

Sebastian was another fan of the exceptional maneuverability, although he found this racquet to be a little stiff and not as stable as he would have liked. He said, "From the back of the court I really enjoyed this racquet's exceptional control and precision. This lighter Tour F 97 felt most comfortable when I had time to set up for my groundstrokes, however, this racquet didn't give me the stability I was hoping for. I really enjoyed its maneuverability, which allowed me to accelerate through the ball with ease. To optimize its feel and comfort I would recommend using a softer string in this frame."

Volleys - 80

Our testers felt the weight of the VCORE Tour F 97 (290g) affected its playability at net. For Sebastian, the weight translated into a fast response, but he also found more to like at net. He offered, "I enjoyed this racquet a lot when hitting volleys, particularly because of its great feel and exceptional precision. I thought the easy maneuverability especially helped when hitting volleys. I was able to react quickly and really hit my spots, which helped during doubles play."

Brittany could be aggressive at the net with this racquet. She said, "I felt pretty comfortable up at net with the Tour F 97 (290g). I could get it into position and punch my volleys deep in the court. The feel was crisper and stiffer than I expected, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The only time the stiffness was an issue was when I missed the sweetspot, and I would feel some jarring in my arm. This racquet was stable for its weight, and I felt I could be aggressive up at net in doubles."

This racquet's low static weight was an issue for Chris, but he managed to find some positives. He noted, "This racquet was just too light for me to feel truly comfortable at net. On the upside, it was easy to maneuver and very fast in quick doubles exchanges at net. However, any balls that hit off center had it twisting in my hand, and I lost depth and directional control of my shot. Comfort was surprisingly good, and I managed to open up the sweetspot by stringing it low (48 lbs) with a soft poly."

Marco found that it required a bit more effort to drive his volleys, but he liked the fact that he could react quickly up at net. He stated, "The Tour F 97 (290g) improved my ability to hit the volleys that I needed to get my racquet to quickly. It was easier to place this racquet out for balls that snuck over the net or were well wide of my body, although it did require a slightly firmer swing to stick a volley through the court."

Serves - 82

Consistency was the name of game when it came to serving with the VCORE Tour F 97 (290g). Chris found he could get good racquet head speed on first and second serves. He noted, "I was able to serve consistently and with good spin. Again, I would have liked some additional mass to help get the racquet through the ball. I was hitting with decent pace, as evidenced by my PlaySight Smart Court data, but I didn't get the sense that my serves had much weight on them."

Like Chris, Marco felt as though he could really get good spin on the ball, especially on second serves. He stated, "I enjoyed added acceleration and action on my second serves with the 290g version. This really helped me achieve high first and second serve percentages since I got added security with more spin on the ball. The downside was that I didn't feel I could get as much power and weight on my first serves as I got with the 310g version."

Brittany enjoyed the consistency but found her pace wasn't as high as usual. She mentioned, "Surprisingly, I enjoyed this racquet when serving. Even though I wasn't serving as fast as I normally do (PlaySight numbers indicate my average mph was in the high 70s/low 80s), I was very consistent on both my first and second serves. I was able to play a full set of singles without my arm getting fatigued from serving, and I felt I could go several more sets without any issues. My second serves had plenty of spin, and it was easy to generate racquet head speed so I got some good kick on the ball."

Sebastian found that adding a bit of weight to the frame gave him the ability to get a heavier serve going through the court while maintaining the control and precision he expected from this racquet. He explained, "When hitting first serves I was lacking that extra power I was hoping for. However, I was able to hit my serves with great precision and good angles. When hitting second serves I really appreciated the spin potential and being able to swing through my serves. To get that extra speed I would recommend people play around with some tungsten tape to optimize the stability of this lightweight racquet."

Returns - 82

Our team was split on how the Tour F 97 (290g) performed on returns. Chris felt as though this racquet gave him plenty of options on returns, which gave him the upper hand, especially on second serve returns. He raved, "I returned well with this racquet. I was swinging away and driving returns surprisingly well. I liked that I could change the direction of the ball well, and I always felt like I had lots of options. Again, I had to really knife my backhand slice, but it was an easy adjustment. When coming over the ball I had good success using the pace of the incoming ball and adding my own spin and targeting."

Marco found the lighter feel allowed him to make more plays on more returns. He said, "I liked being able to get a quick racquet take-back and comfortably stretch for wide serves. The light weight of this racquet prevented me from getting consistent depth on quicker serves that I just wanted to block or chip back, and it forced me to try to hit over returns more."

Sebastian struggled to control his returns, and as a result he lost consistency. He explained, "At times I was struggling to return serves because of the light weight and the lack of stability. Nonetheless, I enjoyed its maneuverability, which allowed me to accelerate even under pressure. Sometimes I was struggling to control my returns, and I would have liked a more stable feel during contact."

Usually Brittany is at her best when hitting returns, but she struggled with this racquet. She explained, "Normally returns are one of my favorite shots to hit with any racquet, but it was my least favorite shot to hit with the Tour F 97 (290g). I was having a hard time hitting the sweetspot, and a lot of my returns were landing short or in the net. I found myself mostly in neutral and defensive positions off the return. I was more effective on second serves but still found myself playing conservatively."

Overall - 82

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Marco: Open level lefty aggressive baseliner with a semi-western forehand and a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with a Babolat Pure Drive Plus.

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE Ai 100.

Sebastian: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. Sebastian currently plays with a Wilson Blade 98 16x19.

Review date: April 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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