Yonex VCORE 100 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

Playing with the Yonex VCORE 100 was an easy transition for our playtesters, who could load their groundstrokes with enough power, depth and spin to be aggressive from the baseline. The original VCORE 100 (known as the VCORE 100 S) that launched 10 years ago was the frame that first started Brittany's love affair with Yonex racquets. She said, "I have been a Yonex player ever since then, but mostly in the EZONE line. However, I have not found a 100-square-inch Yonex racquet I haven't liked since, and this new VCORE 100 is no exception. I had an effortless transition and felt comfortable from the very first strike of the ball. Just like models of the past, it offers easy power and spin with plenty of depth. When I was on the defensive and reaching for the ball, I was able to hit deep in the court, producing a neutral ball to keep myself in the point. On the other hand, I had to really make sure to add spin to my approach shots since it was easy to overhit at times. The spin allowed me to play around with one of my favorite shots — the short, angled backhand and forehand — to pull my opponents off the court and baseline to produce an attackable shot."

Tiffani echoed Brittany's sentiments, saying, "Any time I pick up a Yonex 100-square-inch racquet, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect. I did not need much of an adjustment to find a groove from the baseline with the VCORE 100. The racquet made it easy to hit with depth and pace. I especially liked it when pushed off the baseline; it made it easier to get myself back to a neutral position in the point. This update felt more dampened than the previous version, which I liked. The ball seemed to shoot out of the stringbed with a good amount of pace and spin without any additional effort on my part. I did need to make sure that I didn't aim too close to the lines when going after short balls since I tended to overhit and send the ball wide."

"This was a super simple racquet to pick up and play with since it swung easily and quickly through the air," continued Kristen. "Because it swung so fast, it was easy to take big swings and get the ball moving with good pace through the court. The access to topspin was great and helped in achieving depth. The feel was slightly muted, though, leaving me wanting a bit more feedback to feel more connected to my shots. The VCORE 100 felt super light in hand, making it simple to slap a winner when I had the timing and window to do so, but it was harder to find my way through points where I was put on the defensive. I would have preferred a bit more weight to feel like I was taking a more solid swing through the ball, and to get better plow through and stability."

Between a small adjustment period and possible customization, Erik found plenty of depth and spin from the VCORE 100. However, he also added, "There were times when the ball would spray long on me because of the launch angle if I didn't rip through it with lots of topspin. There was a nice blend of power and control. I would want to add some weight to the hoop because the racquet could get pushed around slightly on the run. With that being said, it was easy to maneuver this racquet into position and generate racquet head speed, especially on defensive shots."

Volleys - Score: 82

Transitioning up to net, our playtesters could easily maneuver the VCORE 100 into position to end points quickly in both singles and doubles. Tiffani said, "I can't complain about the performance at net. This VCORE 100 felt nimble, which is my top priority when hitting volleys. The racquet was responsive at contact and stable enough to keep me feeling comfortable and confident in my least favorite part of the court."

This racquet had everything Brittany needed for volleying success. She said, "As I expected, the VCORE 100 performs best on volleys punched deep in the court. I found myself setting up to the ball easily and had no problems maneuvering the racquet into position. This racquet was great on quick volley exchanges or when a passing shot was hit at me with significant pace. The stability never seemed to be an issue, and the racquet felt solid in my hands. My touch volleys were not quite as on-point, but that is not my strength anyway, so it did not bother me."

Never one to shy away from the net, Erik found the VCORE 100 very user-friendly. He said, "This racquet was really easy to use up at net; it was effortless to hit volleys deep in the court. This update was slightly more muted than previous versions, but I still enjoyed the feel and felt connected to the ball. Again, I would want to add just a bit of weight to enhance the stability."

"As expected, it was easy to get into position up at net, and overall I thought the VCORE 100 performed well for its weight," Kristen said. "I did notice the racquet twisting slightly in my hand when punching back heavier shots, but it wasn't so extreme that my ball was thrown completely off target."

Serves - Score: 86

Our team rated serves the highest during this Yonex VCORE 100 playtest. Serving was by far the highlight of the playtest for Kristen. She said, "This racquet was simply effortless from the get-go. It swung easily overhead, made it simple to tap into spin and could whip up good pace. No complaints from me on serves."

Spin was the name of the game for Erik when he was hitting serves. He said, "I had great access to spin on my serves with this VCORE 100. I was able to hit my serves in effective spots with a lot of spin. My favorite serves were the wide serve on the deuce side and the kick serve out wide on the ad side."

The VCORE 100 is one of the few racquets Brittany actually prefers on the serve over the return. She said, "My favorite racquet to serve with is the Babolat Pure Drive, and I would say the VCORE 100 sits nicely in second place. The ease of generating racquet head speed allowed me to really go after my first serve and get some extra free points. I even threw in some aces off both sides. The access to spin allowed me to utilize my slice first serve as a change-up and my kick second serve. I felt I could produce a reliable, consistent second serve that wasn't being attacked."

Tiffani enjoyed the ability to amp up the MPHs with the VCORE 100 and saw her serves landing deep in the service box — sometimes a little too deep. She said, "This racquet's power was definitely a plus for me on serve. I always like a bit more pace on my serve to help me start in a neutral position rather than a defensive one. Although I enjoyed the extra power, I also needed to be sure to snap my wrist to get the ball to drop. When I missed my serves with this racquet, it was almost always long past the service line."

Returns - Score: 82

While the playtesters appreciated being able to start return points aggressively with the VCORE 100, some were wishing for a bit more control. Whether returning a first or second serve, Erik had success with this racquet. He said, "This VCORE 100 was solid on returns. I could get the racquet into position early and block back first serves deep into the court. On second serve returns it was easy to stay aggressive and keep my opponents back at the baseline."

"I was surprised to find decent stability and control when returning, especially when I was swinging through heavier serves," added Kristen. "I did have to be careful not to get too crazy with my swing motion if I was up against a slower serve. Blocking back serves with slice was a bit hit or miss for me. If the serve were heavy enough, it would help carry my slice over the net, but more often than not, my slices tended to die off the frame."

Tiffani was looking for a little bit more consistency at times. She said, "The VCORE 100 felt great coming around my body on serve returns. It was easy to get into position, and I was hitting with good depth. There were times when I felt a little bit wild with my shots, and the return is where I think I preferred the VCORE 98 for its more controlled feel. It was easy to over-swing with this VCORE 100, and I often found my returns going long. However, it did make it fun when those shots landed inside the lines!"

From her experience hitting other strokes with the VCORE 100, Brittany wasn't surprised with the results of her return. She wrapped up the playtest, saying, "The easy power was great, but it got me into trouble at times. It was very easy to overhit both first and second serve returns, and I found myself hitting a ton of shots long at the start of the playtest. I was able to make some small adjustments by consciously adding more spin and aiming for larger targets. However, I felt like I had to hold back a little on my returns, and I never felt like I could fully swing out. This is just a minor, nit-picky issue; overall, the racquet was easy to swing and felt stable in my hands."

Overall - Score: 83