Yonex VCORE 98+ Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

When it came to hitting groundstrokes with the VCORE 98+, our playtesters all noticed the free power paired with a relatively high launch angle. For some of the team, this made it easy to hit deep groundstrokes, but it also required a decent amount of topspin to harness that power. Michelle, who hits rather hard and flat on her groundstrokes, got plenty of oomph from the extended length. She said, "I found loads of power and spin that came along with the extra half inch in this racquet. Similar to the standard version, the feel was somewhat muted, and there were times I felt a bit disconnected from the ball and where my shots were landing. Naturally, this racquet made me want to dig out the older Yonex VCORE SV 98+ and play it side by side. I quickly remembered how much I enjoyed that older version. It had slightly firmer and crisper feel, and its 16x20 string pattern provided a little more control compared to this version. This 2021 VCORE 98+ felt more similar to the previous 2018 version. The swingweight is a bit lower than the past two iterations, and at times I just didn't find as much plow through as I was hoping for. That being said, there's no doubt the power was there, and the open string spacing created easy launch. Sometimes there was a bit too much launch, and I found myself missing by a few inches long or imagining I could make low-percentage shots I shouldn't have been attempting."

Coming from another extended-length racquet that is more maneuverable and lower in overall power, Mark needed a short acclimation period. He went into the details, saying, "Lately, I have been playing with a 27.5-inch-long racquet that weighs closer to 12 ounces and has a sub-320 swingweight, so switching over to this lighter (11.4-ounces) VCORE 98+, I immediately noticed its higher swingweight and the increase in power that comes along with it. Although I had a slight transition period getting used to more weight toward the hoop, once I adjusted everything clicked into place. After a couple of sessions with the new VCORE 98+, I was able to get the right combo of spin and swing speed, effectively landing my shots deep, and I felt comfortable hitting to the corners. Once I gained this confidence on my groundstrokes, I found that I could be very effective from the baseline, whether it was redirecting my opponent's shots, driving through the ball for a topspin forehand or changing up the pace with my backhand slice."

For Sage, it was all about finding a way to tame the power of this extended-length racquet. He explained, "From the first hitting session, I noticed that this racquet provided easy power and a high level of spin potential. In the past, I haven't usually gravitated toward extended-length racquets, but the added stability in the form of its healthy swingweight was a bonus for me. I did struggle with the launch angle despite the access to spin. It was rather high and gave my shots easy lift — sometimes too easy. I found my groundstrokes flying long more frequently than I would have liked during my first few hours with this VCORE 98+. Although I settled into focusing on heavy topspin to keep my shots from flying, this sort of made me feel like I had to hold back a bit in pressure situations, which chipped away at my confidence. I wanted to believe I could crack a winner at will, but too many balls went long to make that a reality."

Going into this playtest, Chris knew what he was getting himself into, and this VCORE 98+ brought the power he was hoping for. He said, "I expected to get some power on my groundstrokes with this longer version of the VCORE 98, and I wasn't disappointed. I loved the extra leverage I had on my backhand slice. There was enough inherent power swinging this racquet for me to use a very compact backswing for added control and easy timing, while still being able to drive the ball with depth and pace. When taking a bigger windup, I made sure to also hit with plenty of spin because it was easier to launch those power-loaded shots long. The easy access to power helped me to maintain a deep rally ball consistently, and the openly spaced 16x19 pattern gripped the ball easily for those sharp-angled cross-court shots to pull my opponent off of the court."

Volleys - Score: 83

The team also found success when moving toward the net with this Yonex VCORE 98+. The playtesters noted that it felt solid and stable, the extra half inch helped with net coverage, and it was maybe a bit more maneuverable on volleys than previous iterations. Mark found this racquet to compliment his game quite well when he came to the net. He said, "Stellar is the word I will use to describe the level of stability and comfort I experienced with this 2021 VCORE 98+. Whether it was a half volley or a volley that I had to reach for, I was able to get the ball back effectively. I enjoyed how stable this VCORE 98+ felt on volleys when facing heavy hitters, and there was enough maneuverability that the racquet wasn't overly difficult to wield, which is nice for an extended-length racquet."

The inherent power of this racquet was a benefit for Sage, who found it easy to hit his volleys deep and stay on the offensive. He said, "There was a solid feel at net with this Yonex VCORE 98+, and it packed a good amount of punch on volleys when I needed to put the ball away. There was a slight lack of maneuverability, but nothing too difficult for me to adapt to. I still felt like I could move the racquet into position without trouble in most situations. I wouldn't say this is the most touch- and feel-oriented racquet on drop volleys, but I thought it excelled at helping me keep the ball landing deep in the court."

Like Sage, also felt that this VCORE 98+ provided effortless power and solid feel on contact. He said, "I loved the stability of this racquet at net. The response felt very solid, and I was able to punch my volleys with authority. Having a little more reach was nice on stretch volleys and overheads. Getting the racquet into position felt easy, and I was able to react quickly on stab volleys. I loved the power on overheads and high volleys. Anytime the ball sat up high, I was able to punch it away with lots of pace and little effort."

This racquet worked well for Michelle's aggressive game. She said, "The VCORE 98+ felt stable and solid at the net, and the reach with that extra half inch was very welcome. I didn't find any issues with maneuverability either, which can sometimes be the case with extended-length racquets. I was enjoying this racquet a ton when playing doubles, especially at the net. It really allowed me to feel in command and able to dictate with my volleys. There was enough stability to block balls back deep with ease, and the racquet held its ground against hard-hit shots. When I can, I like to be aggressive and hit my swinging volley, and I found this racquet to be dangerous on those put-aways!"

Serves - Score: 88

The Yonex VCORE 98+'s combination of extended length and relatively high swingweight made it easy for our playtesters to hit powerful serves. Sage couldn't find much to complain about when it came to serving, as this racquet seemed to enhance his power and helped with spin on his lefty slice. He said, "Power, power and more power! I felt the extended length giving me big time pop on my first serve. When I missed, it was nearly always long, which was expected considering the additional swingweight and length. I did have to focus on keeping my toss high enough to take full advantage of the added length, but when I snapped through the ball, it came in huge. I was equally happy with the placement and spin on my second serve. The ball maintained depth and a nice slice that had plenty of movement. This frame handed me free points and the opportunity to shorten the point with a one-two punch when the return came back into play. This was an excellent weapon during doubles matches."

Michelle felt that the abundant power was an upside, but she thought the VCORE 98+ was lacking a bit in the consistency department. She explained, "Serving with this racquet was great when it came to hitting a big flat first serve. I felt like I could generate easy speed, and the lighter overall weight was nice on my shoulder compared to the heftier Wilson Pro Staff RF97 I usually play with. However, I did struggle a bit with my consistency and targeting, and at times it felt like I was missing my targets just enough to take away from the overall effectiveness. This racquet really accentuated my power when I was serving at my best, but there were too many highs and lows, and I was left wanting a bit more precision."

Like a car with a lot of horsepower under the hood, this racquet tempted Chris to stay on the gas and make the most of that power. He said, "I hit some big serves with this racquet. It was easy to get sucked into trying to hit harder and harder because the power was so addictive, but it made it tough to stay consistent. Instead, I found better results letting the racquet do the work to get solid, effortless pace and then focus on hitting my targets. When I wanted to take some added risk with a serve, it was nice to know I had the power on tap to do so. Access to spin was impressive, and I liked the action I was getting on the ball with this racquet."

Like with groundstrokes, Mark had to adjust to this racquet's swingweight and resulting power when he was serving. Once he started to develop his rhythm and timing, it was more of a love story when it came to serving with this VCORE 98+. He described, "I also had a transition period here to get used to serving with such a powerful lever in my hands. Initially, the ball was flying on me a bit when I was going for my first serves. After a couple of practice sessions and serving a few rounds out of the ball hopper, I found that I could add a little more spin and feel comfortable letting the swingweight of this racquet do the work. The spin potential was great, so my slice serve, especially out wide on the ad side, was connecting well near the line. I have to say that I generated some of the biggest serves to come off of a racquet for me, and overall I felt confident going for a big flat serve or the slice on my second."

Returns - Score: 83

While the VCORE 98+'s length and swingweight made for extremely aggressive returns, some of our playtesters had a little trouble keeping all of that power in check. That said, most of the team felt that a minor consistency dip was a fair tradeoff for effortless pace and depth. Whether he was going big on a forehand or carving up the dirty slice return, Chris felt right at home returning serves with the VCORE 98+. He said, "Hitting big returns was a lot of fun with this racquet. There was enough easy power on my shots with the VCORE 98+ that I found tons of pace and depth. Even block returns were easy to drive deep with little effort. Fortunately, the racquet is spin-friendly, because spin generation helped me tame the power. I really enjoyed knifing my backhand slice return with this racquet. The combination of spin and pace allowed me to hit very aggressively and steal the offense from the server."

There were times on groundstrokes and serves when Michelle had some consistency issues, but when it came to hitting returns, she felt pretty confident playing her aggressive style. She said, "Returning serves is where I enjoyed this racquet the most. If I kept my return compact and timed the ball well, I could rip some good returns. The stable, solid feel also made this racquet great at defending. Don't get me wrong, I definitely blasted some balls well past the court from time to time, but I did find it fun to ramp up the power and spin here. I enjoyed it in a doubles match since I could get enough of an arc on my backhand returns and generate my angled dipper. When needed, I could pull the trigger for the low-percentage down-the-line return and often found success! And if I detected any hesitation or inconsistency from the server, I found that I could rip the ball right back at them to test out their serve-and-volley skills."

The common theme for Mark was getting used to the length and relatively high swingweight, but once he adjusted to it, it was smooth sailing. When it came to hitting returns, the racquet felt a bit sluggish at first, but he was eventually able to unlock consistent depth. He said, "The mid-330 swingweight of this VCORE 98+ definitely challenged my return of serve initially. In the first couple of practice matches, I found my timing to be off and struggled a bit when big servers went right at my body. Once I got accustomed to that high swingweight and the easy power that comes with it, my return of serve became much more effective, and I felt like I could still muster easy depth with a more compact take-back. I was able to use the stability of this racquet to block the ball back deep and chip my backhand return nice and low when I needed to. If I had enough time to prep my forehand, I could place my returns deep with a lot of topspin, pushing my opponent back."

As Sage found on his groundstrokes, the built-in power of this racquet left him with some trust issues. He explained, "I found a lack of control at times when hitting returns. I wanted a bit more consistency with regard to the depth, and I had some trouble with margins and the ball landing long. Even with a string tension higher than my normal, the amount of power from this Yonex VCORE 98+ made it tough for me to control and be confident staying aggressive on returns. Typically, I like to come forward and step in on the serve return, but with the power and launch off the stringbed, I tended to play more conservatively, feeling as though I had to hold back."

Overall - Score: 84