Volkl V-Star String Reel Review

Control: 80 / Power: 67

Our playtesters found V-Star to be quite lively for a firm control string. Appreciating the easy access to depth, Brittany said, "What surprised me most about this string was its power. It was really easy to get my groundstrokes deep in the court and my serves deep in the service box when using this string in my Yonex VCORE 100 S. There was some control as well, but I definitely had to use full swings and add spin to keep the balls in the court."

Also finding a lively response, Chris put the extra pop to good use. He said, "I found this string pretty lively for a co-poly. I was able to get ample pace and depth with little effort. Fortunately, I was still able to find plenty of control. I actually found more control with a faster swing, as I was able to really open up the spin potential of the string. I was able to hit a big ball from the baseline, and on both my forehands and backhands I was taking a good crack at the ball. The result was heavy topspin off both wings, which enabled me to push my opponents off the baseline. The response was very confidence-inspiring, and I really enjoyed the feel of this string when I attacked the ball. Having a little more power than I get from my typical string choice also paid off in defensive situations. I was able to get a tad more stick on those flick, stab and stretch shots to help me stay in the point."

Spin: 87

V-Star gave our team easy access spin. Factor in the lively response and the result, according to Chris, is a penetrating ball. He said, "This string offered a pretty solid ball pocket. It felt like the ball was sinking into the strings nicely, and V-Star felt soft enough to hold the ball and then spit it out with some added spin. I continued to get lots of spin on my shots as the strings bedded in and softened up over the first week. The amount of spin I was getting definitely helped me add control to the lively response of the string. Even with the extra depth and pace I was finding, the spin-friendly response helped me get the ball to drop well within the lines. Once I was fully adjusted to the string I found I could use the combination of spin and power to really get the ball on my opponents quickly and take time away from their next shot."

V-Star's impressive spin-potential helped Brittany bring the ball down on target. She said, "There was a decent amount of spin with this string. Without the spin, I would have had a lot more balls flying long. The spin potential allowed me to take a full swing and still have the ball drop inside the baseline."

Comfort: 81

V-Star posted a remarkably low stiffness score in the TW String Lab. This likely explains why Brittany was so impressed with the comfort. She claimed, "Another surprise came in the comfort department. I could not believe I was playing with a polyester at times because of the comfort. Off-center shots and shanks felt almost as comfortable as shots hit in the center of the racquet."

"Compared to many other poly-based strings, V-Star plays with better than average comfort," said Chris, who enjoyed the smooth ride. "The response was on the softer side, and it played softer than Volkl Cyclone, which is my go-to choice. The stiffness was similar to Cyclone Tour, but it didn't play as lively. While no poly-based string is going to be truly comfort oriented, this one is better than many."

Feel: 82

The real test for a softer, more pliable co-poly like V-Star is whether it still manages to deliver the kind of crisp and direct feedback that makes a player feel connected to the ball. For Chris, V-Star passed this test. He said, "I liked the feel of this string. It was soft without feeling muted or mushy. Unlike some soft co-polys, I also found the control to be good. Many of the softer co-polys tend to play a little too lively for my liking, but this string felt soft and controlled."

The softer feel made Brittany feel disconnected from the ball at times. She said, "As a fan of crisper/firmer strings, V-Star felt a little to soft for my liking. While I appreciated the softer feel, softer hits felt like I wasn't as connected to the ball and I didn't have a good sense of where it was on the stringbed."

Playability Duration: 70

Like all strings, V-Star definitely loses tension over time. This resulted in some performance loss for Brittany. She said, "This was my biggest knock on the string. Within a day or two of stringing my racquet at 55 lbs. the tension had significantly decreased, and the balls were almost trampolining off the stringbed. I then restrung the racquet with slightly pre-stretched strings. This helped maintain the tension a little bit better, but I would definitely be replacing the string after 2-3 weeks."

Chris also experienced some tension loss, but it didn't have a negative impact on the playability. He said, "I found a noticeable tension drop within the first couple of one-hour hits, but then the string settled into a soft playing feel that lasted well. The string did not feel bagged out or get a harsh feel as the test wore on, so I was able to get a solid three weeks of play out of it."

Overall: 83

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester String Setups

Review date: September 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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