Volkl V-Sense 8 300g Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 87

Weighing 11 oz strung, this Volkl V-Sense 8 300g impressed our playtesting team with its blend power and maneuverability. Brittany felt right at home with this racquet from the very first hit from the baseline. She said, "The specs are exactly where I like them and that made it very easy for me to adjust to this racquet. There was definitely some easy power, and my groundstrokes were landing deep in the court. I was mostly missing deep, but luckily I was able to pull my shots in with some extra spin. When I was playing points at the beginning of the playtest I noticed that I was missing some put-away shots by a couple of inches. I adjusted by hitting to bigger targets until I was comfortable going closer to the lines. This racquet also came around very quickly so it was easy to generate racquet head speed and create shorter, angled groundstrokes. I would have liked a little more plow through since my slices would float at times if I wasn't careful, but that really wasn't much of a issue."

Jason noticed right away how easy this racquet was to swing. He said, "I felt like it had ample amounts of power and spin potential. In fact, at times the ball would fly long on me if I didn't get enough spin on my shot. It was a great racquet to hit short angles with because of how whippy it is."

For Hannah, this racquet shone from the baseline. She said, "I loved how the maneuverability matched with the great stability and subtle power. Before long it was an absolute weapon during baseline point games and isolation drills. This racquet allowed my wrist to come around my forehand with ease and produce a deep, heavy ball that was perfect for setting up points. On the backhand side my timing was consistent, and my left arm could really drive through my cross court shots. I could easily control changes of direction and produce extra spin. As an aggressive baseliner I'm constantly taking the ball early and on the rise, and this racquet allowed me to do that with confidence. While the open string pattern and stiff, stable racquet produced awesome depth, if I didn't get enough spin my shots would fly long."

Mark first played with the 285g version of Volkl's new V-Sense 8, then switched to the 300g version. He immediately noticed that the ball was reaching the baseline with less effort. He said, "Like the V-Sense 8 285g, the V-Sense 8 300g is very maneuverable, and I was able to hit some great angles off either wing. Topspin was easily accessed with the new Volkl V-Sense 8 300g, and in combination with its firm beam and open string pattern, belting the ball from the baseline is where this racquet really shone."

Volleys - Score: 80

The versatility of the Volkl V-Sense 8 300g was once again evident as our testers moved forward. Jason complimented the new and improved feel of this racquet at net, saying, "I was having some good results volleying with this racquet. The low swingweight really helped with quick reflex volleys. I felt connected to my shots and had great touch."

Similarly, this racquet complemented Mark's net game in several aspects. He said, "I am pretty comfortable and confident at net, and the new V-Sense 8 300g definitely helped reinforce that feeling. For me, this racquet erred slightly on the side of maneuverability, but it was still heavy enough for me to be effective at the net."

Brittany felt this racquet offered her plenty of versatility at the net. She said, "I wasn't afraid to go to the net to finish a point with a volley. I felt very connected with the stringbed due to the responsive feel, and I could punch volleys back deep or soften my hands for shorter volleys. It was fun to play doubles with this racquet because it was so quick and fast."

Like the other playtesters, Hannah appreciated the maneuverability of this racquet at net. She said, "Most importantly, this racquet felt comfortable in my hands while I was volleying. Preparing my racquet and keeping my hands ready were easy. Although the V-Sense 8 300g felt stable and crisp on contact I didn't achieve the depth I was hoping for on my volleys, especially compared to the depth I was getting from the baseline. This racquet felt good at the net but not quite as good as I had hoped."

Serves - Score: 84

Our testers had mixed experiences due to the power level of this racquet while serving. Mark noted how the balance and feel of the Volkl V-Sense 8 300g stood out during the serve portion of this test. He said, "Since the V-Sense 8 300g is a lighter racquet than I normally play with I had to use a little more wrist action, but the result on serve was actually more spin on the ball than I normally can generate."

The stabilility, crispness and maneuverability of the V-Sense 8 300g allowed Hannah to achieve extra spin on her kick serve. She explained, "My default serve into the body requires a lot of wrist action for both placement and adequate spin, which is exactly what this racquet allowed. However, if I was playing an extremely good returner or a flatter hitter I'm not sure this racquet would offer enough power to put me in an aggressive position right off my serve."

Although Jason could produce more spin on his serve, he would have liked more mass from the racquet. He said, "The V-Sense 8 300g isn't the most powerful racquet to serve with, but it was great for consistency. I would've liked to have had a chance to add some weight to the hoop to help with power. Nonetheless, this racquet provided really good access to spin, which allowed me to be effective with my serve even without the extra pace."

Brittany did not experience the same problems generating power on her serve. She said, "I found good power and racquet head speed on my serves. I also had excellent placement on my serves. I was really going up and after my first serve and making a good percentage of them. I was winning some additional free points, which helped me hold my serve more than usual. However, when I did have to hit a second serve I was missing deep past the service box. This forced me to consciously hit with more spin and aim for the middle of the service box."

Returns - Score: 86

The specs of the V-Sense 8 300g allowed the team to mix it up when returning serves. After enjoying the V-Sense 8 300g so much during groundstroke drilling sessions, Hannah was excited to return with this racquet. She said, "This racquet gave me the advantage I needed to take a step inside the baseline so I could take serves early. Again, the combination of the stability and the head light balance gave me multiple options on the return of serve."

Jason took advantage of the whippiness of this racquet when he was returning. He said, "I didn't hit the most controlled returns, but it sure was fun to 'grip it and rip it.' Because it's such a whippy racquet I could even take swings at harder hit first serves. I just had to pick much larger targets and stay away from aiming near the lines."

Mark also noted how this lighter racquet gave him the confidence to really go after his returns. He offered, "This is another part of the test where the Volkl V-Sense 8 300g complemented my game. I usually chip my return back into play, but with the low 11 oz strung weight of the V-Sense 8 300g I was able to take a more aggressive cut at the ball."

Brittany agreed, adding that returning with this racquet was extremely comfortable and effective. She said, "The maneuverability was fantastic on returns. I could get the racquet around my body and into position with ease. I never felt late when returning serves. When the ball hit outside the sweetspot I experienced some instability, but it was never uncomfortable. Returns were landing deep in the court, and my deep down the middle return off first serves was highly effective with this racquet."

Overall - Score: 85