Volkl DNX 10 Racquet Review

"Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it doesn't work you can always hit them with it." - Boris 'The Blade' Yurinov, in Guy Ritchie's movie, Snatch.

While the above movie quote might be not be in reference to tennis racquets - you'll have to watch the movie to find the true meaning - it does fit well to describe player's racquets.

Player's racquets tend to offer good weight, and a reliable response - one of the reasons we remain huge fans of this racquet category.

Just about every brand offers its version or versions of player's racquets, and one brand that has earned a solid following in this category is Volkl. Volkl's player following tends to become even more passionate and die-hard when the racquet in question has the number 10 in its name.

If you are familiar with previous Volkl "10" racquets - think C10 Pro, Tour 10 Gen I & II and Tour 10 V-Engine Mid & Midplus - then you come to expect a certain weight, feel and response from the racquet before even picking it up. That "10" feel and response is what has earned Volkl a solid following among advanced players.

Volkl's latest edition, the DNX 10, doesn't disappoint. While the all-new DNX technology adds some stiffness to key areas of the racquet, the DNX 10 still retains plenty of Volkl heritage in its feel and response on court.

We took Volkl's latest player's racquet out for a three-week test. Read on to find out how the DNX 10 performed.

Groundstrokes

The DNX 10 offered a solid, controlled response off the ground. Our team found a pleasing, consistent reaction from the racquet on both power and placement shots. Finding more control from the DNX 10 compared to her usual preference in racquets was Catherine. "My groundstrokes with this racquet felt really good. All the racquets I've played with in the past have been more 'tweener frames, with a combination of power and control, so this is the most control oriented racquet I've played with, and I really liked it. I enjoyed really being able to swing at the ball as hard as I wanted and still have it land in. I also felt confident putting a lot of spin on the ball, especially for topspin lobs - I had no trouble with hitting the ball deep on shots that would have gone long with other racquets I've used. It did require that I swing hard at the ball every time though, so when I didn't swing as hard at the ball I had trouble getting it past the service line on my opponents side." Also finding plenty of control was Jon. "The DNX 10 felt solid hitting groundstrokes. The power seemed ample and control was excellent. Off center hits were a bit bothersome and I found the DNX 10 to be a bit pingy on off-center shots."

Enjoying the control and crisp feel of the DNX 10 was Josh. "Players familiar with the feel of a Dunlop 200G or Head Liquidmetal Prestige Midplus should fall in love with the DNX 10. My groundstrokes were solid from both sides of the court. I was able to drive forehands deep towards the baseline and had enough control to hit sharp angles cross court and passing shots down the line. The tighter string pattern also seemed to give the racquet a more solid feel, which translated to crisper feeling groundstrokes." Chris quickly found the groove with his backhand slice using the DNX 10. "Still recovering from a triceps injury on my right arm, I played with this racquet both as a righty and a lefty. Hitting with my weaker left arm, I found the racquet very demanding. I was ok for about a set, but then the weight would take its toll. Still, during that set I enjoyed plenty of control and a nice solid feel at impact. Playing righty, this racquet was a much better match for my game. My stronger and more aggressive swing fit perfectly with the power level of the racquet. It is not the most maneuverable player's racquet, but I could take aggressive cuts at the ball and not worry about my shots sailing long. My favorite shot with this racquet was the backhand slice. I found just the right amount of weight and feel to consistently keep my cross court backhand slice low and deep. Best of all, I had to put very little effort into hitting a nice slice. Once I got the racquet moving, I found plenty of pace and depth from the weight of the racquet."

Volleys and Overheads

Just like at the baseline, the DNX 10 continued to provide excellent control at net. Josh, who plays serve and volley tennis, enjoyed the response and feel of the racquet at net. "The DNX 10 was great at net. My volleys were clean and controlled, with an excellent balance of power and finesse. The heavier frame felt stable on off-center volleys and soft enough to pick up the tough shots at my feet. Overheads were easy to hit with the DNX 10 as well. With time to set up, I felt I was able to drill a return with the same pace and accuracy of a first serve." Catherine found the DNX 10 a little demanding at net. "Volleys were only okay with this racquet. My volleys have definitely been better with other racquets. I don't know if it's the fact that this racquet isn't as maneuverable, or if it was me getting used to a smaller head size, or if it just didn't have the pop I like in my volleys, but my net game was lagging."

Jon enjoyed the feel and response of the racquet, but not the sound of the ball coming off the strings. "Volleying with the DNX 10 was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the control and maneuverability of the racquet, but I was annoyed, again, by the pingy sound generated with every volley. I would have to experiment with different string types to keep using this racquet, as this issue may have been due to the multifilament test string." Enjoying the response of the DNX 10 at net the most was Chris. "My favorite shot with this racquet was the volley. The racquet felt incredibly solid with excellent plough through. The racquet never felt pushed around by the ball and I was extremely pleased with my targeting. I was confident going for touch and angle volleys, knowing the racquet would offer the required feedback and the stringbed would provide a consistent response. No matter if I was volleying righty or lefty, I enjoyed the feel and response of this racquet at net."

Serves

Our team found the DNX 10 to offer some precise feedback on serve, allowing our players to go for the corners and stay aggressive. Finding his targets on serve was Chris. "I enjoyed serving with this racquet when playing righty. Even when I was a little off rhythm and caught the ball high in the stringbed, I still found decent pace and spin. Well-timed serves had good pace and spin. I was able to move the ball around the service box, finding good targeting and consistency. Serving lefty also proved to be consistent. I was finding some nice action on my slice serves. Again, extended play was tiring and this racquet is better suited to stronger players." Catherine also served well with the racquet. "My serves were amazing with this racquet. I was hardly ever faulting, and I think this racquet actually helped me discover my topspin serve. Every single one of my serves seemed to spin in at the last moment, catching the lines. I was able to just let my serve rip and still watch it loop in."

Finding good pace and targeting was Jon. "I felt I could really swing away with the DNX 10 and not worry too much about over-hitting. Control was great. However, I wasn't able to generate as much spin on my kick serve as with my current MW 200G, but it did seem to come in with a little more pace." Josh also found control and placement to be the standout features of the racquet on serve. "Precision comes to mind with the DNX 10. My first and second serves had good pace and the same control found on groundstrokes and at net. My second serve had some kick when I needed it, but the accuracy is what stood out. I was confident moving the ball around the service box and even throwing in a few first serves on my second serve. As our website's general description suggests, the power will come from a player's technique. When my service motion was relaxed and consistent, my serves had much more pace and kick."

Returns

The DNX 10 continued to impress our team when the serving switched to the other side of the net. returning aggressively was Chris. "Again, this racquet felt nice and solid. It was not the most maneuverable player's racquet I've used, but as long as I stayed compact I could pick my shots. When playing lefty, I was more aggressive with my two-handed backhand compared to my forehand - thanks to the added strength of the two-handed stroke. When playing righty, I was able to handle the weight much better, and be aggressive from both wings." Catherine missed the power of 'tweener style frames when returning with the DNX 10. "I wasn't too impressed with this racquet for service returns. For really hard serves I usually just block the ball back, but with this racquet, blocking it back wasn't as effective. Most likely it's just that this racquet is more control oriented, so when I tried to block the ball it didn't get returned with as much power as with a 'tweener racquet. I did feel confident in trying to rip back a return on a floating second serve, which comes back to being able to rip groundstrokes without worrying about them going long."

Jon found the confidence needed to go for higher risk shots when returning with the DNX 10. "I felt the return of serve was my favorite shot with the DNX 10. The DNX 10 has great control and I was having a lot of fun trying some lower percentage shots and sharp angles when returning serve." Josh was also returning confidently while using the DNX 10. "With a 98 sq. inch head size, the DNX 10 gave me a little more margin for error against serves. The heavier feel forced me to prepare a little earlier for first serves, but the added weight was also a nice stabilizer on off-center shots. I was happy with slicing returns back from the backhand side, and I was confident jumping on short second serves. I didn't see any real weaknesses with this frame against serve."

Overall

With more control than a surgeon's scalpel, the DNX 10 is a solid choice for advanced players. While the weight may be a little demanding for some, stronger players will love the control they'll find on powerful strokes with this racquet. Our team was very impressed with the racquet's response at net, making it a great choice for serve and volley players, all court and doubles specialists. Those who like to rip it up from the baseline will find excellent control and weight on their shots, but power is left up to player technique. All in all, the DNX 10 is perfect for the player seeking a solid, stable and control oriented stick.

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Technical Specifications Length 27 inches 69 centimeters Head Size 98 square inches 632 square centimeters Weight 12 ounces 340 grams Balance Point 12.625 inches 32 centimeters 7pts Head Light Construction 19 mm Straight Beam Composition High Modulus Graphite w/ DNX Technology / Fiberglass String Pattern 18 Mains / 20 Crosses

Babolat RDC Ratings Score Grade Flex Rating 63 Range: 0-100 Swing Weight 320 Range: 200-400

Playtester Profiles

Chris: 5.0 baseline player currently using a Yonex RDX 500 Midsize. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Josh: 4.0 all court player currently using a Wilson ProStaff Original 85. Josh has a long, loopy swingstyle, hits with a one-handed backhand and a semi-western forehand.

Catherine: 4.0 all court player currently using a Volkl Quantum V1. Catherine has a medium/fast swingstyle, hits with a one-handed backhand and a semi-western forehand.

Jon: 4.5 baseline basher with a big kick serve currently using a Dunlop Muscle Weave 200G. Jon uses a semi-western forehand grip, has a full fast swing style and hits a one handed backhand.

Review date: March 2006. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2006 Tennis Warehouse.