Yonex VCORE SV 100+ Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 87

The extra half-inch of length boosted the power level of the Yonex VCORE SV 100+. Jason compared it to the other extended length 100 square-inch racquet in the Yonex lineup, the EZONE DR 100+. He said, "Hello power! I was getting tons of power and easy depth on my shots. The power was addictive, and I found myself trying to hit as hard as I could more times than I should've. Because of the higher swingweight I wasn't getting as much spin as I was with the DR 100+. On the other hand, the VCORE SV 100+ was more torsionally stable and had greater plow through. The one shot that I consistently struggled with was the high ball above my shoulder. In those instances the racquet felt like it was too much for me."

"As a fan of Yonex racquets, especially the 100 square inch, 11-11.5 oz strung ones, I was excited to get out on the court with the VCORE SV 100+ after a very successful playtest with the EZONE DR 100+," said Brittany. "This racquet offered me easy, free power. My PlaySight data shows my MPHs on both forehand and backhand are higher than they were with both the standard and extended length DR 100. However, this easy power came at a cost. I was definitely making more errors, and my consistency was a little lower than average. I had to hold back, which I never have to do, to hit my rally ball. This racquet made it too fun to blast the balls off the court. In addition to the power, I thought there was plenty of spin potential, and I found it to be fairly maneuverable for an extended length racquet. I continued to be impressed with my slices that kept me in the point when I had to reach and drop a hand off on my backhand side. They were staying low and deep, and they weren't as attackable as they can sometimes be."

Having playtested the standard length version, Hannah was surprised with her results with the VCORE SV 100+. She offered, "Looking back on my comments for the regular length VCORE SV 100, I was caught off guard when I went out to hit with the extended length. Most of the qualities of the VCORE SV 100 that I felt didn't quite fit my game were really offset by the added length of VCORE SV 100+. The added stability allowed for a better connection to the ball, and the fast swinging characteristics of this racquet remained intact even with the extra half-inch. The sweetspot felt larger, and I had guaranteed access to spin that I really wasn't expecting. That was great. The easy leverage and put-away power gave me confidence when going after my shots because I could use spin to bring them in the court, hit angles and control my shots really well. The great maneuverability I enjoyed with the regular length version remained, and it allowed for easy pick-ups from the baseline. I felt like I had to put a lot less effort into these shots. It was a stiff frame, which I don't mind, but there weren't many downsides to this racquet on groundstrokes."

Tiffani found the VCORE SV 100+ to be one powerful racquet. She commented, "Power was immediately noticeable from the baseline. I was testing this racquet alongside the EZONE DR 100+, which packs a punch, but this VCORE extended length racquet outpaces it. There was so much power that I found myself struggling to contain it. With the standard length VCORE SV 100 I could generate enough spin to keep my shots under control, but I couldn't do that with the VCORE SV 100+, probably because of its higher swingweight. When I missed I missed long with this racquet. I really enjoyed the easy depth and effortless power, but I preferred the EZONE DR 100+ because it was easier to control when I was playing points."

Volleys - Score: 83

Stability was a highlight at the net for the TW playtesters, but they would have liked a little more feel from the VCORE SV 100+ to help end points. Brittany had some success at the net, saying, "The feel, maneuverability and reach that the VCORE SV 100+ offered at net made me actually want to come to net to finish the point. I felt very comfortable approaching the net and could be successful punching a volley deep or hitting a swinging volley. It even had enough touch that I made a couple of more difficult half volleys. Lastly, the extra half-inch allowed me to get a couple more volleys in play that I didn't think I could reach."

Jason found the VCORE SV 100+ to be very stable up at net. He said, "Even when I was hitting the ball on a full stretch the racquet felt stable in my hand. I liked the put-away power it provided on overheads and punch volleys. The combination of the high swingweight and the extra length had me struggling a bit more than usual on shots hit at my body."

"The VCORE SV 100+ felt stable and crisp at net, and I thought my volleys were satisfactory with it," agreed Tiffani. "However, the EZONE DR 100+ was a better option for me at net. The VCORE was powerful, and it was easier to put away my volleys, but I preferred the feel of the EZONE version for better placement and touch."

Hannah enjoyed the improved stability. She said, "Again, any lack of stability that I had at the net with the VCORE SV 100 was no longer an issue with the VCORE SV 100+. It was still easy to handle and fast in my hands, and I could get easy depth. It wasn't quite the same fearless feeling at net that I had with the EZONE DR 100+, but the improved feel and stability made it efficient for hitting targets at net."

Serves - Score: 82

The TW playtesters appreciated the Yonex VCORE SV 100+ on serves once they got used to the extended length. The serve was one of Tiffani's favorite shots to hit with this racquet. She praised, "I've always liked the extra pop I get on my serves with extended length racquets. When I missed, though, I tended to miss long. The key to this racquet for me was finding a way to harness the power."

"It always takes me a while to adjust to serving with the extended length frames," noted Hannah. "With that being said, I liked serving with this racquet. The whippy frame made it easy to generate racquet head speed and good kick, and I jumped on the chance to add some extra power on first serves to set up the point."

Like with the EZONE DR 100+, Jason struggled to serve with consistency because of the extended length. He offered, "I found that if I just choked up on the handle to serve, it alleviated the problem. I thought the racquet provided some nice power, and I was actually getting pretty good spin on my serves as well."

Brittany was in agreement. She said, "Just like with the EZONE DR 100+, I had a bit of an adjustment period with the VCORE SV 100+ on my serve. I was hitting the majority of my faults long, and I felt like I really needed to focus on snapping my wrist to bring my serve down into the service box. I was still pretty tentative hitting my serves, but I enjoyed ripping a flat serve with power from time to time."

Returns - Score: 87

The TW playtesters found power and stability when returning serves with the VCORE SV 100+. Hannah took advantage of the extra length, saying, "The best part about playing with the extended length versions was the pop I can get off my returns, and the VCORE SV 100+ is no exception. I was playing points with both the extended and regular length versions side by side, and there was really no comparison when it comes to stepping in on serves. The extra stability and easy power was really effective on the return and rarely failed to put me in an offensive position. Just like on groundstrokes, I was able to take advantage of the maneuverability on returns as well."

"My hands down favorite shot to hit with the VCORE SV 100+ was the return," said Brittany. "The VCORE SV 100+ is powerful and stable, which gave me a lot of confidence to swing freely on my returns. My returns were landing deep in the court, and I had great accuracy. I didn't have any issues with the maneuverability. The extra half-inch gave me a little extra reach, which I appreciated when I was being stretched out wide."

Tiffani had a blast (literally!) hitting returns. She said, "This was a fun racquet for returning serves. Depth was easy to come by. I needed to keep my backswing short and try to not overhit my returns. The natural power of the VCORE SV 100+ was plenty on its own. I also enjoyed the stability."

For Jason, it was hit or miss on his returns. He explained, "Luckily, there were more hits than misses. With so much power I could hit screaming winners or the back fence. To combat some of that power I really had to focus on putting topspin on my shots to get them to drop in."

Overall - Score: 85