Yonex VCORE SV 98+ Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 87

It's just a measly half-inch, invisible to the passive glance, but when you add it to the length of a tennis racquet the result is an undeniable boost in power. Needless to say, our team was able to hit some powerful, spin-loaded groundstrokes with the VCORE SV 98+. Indeed, for Michelle there was little this racquet couldn't do from the back court. She explained, "Toward the end of my playtest I switched back to my Wilson ProStaff RF97 and realized I had to work harder to get the same results as I got with the SV 98+. This racquet yielded deep, penetrating groundstrokes and had a forgiving sweetspot. I found it to be very maneuverable considering its length and swingweight. I could easily push my opponents back and lay on the power almost 90 percent of the time. The extended length helped me hit more offensive shots when I normally would have had to slice or be more defensive to get back into the point. I also loved hitting backhands with this racquet. My backhand was as effective as my forehand, and I was attacking well with it. I playtested this alongside the DR 98+, and I gravitated toward this racquet because of its stiffer beam. Anything the DR 98+ was missing the SV had. I was missing some spin potential with the DR 98+, but the SV 98+ offered me all the spin I needed! There wasn't a lot I didn't like about this racquet. The only places I seemed to struggle were with high forehands or short forehands. I think I was just getting a little stuck and a little eager. I have a tendency to take a big backswing, and it was catching up with me."

Chris definitely appreciated this racquet's juicy combination of power and spin on groundies, but he had to keep an eye on his string tension. He explained, "More power, better spin and some added comfort separated this VCORE SV 98+ from its standard length counterpart (and many other racquets). I found the same very clean and crisp response from the two racquets, but the plus length version seemed to breathe better at contact. It also felt like the higher swingweight dampened the brassiness I found at times from the standard length version. I loved the power of this racquet when it was freshly strung up, and I was able to control it and swing freely. I did notice that once my strings started to drop in tension I had to adjust more than usual, as it became easy to over hit with the VCORE SV 98+. Spin production was solid, and I felt like I was getting plenty of topspin or slice. I felt like I was hitting a heavy ball with this racquet thanks to the combination of spin and power."

Although he had some issues with the firm feel, Troy found an impressive combination of power and spin on his groundies. He said, "Compared to the traditional player's racquets that I typically use, the VCORE SV 98+ gave me easy access to power and spin from the baseline. Because of the high power level I had to add a little more spin to keep the ball from flying long. Once I made this slight adjustment I could generate tons of power and depth, and I was hitting winners with less effort than usual. With the swingweight of this racquet coming in at 340, I found easy plow through and stability. I wasn't getting as much feel and control on my backhand slice as I do with my Wilson Six.One 95 (18x20), but I could generate easy depth and hit a penetrating ball. I could generate topspin with ease, even with the 16x20 string pattern. When hitting cross court angles I could get the ball to dip down inside the lines and hit effective passing shots. The only knock I had with this racquet was that it felt a bit stiff in comparison to the racquets I usually play with. At times the VCORE SV 98+ was slightly jarring on my wrists, but that was partly due to it being strung with a firm co-poly string."

"This racquet certainly packs a punch from the baseline!" said Andy, joining the chorus of praise over this racquet's power and spin. "The standard length version already offers lots of power and spin compared to other similar racquets, but the extra half-inch in the Plus version just takes that to another level. Whether I was pushed back or was inside the court, I was able to get easy pace and depth off both sides. The heft of this racquet made it great for knifing my backhand slice through the court as well. I did find it a little cumbersome at times, but after a brief adjustment period I was able to settle in and find my rhythm."

Volleys - Score: 81

Some racquets get pushed around by the ball. They flutter, twist and wobble at contact, often sapping the ball of power and launching it in unintended directions. Other racquets stand their ground and feel stable at contact. According to Chris, the VCORE SV 98+ was not only on the stable side of the spectrum, but it also had a great combination of power and touch. He explained, "The VCORE SV 98+ felt very solid at the net. I liked how the racquet resisted twisting when the pace picked up. The response felt crisp and clean, which left me feeling very connected to my shots. I found it easy to punch volleys away, and it felt like the ball was getting in and out of the stringbed very quickly (what I would call a very crisp response). Despite all the power, I found it easy to control my touch volleys with this racquet. The response was similar to that of my Pure Drive Plus, so it was an easy transition for me."

Like Chris, Andy also appreciated this racquet's stability at net, but he ultimately had some issues with the feel and maneuverability. He explained, "Once again, the heft and stiffness of this racquet made it feel rock solid around the net. Like from the baseline, it was easy to generate depth on my volleys, even when sticking a tough one from off my shoelaces. The extra half-inch of length was great for a little more reach when I was trying to defend against passing shots from my opponents. Two issues were apparent to me, though, when volleying during this playtest: The racquet was hefty and tough to get into position, and the stiff, crisp feel left me feeling a little disconnected from my shots. This resulted in a lack of control around the net that I never was able to overcome."

Troy appreciated this racquet's stability and precision at net, but again, he wasn't crazy about the feedback on off-center hits. He said, "Up at net this racquet's power and stability made it easy for me to hit effective volleys. I loved playing doubles with this racquet because I could serve big and cover a lot ground when closing in on the net. Although the firm construction didn't give me great touch or feel, the response was very consistent and easy to control. It was a point and shoot racquet. My only knock, once again, was that the VCORE SV 98+ felt a little stiff and harsh on off-center contact. This is something that I feel could be improved by going with a softer co-poly or a hybrid string set-up."

As with Andy and Troy, Michelle had mixed feelings about this racquet at net. She explained, "For the most part, volleys were easy to hit. The stiffer beam and extended length allowed me to let the racquet do the work. The extra length was great for my reach, and again, I felt like the racquet was pretty forgiving. However, there were some tight situations where the extra length made it hard for me to position the racquet on my backhand side, and as a result the racquet flopped back. I made a point to squeeze the grip at impact or choke up slightly so the racquet didn't flop."

Serves - Score: 94

The VCORE SV 98+ earned a serving score that was nearly off the charts. The combination of power and spin made this one of the highest scoring serving racquets we've tested. Suffice it to say, Andy was impressed. "The highlight of the playtest was definitely serving with this racquet!" he said. "The power and spin potential, combined with the extra leverage, allowed me to crush first serves and gave me tons of confidence when toeing the line for my service games. I was also able to hit really heavy kick serves that were jumping off the court. This is definitely one of my favorite racquets to serve with, period!"

"When it came to hitting serves, this Yonex VCORE SV 98+ was a game-improver," said Troy, who loved serving with this racquet. "On flat first serves I could get easy power with less effort than usual. My first serve percentage was increased because I was getting slightly more net clearance than with my racquet of choice. My spin serves were getting a lot of action and kicking-up high off the court. The only racquet that I have tested that gave me comparable power on my serve was the Babolat Pure Drive Tour Plus. I wasn't getting as much pinpoint accuracy as with my Wilson Six.One 95, but the Yonex VCORE SV 98+ made up for it with the amount of power and spin I could generate."

For Chris, serving with the VCORE SV 98+ boiled down to power, spin and confidence. He explained, "I loved the power and spin I got on my serves with this racquet. The VCORE SV 98+ and the Pure Drive Tour Plus are the two racquets I serve the biggest with. The extra leverage and higher swingweight the added length brings works well for me on serve by adding some missing power. I felt confident swinging away at both first and second serves with this racquet. An aggressive swing resulted in some very good serving. I can't really ask for more than that."

Michelle enjoyed easy power and big kickers with the VCORE SV 98+. She said, "I had a great time serving with this racquet. I found easy power on first and second serves, but what really sealed the deal for me was the exaggerated kick I could get on my second serves. They were more effective than they've been in a while. However, I do have to mention that I found better accuracy and precision with the DR 98+, and I felt like I could hit more aces and was more effective with it on my first serves. However, that didn't stop me from hitting big first serves and going after the ball with the VCORE SV 98+. I had no maneuverability issues at all or any issues with the racquet being too demanding."

Returns - Score: 85

The majority of our playtest team loved returning serve with the VCORE SV 98+. Although one player raised some concerns over the maneuverability, the rest of the team found a versatile weapon that delivered instant offense. For Troy, this 27.5 inch racquet was awfully darn close to perfect on returns. He explained, "This racquet seemed to improve my return game. The slightly added length increased my range of shots, similar to the Yonex EZONE DR 98+, but I got more power and depth on defensive returns with the VCORE SV 98+. Even when I thought I could barely get the racquet on the ball, the VCORE SV 98+ allowed me to return the ball surprisingly well. Anytime my opponent left the ball in my wheelhouse I could hit powerful returns deep to the corners of the opponent's court. I loved how the racquet did a lot of the work for me on offensive returns. My two-handed backhand returns were much improved by this racquet's ease of use. With a little backswing I was hitting consistent returns that landed past my opponent's service box. This is easily one of the best racquets for return of serve that I have tested to date."

There was almost nothing Michelle couldn't do with this racquet on service returns. She said, "This racquet was awesome to return with because it was pretty versatile. I really could tee off on my returns, but I could also be more controlled and try to be consistent. I found I could keep the backswing short and compact and was still effective with power and spin. When I played doubles I was trying to be more disciplined and focus on rolling returns low and deep cross court rather than just ripping the felt off the ball, and this racquet helped me transition from super offensive returns to smarter offensive returns. Plus, that tiny bit of extra length helped with reach on big first serves that were hitting the lines, and the firmer beam made it easy to block balls back."

"I had lots of fun returning with the VCORE SV 98+," said Chris, who was clearly dialed in with this racquet. "I enjoyed the power of the racquet and hit some big returns. I hit some very aggressive returns in doubles with this racquet. I also had good feel when I wanted to roll an angle or hit a lob return to mix things up. The VCORE SV 98+ really felt like a do it all racquet on returns."

"The heft of this racquet, combined with its unbridled power, made it a little challenging to return with," said Andy. "I had to force myself to shorten up and trust that the racquet could (and would) do most of the work for me. Anytime I tried to take too big of a swing it usually resulted in a missed return. My chip returns were very dependable, and it was easy to get them back deep in the court consistently."

Overall - Score: 85