Yonex VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 88

The VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) had positive reviews right from the get-go. The playtesters enjoyed the combination of effortless power and control from the baseline. Jason was impressed, saying, "The specs are very similar to my own racquet, so it was a very easy transition for me. It's a fast swinging racquet, which meant it was easy to generate racquet head speed and spin. One of my favorite shots to hit was the backhand slice. I could really knife my slices. I was pleasantly surprised with the power level. The VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) had more pop than I thought it would, and certainly more power than the previous version. The one downside was the slight instability on off-center shots."

"I couldn't wait to get my hands on this racquet!" Karly exclaimed. "I loved the previous version and was happy to find that the new VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) played very similarly. It generated much more control than power, which I loved. My shot placement was spot on, and I was going for tougher shots because of it. Another thing I really liked about the Duel G 97 (310g) was how solid and stable it felt on contact. The impressive stability allowed me to drive through the ball and generate my own power naturally, with tons of control. I thought the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) was more maneuverable and offered a slightly more dampened feel than the previous version. It swung faster, and the response didn't feel quite as lively -- two subtle differences that really improved how the racquet played overall."

Mark has plenty of history with this racquet. He said, "I have played quite a bit with the earlier iterations of this frame, and besides having another really long name, I sort of knew what to expect from the Yonex VCORE Duel G 97 (310g). From the first swing, I was treated to the familiar feel of predictable power. With a full bed of a polyester string installed, I found all of the spots on the court that I wanted without much of a change to my swing. The 16x20 pattern felt like it lacked bite at first, but within 20 minutes of play I was able to generate lots of spin on the ball, landing my shots deep in the court. As with the Tour G version and the first generation VCORE 97 (310g), my backhand slice and approach shots were definitely enhanced with the Duel G 97 (310g)."

Chris was surprised at how much he enjoyed this racquet. He explained, "When warming up groundstrokes during my first session with this racquet I thought it might be too light for me. However, once I started to play points I immediately clicked with the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g). From then on out I was in the groove for the rest of the month-long test. The thing I liked most was that the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) allowed me to take big cuts at the ball with no sacrifice in control. I was able to be very aggressive, even on the big points, because my confidence was high. It didn't feel like I was getting huge spin with this racquet, but I always seemed to get enough to get the ball to drop well within the lines. I was hitting my topspin backhand as well as ever with this racquet and really got grooved on that shot. This is the most enjoyable Yonex racquet I've hit from the baseline since the old RDX 500 Mid. The VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) is lighter, faster and more modern feeling, but it still has a sprinkling of old-school Yonex smoothness to it."

Volleys - Score: 83

Up at net, the playtesters had some positive and negative results with the VCORE Duel G (310g). Karly explained, "Power came much easier at net than it did at the baseline. The response was livelier and offered much more pop on contact. The VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) offered excellent stability and plenty of maneuverability, which made it a really solid racquet for hitting volleys. However, the only small downside I had with this racquet at the net was the slightly unforgiving response. When I made contact outside the sweetspot the response wasn't as lively. My shots lost a lot of power and I couldn't put away volleys as easily. The feel was more dead toward the edges of the stringbed."

Jason agreed with Karly, saying, "My volleys, when hit in the sweetspot, felt crisp and had good control. I also felt like the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) had enough power to make hitting put-away shots easy. I liked how fast it was up at net, and I could get it quickly into position, but I would've liked a bit more torsional stability for off-center hits."

"I loved the feel and response of this racquet at net," continued Chris. "My touch and angle volleys were on point. I also found ample power to punch volleys deep and get them away from my opponent. Feel and comfort were good. I did experience some twisting of the racquet in my hand when I connected with the ball a little off center. The twisting wasn't bad, but I'd correct this minor issue with a little tungsten tape at 3 & 9 in the hoop."

Mark had nothing but positive things to say. He said, "I felt great around the net with the new VCORE Duel G 97 (310g). Its 11.5 ounce strung weight, when paired with the firm beam trait and 315-ish swingweight, offered the blend of stability and maneuverability that I look for in a frame."

Serves - Score: 84

Our playtesters thoroughly enjoyed serving with the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g). Chris was surprised with his results, saying, "I'm not sure where this racquet gets its power from since the length is standard, the beam flexible and the weight fairly low. With all that said, I was serving very well with this racquet. I was very, very happy with the pace, spin and accuracy I was getting. I was reminded of serving with the Babolat Pure Control Tour, which also surprised me with its easy power. All of my serves were working well with this Yonex, and I felt confident every time I stepped up to the line."

Jason was impressed with the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) on serves. He raved, "I really enjoyed serving with this racquet, so much so that I had enough confidence to start going for harder, flat serves on my first serve rather than my typical slice. I found it easy to get the racquet through the contact point to access power, and, since it was so maneuverable, it was also easy to replicate the service motion for consistency."

"Just like its predecessor, the Duel G 97 (310g) was outstanding on serves," Karly raved. "The blend of power and control was exceptional. I found much more power when serving than from any other area of the court. The ball popped off the stringbed on contact, and I could use its mass to hit deep within the service box. The precise control was there, too. It felt powerful without jeopardizing much control. The only thing I struggled with slightly was the maneuverability. I didn't have as much of a problem on groundstrokes or volleys, but when I swung the racquet over my head it felt sluggish. I had to put more effort into swinging it, but the outcome was worth it."

Mark had a small adjustment period on serves before he started really getting into a groove. He explained, "For the first 20 or so serves I wasn't getting the sort of grip on the ball that I depend on, but I was able to make a slight change, and the quality of my serves improved by the second session with the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g)."

Returns - Score: 83

The VCORE Duel G 97 (310g) was maneuverable and powerful on returns, yet still controllable. Mark was beyond impressed. He praised, "With this very versatile stick I was able to approach my return with a bit more confidence, relative to most other racquets I have played with, including my own."

Chris continued to find success with the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g). He said, "This was another shot that was working well for me with the VCORE Duel G 97 (310g). It felt light and fast, and it had controllable power. I felt confident both taking a good cut at the ball and chipping and charging off the return. I played some very solid doubles with this racquet and returned well with it. Combine solid returns with great serves and touch at net, and I had a great racquet to take into doubles action."

"When I could get aggressive with my shot I really liked it," offered Jason. "This racquet allowed me to go for smaller targets because of the control. I was also finding some nice angles with my forehand. However, when I was just reacting and blocking a shot back, I was leaving a lot of balls short in the court. I needed more free power and stability when the ball made contact out of the sweetspot."

For the most part, Karly had a favorable opinion on returns. She said, "Hitting returns with the VCORE Duel G (310g) felt great, too. The super whippy maneuverability made it easy to swing the racquet fast, and the outstanding control allowed me to take big cuts at the ball. I could swing hard and fast with the confidence that my return wasn't going to fly on me. I loved how aggressive I could return with all the control the racquet offered. I noticed some slight instability if I didn't make good contact on the stringbed, but I was still able to drive through the ball with good plow through. The racquet just fluttered in my hand a little bit when the ball hit outside the sweetspot."

Overall - Score: 86