Yonex VCORE Pro 100 300 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

This new Yonex VCORE Pro 100 300 continues to be a user-friendly racquet with a control-oriented feel. While the updates are subtle, our playtesters picked up on a slightly higher swingweight and added stability. Tiffani was excited for this update after enjoying the previous model. She commented, "I was a big fan of the previous version and flirted with making the switch to it. I decided to stay with my current racquet because that version of the VCORE Pro 100 300 just wasn't quite stable enough. Fast-forward to this new version, and Yonex has improved the stability. It was really noticeable outside the sweetspot when I compared the old and new versions side by side. The new VCORE Pro 100 wasn't quite as whippy and slightly less spin-friendly for me as a result, but spin isn't a huge factor to my game. I preferred this racquet with softer polys. When we had it strung with Tecnifibre Ice Code the response felt too firm and the racquet too light. With the Yonex Poly Tour Pro in it, I felt more pocketing and more comfort."

As a longtime Yonex player, Brittany could draw comparisons to her current racquet of choice, as well as previous iterations. She said, "I have thoroughly enjoyed 100-square-inch Yonex racquets over the past eight years and have playtested almost every model. My racquet of choice has been the EZONE 100 for the last six years (starting with Ai), and I used the VCORE 100 S before that. I have playtested each iteration of the VCORE Pro 100, and this racquet was a really nice update. First and foremost, it was easy to transition into, and I had no adjustment period. The racquet felt effortless to swing and I was able to generate racquet head speed, which resulted in excellent spin potential on angled groundstrokes. Compared to my racquet of choice, the VCORE Pro 100 offered more control and precision from the baseline. However, my only knock was that I was looking for a bit more free power and depth at times — both when I was on the defensive struggling to hit a neutral ball back and when on offense trying to put away points."

Jason tapped into some of this racquet's beneficial new additions. He noted, "I found the racquet to be really user-friendly. Even though it's not as whippy as the previous model, the slight increase in swingweight improved forgiveness, stability and power. I felt like I was able to generate lots of spin on my forehand, along with good pace and depth. Even though I could generate decent power, I would've liked a tad more so I wouldn't feel like I had to swing so hard all the time. As to be expected with VCORE Pro racquets, this one has great feel, great feedback and offers very good control."

A grinder from the baseline, Mark found effortless depth and spin with the VCORE Pro 100 300. He described, "For the first two sessions I used both the prior and the updated version of the VCORE Pro 100 300; then I mainly stuck to the new one after that. Straight away, I noticed that the 2019 version was a little less whippy and more stable from the baseline relative to the previous version. That slight change in design made it easy to for me to get the ball deep in the court from the start and fend off heavier groundstrokes. Within a couple of hours of play this updated VCORE Pro 100 300 also complemented my more defensive shots. The sweetspot of this racquet was very sweet, and a high-arcing ball along with an effective level of spin were the consistent results, enabling me to play my game from the backcourt."

Volleys - Score: 83

Stability and maneuverability were common themes when our playtesters were discussing the VCORE Pro 100 300's playability at net. Although she preferred the back of the court, Brittany felt confident moving forward with this racquet in hand. She explained, "The quick and connected feel allowed me to be successful up at the net. I didn't have any issues with stability, and I never felt like the racquet was being pushed around. I don't hang out at the net too often, but when I did this racquet got the job done for me. I also impressed myself with a couple of drop volleys."

Volleys received high praises from Mark, who found his greatest success with the VCORE Pro 100 300 up at net. He said, "The 21-mm flat beam of the new 2019 VCORE Pro 100 300 catered to a 'top-shelf' level of feel for me at net, along with just a hint of energy return from its 65 RA. Those attributes, combined with a low 11-ounce strung weight and a substantial 323 swingweight, resulted in a near-perfect blend of stability and maneuverability. Although I like this racquet for most any shot I can hit, the volley was probably my favorite."

It was all about feel for Jason when closing the net, although in certain instances he found the racquet could get pushed around some. He described, "The great feel was much appreciated up at net. I felt very dialed in with my touch volleys and drop shots, and I was executing them better than average. Against hard-hit passing shots, or just against bigger hitters, the racquet got pushed around a bit. This racquet could use some weight in the hoop to help with that and with torsional stability."

Tiffani added, "Like from the baseline, the improved stability was the first thing I noticed about the updated VCORE Pro 100 300. The slightly slower swing didn't cause me any issues at net. I was missing some mass in the racquet when attempting to use touch, but that's only a small fraction of my net shots anyway."

Serves - Score: 79

With the VCORE Pro 100 300 offering more control than power, our playtesters weren't serving up bombs; however, the maneuverability of the frame allowed for high spin generation and good precision. Jason described, "In terms of serving a high percentage, I was doing well with this racquet. Like with my groundstrokes, the VCORE Pro 100 300 felt very user-friendly when starting points. I found spin generation easy, but power was average."

Brittany relied on spin and placement to keep her service points effective. She said, "With the lower power level I had to work harder on my first serve to add pace. I also wasn't dialed in on my slice serve with this racquet. I ended up keeping it simple and going for bigger targets on my first serve. Nonetheless, I could tap into the spin potential on second serves to hit kick serves, but I wasn't fully confident hitting them."

Tiffani agreed with her fellow testers. She noted, "Success for me came with placement when serving with the VCORE Pro 100. I haven't typically found this racquet series to pack a powerful punch on serves, and that theme continued. The power was sufficient, but I liked this racquet more for attempting spin serves. I liked to go out wide on the ad side with this racquet. The swing overhead was also easy, so I didn't get tired when having to play long games."

Mark continued to appreciate the specs of the VCORE Pro 100 300 and how they complimented his game. He said, "I can basically transfer my comments for the volley and apply them to the serve portion of this playtest. That same combination of specs really helped me get close to feeling like I could unleash a serve instead of just delivering one. I know this has a lot to do with me, and I have been working on improving that part of my game, but this stick gets me closer to where I want to be."

Returns - Score: 81

Overall, our playtesters preferred returning over serving with the VCORE Pro 100 300. The racquet's high maneuverability helped our team get into position with time to spare, although there were mixed opinions when it came to the stability of the frame against heavier serves. Tiffani enjoyed the racquet on returns but felt it could get pushed around at times. She said, "I am usually a more confident returner than server, and although that was still true with the VCORE Pro 100, my return game wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. On my other strokes I sensed improved stability. However, on returns the racquet felt a bit unstable against heavy-hit first serves. It wasn't quite up to just blocking the ball back, and my shots would often land a bit too short. I enjoyed my ability to drive through the ball when returning medium paced or second serves. I also had good targeting with this racquet, and that allowed me to start the point on the offensive."

Jason found the control levels optimal for attacking returns. He said, "Unlike my groundies, I didn't necessarily feel like I needed or wanted more free power on my returns. The racquet was great in allowing me to be aggressive and take bigger cuts at the ball. And thanks to the open string pattern, I was confident that my shots would drop inside the lines."

Brittany also enjoyed starting return points aggressively. She offered, "It is no secret that I prefer to return over serve, and this racquet was no exception. I was able to stand right up on the baseline (or even slightly in front), take a full cut and start the point on the offensive. I could get the racquet in position and take a full swing without fear of overhitting, and I had enough precision that I could go for riskier targets. I also thought the stability was decent, and the racquet felt solid in my hands even when returning harder serves."

The VCORE Pro 100 300 catered nicely to Mark's preferred return style. He described, "If the volley is the shot I am most confident with, my return would be the part of my game that needs the most attention. That said, I always hope for a racquet to complement and not hinder any part of my game, and that is precisely what I got playing with this latest refinement to the VCORE Pro 100 300. It features enough weight for me to be able to chip the serve back into play effectively, yet it's light enough to unleash a more aggressive reply."

Overall - Score: 84