Yonex VCORE SV 98 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 82

All of our testers noted how forgiving and easy to use the VCORE SV 98 was from the baseline. They also found easy access to depth and spin. However, most of our team never got totally dialed in to the feel of the racquet, and they had a hard time controlling the ball at times as it left their strings. Chris explained, "The solid response I found from the VCORE SV 98 on groundstrokes impressed me. However, the feel was muted and left me feeling a little too disconnected from the ball. I was getting solid spin and power, I just didn't feel as zoned in on my targets as I like to be. It took me awhile to get into the winning groove with this racquet. While it felt good in my hands, I was committing too many errors early on in the test. The more I played with the VCORE SV 98 the more accustomed I became to its response, and I started to have an easier time winning points. I thought my backhand slice was working well, as the racquet offered me enough mass to drive that shot. I was also getting some nice bite on the ball with the VCORE SV 98 when it was strung with a co-poly."

Hannah found the VCORE SV 98 extremely maneuverable and forgiving, but she struggled to find enough control for her powerful game. She offered, "The SV technology provided a unique feel on several levels, but I think what stood out to me the most was its ability to cut through every shot extremely fast. This was a constant throughout the playtest for me, and it was the maneuverability that I found myself relying on. This is one of the most forgiving racquets I have hit with thus far, but I found it unpredictable at times. I hit great with it, though, as it provided the tools for me to hit a great ball from the baseline with power, depth and spin. However, the comfort level came up short. This racquet is a little bit too stiff, and despite its ability to handle the ball fairly easily, I was left with some arm soreness."

Michelle also appreciated how easy the VCORE SV 98 was to swing, but she would like a bit more heft in the hoop. She said, "This racquet was easy to swing, super fast and maneuverable, but I felt like it was missing some weight in the head since it's a bit lighter than my racquet of choice. There were times that the racquet just sort of stopped at contact and the ball flew. I could have used more mass to plow through the ball. However, there was a large, forgiving sweetspot. There was also lots of spin potential that naturally added spin to my shots without me even having to dip the racquet head below the ball. I loved pulling my opponent off the court by hitting more angles with this racquet. While this racquet excelled at topspin, I was hoping it would have put a bit more behind the ball when it came to slice. Again, the forgiveness of this racquet allowed it to work, but slices just didn't penetrate through the court as much as I'd like."

Unlike the others, Andy had no complaints and was really hitting the ball well from the baseline throughout the playtest. He raved, "I loved this racquet from the baseline! It offered tons of power and loads of spin potential, yet it still had plenty of control in an easy to swing package. There wasn't a shot I couldn't hit during the playtest. I was swinging for the fences and feeling confident that I could crush the ball and still get it to go where I wanted it to go. It gave me the power and spin I crave in a racquet, like the Babolat Pure Aero, but with the control and feel I need for my game (and get from my racquet of choice, the EZONE DR 98). The VCORE SV 98 bridges the gap between those two racquets with a crisp, stiff feel that's Babolat-like and the control and feel of the EZONE DR 98 that leaves you feeling connected to the ball."

Volleys - Score: 82

There were some mixed feelings from our playtest team regarding the performance of the VCORE SV 98 around the net. For some, the crisp, solid feel and good maneuverability made it an easy racquet to volley with. Andy enjoyed it around the net. He said, "This racquet was point and shoot at the net. It had good stability, maneuverability and feel, making it easy to punch volleys back deep in the court or play shorter ones with more finesse. The forgiving head size and sweetspot made it pretty solid and stable on off-center contact, so I didn't feel like I had to focus too hard to find the middle of the stringbed. The only possible complaint I could think of would be that a slightly softer feel could've provided a bit more control and responsiveness, but ultimately, I really liked the forgiveness and stability the stiffer layup provided."

Chris was able to use his attacking game style to keep his opponents on their heels. He shared, "I really enjoyed the solid response of the VCORE SV 98 at net. There was enough stability at contact to prevent the racquet from getting pushed around too much. I was also able to use the racquet's mass to help me punch my volleys away. I really enjoyed serving and volleying with this racquet. Even when digging out a tough first volley I felt confident I could get enough on the ball to volley or half-volley it back with depth and control. I also felt like I could manipulate the ball better at net, and I never had the feel issues I had from the baseline."

On the other hand, Michelle would have liked a little more weight toward the tip of the hoop to make it easier for her to get some depth on tough volleys. She critiqued, "The racquet was relatively stable, although I wouldn't mind just a tad more stability at net. There was good touch and feel, and I was more successful dropping angles or short balls than I was punching volleys through the court."

Hannah appreciated the racquet's maneuverability, but she had trouble trusting that the ball was going to go precisely where she was aiming. She said, "This racquet's quickness was a huge plus at the net. However, I also did feel that the head light balance hindered the depth and control of my volleys. I had a hard time adjusting to the balance when I was drilling at the net, and I couldn't get into a great rhythm. When I closed the net hard during points I experienced some unpredictability as well."

Serves - Score: 85

Everyone enjoyed the easy power and spin the VCORE SV 98 provided on serves. Michelle found the power and spin useful on some serves, but she had to work harder on her kick serves. She explained, "Power was easy to generate, as well as spin and slice. It was pretty simple to hit my serves at top speeds without ever feeling like I was working hard to get that power. The racquet was just super fast and really got moving. Wide slice serves were super effective as my second serves. When I was hitting kick serves I really needed to focus on accelerating through the ball. There wasn't much mass to keep the racquet coming through the ball, which seemed to push my kick serves out by a couple inches."

Hannah praised, "My serves felt fast and smooth, and I could get good pop on both my kick and flat serves. I'm not sure how accurately I was hitting my targets, but the easy racquet head speed mostly made up for any inconsistency."

Considering the serving success Chris has had with all the Yonex racquets he's tested, it was no surprise when he was able to serve very effectively with the SV 98. He said, "I always seem to serve well with Yonex racquets. I'm not sure if it's because the sweetspot extends higher in the stringbed, but it feels that way. I was finding ample pace and solid consistency on my first serves. On second serves I felt confident being aggressive. I found myself pressing and looking to take control of the point by serving and volleying or serving and hitting a strong groundstroke."

Andy used the easy access to power and spin to serve aggressively throughout the playtest. He offered, "It was easy to access pace and spin on my serves with the SV 98. I could reach back and crush first serves when I wanted and also get kick and slice serves moving out of my opponent's strike zone. Control wasn't exceptional when serving, but a lack of control was still never an issue. I loved the confidence-inspiring power and spin I got, and I served quite effectively throughout the test."

Returns - Score: 87

Our testers had virtually no complaints when it came to returning serve with the VCORE SV 98. Hannah found it extremely easy to get the SV 98 around her body in time when combating hard-serving opponents. She praised, "The excellent maneuverability made it a breeze to return with the VCORE SV 98. I could get away with not completing my follow through and still get my racquet on almost every serve. With a few extra seconds I could step into my return, and the VCORE SV 98 proved to be pretty stable."

"This is almost a perfect racquet to return with," boasted Andy. "It's easy to maneuver and feels forgiving, solid, stable, powerful and spin friendly. I could get it around my body quickly and get it in place when taking a shorter swing inside the court. At the same time, I felt good drifting a little farther back and taking a bigger cut at the ball. Depth and spin were easy to come by, which allowed me to be offensive and get my opponents on the run off their own serve."

Chris could mix up his tactics when returning with the VCORE SV 98. He said, "I returned very well with this racquet. I liked the way it held up to pace and spin. I was able to chip returns well, but I enjoyed taking a good cut at the ball the most. When I was returning aggressively the SV 98 just felt very solid and consistent. I wasn't getting crazy spin or power, but I was getting just enough of both to hit solid returns."

Like the others, Michelle was returning well. She said, "Similar to how it felt when I was hitting groundstrokes, the VCORE SV 98 felt super fast and relatively stable. It was easy to effectively attack returns or block big serves back. I was able to start points the way I like to and take the offensive most of the time. I just have to say again, however, I didn't love the feel at contact. That's the only thing that bothered me."

Overall - Score: 81