Volkl V-Feel 10 300 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

From the baseline, the Volkl V-Feel 10 (300) offered a controlled response and generous access to spin. Jason, who also hit with the previous version, noticed some subtle updates in playability. He said, "I liked that this racquet had a bit more weight than the previous version. It helped me get more pace and depth on my groundstrokes. The V-Feel 10 (300) still has a very whippy feel, so I could generate enough racquet head speed to get lots of spin. The mobility also allowed me to hit some pretty sharp angles on my forehand. Rarely do I say this, but I actually would've preferred it if the swingweight was slightly higher; it would help absorb pace better and make the racquet a little more stable."

Having played with several previous versions of this frame, Tiffani could also make some comparisons. She noted, "I've tested the light version of the Volkl 10 series through four iterations, and in the past I struggled with the lower power levels. This slightly heavier update still delivered control and didn't offer up much in terms of free power or plow through, but I managed to hit with a little better depth off the ground than I did with previous versions. As a counterpuncher, I enjoyed the control levels because I am typically not the one generating most of the pace. I could swing out without fear of overhitting and move the ball around the court pretty easily because the racquet felt fast through the air. I was also hitting with more topspin than I expected. For the most part, I liked how I played with the V-Feel 10 (300); I just thought it felt a bit too stiff. The feel of this racquet, like the preceding V-Sense 10 (295), could be unforgiving on the arm when I didn't hit the ball in the sweetspot. We tried a few poly setups, Cyclone 16g and 17g and the softer V-Star, and they all made the racquet feel rather boardy to me. I think I would opt for a hybrid setup in an effort to soften up the response."

Although he wasn't completely won over, Sean was able to find some positives on groundstrokes. He said, "This was a playtest where my sentiments about the racquet were pretty much identical from my first outing to the end of the review. The V-Feel 10 (300) is a very maneuverable racquet with a large spin window and pretty decent control. Unfortunately, the racquet was too stiff and light for my liking. When I was trying to absorb pace I often noticed the racquet feeling unstable, and I was struggling to hold my own. I had much more success when I had time to set up and generate my own pace."

Erik had similar doubts about the feel of the racquet. He said, "The V-Feel 10 (300) felt quite stiff on groundstrokes, but I got solid access to spin. My slice benefitted, as I was able to keep it very low. There was definitely more control than power with this racquet, and I found it offered good stability. The V-Feel 10 (300) was quite maneuverable, and it was easy to generate racquet head speed, though my groundstrokes would tend to go long if I didn't loop the ball high over the net with a bunch of spin. Defending with this racquet wasn't too challenging for me, but I couldn't get a ton of power on my slice."

Volleys - Score: 85

The maneuverability of the V-Feel 10 (300) was a key advantage up at net, although the stability did waver at times. Sean quickly picked up on these attributes, explaining, "Although I had no issues getting the racquet into position, I had problems with the stability up at net. I'm not sure the 300 grams and the thin beam were enough to handle some of the heavy balls I had to react to outside of the sweetspot."

Jason had a similar experience with his volleys. He described, "This V-Feel 10 (300) was great for reflex volleys because of its maneuverability. I also thought this racquet made hitting overheads really easy. I wasn't getting the most pop off my volleys, but my control was solid. I would add some weight in the hoop to help with torsional stability."

Although Erik was also able to react quickly with his V-Feel 10 (300), the racquet didn't have enough oomph to put the ball deep. He elaborated, "Up at net, this V-Feel 10 (300) was extremely maneuverable. I felt like I could get the racquet to the ball on volleys without hesitation. However, this racquet is quite stiff. I found myself hitting many volleys short in the court, and I couldn't get my volleys as deep as I'd like. I was definitely hitting volleys flatter than I normally would."

The stiffness of the frame was apparent to Tiffani when she hit her volleys off-center. She said, "When I hit the ball in the sweetspot the V-Feel 10 (300) performed well. I liked how easily I could maneuver it into position and direct the ball. Outside the sweetspot, though, I felt a jarring sensation. The stiffness of the relatively thin beam was quite evident at net when I didn't strike the ball cleanly."

Serves - Score: 82

Our testers' opinions were split on the V-Feel 10 (300)'s serving capabilities. Tiffani felt that some key elements were missing on her serve. She explained, "The serve was where I struggled the most with this racquet. I was left wanting more: more weight in the racquet and more power, and the latter might be dependent on the former. This racquet swung over my head easily, but even when I tried to ramp up my swing, it didn't seem to translate into a bigger serve. Spot servers and those who can hit big spin serves and generate more of their own power would probably do better with this V-Feel 10 (300) than I did."

On the flip side, Sean was enthusiastic about the V-Feel 10 (300) on serves. He said, "This was the most positive aspect of the playtest for me. I experienced a smooth blend of control, spin and pop when stepping up to the line. This was indicative of my overall theory: When I was supplying the power, I had no qualms; when I was absorbing power, instability reared its ugly head."

Jason was more middle of the road. He said, "Control and spin were the name of the game when I was serving. I could accelerate the racquet easily through contact to impart lots of spin on my shots, and I was hitting my targets pretty consistently. Unfortunately, this racquet's downfall on serves is its lack of power. I just wasn't able to get as much pop on my serves as I wanted. There were definitely more aggressive returns being hit off my serves than usual."

Erik found success on both his first and second serves. He noted, "I really enjoyed serving with the Volkl V-Feel 10 (300). There was a good amount of control and placement with this racquet, but not a ton of power. Because I had a lot of spin and control on my second serve, I could swing out more without worrying about the ball going long. My favorite serves were up the T on the deuce side and out wide on the ad side."

Returns - Score: 82

A controlled response was a common theme on returns, which allowed our playtesters to swing big, but the team reported mixed results when it came to the V-Feel 10 (300)'s power and stability. Although Erik didn't have to worry about hitting long when swinging out, he did struggle to get good depth. He described, "I could swing out confidently when hitting topspin forehands and backhands, but at times there was not enough power, and the ball was dropping short. I did manage to get the ball nice and deep on chip returns. This racquet was very stable and easy to maneuver, but I found it to be quite stiff."

Jason generally found success when swinging out but wound up short when opting to chip. He said, "I think you're going to like this racquet if you're an aggressive returner. The excellent maneuverability, access to spin and control means you can take full cuts at the ball without fear of overhitting. I had the most success when I was in that mindset. Just blocking and chipping shots back resulted in pretty short replies around the service line."

Tiffani enjoyed changing up her return game with this racquet. She noted, "As is the case with many racquets, I preferred starting off the point as a returner when I was playing with this V-Feel 10 (300). The easy maneuverability and low-powered response gave me the confidence to swing out on returns, and I could hit my returns more aggressively than I typically would. As I experienced on volleys, the racquet felt stiff when I didn't hit the ball cleanly."

Sean wasn't able to get into his normal groove on returns. "I felt this was the weakest performing area for the V-Feel 10 (300). Although I was able to maneuver the racquet quickly, I had difficulty controlling the response. Luckily this is the strongest aspect of my game so I was able to get by, but I didn't enjoy returning as much I usually do."

Overall - Score: 81