Volkl V-Sense 10 325g Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 81

Our playtesters really enjoyed the classic control and maneuverability the V-Sense 10 325g had to offer from the baseline. Chris has hit with multiple generations of this racquet line, and he found this update to be noticeably easier to swing than its predecessors. He shared, "I hit with several test samples of the V-Sense 10 325g, and they swung lighter and faster than previous versions of the 10 325g series. I thought this racquet needed a leather grip and a little tip weight to bring it up to spec. However, it felt very, very maneuverable in stock form, and I enjoyed the flexible feel. I felt very connected to my shots. My placement was very good, and I was able to find lots of spin. Both my topspin and slice shots had some nice action on them. A set of co-poly string at a low tension complemented this racquet very well and increased its spin-friendliness."

Like other V-Sense racquets he's tried, Andy enjoyed the feel and responsiveness of the V-Sense 10 325g. He said, "There were things I liked about this racquet from the baseline and things I didn't. For starters, I liked the plush, comfortable feel that was still pretty responsive. The V-Sense line in general has provided more feel for me than previous Volkl racquet lines. I also liked the balance of stability and maneuverability that this racquet offers, especially on my forehand side. I was able to generate pace and depth easily, and I found it pretty forgiving as well. On the other hand, the V-Sense 10 325g never felt solid on my backhand. I couldn't really pinpoint why that was, but I just never felt in total command when trying to flatten out my two-handed backhand.

As a fan of more classic-feeling racquets, Troy appreciated the traditional beam design and the precision it gave him. However, he would have liked a bit more weight to help with stability and power. He explained, "The thin beam of this racquet provided a level of control that allowed me to take big swings at the ball and still feel confident that the ball was going to land in the court. The precision it provided was at a similar level to my old Wilson Six.One 95 (18x20) and some of the older models of the Head Prestige Midplus. The 16x19 string pattern provided a good level of spin potential while still feeling precise when I was hitting flat shots. With the swingweight coming in around 320, I wanted a bit more mass near the tip of the racquet to help with some added plow through and put-away power. This racquet needed more mass in the head to help create easy depth on my backhand. On the upside, the V-Sense 10 325g was very easy to swing for a 12 oz racquet."

Although she's typically a fan of heavier racquets, Michelle never jived with this one. She critiqued, "I just couldn't get into this playtest. This racquet wasn't really in my wheelhouse despite it weighing in right around 12 oz strung. It has a classic feel and a flexible beam -- two things I don't like for my game. On the positive side, it was very easy to generate some racquet head speed. However, the sweetspot felt a bit small, and the racquet felt a little unstable for me. Obviously, my RF97 is one of the more stable racquets on the market, but I just prefer more stability than the V-Sense 10 325g had to offer. It is worth noting that Troy ended up customizing one of our hitters, making it a bit heftier with more plow through and stability, but the feel still wasn't my favorite. I wish I could say I appreciated this classic player's racquet more, but this is just another reminder that I gravitate more toward modern player's racquets."

Volleys - Score: 84

The improved touch and feel of the V-Sense 10 325g was appreciated as our testers approached the net, but most of of our playtesters thought it needed a bit more heft in the hoop to help combat hard hit shots. "The touch and the feel that this racquet provided at net was one its best attributes," Troy remarked. "When I hit right in the sweetspot I felt like I could place the ball wherever I wanted. I loved carving up short angles and drop volleys with it, too. On touch volleys I could easily absorb the pace off of any shot hit at me. I would have liked a little more weight in the hoop of the racquet to help stabilize the frame against hard hit shots."

Michelle shared a similar opinion, saying, "This racquet had that classic feel that's always appreciated at net. However, I was hoping for more stability. There was a lot of twisting on off-center contact."

Chris enjoyed the improved maneuverability of the V-Sense 10 325g on his volleys, and the touch. He explained, "I found a lot of feel and control at net with this racquet. It was very easy to get into position, yet it offered a different feel compared to the Super G version. The Super G 10 325g offered a more solid feel with better plow through, while I was more cognizant of the V-Sense 10 325g flexing. I could maneuver the V-Sense 10 325g better, and I felt better connected to the ball. My touch volleys were working well and I hit some nice drop volleys with this racquet. The only time I missed not having the mass of the previous version was on tough pick up volleys."

Andy's favorite place to be with this racquet was up at net. He said, "This is where the improved feel of the V-Sense line really stood out the most. Though the response was soft and dampened at contact, I still felt well connected to the ball and in total control of my volleys. The open sweetspot and good power allowed for easy depth when I was trying to punch a volley deep. There were many instances when I was just sticking the racquet out to cover a passing shot and I got the tough 'stab volley' back deep in the court with ease."

Serves - Score: 83

The response from our team was pretty positive when it came to serving with the V-Sense 10 325g. "My serves got pretty dialed in during this playtest," Andy raved. "The V-Sense 10 325g made it easy for me to generate pace and spin on my serves, while still providing the control I needed to consistently hit my targets. Once I got the racquet moving over my head the heft of the frame took over, and it almost felt like the racquet was doing the work for me."

Troy also really liked serving with the V-Sense 10 325g. He said, "The maneuverability, control and spin potential of this racquet had me feeling dialed-in on my serves. The head-light balance and manageable swingweight made it easy for me to snap my wrist and get a lot of pop and spin on my serves. Although this racquet is low powered, the fact that I could generate easy racquet head speed helped me get good power on my flat first serves. I loved to hit kick serves because I could get a lot of arc on the ball, and I could get it to jump off the court. My control was spot on, and I was hitting the corners of the service box with good consistency. I think that with a bit more weight at the tip of this racquet I could really pancake the ball for even more MPHs on my serves."

Chris was able to generate racquet head speed pretty effectively on his serves. He shared, "I liked this racquet on serve. I could whip it through contact fast enough to generate decent pace and lots of spin. I could place serves well enough to attack the net, so I enjoyed serving and volleying with it. I hit a customized version during the test that had a spec closer to the outgoing model, and I felt even more in the groove with the weighted-up racquet."

Michelle liked hitting her spin serves with the V-Sense 10 325g, but she would have liked a bit more heft in the hoop for more power on her flat serves. She said, "The V-Sense 10 325g was quick and maneuverable, but it didn't produce a ton of pop. My second serves were awesome, though. I could really key in on my targets and make the ball move with slice or kick."

Returns - Score: 80

The control the V-Sense 10 325g provided for our testers' return games made it easy for them to play offensively and effectively. "The V-Sense 10 325g worked well on returns," Chris remarked. "With its solid blend of maneuverability and stability, I felt like I could get it to do what I wanted the majority of the time. Again, I was able to find some solid spin out of this racquet. My drive returns had enough spin to drop inside the lines, and I was able to hit some low skidding slices, too."

Troy was getting the V-Sense 10 325g around quickly on his returns, and he was able to hit his targets consistently. He said, "I found that the control of this racquet allowed me to return aggressively without fear of hitting long. I could swing aggressively at any serves that were in my forehand or backhand strike zone and get the ball deep in my opponent's court. The easy maneuverability allowed me to flick the racquet at the ball whenever I was stretched out and off balance, which helped me pop up an occasional lob return to keep me in the point. I would have liked more plow through to help me get easier depth on my returns. Some added weight in the head of this racquet was definitely needed when it came to returns. I was missing the stability that I crave in a racquet when I'm returning big serves."

For the most part, Andy enjoyed returning with the V-Sense 10 325g, but he had a little issue when he needed to get the racquet around quickly. He shared, "My return game felt good during the playtest, but I struggled with the maneuverability when I was trying to get the racquet around my body really quickly. When I timed the return right, or shortened up my swing, I really liked the blend of power, control, stability and spin that made it easy for me to be offensive and effective. The weight through the frame also made it easy to block back chip returns deep in the court. However, there were times when I had trouble getting the racquet to the contact point if I was stretched out or caught off guard by a tough serve."

Once again, the lack of heft in the hoop was too much for Michelle to overlook. She critiqued, "Once again, stability was a pretty big issue for me. I rely on a stable racquet when I'm attacking returns or blocking them back, so I didn't feel like I was as dialed in as I could be. I experienced some twisting if I didn't catch the ball right in the sweetspot."

Overall - Score: 80