Volkl V-Sense 10 Tour Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 77

Offering classic feel and an open string pattern, the V-Sense 10 Tour provided easy access to spin and pace, which made it a fun racquet to play with from the baseline. Chris tested this racquet side by side with the new V-Sense 10 Mid and much preferred the 10 Tour. He said, "I felt way more connected to my shots and just had much more control with the 10 Tour. I felt more confident when flattening out my groundstrokes. Like the 10 Mid, this racquet made it easy to add lots of spin to the ball. I found that I could whip it through the contact point, and that opened up easy access to pace, depth and spin. As much as I liked this racquet in stock form (it's my favorite racquet in the current Volkl lineup), I liked it even more when weighted up close to Almagro's (ATP Tour player Nicolas Almagro) actual spec. Months before playtesting we got to hit one of his actual racquets and it played fantastically well. The added heft made the racquet rock solid and more comfortable, and it gave it additional put away power. It reminded me of the Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph, but with better feel, more control and a more familiar handle shape for my forehand."

Michelle initially expected a heftier racquet because "Tour" was in the name. She compared it to her heavier racquet of choice, the RF 97 Autograph, saying, "This racquet felt a bit toy-like at first. I had both racquets strung with Solinco Hyper-G, and transitioning back and forth between the two was tough. When I grabbed the Volkl I really noticed the open string pattern, and my flat balls were flying. I quickly realized that I had to adjust to the lively string pattern. I was forced to whip through my shots much more and add a lot more spin than I normally hit with. I didn't feel like I was as successful flattening balls out, but I enjoyed good depth and good movement on the ball. I just hoped for a bit more plow through and control from the racquet. The V-Sense 10 Tour is a very fast and maneuverable racquet, and I could see how it would be a great option for players who love ramping up their swing speed. I think that I would be able to get this racquet working better for my groundstroke game if I modified it slightly."

"Much like the Wilson Ultra Tour racquet that we just finished playtesting, this Volkl was very easy for me to maneuver on groundstrokes," began Troy. "My ability to whip the racquet, especially on my forehand, and the open 16x19 string pattern allowed me to generate loads of topspin. Anytime I hit the sweetspot from the baseline the feel was pure. I loved the pinpoint precision the V-Sense 10 Tour provided once I got used to the lighter weight of this racquet (compared to my preferred racquet). I could take aggressive swings at the ball and put the ball on a dime. On my backhand slice it allowed me to carve through the ball with a lot of racquet head speed, and I generated heavy backspin on the ball. The one downside was the sweetspot, which is smaller than other racquets with similar head sizes. The V-Sense 10 Tour had a dead response anytime I made contact outside the sweetspot. Compared to the racquets I typically favor, which have a bit more mass and swingweight, this V-Sense Tour 10 lacked stability and plow through."

Hannah was also on the playtest for both of the new V-Sense 10 racquets, and she preferred the feel of the 10 Tour version over the feel of the 10 Mid. She explained, "Hitting with the V-Sense 10 Tour was a good change-up for me, as I've been hitting with my powerful Babolat Pure Strike a lot and I feel like I've been overhitting a little recently. This racquet was more control oriented, and I harnessed the maneuverability and took full swings. Of course, when I started to play points I craved more power because when I was stretched out wide this racquet didn't deliver that extra depth I needed. The sweetspot offered ultimate control and good precision for rolling shots from the baseline, and my balls were crisp and deep, with a good amount of height and spin. Outside of the sweetspot, however, was not very forgiving, so I really had to work around this during points. This affected me the most when I attempted to drive the ball while changing directions. I lost a lot of power and had to play with more patience. For the player who requires extra control, loves taking full swings and enjoys a responsive sweetspot, this racquet is worth a try."

Volleys - Score: 73

Loaded with control, accuracy and feel, the V-Sense 10 Tour had all the attributes to make it a solid performer at net. The control and precision really allowed Troy to feel in command of his net game. He said, "As with my groundstrokes, when I hit volleys in the sweetspot the feel and response was very connected, which made me feel like I could put the ball wherever I wanted. The maneuverability made it easy get the racquet into position, and whenever I was stretched out or off balance I flicked my wrist with ease to help get the volley back over the net. Even though the sweetspot provided great feel, I really had to focus to make sure I could find it on each and every volley. The sweetspot felt more like the sweetspot of a midsize racquet, as opposed to a midplus. The other problem I had was the 10 Tour getting pushed around against heavy hitters. A bit of added weight to the hoop would be needed to make it play more like my Wilson Six.One 95."

Michelle had a few critiques, but she also appreciated the control at net. She said, "The V-Sense 10 Tour wasn't as stable as I prefer, and I found it to be a bit light. However, I did feel like I had enough control and precision to hit my targets. It was quick and maneuverable, which made it easy to get it into place against heavy hitters. It just lacked a tad bit of stability for my personal preference."

Volleys were where Hannah struggled the most during this playtest. She explained, "There wasn't a whole lot of stability. Even with good form my volleys suffered, and I ended up losing a lot of depth and put-away power. I really had to use my legs more when I drilled at the net."

Chris enjoyed the feel and control he found at the net. He added, "I could be aggressive without fear of overhitting. I punched volleys deep to the corners and found I could add pace and still keep my volleys well inside the lines. I would have liked a little more mass for added stability as the racquet did get pushed around a little. I could hide the instability with racquet head speed when I was at the baseline, but the compact stroke of the volley made it harder to drive the racquet through the ball."

Serves - Score: 78

Our team found the maneuverability and the precision of the V-Sense 10 Tour's were its best attributes on serve. Chris prefers extended length racquets with enough mass to help him find pace on serves. However, since this is a lighter, standard length racquet, he was surprised at how well it worked for his serve. He commented, "This middle weight racquet performed better than expected. I got some nice action on my slice serves and managed to sneak in several aces during this playtest (definitely NOT an Edwards trademark). I also liked the spin I found on second serves, as it allowed me to hit aggressively and still get the ball to drop inside the box."

The control the V-Sense 10 Tour supplied allowed Troy to find the corners of the service box on a consistent basis. He said, "I found better than average success hitting my targets on flat first serves. The great maneuverability made it easy to pronate my wrist and get some extra zip on the ball. With the open string pattern and whippy feel of this racquet I was able to get my kick serves to jump high off the court. I did have to focus on creating sharp angles and mixing up my targets because this racquet didn't add much power. I would add a bit of mass at the tip of this racquet to help increase the power."

Hannah also enjoyed the whippy feel and great placement that the V-Sense 10 Tour provided on her serve. She said, "I had to put out a bit more effort with my legs to produce a bit more power, but I could still hit an effective serve. I was also fairly consistent."

Michelle craved a bit more heft from the V-Sense 10 Tour. She said, "I could get pretty average pace out of it, but nothing earth shattering. Access to spin was good. Maybe it was mental, but because the racquet was so quick and fast through the air I seemed to hit serves (and overheads) too early, and it messed with my timing a bit. The V-Sense 10 Tour was an OK racquet to serve with; I could be consistent and found good placement."

Returns - Score: 75

The playtesters continued to praise the maneuverability of the V-Sense 10 Tour when it came to their return games. It worked well for Chris because the open string pattern offered a lively response and ample spin. He said, "I generated pace and depth easily. I liked this racquet the most when I kept the tip speed up with a faster swing. On block returns the racquet felt much better after I added some weight. I found it very easy to dial this racquet in by simply adding a leather grip and some tungsten tape at the tip. The result was the best of both worlds — ample maneuverability with enough mass to get the racquet feeling rock solid."

Hannah had mixed results returning with the V-Sense 10 Tour. She said, "I was able to stay in the point if I caught the ball out front and made contact in the sweetspot, especially against big servers. However, just like on groundstrokes, when I was pulled wide I lost power and my return was sure to land inside the service line, which was disappointing."

Michelle was able to attack returns with spin and power. She said, "I still craved more stability against bigger servers, and on any ball that had me reaching outside of my strike zone."

The easy maneuverability was beneficial for Troy when he had to hit a defensive return. "I was able to whip this racquet fairly easy whenever I was in a defensive return position. When I was in a position to take a big rip on my returns I craved more plow through from the V-Sense 10 Tour. I found the lack of mass and plow through made it more difficult for me to keep my returns deep in my opponent's court. The directional control was good, and I could pick targets with relative ease, but when I was facing hard and flat serves, such as Michelle or Granville's first serves, this racquet fluttered a bit in my hand and lacked the stability of my Wilson Six.One 95. I could chip my backhand slice return with good consistency, but it lacked the overall depth that I get from my Six.One 95."

Overall - Score: 79