Yonex VCORE PRO 100 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

The new Yonex VCORE PRO 100 builds on a history of user-friendly design, while adding a tangible increase in stability and precision. Mark, who had the opportunity to test the previous model, noticed the differences early in his first hitting session. He said, "I played with the previous model alongside the updated VCORE PRO 100 from the baseline, and I quickly detected the increased thickness to the frame. That change did not really make it feel any stiffer than the prior model, but it did make it easier for me to confidently aim my shots to smaller areas of the court. My groundstrokes were about as effective with this frame as they are with my preferred setup of the Yonex EZONE 98+. The biggest difference being that I was swinging the VCORE PRO 100 far faster than I can my own racquet, and the ball just kept dropping inside the baseline. I typically have a more conservative swing speed, but Yonex's update to this frame definitely persuaded me to swing faster from the baseline with confidence."

Bringing reference points from both of the other Yonex racquet lines, Brittany was pleased with a smooth transition. She said, "With extensive experience with 100-square-inch head size Yonex frames, I am always eager to see what the next iteration will offer. Although I prefer the EZONE and VCORE series over the VCORE PRO, I appreciate what the 100 model has to offer. It is definitely the lowest powered of the group and the most control oriented. Regardless, I was able to pick it up and play with zero adjustment period. The VCORE PRO 100 is easier to swing and more forgiving than its other family members (97H, 97D, 97). The feel made it very easy to groove from the baseline, and there was a nice balance of power and control. I found slices to be average; I would have liked a little more mass behind the racquet to keep them low."

As a big fan of the previous model, Tiffani noted, "The VCORE PRO 100 has been on the potential switch list for me since I first tried it in 2018. I really like the blend of a forgiving 100-square-inch head size with a controlled feel. The biggest drawback for me has been that it's not as stable as my own racquet, which weighs 5 grams more. With this latest update, Yonex has given the VCORE PRO 100 a more solid feel, and it also feels like the power was given a slight boost. It's still within the realm of a control racquet, but it feels a little more responsive. This racquet was easy to transition into, and I was finding it easy to play with variety, moving the ball side to side and mixing in slice shots. This update had a more dampened feel to it, so there were times when I was unsure of where I was striking the ball on the stringbed. It did offer good comfort and pocketing, but I preferred the crisper feel of the previous version. Still, I think this racquet will be in my rotation of usual hitters as a solid control offering at 100 square inches."

This was a highlight reel of a playtest for Chris. He explained, "I really enjoyed playing with the VCORE PRO 100. The racquet felt very comfortable at impact. I got the sense it was flexing well, and the response was very forgiving, even with a stiff co-poly string installed. The blend of power and control was right where I wanted it. I felt confident playing with the VCORE PRO 100, and I was able to find my targets even on very aggressive swings. My touch shots were working well, and I was happy with the feel I had when placing the ball."

Volleys - Score: 82

Our playtesters all agreed that the VCORE PRO 100 had top-notch performance and a forgiving feel at net. As a player with great hands who looks to come forward, Chris said, "I loved this racquet at net. I found a bit more pop and stability on my volleys, yet there was still tons control and feel. Whether I punched the ball with pace or placed a delicate touch volley, I was consistently finding my targets. The racquet felt comfortable and had a nice blend of stability and maneuverability."

Always looking to move his opponent off the center line, Mark was impressed with this racquet's balanced feel. He said, "I was extremely comfortable from the backcourt with the VCORE PRO 100, but I don't hit groundstrokes with blistering speed and can only guard the baseline for so long. Eventually I have to find a way to end the point. Other than my opponent running out of aerobic gas from defending the backcourt, most points ending in my favor occurred inside the service court. I benefited from the slight increase in energy return and stability the thicker cross section of the new VCORE PRO 100 delivered. Combined with the typical 4-point head-light balance and 320-ish swingweight, this racquet was comfortable and obedient at net, making the volley my favorite shot to hit."

Although she prefers playing from the baseline, Tiffani could still rely on consistency up at net. She explained, "Not being the best volleyer around, I like to keep it simple at net. This racquet was easy to get into position, and I appreciated the dampened feel reducing the shock on mis-hit volleys. I did find it necessary to really stick my volleys, otherwise they tended to sit up for my opponent, but overall the VCORE PRO 100 was easy enough to use at net."

"To be honest, I was slightly let down with volleys," Brittany added. "I played some doubles with the VCORE PRO 100 and wasn't able to get the results I wanted. On one hand, it was quick to get into position, and I enjoyed the feel. However, it felt less stable than I prefer, and I was lacking some weight behind my volleys. When I tried to punch the ball deep, I really had to put effort behind it. As a result, I found more volleys being returned than normal. I tried to overcompensate and ended up logging more misses than usual."

Serves - Score: 80

Our playtesters had mixed opinions on the VCORE PRO 100's serving performance. The common theme was accurate placement, while access to power was less clear-cut. Carrying a similar tune to the rest of his findings, Chris described, "Another shot that was easy to hit with the VCORE PRO 100 was the serve. I found ample power for my first serves. The racquet also felt easy to swing, which allowed me to carry lots of racquet head speed into my shots for even more pace or to add spin. The response was plush and comfortable, yet I also felt connected to the ball, which allowed me to find good accuracy."

Tiffani found success with this racquet on her flat serves, but her spin serves didn't click quite as easily. She said, "Even though I love control-oriented racquets, I can always use a bit of help in the power department on serves. This VCORE PRO 100 performed well for me on flat serves. I liked how it moved over my head, so I was comfortable going after my first serves. I try to use some spin on second serves, mostly slice. That was where I ran into some issues, and I found that I had to be aggressive with my motion to find success. It wasn't offering me any freebies on my spin serves."

Reliable placement was a big plus for Brittany. She explained, "The VCORE PRO 100 made it easy to generate racquet head speed, and that did translate to some power. I wouldn't say it was as powerful as my EZONE 100 or the VCORE 100, but it was enough to hit effective first serves. What I liked was being able to focus on my targets, and I felt like I could be pretty accurate, even under pressure. I preferred serving to the T on the deuce side and out wide on the ad side on my first serve. The combination of solid pace and smaller targets did make for some favorable results. I found second serves to be average. The racquet did everything decently well, but nothing stood out."

Mark agreed with the sentiment of wanting more pop on his serve. He said, "This was the one shot where I felt myself wanting a little extra weight or length to help with easy pace on my serve. Comfort and accuracy were both top notch with the latest evolution of the VCORE PRO 100, but while I got a benefit from swinging faster at the baseline, I felt like I didn't get quite the same result on my serve."

Returns - Score: 82

Racquet position was the key to successful returns for our team. The ease of getting the VCORE PRO 100 into position allowed our playtesters to play both effective offense and defense. Mark explained, "Maneuverable, with just enough stability, is how I describe the new VCORE PRO 100 from most any part of the court, but that was especially evident when it came to my return of serve. I was able to shorten my backswing a bit and hit a topspin return, but I mostly relied on chipping it deep in the court. That was an effective tactic up to the point where Michelle hammered me with heavy first serves."

Tiffani stepped in and applied pressure with aggressive returns. She said, "I really enjoyed the balance of control and power on my returns. Paired with the quick swing, I felt good picking my spots and being ambitious with placement. I didn't struggle as much with instability as I did with previous versions either. I don't have much to complain about on serve returns!"

This racquet's lightning-fast feel opened the court for Chris to successfully utilize a variety of returns. He said, "Returning serve with a user-friendly racquet such as the VCORE PRO 100 was lots of fun. I felt like I had plenty of options, and the racquet felt great no matter what I tried. I loved the control and comfort I found when taking a good rip at the return. When blocking back a heavy serve, I found just enough stability to redirect the pace. Generating spin was easy thanks to the fast and maneuverable feel of the racquet."

Brittany was left with a comfortable, albeit underwhelming result when returning. She described, "Like with volleys, I could easily get the racquet into position on serve returns. It never felt sluggish, never caused contact late, and was never so whippy that I was ahead of the ball. I could easily swing through without a fear of overhitting. For whatever reason, I was looking for a little more substance behind my shots."

Overall - Score: 83