Yonex VCORE 98 2023 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 85

With its updated ISOMETRIC head shape, the VCORE 98 offered our team a large sweetspot, making it easy to generate power and spin from the baseline. Brittany, who calls the EZONE 100 her racquet of choice, admitted that a 98-square-inch racquet catches her eye every now and again, and the VCORE 98 was one of them. She said, "Looking at the specs, I was super curious how the VCORE 98 would play, but I had a good feeling it would match up well to my game style. After a couple sessions on court, I knew I was right. There was a minor adjustment period to the slightly smaller head size, but it didn't take long to get in a nice groove. I thought the VCORE 98 had controllable power with plenty of spin. Like with the VCORE 100, I enjoyed mixing up my groundstrokes during a rally, driving a couple deep then throwing in some shorter angled shots to pull my opponent off the court. I found a standard launch angle, so I had no issues dialing in my depth control. Additionally, my defensive slices were staying low and penetrating, and I was really able to knife the ball and keep myself in points."

On groundstrokes, Howard enjoyed the racquet's great balance of power, control and spin. He said, "I didn't notice any stability issues when playing against harder hitting opponents. I enjoyed being able to generate a good amount of racquet head speed and translate that into topspin. Having a weaker backhand, I truly appreciated the amount of power I was able to generate on that shot."

"This racquet was noticeably softer than the previous version, but it did feel a tiny bit stiffer than the VCORE 95, which I also playtested," said Michelle. "The VCORE 98 offered me more free power than the VCORE 95, but it felt lower powered than the previous version and I felt a little disconnected from the ball. The stringbed felt comfortable and certainly pocketed the ball. As someone who appreciates boardier frames, I prefer the feel of the EZONEs because the ball is in and out of the stringbed quicker, and I know right where it's going. I adjusted through the playtest and started going for bigger targets. I also noticed that I felt more in command when I allowed the racquet head to whip through rather than plow through. But plowing through the ball in a more linear path made me realize my strokes aren't suited perfectly for the VCORE racquets. I did appreciate the explosive feel and how quickly I could maneuver through the ball, especially digging out deep shots. When I was on the run, I found I could get to the ball and go big with an all-or-nothing shot down the line or arch it cross court."

Austin noted that the latest few generations of Yonex racquets have established a baseline of quality when it comes to groundstrokes, regardless of the model. He said, "There was very little I would change about the setup when it came to baseline strokes; stability, crisp feedback and a tangible sense of both power and control were all very apparent. However, the most significant benefit of the VCORE 98 was how easy it was to create spin and get good net clearance. It took me very little time to find a groove with this racquet and play the attacking game I prefer."

Volleys - Score: 82

Most of the team could play confidently at net with the VCORE 98 in hand. Howard explained, "Volleys were great! The racquet was comfortable, and I was able to really drive my punch volleys. When my opponent would drive a shot toward me at net, I was able to get the racquet in place thanks to the maneuverability. Overall, it was a great option, and I think the VCORE 98 would be a solid racquet specifically for doubles specialists."

"I didn't have any complaints volleying with the VCORE 98," added Michelle. "The racquet was stable, yet still maneuverable. I could stick my volleys, and I found decent touch when dropping balls short. I have been trying to come to the net more lately, and I felt more connected to my shots at the net with the VCORE 98 than I did at the baseline."

For as much as he loved the VCORE 98 at the baseline, volleys with the racquet left Austin wanting a bit more at net. He described, "The inherent stability of the VCORE 98 was great for blocking heavier shots back. However, I prefer thinner beamed racquets, so the beam width and balance did make maneuvering the racquet quickly a bit difficult for me. With Yonex's vibration-dampening technologies, I did still feel very connected to my volleys and was able to dial in my placement once I got used to the frame's bulk."

The responsive feel was the standout feature for Brittany when she was transitioning up to net. She said, "I had the confidence to hit a variety of volleys, and I surprised myself hitting by a lot more touch volleys than normal. I even had a couple of good pick up and half volleys. I would say the VCORE 98 is pretty solid and stable up at net, and I was able to get it into position with little effort."

Serves - Score: 83

Our playtest crew all loved slicing serves wide from the deuce side with the VCORE 98. As someone who often tries to hit big flat serves, Michelle appreciated the variety the VCORE 98 offered her. She said, "My favorite shot to hit through the playtest was the wide slice serve on the deuce side of the court. I could really buggy whip the tip of the racquet and get the ball jumping off the side of the court. Then, I also loved getting that T serve dialed in on the ad side as well; it just felt super effective opening the court up this way and being able to execute first-strike tennis. The racquet was fun to serve with, and I had easy access to spin, slice and could even get decent power on flatter serves."

"The generous launch angle off the stringbed gave first and second serves plenty of margin over the net, and the ample spin production helped me place the ball without much struggle," added Austin. "Because of this, my favorite serve to hit was the deuce-side slice out wide, which can sometimes be a risky shot. I had plenty of room and was confident that I could go after these serves with the VCORE."

Brittany echoed, "My favorite serve to hit was the slice serve out wide on the deuce side. I loved carving the ball and having it spin away from my opponent to open up the court. I had to put a little more effort into flatter first serves, so I hit my slice serve about 80 percent of the time. This allowed me to go up and after my serves throughout an entire match without getting any arm fatigue. I felt like I could be a little more precise, so I used this to my advantage by mixing up my targets. There was plenty of access to spin on my kick second serves, which allowed me to stay in a neutral position to start off the point."

Rounding out the feedback on serve was Howard, who had some struggles. He said, "Serving was probably my least favorite part of this playtest. I have always struggled with the Yonex Isometric shape. I found good spin for my second serve, but I was unable to consistently hit a flat serve down the T. The serve I enjoyed the most with this frame was a slice out wide."

Returns - Score: 84

The positive feedback kept rolling in when it came to returning with the VCORE 98. As is the case with most racquets she tests, Brittany preferred returning rather than serving with the VCORE 98. She said, "Similar to groundstrokes, I was able to really step in and go after a first serve return. I used the power from the serve to my advantage and could absorb and redirect it. I was never worried about overhitting, so I could swing freely. I did notice that I had to put in a little more effort to create my own pace off second serve returns to stay aggressive."

Howard thought this was one of the most solid racquets he has hit with when it came to returning. He said, "I enjoyed the stability of the VCORE 98 when I was facing a hard flat serve, and I was able to whip the racquet around and place my return deep with decent topspin. I could slice my return against high kicking serves and get ready for the next shot."

"Returns were fun to rip with this racquet," added Michelle. "I did widen my target base when really attacking; otherwise I tried to keep the ball deep and through the middle of the court to avoid making careless mistakes. I could build a more confident point from there. Angles were fun and easy to execute as well, especially when I had a good look at the ball. The VCORE 98 was stable against big serves, and I also enjoyed slicing and blocking balls back."

Austin was able to hit a variety of returns with the VCORE 98. He said, "There was very little to nitpick when it came to service returns. This racquet was versatile and stable, and I could comfortably pick and choose exactly how I wanted to shape my returns. The slight lack of maneuverability compared to other 98s was not as apparent as it was at net, but it still bears mentioning."

Overall - Score: 84