Yonex VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 88

Our playtesters found this VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 to be very control oriented and quite spin friendly from the backcourt despite its dense string pattern. Chris had a positive experience with this racquet, saying, "The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 was a fun racquet to hit off the ground. I found it to swing much faster than the specs would indicate. As a result, I found it super easy to generate both spin and pace. The way the ball jumped off the strings of the VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 reminded me of the old Ultimum RD Ti 80. While the Ti 80 was heavier, the two racquets have a similar swingweight, and whatever magic was in the Ti 80 seems to be in this VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 as well. The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 has a much softer feel and pockets the ball exceptionally well. It quickly took rank as my favorite Yonex racquet, which is high praise considering how many quality offerings the brand has currently."

Troy found loads of control and precision with this new VCORE Pro 97HD. He explained, "I have been using the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 300 for about a year and a half, and I have always loved the control and feel aspect of it. This HD 18x20 version takes the control and feel up another notch. I feel like I can really whale on the ball without fear of missing the court. This racquet is a bit more maneuverable than my 330-gram version, but it still feels solid and stable. My slices were coming off nice and dirty, as Chris often says. The launch angle was a bit lower on my groundstrokes compared to my own racquet, which made it a bit more difficult to hit cross-court dippers as effectively. It wasn't a huge detriment since the maneuverability helped make up for this. The command this racquet gave me over my groundstrokes was great, and I haven't felt this much precision since the playtest of the Prince Phantom Pro 93P."

Julie loved how easy the Yonex VCORE Pro 97HD was to maneuver, and she was surprised how much she loved the racquet despite the specs not necessarily falling into her wheelhouse. She said, "This racquet did everything perfectly for my game. My favorite feature by far was its whippy characteristic and maneuverability. Despite its 97-square-inch head size, I found a comfortable sweetspot and truly felt connected to the ball. However, it didn't have the most forgiving stringbed. When I was out of position the sweetspot was hard to find, but I had enough mass behind the ball to still hit effective shots. After taking a first look at the specs, I was a little worried about the stiffness level being below 60. I don't usually like so much flex, but that's where the 320-gram unstrung weight came into play, giving me the stability I needed. I was also impressed with how fast the racquet was, and its hefty nature allowed me to generate my most powerful shots. Also, the 18x20 string pattern offered extra control but didn't compromise access to spin."

Michelle was a huge fan of this racquet. She said, "This has been the summer of 18x20 string patterns, and I'm here for it! There have been a few tighter patterns I'm really enjoying, and this racquet floats to the top of the list. We often talk about our 'wheelhouse,' and this racquet does not necessarily fall into mine. It has a thinner beam, tighter pattern, under 60 RA, and it isn't as heavy as others in the family, yet I loved it! I felt completely connected to the ball when hitting heavy shots from the baseline. The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 flexed perfectly and wasn't too much of a noodle. I could hit out and be rewarded with precision and enough mass to dictate. There were only a few times I noticed the tighter pattern and struggled with trajectory, but it was never a hindrance. I was surprised to find I preferred this racquet over the heavier VCORE Pro 97 300 update."

Volleys - Score: 86

With its lower stiffness rating and dense string pattern, the VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 delivered exceptional feel and control at net for our playtesters. Michelle found this racquet to be a great match for her aggressive game. She described, "The VCORE Pro 97HD had perfect feel at net. It always felt stable and had the ability to absorb any pace. I could punch volleys easily and swing away aggressively. The racquet moved quickly into place and still held up against those awkward shots into my body. I think players who look for feel will love volleying with the VCORE Pro 97HD. I began to tap into it at times, but I also found it to pair great with my aggressive style."

The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 rewarded Chris for storming the net. He said, "I felt very comfortable with the VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 in my hands at net. I was able to find my targets with ease, and the response from the racquet felt very natural. The balance between power and control was perfect. When punching volleys, I could go for depth and pace without fear of overhitting. I did not find the same rock-solid stability as I did with the VCORE Pro 97 330, but this racquet was stable enough, while feeling very maneuverable."

Always crafty up at net, Troy loved the amount of touch and feel this racquet provided. He explained, "In the words of our 'Gran the Man' (not be confused with Stan the Man), I shall call this racquet scalpel-esque! The precision and control were amazing when it came to my volleys. I was able to place the ball on a dime, which allowed me to dictate points and keep my opponent on the defensive. One aspect that I liked with this HD version over my 330-gram version was that I had even more touch and feel on my volleys. During the playtest, I had a few sessions when my drop volleys were deadly, landing short in the court with a lot of spin on them. There wasn't quite as much stability on my volleys as I get with my 330 version, but that was somewhat expected."

This racquet helped Julie take points consistently when she moved forward. She said, "The mass I had behind the ball was ideal to finish my points at net. The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 was really effective at putting the ball away, either aggressively or with a malicious touch volley. Although I found this racquet to be slightly dampened on the baseline, I thought it was a tad crisper and more responsive at net. Also, thanks to its head-light balance, it was very quick to get into position, and I had really good reflex volleys when a ball came fast at me."

Serves - Score: 86

Our team loved serving with the VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20. The racquet provided plenty of power when needed, but our testers could also dial back and be in total control. Julie could generate a lot of head speed and was very confident serving with this racquet. She described, "I had very good pop on my first serves. When moving the racquet through the air quickly and aiming down the T, I was rewarded with precision and power. I allowed myself to go for even bigger first serves with this racquet because I wasn't worried about missing my second serves. The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 was quick and whippy, so I found instant consistency spinning the ball into the serving box."

It's always "go big or go home" tennis for Michelle. She loved this racquet on serves and could get her opponents into some serious trouble with her controlled aggression. She said, "Would you believe me if I said I had zero issues with this racquet when serving? None! I do have to admit I have been minding my serve better lately and really trying to tap into my fundamentals, so that could be part of the reason, but this racquet only aided in that. I was able to bomb big, flat first serves and get a weak response, if that, and second serves were just as effective because I could generate lots of movement on the ball. I was confident serving with this racquet and loved accelerating through on my bigger serves. I could get some solid serves into the bodies of my opponents as well, creating a weak response that I was ready to pounce on!"

Chris was able to bring some variety to his service games with the VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20. He commented, "When serving, I found the same easy access to racquet head speed I found on groundstrokes. I was able to get solid pace out of this racquet, and I was really happy with the amount of spin I could generate. I was getting enough action on the ball to cut a nice angle, go for the lines or add some extra pace and still be confident I'd hit my targets."

Troy loved the precision and control this racquet provided him. He said, "Pinpoint precision and a lot of maneuverability made this racquet a pleasure to serve with. I wasn't necessarily going to break the speed gun or maximize my mph, but I was hitting my targets like Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth! I felt like the commander-in-chief when I stepped up to the service line with this racquet. I was mixing up my spots and keeping my opponents guessing. The ease of maneuverability allowed me to ramp up the racquet head speed on kick serves and get the ball jumping off court."

Returns - Score: 87

This racquet suited the playtesters' individual needs on returns as well. Whether they were in trouble or aiming to take a huge cut at the ball, the Yonex VCORE Pro 97HD had their backs. Chris found this racquet to be adaptable for any returning situation. He commented, "The VCORE Pro 97HD 18x20 felt great on returns. I liked the balance of maneuverability and stability this racquet offered. I felt like I had ample time to take a nice cut at the ball. On faster swings, the racquet felt rock solid and very comfortable. On blocks and slower swings, the stability was adequate, and the response remained comfortable."

"I loved being aggressive on my return with this racquet," Troy added. "With all the control this racquet provides, it had me feeling a bit slap-happy on my returns. I could swing big and flat without fear of returns flying on me. My chip returns were landing deep and staying low off the bounce. I could have used a bit more plow through, like my 330, to help with depth on returns when I didn't have the time to take a big swing. The feel was very plush, and I never felt any jarring on my arms even when facing huge first serves."

Michelle felt like she could swing out at any serve that came her way. She said, "Everything came together brilliantly for me when returning. I had no problems attacking. I had no problems when I was pulled wide and had to block balls back. I had no problems spinning an angle off the court. I felt in command and loved swinging big. The tighter string pattern and flexible feel allowed me to really pick my spots. The stringbed was forgiving, and I felt like I had a larger sweetspot to work with compared to the heavier VCORE Pro 97 300 that we just tested. I also had no stability issues at all."

Julie tapped into the VCORE Pro 97HD's maneuverability on returns. She explained, "I found all the stability I needed to redirect pace on first serve returns, and the racquet felt maneuverable enough for me to return aggressively on second serves. My timing was just right, and I rarely hit the ball late with this racquet."

Overall - Score: 88