Volkl C10 Pro 25th Anniversary Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 82

The C10 Pro offers lots of useful plow through from the baseline, and our playtesters found their full swings rewarded with heavy, deep balls with plenty of spin. Chris explained, "As with previous cosmetic versions of the C10 Pro, my shots had some nice loop to them thanks to the open string pattern. I had fun hitting my backhand slice and was able to knife the ball well for a low, skidding shot. The C10 Pro felt very solid and silky smooth at impact. Hitting touch shots was a treat with this racquet. There was enough stability to allow me to grip the racquet very lightly, so I could caress the ball for a short angle or a drop shot. I've always been a fan of the C10 Pro on groundstrokes, and that's still the case — although I do prefer the past couple of cosmetic looks over this one."

Troy found this C10 Pro to feel very familiar to the Volkl C10 EVO Racquet he recently tested. He said, "As with the C10 EVO, this racquet felt very smooth and plush when striking the ball. The biggest difference I noticed was a higher level of plow through and more mass behind the ball; this racquet has a very solid feel on contact. The combination of mass built into this Volkl C10 Pro and the open 16x19 string pattern made it easy to get depth and net clearance on my groundies. It felt silky smooth on slice backhands; I loved finding a groove and using a deep slice ball to neutralize rallies. There was good precision with the somewhat narrow-faced 98-square-inch head, and I felt very accurate on my forehands. I wouldn't say this frame has the most forgiving sweetspot since it is a classic racquet, but I think the extra mass built in helped this C10 Pro feel more stable and a bit more forgiving on my groundstrokes when compared to the C10 EVO."

"I knew the C10 Pro could possibly present a challenge for me because it has a thin beam and low stiffness rating," said Michelle. "From the baseline, it was apparent this racquet was soft, comfortable and felt a bit lower powered, while offering great control and targeting. I was elated at how fluidly the racquet swung despite a strung weight over 12 ounces; it hid its weight well. It was stable and put great mass behind the ball without being too challenging to wield. I found the sweetspot a bit small, and I didn't feel as dialed in when I was making contact a bit higher in the stringbed, but even if I was pushed back at the baseline and in more of a defensive position, I could still accelerate fast through the ball and dig myself out of trouble. I could get the ball back deep to the other end of the court because the C10 Pro allowed me to accelerate fast enough. As the test went on, I enjoyed what the racquet had to offer even more and found myself really appreciating the thinner beam and great feel. I could hit angles and generate spin because there was enough maneuverability to roll balls but still enough mass to push opponents back by hitting deep penetrating shots. I had fun creating points with this racquet in hand, and I didn't just rely on blasting balls through the middle of the court."

Mark has been playing with lighter racquets lately, so he immediately could detect the heft of the C10 Pro from the baseline. Along with that, he also noted a high degree of plushness and comfort. He said, "Once I got used to the 12.3-ounce strung weight from the back court, the new C10 Pro afforded me plenty of mass-based power, plus easy access to spin thanks to the spacing of its 16x19 pattern. My game plan was to absorb groundstroke pace and change the direction of the ball. This racquet complemented that approach."

Volleys - Score: 87

There was no doubt about it, the playtesters all loved coming to the net with the C10 Pro in hand! Troy enjoyed just about every aspect of this racquet when hitting volleys. He described, "The combination of elite-level precision and a very comfortable, smooth feel on contact made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when hitting volleys. The swingweight wasn't crazy high for my standards, but there was enough mass in this racquet to make for a very solid feel, and it held up very well against hard-hit shots drilled at me. Even with the strung weight coming in about 12.3 ounces, the C10 Pro felt maneuverable to me with the balance being noticeably head light. This stood out while playing doubles, where the Volkl C10 Pro felt very manageable during quick volley exchanges or when my opponents hit hard shots directly at my body."

The net was Michelle's favorite place to hit with the C10 Pro. She said, "I loved the C10 Pro at net and on my volleys. I literally just wanted to come to the net throughout the playtest because I felt in command there, like I couldn't miss whether I was blocking back bigger shots, hitting deep volleys or digging out balls at my feet. The feel was great. No complaints at all at net when I had the C10 Pro in hand!"

Chris also hit very solid volleys throughout this playtest. He said, "There was ample mass to help me punch through the ball, dig out a low volley or defend against a hard-struck shot. The head-light balance kept the racquet fast in my hands, and I felt like I was reacting well with it. Touch with this racquet was excellent, and my drop volleys were working well. I also liked the power level on overheads. There was enough power to put the ball away but not so much that I had to worry about any loss in control."

"Michelle mentioned that she felt the new C10 Pro hid its weight well, which resonated with me at net," added Mark. "Its average balance of 8-points head light helped tame the high static weight and swingweight for great directional control on my volleys, along with increasing my confidence that points would end on my terms."

Serves - Score: 84

Our team all found that the C10 Pro helped elevate their serves. Mark, who admits to not always having the most powerful serve, accrued more cheap points on serve with the C10 Pro than with any other racquet in his memory. He continued his praise, saying, "As much as I loved volleying with the new C10 Pro, the serve ended up being my most effective and favorite shot to hit with it."

"Since I loved hitting volleys with this racquet, I was trying to find my way into the net quicker, and that led to some serve-and-volleying on my end," said Michelle. "That's not a strategy I normally execute, but it's one I was excited to work on through the playtest. With that being said, I spent a bit more time thinking about my serve and the best way to hit it and effectively follow it forward. I found great targeting, and it was easy to do what I wanted with my serves. Initially, I was worried I would feel limited in power, but that wasn't the case at all. I could really slice the ball into opponents' backhands or get them out of their strike zone, resulting in a return that popped up and allowed me to take advantage, close forward and finish the point at the net."

The precision and spin that the C10 Pro allowed on serves were the traits that really stood out to Troy. He explained, "Everything about this racquet made me feel smooth on serves — from the plush feel on contact to my timing and rhythm. The plow through of this racquet gave me some pretty good pop on flat serves, and my spin serves came with ease thanks to the 16x19 pattern and head-light maneuverability, which was especially noticeable on my kick serves. Hitting my targets and being precise, in combination with generating a lot of spin, is what my serves rely on, and this Volkl C10 Pro helped to accentuate that."

Chris also found serves to be his favorite shot to hit with the C10 Pro. He added, "I like racquets that have plenty of mass to push through contact and add power to my serves. The C10 Pro fits that bill perfectly, plus it's head light, so it felt surprisingly easy to snap my wrist to add spin or pace. The string pattern offered nice bite on the ball, and I was getting solid action on my slice serves. When going for pace, I was happy with my accuracy and consistency. I was able to find my targets well and felt very confident stepping up to the line to serve with this racquet in my hands."

Returns - Score: 79

The solid and comfortable response of the C10 Pro continued to benefit our playtesters when they were returning serves. Chris said, "My topspin returns were working well, and I was able to move inside the baseline and swing aggressively. For its weight, the C10 Pro felt fast around my body, so I was able to react well and could brush the ball easily to add spin. My favorite return was my backhand slice. I could drive through with slice to be aggressive or float it deep to buy time and court position."

Like her groundstroke experience, Michelle wasn't sure she would love this racquet on returns, but she was happy to be proven wrong. She said, "The C10 Pro was stable, and gave me confidence when I took short back swings and ramped up the swing acceleration. Targeting was great, and I loved working with my angles to open the middle of the court up. I felt equipped to get returns back deep enough, even against big serves, and on weaker second serves I felt in command and could step up and attack!"

For Mark, this was the part of the playtest where the C10 Pro did not hide its weight well, and he struggled a bit with the heft. He found that shortening his take-back helped. He described, "I was confident and effective with a half-volley or a chip style of return, but I felt a little sluggish when trying to hit a return with topspin."

Troy wouldn't necessarily call this racquet a return weapon, but he did find enough mass to hold up against big servers, and the smooth feel was also very much appreciated. He said, "I felt very confident when stepping in and taking an aggressive rip on my forehand return, and I was comfortable hitting my backhand slice returns as well. The mass of the C10 Pro helped carry the ball deep in the court. No matter how hard a serve came at me, the feel on contact was nice and smooth. If I was looking at the downsides, this racquet wasn't the most forgiving. It was a bit more stable than the C10 EVO (because of the greater mass), but my Yonex EZONE 98+ gives me some free power and extra reach, which helps on my backhand."

Overall - Score: 85