Volkl V1 EVO Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 82

The Volkl V1 EVO received praise from the playtest team for its ability to provide confidence and easy performance right from the first hit. Like a musical conductor, the racquet provided perfect rhythm without any sour notes. Chris found excellent spin and a penetrating forehand when he paired the racquet with Volkl Cyclone string. He said, "A super easy racquet to use off the ground, the V1 EVO felt like it retained plenty of 'tweener playability. I liked how solid this racquet felt, and the comfort at impact was very impressive. When drilling or playing groundstroke games, I felt like I could swing this racquet all day without tiring. When it was strung up with some Volkl Cyclone, I was very impressed with the spin I was getting, especially on my forehand. I was able to loop the ball with good pace and drop it well within the baseline. There was also enough mass for me to feel comfortable with my backhand slice. My slice worked well both when knifing the ball and when floating the ball to buy time."

Brittany also noted this racquet's user-friendly playability. She said, "I was surprised by how easy the V1 EVO was to pick up and use. I was playing some doubles with a different racquet and struggling with a couple of things. Then I picked up this V1 EVO for a change of scenery and was impressed with how easily I got into a rhythm, with no adjustment period needed. And the best part: I was instantly connected to the feel! The V1 EVO was easy to maneuver, which allowed me to keep my racquet head speed up from the baseline. I loved to rally with this racquet; it felt so comfortable, even on off-center shots. Even when I was in defensive positions, I had decent results with both slicing and getting the ball back deep in the court. I did have to put in a little bit more effort on offensive shots because I didn't find easy put-away power."

Our latest additions to the playtest team, Austin and Howard, also joined the review for the Volkl V1 EVO. Austin generally plays with heftier racquets, like the Wilson Pro Staff RF 97. He said, "The strongest point of the V1 EVO was easily the depth it could generate on groundstrokes. While not the heaviest, fastest or most stable 102-square-inch frame, it rewarded centered ball striking and longer swings with pinpoint accuracy. The lack of heft was something I personally lamented, especially for slices, but the total package and design strengths (contoured beam, Big Grommets, dampening technology, et al.) of the frame more than made up for this one perceived shortcoming."

"On groundstrokes, I felt super confident I would be able to get great depth on my backhand and forehand," Howard added. "I was able to move my opponent around with easier access to power than my racquet of choice. Slices became a bit of a challenge due to the lack of mass on the frame, and I would feel the frame twisting a bit in my hands when playing against a harder-hitting opponent with a flatter shot. For my personal game style, it lacked control; I wasn't really able to dial down on the area of the court where I wanted the ball to land."

Volleys - Score: 83

The Volkl V1 EVO's added stability was most noticeable when at the net. Brittany discovered that volleys were her favorite stroke of the playtest. She said, "Like I alluded to in the groundstrokes, the feel of the V1 EVO was the standout feature up at net. It has the classic feel of Volkl racquets from several generations ago that everyone loved so much. I was also impressed by the balance of stability and maneuverability. I felt very comfortable when playing doubles and ending points up at net. This was my favorite shot to hit with the V1 EVO (and I don't often say that with volleys)."

Austin also appreciated the feel of the V1 EVO at net. He said, "Volleys were sneakily plush but firm with the V1 EVO. Its head-light balance and maneuverability allowed me to keep my hands in position, while catching the ball dead-center would reward me with considerable pop and stable feedback. I do tend to prefer a slightly thinner beam both overall and on volleys especially, but the V1 EVO managed to not feel sluggish in hand considering its size."

At net, Howard thought the V1 EVO was "surprisingly good." He continued, "With Volkl's dampening technology, I was still able to get a nice response with great comfort. I found myself enjoying hitting deep volleys with this racquet. The maneuverability up at net was a bit slower than my racquet of choice, but I was still confident that I could place the frame where I wanted."

"The V1 EVO continued to impress when I moved up to net," Chris added. "The response was very plush and comfortable. As both the comfort and stability of the V1 EVO held true, I had no qualms when up against a heavy passing attempt. I was a fan of the feel as well, and my drop volleys were finding their targets. The sweetspot felt generous when I was punching volleys deep, and getting depth was not an issue."

Serves - Score: 75

When it came to serves, the Volkl V1 EVO didn't provide the power our playtesters were looking for. While our team thought the control was excellent, they agreed that the racquet required greater effort from the user. Brittany explained, "I was left wanting a little more pop on serves with the V1 EVO. I found myself needing to put a little extra effort into my first flat serve to generate the pace that I wanted. I then found myself relying more on my slice out wide or picking a spot and going after it. I was getting the most free points off of first serves that went into the body to jam my opponent. There was nothing to note on second serves. I was able to get the job done consistently while limiting double faults."

While Chris found success with spin serves, the rest of his serves with this racquet were lacking something. He said, "I served OK with the V1 EVO, but it's the one area where I didn't feel like I was getting a ton of help from the racquet. My control and spin levels felt fine, but I was missing some zip to get my opponents on their back foot. My best serves were spin serves into the body or wide enough to get my opponent reaching. Anything else seemed to come back with more interest than I usually expect."

As with the previous playtesters, Austin found himself wanting more from this racquet on the serve. He said, "While its 326 swingweight is nothing to sneeze at, my first serve was lacking a bit of the same bite that I'm able to generate with heavier-swinging frames. In terms of control, my gripes were few. Maneuverability and easy swingability remained a strong aspect of the V1 EVO's profile, and placing serves did begin to make up for what I missed in higher MPHs."

Contrary to the rest of the team, serves were actually Howard's highlight of the playtest. He said, "My favorite part of this playtest has to be serving. I loved the easy access to power on my serve! Starting out a point with an aggressive flat serve has been a recent issue for me, but I was able to hit a great flat serve down the T with the V1 EVO. I could get good placement and really move my second serve around to get my opponents guessing."

Returns - Score: 80

The Volkl V1 EVO had great feel on returns thanks to the added stability and flex properties. Austin and Howard both noted how well the V1 EVO's feel complemented their return game. Howard described, "Return of serve was my second favorite area; again, with Volkl's dampening technology I was able to take a good cut at the ball on returns and still feel comfortable. I was really able to start off points aggressively and push my opponents around with this racquet's easy access to power. The weakest part of my games has to be my backhand return, but with this V1 EVO, I was able to hit a deep reply to get me ready for my next shot. Overall, this racquet allowed me to play a more aggressive return of serve."

Austin added, "Serve returns highlighted more of the comfort and the unique, trademark Volkl flex that characterizes the V1 EVO. Much like other aspects of the game the racquet accommodates, returns were easily controlled and placed so long as positioning and swing path were online. Thanks to the frame's bevy of vibration-dampening aspects, even heavier serves would not dislodge the V1 EVO as easily as I initially expected."

Brittany had a good time sending back serves with the V1 EVO. She said, "The V1 EVO can be added to the long list of racquets I prefer to return with over serving with. In doubles especially, I could step up, pick a target and go after both first and second serves. There was also enough spin potential to get the ball to dive down at my opponent's feet. The V1 EVO was forgiving on off-center shots and stable enough that I never felt like it was getting pushed around."

The V1 EVO's access to pace and spin made Chris feel confident on returns. He said, "I liked returning with the V1 EVO. The racquet head had a better spin window than I expected, with the thicker beam offset by the larger head size. I felt confident going for aggressive cuts at the ball. My forehand down-the-line return was working well. I found solid pace and plenty of spin to get the ball over the net and dipping inside the lines."

Overall - Score: 81