Home GearTennis RacquetsRacquet Reviews Yonex Vcore Pro 97 Racquet Review

Yonex Vcore Pro 97 Racquet Review

by TN
Yonex VCORE Pro 97 Racquet Review

The update to the Yonex VCORE Pro series is here. Henrik Wallensten has tested the various racquets and here is his Yonex VCORE Pro 97 Racquet Review.

The VCORE Pro series from Yonex is best known for it´s comfortable and controlled racquets. A little bit more demanding then the wider frames in the Vcore and Ezone-range, Vcore Pro seems to please players with flatter strokes that require more control.

The new dark-green colored Vcore Pro has a new technology in the handle. A sort of vibration dampening mesh. There is a very interesting video on youtube from Japan where they demonstrate this new vibration dampening mesh and it really seems to be working. Apart from this new mesh, the new Vcore Pro still has the same isometric head shape and Namd tech.

Yonex Vcore Pro 97 Racquet Review – Specs

Yonex VCORE Pro 97 Racquet ReviewThere are three different versions of the new Vcore Pro. The 97 (16/19 – 310 grams – 31 cm balance unstrung values). The 100 (16/19 – 300 grams – 32 cm balance) and the most anticipated – the all-new 97 HD (18/20 – 320 gram – 31 cm balance). All frames were strung at 48 lbs with the super-comfy (one of my favourite strings!) Yonex Poly tour Pro 1.25 and we tested the frames with Söderling white edition balls on clay outdoor and hard indoor. In this review, we will focus on 97 310 gram and 97HD. The 100 sq inch 300 gram we have not tested enough to review yet. This will come later.

Yonex Vcore Pro 97 Racquet Review – HD version

For this test, it was a total of four players testing the frames. First, let’s look at 97HD!
The 97HD is a much-talked-about frame. Ten grams lighter than the heavy 330 gram 16/19 version, this frame has a dense 18/20 string pattern for improved control and stability. To give you guys a rough idea of what it feels like, I can compare it to the all-mighty holy grail, Head Pro Tour without the CAP grommets. It´s a very comfortable frame. Virtually no vibrations at all. Super solid feel. The tight 18/20 string pattern combined with the soft flexing frame requires a lot from the player. You don’t get anything free from this frame. You really have to work to generate the ball-speed you need.

The player that used this frame the most is normally using the Wilson Burn 95 and he appreciated the much faster feel of this frame. He said it was much easier to generate racquet head speed and swing through the ball and thus generating the power he wanted. Slice was no problem as the strings really dig into the ball, launching low and lethal slices. On serve, he got enough racquet head speed to produce decent power (see the short video).

Overall, the new 97HD is a demanding frame for players with good strokes. A weaker player will have a hard time with this frame as the sweet spot is fairly small and demanding. For a good player seeking control, I would have a hard time thinking of a frame that gives you more control and comfort than the new 97HD. The Burn 95 player actually will make the switch to the 97HD!

Yonex Vcore Pro 97 Racquet Review – 310 grams

Yonex VCORE Pro 97 Racquet Review

For the 97 – 310 gram version we had the perfect test player. A young lefty (he looks like a young(er) Shapovalov but with a two-handed backhand) and this player uses the current Vcore Pro 97 – 310 gram version. When comparing the old and the new Vcore Pro, the mold itself looks virtually identical (minus the paint of course). On court, the new frame has the same control and spin as the old version, but the feel is different. The new frame has a more muted, dampened feel. To make it understandable, it feels like you have a huge vibration dampener installed. There are no vibrations at all in the handle. Even on off-center hits, you feel almost no jarring at all. And this is in the stock version of the frame.

Even if the weight and balance are the same in the new and old version, the test player Edwin Sköld felt that the new version was a tad faster through the air. I have not got my Head 3-in-1 swing weight unit yet (it´s ordered so I will also, like Jonas, be able to measure and compare SW value in the future – the most important unit) so I can’t compare the SW between the old and new, but since Yonex QC is the best in the business, I presume they are almost spot on from what Yonex promise in their marketing.

Yonex Vcore Pro 97 Racquet Review – Dampening and Flex is the Trend

Yonex VCORE Pro 97 Racquet Review

With the new version of the Vcore Pro, Yonex has like a lot of the other brands, focused on low flex and a (very) dampened feel. I would say that for me personally when I tested this 97 16/19 frame, I really enjoyed the dampened feel. I normally buy lighter frames and fill them up with lead and silicone to remove all vibrations, but with this new frame that is not needed at all. It´s already perfect in that department.

The toughest rivals to the new Vcore Pro is the new Wilson Blade, Head Gravity, Tecnifibre TF40 and the new Pure Strike. All these new frames are 97-100 sq.inches, thin-framed beams, and offer a dampened feel. Most of them also have a noodle-soft flex, apart from the +70RA Babolat frame. It will be interesting to see if Babolat also comes up with something soft in the future, now when everyone else is going soft.

If you are a player that generates most of your power yourself, hits flatter shots, attacks the net and are looking for a dampened, controlled feel, the Vcore Pro is definitely something for you! If you are more of a topspin player that grinds behind the baseline, and want to use a Yonex, there are better options in the line-up. I, for example, are now playing regularly with the Vcore 100 with some lead and silicone. That frame gives me more free power, larger sweetspot, and more spin, and most importantly, a nasty slice.

What do you think of the Yonex VCORE Pro 97? Sounds like an improvement to me!

Buy the new Vcore Pro 97 (or something else) from one of our affiliates and a small commission goes to Tennisnerd:

You may also like

10 comments

Endrit September 9, 2019 - 12:57 - 12:57

Don’t like where yonex is going with these too muted and low flex rackets. Takes away the raw feel you need to get the feedback.

Reply
Ryan H. September 9, 2019 - 15:45 - 15:45

Can you PLEASE try and test a new Yonex Regna? It is supposedly the Holy Grail of Yonex and maybe the one racquet to rule them all..

Reply
T September 9, 2019 - 17:04 - 17:04

Hi,

I’ve been playing with i.prestage MP.
Strung weight is 358g with leather grip.(getting tougher for me bcos I’m getting older…)
Recently I had a chance to play with Yonex VCORE pro 97HD with full bed of poly tour.
It was very nice feeling like a holding ball in a pocket longer than my i.prestige.
But I felt Vcore is a bit forgiveness for off center hit.(also surprised no much vibration to my arm. Prob. VDM is worked well…) and it has a little power assist and less info compared with i.prestige MP.
I still can’t get a chance to test Gravity Pro or Tour.
What’s your opinion abt compare these rackets with i.prestige MP? (A bit worry Pro is a bit heavier for me…)

Reply
Kurt September 9, 2019 - 17:14 - 17:14

How would the 97 Hd compare to Angell K7 lime, which is a 98 headsize with a similar low RA, and probably similar feel, but slightly thicker in the throat, so slightly more powerful?

Reply
Gear is king September 12, 2019 - 05:39 - 05:39

Why use a dampener from Prince (US) on a Yonex (JPN) racquet? You can never be 100% sure they’ll get along.

Reply
PÃ¥l September 14, 2019 - 07:34 - 07:34

Thanks for the review! I’m using a Pacific X Tour Pro 97, which also has a fairly small sweetspot and can be quite demanding. I am just wondering if you feel that the 97HD has more or less inherent power the the Pacific? Is it about equally demanding or more demanding than the Pacific, regarding for example the sweet spot?

Reply
Shane September 16, 2019 - 05:30 - 05:30

I just got to test out the HD version. I have 1 word, WOW! This racquet felt amazing. So pure on contact, comfortable to use and actually quite a bit of pop for such a low flex racquet. I had plenty of spin and could put the ball wherever I wanted. Personally I loved it! Don’t quite understand why some would have negative things to say about it, but to each his own. That’s why we have so many different types of racquets to choose from in the world eh?

Reply
AceyMan September 21, 2019 - 07:51 - 07:51

TN,

I’m interested in this frame, as well. My shop has a full peg of them, so I suspect they have a demo strung up. I may have to check that out this weekend when I go by and get my Wilson 6.1 Hyper 95 from a string job.

I’m old school and like tight patterns more, still. I think … I haven’t driven my 16×19 long enough to know, but I come from when you got 18×16 on a 70 inch head. “Open pattern” was when you broke a string; we didn’t get to pick our bed density like we can now.

The Vcore 95 HG has my attention, too. I’m going to be reading up on that one, as well.

/Acey

Hey, T. I am a fellow i.Prestige MP driver. Got any string tips? I have an old, old set of Tecnifibre NRG that I need to cut out and upgrade. I’ve got some ideas but if you have any winning string combos, feel free to share.

BTW, new string job on the Hyper 6.1 is going to be Black Code 16 mains, and NRG2 17 in the crosses. It’s a new stick to me and it had some mid-range syngut that I knew I wouldn’t like so I haven’t even hit with it yet.

Reply
Terry September 27, 2019 - 06:36 - 06:36

Hmm except from the new color scheme, it looks like the good old Vcore Duel G, which I still using. Fantastic stick.

Reply
Martin Laidler November 4, 2020 - 09:49 - 09:49

Hi Thanks for your reviews always very informative!
On the back of many great reviews into the Vcore pro 97 310 I finally bought one and tried it out last night in a three hour mens doubles practice match.
I was really really surprised at how it played I would say it was very interesting and certainly not particularly good! My main weapon is a huge flat 100mph forehand and this racket fell way short of being able to produce it at all, some balls hit the back fence others in the base of the net. Throughout the night I kept adding more weight to the hoop but never really gelled with it. It played almost exactly the same as the older wilson BLX blade 93 and not dissimilar to the Vcore SV95 but better feel that the SV95 but I’d certainly choose the SV 95 over it. In my bag last night I had every range of new gen Pure strikes, Pure drive Vs( very weighted up), Yonex, SV 98, SV98+, SV95 and XI98. I ended up going back to the XI which was just an easier frame to use (solinco Hyper G 18G at 45lb).
On the plus side you can hit angles not possible with any other racket I’ve used recently but It doesn’t give you anything more than the blade 93. For great flat shots I’ve still to find a better frame than the Kblade 98 18/20 and I must have tried about 80 frames by now!
For me certainly not a great flat hitters frame. (Strung with RPM blast at 52lb witch I don’t particularly like so I might give it a go with a different string).
Thanks Martin

Reply

Leave a Comment