Stan Wawrinka’s tennis racquet is marketed as a Yonex VCORE Pro 97 330, but is actually an older Yonex VCORE 95D racquet.
Stan Wawrinka’s tennis racquet
A lot of recreational players wonder about Stan Wawrinka’s tennis racquet. What racquet does he use to get that pace and spin on his shots? Stan Wawrinka is advertised to use the latest Yonex VCORE racquet, currently the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 330
, but actually uses the Yonex VCORE 95D with a lot of lead tape
.
This is the gear that Stan the Man endorses on Tennis Warehouse Europe, Tennis Warehouse and Tennis Only.
So now the racquet companies are forced to write “endorse” instead of use. This is the case with a lot of pro player racquets. Many professional tennis players use pro stock racquets, which can be racquets with custom molds, based on older versions. Stan Wawrinka’s racquet is smaller and with the lead tape it’s also heavier than the Yonex VCORE Pro 330
.
Should you play with Stan’s racquet?
I doubt that you will play better tennis with Stan Wawrinka’s tennis racquet. Most pro player racquets are heavier and more difficult to handle than recreational tennis racquets. If you look at the specs Wawrinka play with it is definitely only for advanced players. But the Yonex VCORE 95D racquet without customization is a great racquet and I wrote about it in my racquet honeymoon period post here.
The Yonex VCORE Pro 97 330
racquet along with its cousin, the 310 gram version
are also very good racquets for the advanced player. I would definitely recommend the lighter spec for a wider group of styles and abilities. And you can also always add some weight to it by a leather grip
 and/or lead tape
.
Stan Wawrinka is all Yonex
Being a Yonex sponsored player, Stan Wawrinka uses Yonex tennis apparel
and the excellent over grip Yonex Super Grap
. Yonex are usually adamant that their sponsored players use all Yonex gear, but guys like Nick Kyrgios have apparel and shoes by Nike etc.
If you really want to have the exact same specs on your racquet as Stan Wawrinka, then you should get a Yonex VCORE 95D and customize it to the beastly specs below. It’s going to require some good technique and footwork to swing that racquet however!
Below are Stan the Man’s real specs according to the Tennis Warehouse forums:
[Photos courtesy of ProStringing – these are not photos of his most recent paint job]
Stan Wawrinka’s racquet specs:
Racquet: Yonex VCORE 95D
Paint Job: Yonex VCOREÂ Pro 97 330
Headsize: 95 Sq Inches
Weight: strung: 372 grams (with overgrip)
Balance: 32.1 OR 32.3
Swingweight: 359-360
Stiffness: 63-64
Lead placement: 3 & 9 O’clock
Leads length: 5 inch
Grip: 4 3/8
Replacement grip: Yonex leather
Strings: Babolat RPM Blast 16g
String Pattern: 16×20
Tension: 27 kg / 61 lbs mains and 25 kg / 57 lbs crosses
What do you think of Stan Wawrinka’s tennis racquet? Does it surprise you that he plays with something different than he endorses?
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13 comments
That stiff poly high string tension and racquet weight combination requires some serious upper body and arm/ wrist strength. Thank goodness his frame is relatively flexible and I am surprised the swing weight is not higher than 360 for such a heavy frame, but I’m guessing it’s because he does not have lead in the upper hoop.
Hi TN,
Do the balance and swingweight happen to be strung or unstrung? Thanks! I am guessing strung, since you are specifying the strung weight, but I just want to verify.
~Dave
Hi Dave,
It’s strung! Cheers / J
Geez, Stan is a beast! He definitely deserves the nickname “The Man”. Looks like his form has returned too. Watch out men’s tour.
What man? What beast? My racquet is 415gr and it is 28 inch long. Stan is a kitten.
Jonas, how would you compare to Six One 95 18×20? Thanks
There are similarities for sure, but the Yonex is a bit more spin-friendly. Since it is lighter in stock form it also needs more lead tape to play stable.
what is swing weight?
how does it calculated?
The swing weight is how heavy the racquet is to swing, which depends on how the weight is distributed in the racquet. To measure it you can use a swing weight machine or a manual method. Read more here: https://tennisnerd.net/gear/racquets/racquet-swing-weights/23189
Hi Jonas!
Thanks a lot for this.
Out of curiosity, I’m going to try and replicate this setup to see how it plays.
I’d be starting from a duel g 330.
My question is, aside from the (hefty) lead tape on 3 & 9, did you notice any particular modifications? (lead placement, silicone handle etc..)
Thanks a ton!
Hi,
No, I didn’t notice anything else, but I would guess he uses silicone in the handle. Cheers / J
What is that maroon colored tape that he uses? It is the tape that is just above his grip..Is it lead tape?
I think that’s just his leather replacement grip (more of an orange colour) beneath his overgrip — he leaves a bit of it showing — rather than lead tape unless you were talking about something else