The latest VCore line from Yonex, the new VCore SV, offers a racquet for every man, woman and child. The VCore SV 105 is the most powerful and forgiving racquet in the lineup, providing an excellent platform for beginners and any player looking for maximum power in the easiest to swing weight class. The 105 may be light weight, but not on features. Its’ SV frame design uses Nanometric XT carbon for improved dwell time and a more aerodynamic beam shape overall. The racquet also benefits from AeroFin technology, a series of grooves designed to reduce drag as the frame cuts through the air. Here’s an inside look at the on court performance of the latest light weight offering from Yonex.

Groundstrokes
The SV 105 was built to produce power and speed on groundstrokes. It took me zero effort to whip the racquet through contact and put speed on the ball. The 9.8oz strung weight made the racquet incredibly easy to swing while the head heavy balance provided a bit of extra power. The thick 26/26/23mm beam and firm construction also helped ensure that there was no shortage of power from either side on groundstrokes. The larger 105 inch head, combined with the Isometric head shape gave the racquet a massive sweet spot where every shot I hit came off the racquet like I hit the center of the string bed. For a thick beamed, oversize frame I thought the SV 105 exhibited admirable levels of control. Long, fast strokes tended to overcook the ball but when I shortened up I found I could hit spots reliably. Spin production was just as easy to come by. The incredibly light feel and 16x18 pattern produced spin on command and I added plenty of air under both forehands and backhands. This racquet would reward any player working to develop their topspin game. The drawback to all this ease of use was the frame’s stability. While having a head heavy balance helped, it twisted substantial against bigger hitters. The target audience of this frame likely will not have an issue with this but anyone looking for a bit more stability would be able to add weight easily. The huge sweet spot and quickness also helped when stretched out on the run. While I didn’t have the mass to hit big winners, I was frequently able to put margin on the ball and get the point back closer to neutral.

Volleys & Serves
The lightweight build of the SV 105 made it highly maneuverable at the net but I also had to be very diligent about utilizing controlled aggression. Too big of a swing and the inherent power sent volleys flying. Too casual of one and the racquet’s reduced weight floated the ball back to opponents. I had to find a middle ground of compact, aggressive strokes in order to punch the ball through the court for put away volleys. On reaction volleys and quick exchanges, the SV 105 was easy to position, despite its increased head size. Accuracy on volleys was solid if unspectacular and I tended to pick bigger targets than with the more control oriented SV frames. The firm feel of the racquet continued to make it challenging for me to execute touch shots but the large sweet spot and additional forgiveness of this model did make it a bit easier.

On serve, the speed and spin of the SV 105 provided some very tempting options. I could add pace to first serves all day long thanks to the light weight and easy acceleration of the racquet. These weren’t the same heavy first serves of the SV 95 or 100 but they did have enough pace on them to challenge returners. The high spin production paid dividends on my second serve. The 16x18 pattern gripped the ball well and I had enough racquet head speed to add a healthy degree of spin. Kick serves jumped off the court well and stayed high enough to be difficult. I didn’t find as much luck with my slice serve as the racquet was too light overall for it to drive the ball low through the court.

Feel/Comfort
The SV 105 was the most forgiving feeling racquet in the SV lineup. Its larger head and generous sweet spot produced a slightly softer feel on contact. It was still a firm feeling racquet but I felt the response was just a bit more flexible compared to the other frames in the line. The additional forgiveness also aided in comfort as the racquet did a good job absorbing shock despite its reduced weight. Paired with a soft string, this racquet should play comfortable enough for use by just about any player.

Overall
The new VCore series from Yonex makes a concerted effort to have an offering for everyone. This model offers maximum power and speed with its light weight and high maneuverability. It offers the ability to generate easy power and spin on groundstrokes while being easy to maneuver at the net. The Yonex VCore SV 105 will satisfy the needs of any player seeking a game improvement frame with outstanding power, great forgiveness and easy access to spin.

About the Reviewer: Matt Locke currently serves as the Junior Programs & Development Coordinator for USTA-Idaho and is an active USTA League and Tournament player.