Overall Rating
YONEX VCORE Si 100 | |
|---|---|
PROs | CONs |
PERFECT CONTROL OF THE BALL | TOO FLEXIBLE |
EXCELLENT VOLLEYS | LOW POWER |
FRESH DESIGN | NOT FOR HARD HITTING SINGLISTS |
EASY TO SWING | |
PERFECT FOR DOUBLES | |
Readers who follow my racket reviews regularly know that I play with Yonex racket. My old Ezone Xi98 weighs 310 grams and has 98 square inches head [full review here]. Currently, I am in the pursuit of new racket and after few testing sessions I almost made up my mind about the weight and head size. 300 grams and 100 square inches look like the good choice for me. Therefore I grabbed the opportunity to test Yonex VCORE Si 100 which has the exact parameters I was looking for.
What exactly did I test?
Let’s start with the technical specifications of racket I played with.
Racket: Yonex VCORE Si 100
Weight: 300 grams/10.6 ounces (without strings) 318 grams/11.2 ounces (with strings)
Length: 27 inches/685 millimeters
Head Size: 100 square inches/645 square centimeters
String pattern: 16 mains/19 crosses
String tension: 53 lbs/24 kg
Unstrung balance: 320 mm/1 in HL
Embedded technologies:
Bt Hybrid String System – technology allows more strings movement resulting in longer dwell time and more spin
Isometric Head – Yonex Isometric Head is technology patented by Yonex which increases the sweet spot by 7% comparing to conventional racket heads. [You can find out more about Isometric technology in our article about Yonex rackets]
Black Micro Core – Micro Core technology increases head stability and better vibration dampening
Notable players using Yonex Rackets:
Stan Wawrinka, Steve Johnson, Denis Shapovalov, Nick Kyrgios, Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Garcia
Design
Yonex Rackets with Isometric Head look different than rackets with conventional heads. However, the difference is not so big and even my conventional eyes can get used to it. What I liked on Yonex VCORE Si 100 most were the colors. The orange, white and black combination is excellent. It catches a look of everyone around the court. I am a big fan of tidy and simple design (of Wilson rackets for example). Yonex VCORE Si 100 is the absolute opposite of calm black and white combination, but I liked it. This racket looks very “fresh” and interesting.
Playing with Yonex VCORE Si 100 Tennis Racket
As a long time Yonex racket user I did not expect any major surprises from Yonex VCORE Si 100. I could not be wrong more.
Read the full list of our Tennis Racquet Reviews or Best Tennis Racket for Every Player Guide
Comfort – Feel
I am used to Isometric head and increased sweet spot so I expected a smooth transition. However, I struggled with finding the sweet spot with my shots. I did not expect so many off-hits I produced. The reason probably lies in the head size. I am used to 98 square inches and move to 100 square inches head worsen my play significantly. It took several sessions to get used to 100 square inches isometric head. I did not go through such problems with different sizes of rackets with a conventional head.
The second problem I faced was the stiffness of racket. Yonex VCORE Si 100 was one of the less stiff rackets I ever played with. The flexibility really surprised me.
I did not feel very comfortable during first hits but believe me a man can get used to everything.
Control – Accuracy
The maneuverability of this racket is really high. You feel the lightness of the swing and excellent control of the ball. Of course, you have to hit correctly with the sweet spot, but then will be rewarded with perfect control.
I appreciated it most when playing volleys. I was almost unbeatable at the net with no need to play aggressively. The control of the ball was incredible. I would definitely use Yonex VCORE Si 100 on any given doubles match.
Power – Strength
What I gained in accuracy I lose on power with Yonex VCORE Si 100. I was not able to hit strong. My hits were just average in terms of power even when I used the biggest effort. I would expect low power with lite version (270 or 280 grams weight) of a racket. 300 grams weight seemed to me as enough to produce power I am used to. I was wrong.
I missed the power mostly with baseline hits and serve. Serve could be a real threat with so much control, but it missed a more power. And that’s a pity
Summary
Great control and low power. Two terms immediately come to my mind when thinking about Yonex VCORE Si 100. I would take it to any of my doubles matches without hesitation because volleys are absolutely effortless with this Yonex racket. I would recommend this racket to players who appreciate not so aggressive but very precise play.
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