Category Archives: Juniors
Yonex VCore Pro 97 – 330
It should be no surprise that this model is the heaviest of the VCore Pro Series! However, I can’t stress enough the need to demo this racquet and feel what the weight will do for your game!
Of course not everyone will want a racquet of this weight but just trying it will give you some idea of what weight can do for you. Maybe not 330 (unstrung) but a little added weight nonetheless.
That makes the 310 (unstrung) version of this racquet a “standout”, and you can see the review here.
About this racquet, Yonex says “for intermediate to advanced players looking to play aggressively with control and feel”.
To achieve this combination Yonex has incorporated a “lock booster” grommet system that promotes string contact for effecient energy transfer”.
Namd™ graphite fibers are incorporated into the throat area allowing the racquet to flex even under the heaviest of hits!
To top it off Yonex has added a vibration damping mesh in the grip pallet area to filter out unwanted vibrations.
All said, this thin beam (20.0mm) racquet with a 16×19 string pattern is a players dream! So, don’t dream about it…demo it and decide for yourself!
| Manufacturer | Yonex |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Yonex VCore Pro 97 |
| Reference Tension | 55 lbs - 24.9 kg |
| String | Pro Evaluation String 1.20mm |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 53 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 66 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 62 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 48 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 373.2 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 344 |
| Weight, Ounces | 12.13 |
| Balance, mm | 321 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.64 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.008 |
| Head Width | 9.56 |
| Head Length | 12.62 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 611.3 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 97 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .638 |
| Main String Grid | 7.00 |
| Cross String Grid | 9.62 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .709 |
| Average Cross String Space | .505 |
| Average Main String Space | .438 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 34 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 190.16 |
| First Moment, Nm | .847 |
| Polar Moment | 342 |
| Torsional Stability | 15 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 327 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.53 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 354 |
| Power, RDC | 49 |
| Control, RDC | 51 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 69 |
| Power, Calculated | 1940.1 |
| Head Points | 6.93 (negative = head heavy) |
| Head Weight, % | 46.8% |
| Center of Percussion | 20.9 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.74 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 28.6 |
| K, Lb/In | 169.87 |
| Recoil Weight | 161.48 |
| Twist Weight | 235.86 |
| End Weight | 144.4 |
| Tip Weight | 201.5 |
| 9 O'Clock | 102.6 |
| 3 O'Clock | 104.8 |
| Butt Cap | 138.0 |
Yonex VCore Pro 97 – 310
Yonex continues to introduce upgrades to the most popular racquets they have produced recently and these new VCore Pro series is a great example of positive changes.
This series continues to be made in Japan and it is obvious in the consistency of their racquets. The deep Forrest Green and Gold graphics creates a “strong” looking racquet which will appeal to players.
This model is the 310 gram (10.9 oz) version (unstrung)which gains about a ½ ounce when strung and presents a very usable 315 kg/cm² swing weight. Right out of the box this will suit a lot of players. Of course a little customization can be done if required.
When looking at racquets it is clear that this Yonex Series all look alike! A closer look at the head will give you the weight and head size.
The 16×19 string pattern in the Isometric Head Shape creates a large “comfort zone” area and long main strings near the edge of the racquet face which contributes to that “comfort”.
| Manufacturer | Yonex |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Yonex VCore Pro 97 2019 |
| Reference Tension | 55 lbs - 24.9 kg |
| String | Pro Evaluation String 1.20mm |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| ASPS, RDC | 49 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 65 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 61 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 46 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 368.1 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 324 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.43 |
| Balance, mm | 323 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.72 |
| Length, Cm | 68.5 |
| Length, Inch | 26.968 |
| Head Width | 9.55 |
| Head Length | 12.54 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 607 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 97 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .641 |
| Main String Grid | 7.00 |
| Cross String Grid | 9.75 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .766 |
| Average Cross String Space | .542 |
| Average Main String Space | .438 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 33 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 184.57 |
| First Moment, Nm | .804 |
| Polar Moment | 329 |
| Torsional Stability | 14 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 315 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.11 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 338 |
| Power, RDC | 48 |
| Control, RDC | 50 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 77 |
| Power, Calculated | 1807.7 |
| Head Points | 6.14 (negative = head heavy) |
| Head Weight, % | 47.2% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.1 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 9.09 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 27.2 |
| K, Lb/In | 157.05 |
| Recoil Weight | 156.18 |
| Twist Weight | 221.85 |
| End Weight | 133.7 |
| Tip Weight | 190.6 |
| 9 O'Clock | 97.6 |
| 3 O'Clock | 95.9 |
| Butt Cap | 131.1 |
Catching up!
The World Headquarters of Racquet Quest was closed for a brief road trip the week before last and we are just now beginning to catch up!
But it was worth it!
The trip took us to Atlanta to visit family, Louisville to visit friends, Columbus, IN to visit family and Asheville, NC just because!
While in Columbus I had the opportunity to play a little tennis with our 2 year old great-grandaughter! Emma is not quite calling it tennis yet but that will come soon enough! Not once did she complain of loose strings or the wrong grip size, either!
Emma sure knows how to pick an outfit! She is well on the way to becoming a real tennis player! What more could you want…Head tennis racquet, adidas Stan Smith shoes, cool tennis dress…Wow!
Pssst…want to try something?
If you read our recent post about “How to Demo a Racquet,” you may be incentivized to do it!
So while you are at it try one of our performance racquets setup with MonoGut ZX or ZX Pro (thinner) to get the maximum performance from the racquet.
Ashaway MonoGut ZX and ZX Pro have been one of our most popular strings for well over five (5) years!
Top players have been using it, but now the word is spreading that is not just for “the good player” but for everyone! We are very sensitive to injuries and injury prevention, so that is why we recommend MonoGut ZX to almost all players. The durability and feel of this string are unique, and, MonoGut ZX and ZX Pro is a monofilament but is PEEK and no polyester.
As with any string, some will not want to change, but if you are looking for a new racquet, why not demo a racquet setup with MonoGut ZX or ZX Pro?
MonoGut ZX & ZX Pro
Ashaway MonoGut ZX and ZX Pro come in Black and Natural and 16 (1.27mm) and 17 (1.24mm) gauge.
Is Your Racquet Healthy?
I started thinking about this as I made my way to a routine doctor’s appointment last week. Here is the scenario I formed while waiting:
The doctor has been seeing all sorts of patients already today and I suspect the first glance at each one elicited some sort of reaction, quielty probably, like this; “Good Greif, that guy is fat! Bad trousers, terrible shoes, nice shirt, whats with the hair, dude?” etc, etc.
So what do you think happens when a racquet shows up for a checkup?
“Good grief, that is an old racquet, who would ever buy one of those, this person is too good for that racquet,” etc, etc.
As humans we can communicate how we feel to the doctor but your racquet can not, so it has other ways to tell you if it is healthy or not. Here are a few signs of an unhealthy racquet:
- Grommet set, and specifically the protective head bumper is worn out. If this is not fixed quicky the racquet will die!
Worn Out Bumper Guard
- Grommet set individual barrels are broken or missing. If this is not fixed the strings will die!
- Overgrip is disgustingly dirty requiring exam gloves to remove it! Doctors use exam gloves too and you know what that means!
- Under grip is essentially rendered to powder, requiring exam gloves to remove it.
Obvious!
What is not so obvious sometimes is that strings need to be replaced. Even before they break! What!
Yes, strings loose tension over time and in some case rather quickly! By knowing what the original string bed stiffness was we can determine how much “stiffness” has been lost. For most players a degradation of 20% is maximum.
Depending on the string material a loss of 8 to 9% overnight is not uncommon…so that leaves 11 to 12% for playing.
Take a look at our String Frequency Calculator to get a better idea of stringing frequency required to keep your racquet really working for you.
To keep you playing at your best you need to keep your racquet at it’s best!
Racquet Quest, LLC
