@@farood5 I think it mostly depends on what your tension normally is plus what your racquet of choice currently is. If you use a 98 sized head, I’d probably string this around 3 lbs looser than normal. If you play with a 100, try 4 or 5 pounds looser. Hope this helps!
Please try the Ezone 98 Tour, it's a wonderful frame, and you'll be crushing one handed backhands in all directions and trajectories 👍 And I'd really like to see a video on Aero VS, stock with just a bit of lead at 12, as it has a superlight tip stock, then at 335-340sw with counterbalancing, and the new Aero 98 🤞
I appreciated your review and feedback, very fair and unbiased. I used to have the 2021 VCore 95 and I agree they’re like scalpels, but you have work so hard and earn every shot. I’m hitting with 2022 Ezone 98 now.
@Sklizo - Excellent VC95 review -- finally from a guy who can actually hit a clean ball, which is refreshing, and lends an extra level of legitimacy. As a 4.0 myself, and after having put considerable time into the SV95, 2018 and 2021, I'm pretty well convinced that overall, the 95 just makes tennis harder than it has to be, at least for anyone around or below my level who may have even the slightest issue with spacing or diming the sweet spot almost every stroke. That said, it won't stop me from trying the new one, but I'll definitely have tempered expectations. Best of luck on your continued racquet journey!
Thank you very much!! If you come from a 95 background like myself, it isn’t too terrible… but when there are so many more forgiving options on the market right now, you have to wonder why you would pick this frame! Definitely a fun hit and if you’re a 95 guy then this should be a blast just to hit around with.
I think that playing with Vcore 95 ( I have both the 2019 and the new one 2023) makes me a better player. I’m a 4,5 player 60 years old. No problem at all playing with this type of rackets. But I agree with the instability when I miss the sweet spot. But that’s mine fault 😂. The 2023 model is really good. Thanks for a great review 👍🎾
Thank you for the comment!! I absolutely believe this racquet will make players have to play better. It requires some real focus and precision, but when it works it works REALLY well. Hope you enjoy your future hits!!
Really interesting review! I just recently switched to this racquet and personally love it. From the moment I started hitting with it as a demo it just felt like the one for me. I came from a 97 inch head and haven’t really noticed much difference. But I can definitely see what you mean about hitting lower on the string bed and having a few issues though. Nothing is perfect I suppose. Beautiful strokes by the way! Thanks for the review
The man with the Skillz🙂 really fine hitting. I recall about 5-6 months before the gravity line came out I thought the wider portion of the racquet head should be wider since I do hit more of my shots from there and noticed most advanced players do as well. Now just look at this new trend. It makes me smile even though I bought last year vcore pro h with a leather grip and love it. Now I’m about to play around with the gravity pro that my son just ordered and perhaps give these vcore a try. Stay inspired ✨ and keep on crushing it!
amazing review, probably the best I've seen all week and I've seen almost 15 other youtube channels. Love your analysis and break down of the frame and playability plus the flaw. Maks a lot of sense. Only critique would be to do your playtesting on a hardcourt, or turn down audio of the baseline portion, was hard to hear your voice over the feet on clay. Beautiful strokes though, fun to watch you hit.
Yeah, watching it back the audio was terrible. It seems to be a problem when I do court level recordings, not an issue as much when I raise the tripod a little higher. I’ll definitely work on my audio corrections! Appreciate the feedback
Its swing weight is a lot higher than the previous model and it has a less stiff frame which helps with ball pocketing, lack of power can be changed by your string setup, use a hybrid with gut on the crosses which will also provide a lot more feel or a multifilament like velocity MLT if you cannot afford it.
@@TheSklizo I have actually ordered a couple of those Vcore 95's, to supplement my Angell's TC95 and TC97. I am very eager to see how they play. By the way, you should have a look at those Angell Custom TC95 or TC97. They're incredibly good quality, and you get to chose the weight, balance, and even swing weight.
@@johnnyguitar6697 yeah those companies seem really fun to play around with. The combinations for specs seem endless! I am just worried that I wouldn’t be able to get new frames quickly in case of a break during tournament play.
@@TheSklizo My experience with Angell is that the frames get to me between 7 and 12 days of ordering, irrespective of specs requested, and that's from the UK to Hong Kong. Obviously, if you're going to compete regularly, you probably want to order at least 3 frames, which leaves you 2 to play with in case one breaks and you have to reorder.
so many comments, but so little likes, come on, guys :) this was an excellent review! My level is lower, so i am a biе surprised, that hitting lower in the stringbed is an issue for a high level clean hitter. I suppose it does not happen often. I play with the previous Vcore (21), and stringbed is almost intact in the lower area when string breaks, although i am far from a clean hitter. Can't wait to try the new one, unfortunately my local Yonex rep will only get it in March...
Yeah I’m breaking my strings higher in the stringbed, and yes hitting low doesn’t happen much, but in those rough times where you are just scrambling to get a ball back to stay alive in the point, you might not have the option to catch it clean. So those are the moments I want the forgiveness, and the more beginner of a player you are, the more it is likely to happen! Thank you for the comment and thank you for liking as well 😁
I added a leather grip to mine Vcore 95. Woooh, it became like a new racket, solid, and with more power. The weight is now with strings 340 grams. All mine strokes was solid and mine backhand was super 🙌.
I hit high in the stringbed so shouldn't be an issue for me, but there is a way to mitigate lower stringbed forgiveness through "proportional stringing" method, which basically just means lowering string tension on shorter mains and crosses. So for example you can progressively drop stringing tension in lower crosses to make stringbed there more lively. My V95 last gen really took my game to the next level because I can play it with so much confidence - flat or spin it always plays true, so I can play hyper agressive while keeping the ball in the lines. For warm weather I string it: 17g poly MAINS: 52,52,51,50,49,48,47,46 18g poly CROSS: 42,45,47,48,49,50,51,51,51,51,51,51,50.5,50,49.5,49,48.5,48,47.5,47 - you may notice that there is less tension reduction in lower crosess, that is due to increasing friction in the stringbed as you are weaving it, you basically need more pull for same resulting tension. I have V97 2023 on order and I may drop the tension in lower crosses a bit more agressively.
Woah that’s quite a lot to remember while stringing! Props to you for going through that to get the feel you want. I’m so used to stringing at one tension that I’m not sure how that would fare for me, and I might get punched in the face if I asked a stringer to do this for me while at a tournament! I can definitely see some club players who string their own frames doing this though! Thanks for the comment
@@TheSklizo Haha absolutely, I would never ask a stringer to do that. But as they say, if you want something done right, you do it yourself. Thank you for the review.
A great review, thanks.. As a player of such high level, perhaps you should first try the frame stock, but then get it to some 325-328sw (where you get more plow and stability, but racquet head speed is still equally high), counterbalance in the handle a bit, to get your preferred balance, and then form an opinion. These vc95s have such low swingweight, like 311-315, it makes you superquick in attacking the ball, and it's nice, but then it's annoying when you can't normally return a more solid kick serve, plus some defending balls fall too short, difficult to block without a full back swing etc. And both groundstrokes, serves and returns push opponents back with a more appropriate sw. I bought and played the last vc95 for a month or two, no extra lead at first, and just concluded that yeah it's nice, but it's almost impossible to push opponents back, it's race to attack first in the point, weak on returns, defending balls fall too short etc. It's difficult to win points below 335sw if you have a one handed backhand, so including counterbalancing, it's not easy setting up a high level player's frame below 315g
Mine came from factory with 306 and 308.5 SW (strung with Yonex PTP 120). FAR from the supposed average 317 SW. Both needed 6g of lead at 12 o'clock to bump up the SWs to 330 and 331.5 (I'll fine tune the SWs soon)
I understand what you mean, but for my game the lower swingweight just works better for me. My current setup in my strike vs tour has no lead in the head and the swingweight is around 320. For me, when I’ve played with racquets that have their swingweight at mid 330s and up, they became too difficult for me on my backhands. The forehand side loved the weight and I would crush balls. I just need the whippiness to get my backhand moving the way I prefer. I know I’m strange but that’s just how it is! Thanks for the comment.
@@evylsalamie it definitely swung lighter than normal, but I didn’t really have problems plowing through the ball. I was getting much more pace with this than my strike vs tours, however I don’t know what lead positioning would help with the lower strike positions creating weaker shots. Would be interesting to experiment with since I have it for one more day.
It’s very pretty here! That’s our pro shop on the top floor, and a little snack area for golfers on the bottom floor. That morning with the fog covering everything made it soooo pretty out!
Sklizo….First, you are a very good ball striker! And this is an excellent review of the 2023 VC 95, and its inherent flaw. This racquet is piquing my interest.. I am searching for all of the reviews that I can find, especially those that are given by players with one-handers….I am a senior who plays singles at the 4.0 level… very athletic….SW forehand; one -handed backhand… Can hit with modest spin; like to drive flat…all court player who uses everything: slice, touch, flat, some spin, etc. Definitely not a baseline banger: old guy, old style player…I am currently playing with a Blade V8 18x20…. I find that so many new racquets are very similar…But this VC 95 is not. … It appears that it is a good racquet for the one-hander. I hope it can handle variety, because I think I will give it a shot.Now, I string all my racquets with VS gut 16 mains 55 lbs, rpm blast 17 52 lbs…. Wha kind of adjustment would you make? I’m not against trying full poly. I’m just concerned about elbows, wrist…Can you rec a forgiving poly that works ….Again, great video. Ciao, John
Hey guys! Really appreciate the comments and the compliment! I think a gut/poly hybrid would work well in this frame. If anything, I’d start stringing a bit lower than you normally would by about 3 lbs. If it’s too much pop then dial it back up. I used a full bed of confidential 1.25 at 48 lbs, in hindsight I would like to try it dropped down to about 45 to 46 lbs. Hope this helps!
@@johnnacke893 Absolutely! I wouldn’t say it’s excellent for defense, but for mixing up angles, spins, and playing around with pace/attacking it is excellent! Really clean feel on dropshots as well.
This current vc95 is perfect for the all-court player. This gen is especially great if you're a handy/feely type also! You just may need to weight it up a bit
Maybe he could, I wonder if it would help given how flat he hits though. Same with Medvedev, he could use firepower but chooses a 95 painted like a 98 so that he has that extra control on his flatter shots.
@@TheSklizo I hit pretty flat and going from 93/97 to 100 changed my whole game. In the best way. Also Medvedev is a biggg boy, Marcos is a mere mortal size wise haha 🤣
Have you tried the new extreme tour or pure aero 98? I bought the new vcore 95 but I’m unsure if I’ll stay with it. Just had it two weeks Feels clean and precise but the smaller head and off hits is a challenge specially when hitting against high pace shots.
I have tried the extreme tour, I actually made a review that came out before this one! I am trying to get my hands on an aero 98, but it is difficult. I did like the aero vs when it came out though! I think the vcore 95 is hard to use, but I did find it very rewarding because you had to be on your game to make the most of the frame.
Thank you! It is green clay, also called hartru. Very common replacement for red clay in the US since it is much easier to maintain and doesn't stain clothes.
does the 98 got the same flaw , im a player 4,5 to 5,0 id played vcore 95 a lot but game start becoming faster and told my self should go to 98 but they told me the new 95 was more permitting it felt like a 97 or so , so now im thinking if i go for 95 again becouse the new one is forgiving or go 98 , i do go plain strokes with power but my back hand sometimes gets short but the 98 will be less aerodynamic for that i think but more power. what do you think
Don't worry about the aerodynamics. You can't really tell the difference when you play. They both swing very quickly through the air. The 98 has much more power and does not suffer with the sweetspot flaw like the 95 does. Definitely worth a try.
It's not a flaw technically but an issue with smaller head size rackets. Off the strings, you'll have a sweet feedback. It's like using a forge blade in golf and the reward of a good contact is the feel. I have both 95 and 98 tour. They're just for different profiles of players
@Sklizo - After watching several of your other videos and reading a lot of your replies, I can't help but want to offer you more ideas. Considering your background (6.1 95 Team, Pure Control) and outgoing frame (PS VS Tour: 320g, 98" 16x20, 21mm constant beam, 7pts head-light strung, low-320's swing weight, 13.3 twist weight) and current strung weight of 350g+, I think the following frames are the most in your wheelhouse: - Tecnifibre TFight 315 ISO (315g, 98", 16x19 w/ 6 throat mains, 7pts HL, 22.5mm beam, 69RA flex, 324SW, 15-ish TW) - Volkl V-Cell 10 320g (320g, 98", 16x19 w/ 8 throat mains, 7pts HL, 21/22.5/20.5mm variable beam, 67RA, 319 SW, 13.7 TW) You'll obviously have to weight them up to your playing spec, but both will give you that nice firm (but not too firm) feel you enjoy, with good power injected back into the ball from the stiffness, similar to your Pure Strike, but unlike the Strike, the TFight is foam-filled, which cuts out a lot of harmful vibration and the Volkl uses their signature handle vibration dampening system, both of which are very effective at filtering out harmful vibrations but also preserving a decent amount of feel (as opposed to being overly muted, such as with the 2021 VCores). Also, both sticks are identically as head-light as your PS VS Tour, and both have low-enough swing weights to maintain that level of whippy-ness your need for your OHBH -- the Volkl even a bit more so than the Tecnifibre. Additionally, I think you'll find the Volkl's lower twist weight makes it a bit easier to execute a topspin one-handed backhand, but I'd be interested to get your take on both frames nonetheless! Also, there are some other 98's out there that might appear to be a fit on the surface level, such as the Diadem Elevate v3, Dunlop FX 500 Tour or Head Extreme Tour, but each have their issues that I think may ultimately be a deal-breaker for you -- v3 Elevate I think you'll find too muted and the string pattern too open/launchy, FX500T a bit of the same with such open mains and variable cross spacing, making for a unpredictable launch up/down the string bed if you don't maintain perfect spacing (like the VC95 in a way) and the Extreme Tour is really just a platform racquet, although the Auxetic is more stable than the G360+, but it will take serious customizing to bring it to spec. Could be worth a look, though. Anyways, hope all of that helps! Best of luck in your journey!
Wow, thank you so much for writing this!! I appreciate you taking the time to do so. I have tried a few of the racquets you named, namely the volkl, the extreme tour, and the fx500 tour. For me, the volkl had a strange feeling that I couldn’t quite enjoy while hitting. I think their dampening tech is amazing but it does change the feel drastically. On paper it’s nearly an exact match to my strike vs tours. I am however getting the c10 evo in soon to see if that feel is any different. As for the extreme tour and fx500 tour, I’m testing the extreme tour now and I ended up throwing weight on it in a number of configurations, but I just can’t get it to feel right for my game. It’s so fun to play with though when you hit just right! The fx500 almost was a switch for me and it played fantastic at stock weight, but when I started to add weight, it became super unpredictable and it shocked me how different the racquet played. The technifibre I might have to try. The higher RA scared me but I think their dampening system may help my arm a bit. I think maybe it’s time for me to give it a try. The club I work at is technifibre affiliated so I will work on getting one soon. Again, thank you for your feedback and I hope to make a video updating you on these frames!
@@TheSklizo Very welcome! And glad to see you've tried everything other than the 315 ISO. Here are my comments, frame by frame: V-Feel 10 320g -- Not entirely surprised. That somewhat oblong hoop shape and handle dampening is definitely not for everyone. I'll be interested to see if the C10 Evo feels or plays any better once spec'd up. Extreme Tour -- Indeed, it's very touchy to try and spec up just right. When you do, it can be magical, but it can take some serious elbow grease and not many guys I know have been able to exercise that much persistence, including a master racquet tech, so that's saying something. FX500T -- I've been on an extended trial of the outgoing black/blue model (with higher 70RA stiffness) and noticed much of the same. Being more of a player/tweener hybrid, I think it comes more highly-tuned to be played light and whippy in more or less stock form (similar to the 2023 Pure Aero), and doesn't take weight as well as some boxier-beam, older-school frames. On that note, I almost wonder if a spec'd up CX 200 might be a better fit for you; impact feel is sublime, however I have a feeling the 64RA stiffness may feel a tad too flexy for you and you'll likely find it too underpowered, even with lead. But who knows, could be worth a shot. 315 ISO -- I am super curious to try this myself. As far as comfort goes, early feedback seems to indicate that the 69RA plays more like a 66-67 and the foam filling keeps most if not all of the arm discomfort at bay. My chief concern would be: can the high twist weight be easily-enough overcome on the one-handed backhand? I'll be VERY interested to see your review on this stick when you get the chance! Again, thank you for your channel. You have the rare combo of a high player level coupled with ability to communicate about the game and the gear in a relevant and understandable way. Subscribed!
@@outcometechnology appreciate the subscription!! Whatever I end up playing with, I’ll try to take everybody on the journey with me. Hopefully I’ll have my racquet for the future with me soon!
@@TheSklizo Very welcome, and looking forward to seeing how your journey progresses, including with the C10 Evo and ISO 315 as you get time to demo them!
If his preferred racket has a 13.3 twistweight with no weight in the hoop added, why do you think he would like a racket with a 15 TW? Those won't even play remotely similar...and he would lose a lot of manuverability
Ive worn out the lower part of the string bed and had no problems with a lack of power. But im stringing at 40 lbs with multi. Full set of poly id go like 38 lbs or less
I tried it and it doesn’t seem to suffer from the same issue, however for my game the thing launched like crazy and I had trouble controlling it. If you’re able to control it, the power and spin it brings is unmatched in my opinion.
@@a2casius yeah, my team and I thought about that but didn’t get a chance to try, also potentially putting more lead in the hoop + going to a hybrid to bring the launch angle down
Hi, You said it was great on slices, you meant slice volleys or slices?,,i played whit the 2018 version nd end up changing racket cause the slice was not great, not a lot of power or stability.
I thought it was good on both! Slice volleys we’re controllable and slices from the baseline seemed to penetrate through the court nicely. I should have clarified that in the video, thank you for the question!
You're flaw, never noticed it on my gravity, neither on the prince phantom 100x , prince synergy 98, but also not on the vcore 95 2023 so far. Because of the smaller head shape it could maybe be more of an issue with the vcore 95 as the shape is even more squeezed at the bottom, but so for i haven't noticed that issue. The biggest issue i have with the current 2023 rackets is that the price is just ridiculously high. If artengo can make a 1st class tr960 control tour 18x20 product that's being endorsed by mon fills including the sponsorship to do so and sell that for less than half new price as the Head Wilson Babolat, Yonex, then their latest price increases is just theft.
Yeah the prices have been insane from a lot of the big brands recently. I suspect brands like Artengo and Dunlop will make a large surge in sales this year!
The aero vs is a little easier to use in my opinion, but it needs weight. I think if you are not going to modify the racquets, the vcore 98 is better set up stock. The aero vs offers more free power and spin and I think is better for those who don't like swinging heavier frames. I can't say about the aero 98 as I haven't been able to try it yet.
I did, for my game it launched too much. I know it works for a ton of people though and I think is an excellent switch from last gens pure aero. Similar type of launch on both racquets.
I prefer the shape of the previous generation, as the stringbed was more predictable, but the feel is wayyy more muted compared to this current gen. I much prefer the feel of this gen. I recommend trying both for yourself to see which works best for you.
@@TheSklizo I actually prefer the tear drop shape heads like the new one so I liked it more all around. Long story short, I have been using the VCP 97 for a while but am looking for a little more power. I really liked the Gravity Pro and switched to it. But the grip is really short and I have a 2H backhand so after a while it started to really hurt my left index knuckle. This new Vcore 95 may be the one. Also going to try the 98 but suspect it will be more power than I’m looking for.
@@adamshettle5391 I too have a two handed backhand and currently use the VCP 97 290g. I am thinking about switching to the 95, looks like an interesting racquet
I could possibly, but I already tried the 98 and that thing was uncontrollable for me and my style of play. I can only imagine the 100 has even more pop!
@@TheSklizo ya you would have to string it high 50s but a Great frame but not a players frame as in v95 . Perhaps you could review the xi98 which would be classic frame but lower trajectory . Obv not switchable as rare but would be a good video
@@farood5 yeah I’d love to get my hands on some, but it’s just tough given they are becoming a little more rare. Right now, my goal isn’t really to review a bunch of racquets, but rather review the racquets that I believe are switchable for me. I don’t have time to try a ton more because the ITF season is starting soon and I have to make up my mind. Hopefully I can find something!
Will I ever find a racquet to switch to? What should I try next?
Great hitting , do you think it would suit a gut poly with gut in mains ? If so what tension would you go for ?
@@farood5 I think it would work well for that, I would start at 52 lbs as a reference point and then work up or down from there.
@@TheSklizo thank you even indoors 52 or start 53 mains , thank you great video
@@farood5 I think it mostly depends on what your tension normally is plus what your racquet of choice currently is. If you use a 98 sized head, I’d probably string this around 3 lbs looser than normal. If you play with a 100, try 4 or 5 pounds looser. Hope this helps!
Please try the Ezone 98 Tour, it's a wonderful frame, and you'll be crushing one handed backhands in all directions and trajectories 👍 And I'd really like to see a video on Aero VS, stock with just a bit of lead at 12, as it has a superlight tip stock, then at 335-340sw with counterbalancing, and the new Aero 98 🤞
I appreciated your review and feedback, very fair and unbiased. I used to have the 2021 VCore 95 and I agree they’re like scalpels, but you have work so hard and earn every shot. I’m hitting with 2022 Ezone 98 now.
Loved hitting with the latest ezone, it’s one of the racquets on my list to switch to!
@Sklizo - Excellent VC95 review -- finally from a guy who can actually hit a clean ball, which is refreshing, and lends an extra level of legitimacy. As a 4.0 myself, and after having put considerable time into the SV95, 2018 and 2021, I'm pretty well convinced that overall, the 95 just makes tennis harder than it has to be, at least for anyone around or below my level who may have even the slightest issue with spacing or diming the sweet spot almost every stroke. That said, it won't stop me from trying the new one, but I'll definitely have tempered expectations. Best of luck on your continued racquet journey!
Thank you very much!! If you come from a 95 background like myself, it isn’t too terrible… but when there are so many more forgiving options on the market right now, you have to wonder why you would pick this frame! Definitely a fun hit and if you’re a 95 guy then this should be a blast just to hit around with.
@@TheSklizo Indeed! Happy hitting!
nice video as always but I'd suggest a higher tripod view where you can see over the net
I think that playing with Vcore 95 ( I have both the 2019 and the new one 2023) makes me a better player. I’m a 4,5 player 60 years old. No problem at all playing with this type of rackets. But I agree with the instability when I miss the sweet spot. But that’s mine fault 😂. The 2023 model is really good. Thanks for a great review 👍🎾
Thank you for the comment!! I absolutely believe this racquet will make players have to play better. It requires some real focus and precision, but when it works it works REALLY well. Hope you enjoy your future hits!!
Really interesting review! I just recently switched to this racquet and personally love it. From the moment I started hitting with it as a demo it just felt like the one for me. I came from a 97 inch head and haven’t really noticed much difference. But I can definitely see what you mean about hitting lower on the string bed and having a few issues though. Nothing is perfect I suppose. Beautiful strokes by the way! Thanks for the review
The man with the Skillz🙂 really fine hitting. I recall about 5-6 months before the gravity line came out I thought the wider portion of the racquet head should be wider since I do hit more of my shots from there and noticed most advanced players do as well. Now just look at this new trend. It makes me smile even though I bought last year vcore pro h with a leather grip and love it. Now I’m about to play around with the gravity pro that my son just ordered and perhaps give these vcore a try. Stay inspired ✨ and keep on crushing it!
Thank you!! The gravity line is a lot of fun to play with so I hope you enjoy it!
amazing review, probably the best I've seen all week and I've seen almost 15 other youtube channels. Love your analysis and break down of the frame and playability plus the flaw. Maks a lot of sense. Only critique would be to do your playtesting on a hardcourt, or turn down audio of the baseline portion, was hard to hear your voice over the feet on clay. Beautiful strokes though, fun to watch you hit.
Yeah, watching it back the audio was terrible. It seems to be a problem when I do court level recordings, not an issue as much when I raise the tripod a little higher. I’ll definitely work on my audio corrections! Appreciate the feedback
@@TheSklizo awesome, audio is super important for youtube, looking forward to more reviews and videos on here. Killer channel. Keep it going!
great vids mate. Greetings from Australia. All the best on your journey. Subscribed
Thank you! You might be my first commenter from Australia. Welcome to the community here!
Its swing weight is a lot higher than the previous model and it has a less stiff frame which helps with ball pocketing, lack of power can be changed by your string setup, use a hybrid with gut on the crosses which will also provide a lot more feel or a multifilament like velocity MLT if you cannot afford it.
Really good hitting here, and very interesting points you are making. Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions.
Thank you so much! I hope to be uploading some more of the frames I try soon!
@@TheSklizo I have actually ordered a couple of those Vcore 95's, to supplement my Angell's TC95 and TC97. I am very eager to see how they play. By the way, you should have a look at those Angell Custom TC95 or TC97. They're incredibly good quality, and you get to chose the weight, balance, and even swing weight.
@@johnnyguitar6697 yeah those companies seem really fun to play around with. The combinations for specs seem endless! I am just worried that I wouldn’t be able to get new frames quickly in case of a break during tournament play.
@@TheSklizo My experience with Angell is that the frames get to me between 7 and 12 days of ordering, irrespective of specs requested, and that's from the UK to Hong Kong. Obviously, if you're going to compete regularly, you probably want to order at least 3 frames, which leaves you 2 to play with in case one breaks and you have to reorder.
This guy hits! Suscribed! Hope to see more reviews👌
Appreciate it man!!! I’ll keep reviewing until I find my switch! Hopefully I can find it soon because my season starts soon 💪
@@TheSklizo Ezone 100👌
so many comments, but so little likes, come on, guys :) this was an excellent review!
My level is lower, so i am a biе surprised, that hitting lower in the stringbed is an issue for a high level clean hitter. I suppose it does not happen often. I play with the previous Vcore (21), and stringbed is almost intact in the lower area when string breaks, although i am far from a clean hitter. Can't wait to try the new one, unfortunately my local Yonex rep will only get it in March...
Yeah I’m breaking my strings higher in the stringbed, and yes hitting low doesn’t happen much, but in those rough times where you are just scrambling to get a ball back to stay alive in the point, you might not have the option to catch it clean. So those are the moments I want the forgiveness, and the more beginner of a player you are, the more it is likely to happen! Thank you for the comment and thank you for liking as well 😁
I added a leather grip to mine Vcore 95. Woooh, it became like a new racket, solid, and with more power. The weight is now with strings 340 grams. All mine strokes was solid and mine backhand was super 🙌.
It seems like many players are saying the racquet behaves much better with added weight. I think it might be a necessity!
I hit high in the stringbed so shouldn't be an issue for me, but there is a way to mitigate lower stringbed forgiveness through "proportional stringing" method, which basically just means lowering string tension on shorter mains and crosses. So for example you can progressively drop stringing tension in lower crosses to make stringbed there more lively.
My V95 last gen really took my game to the next level because I can play it with so much confidence - flat or spin it always plays true, so I can play hyper agressive while keeping the ball in the lines. For warm weather I string it: 17g poly MAINS: 52,52,51,50,49,48,47,46 18g poly CROSS: 42,45,47,48,49,50,51,51,51,51,51,51,50.5,50,49.5,49,48.5,48,47.5,47 - you may notice that there is less tension reduction in lower crosess, that is due to increasing friction in the stringbed as you are weaving it, you basically need more pull for same resulting tension.
I have V97 2023 on order and I may drop the tension in lower crosses a bit more agressively.
Woah that’s quite a lot to remember while stringing! Props to you for going through that to get the feel you want. I’m so used to stringing at one tension that I’m not sure how that would fare for me, and I might get punched in the face if I asked a stringer to do this for me while at a tournament! I can definitely see some club players who string their own frames doing this though! Thanks for the comment
@@TheSklizo Haha absolutely, I would never ask a stringer to do that. But as they say, if you want something done right, you do it yourself. Thank you for the review.
Great insight
Thank you!!
A great review, thanks.. As a player of such high level, perhaps you should first try the frame stock, but then get it to some 325-328sw (where you get more plow and stability, but racquet head speed is still equally high), counterbalance in the handle a bit, to get your preferred balance, and then form an opinion.
These vc95s have such low swingweight, like 311-315, it makes you superquick in attacking the ball, and it's nice, but then it's annoying when you can't normally return a more solid kick serve, plus some defending balls fall too short, difficult to block without a full back swing etc.
And both groundstrokes, serves and returns push opponents back with a more appropriate sw. I bought and played the last vc95 for a month or two, no extra lead at first, and just concluded that yeah it's nice, but it's almost impossible to push opponents back, it's race to attack first in the point, weak on returns, defending balls fall too short etc.
It's difficult to win points below 335sw if you have a one handed backhand, so including counterbalancing, it's not easy setting up a high level player's frame below 315g
Mine came from factory with 306 and 308.5 SW (strung with Yonex PTP 120). FAR from the supposed average 317 SW.
Both needed 6g of lead at 12 o'clock to bump up the SWs to 330 and 331.5 (I'll fine tune the SWs soon)
I understand what you mean, but for my game the lower swingweight just works better for me. My current setup in my strike vs tour has no lead in the head and the swingweight is around 320. For me, when I’ve played with racquets that have their swingweight at mid 330s and up, they became too difficult for me on my backhands. The forehand side loved the weight and I would crush balls. I just need the whippiness to get my backhand moving the way I prefer. I know I’m strange but that’s just how it is! Thanks for the comment.
This current gen vc95 and last gen as well
@@evylsalamie it definitely swung lighter than normal, but I didn’t really have problems plowing through the ball. I was getting much more pace with this than my strike vs tours, however I don’t know what lead positioning would help with the lower strike positions creating weaker shots. Would be interesting to experiment with since I have it for one more day.
OK interesting. Btw I'm writing these comments in Zagreb, but flying back to Stockholm in a couple of days 🙂
Great review. Sub’d.
Appreciate it!
That would be really cool to have the house behind them. I could leave out the door to the clay court🎾
It’s very pretty here! That’s our pro shop on the top floor, and a little snack area for golfers on the bottom floor. That morning with the fog covering everything made it soooo pretty out!
Sklizo….First, you are a very good ball striker! And this is an excellent review of the 2023 VC 95, and its inherent flaw. This racquet is piquing my interest.. I am searching for all of the reviews that I can find, especially those that are given by players with one-handers….I am a senior who plays singles at the 4.0 level… very athletic….SW forehand; one -handed backhand… Can hit with modest spin; like to drive flat…all court player who uses everything: slice, touch, flat, some spin, etc. Definitely not a baseline banger: old guy, old style player…I am currently playing with a Blade V8 18x20…. I find that so many new racquets are very similar…But this VC 95 is not. … It appears that it is a good racquet for the one-hander. I hope it can handle variety, because I think I will give it a shot.Now, I string all my racquets with VS gut 16 mains 55 lbs, rpm blast 17 52 lbs…. Wha kind of adjustment would you make? I’m not against trying full poly. I’m just concerned about elbows, wrist…Can you rec a forgiving poly that works ….Again, great video. Ciao, John
I am interested in your string decisions . Surely sticking to gut poly is the way , what tension would you go with mains and which cross and tension ?
Hey guys! Really appreciate the comments and the compliment! I think a gut/poly hybrid would work well in this frame. If anything, I’d start stringing a bit lower than you normally would by about 3 lbs. If it’s too much pop then dial it back up.
I used a full bed of confidential 1.25 at 48 lbs, in hindsight I would like to try it dropped down to about 45 to 46 lbs. Hope this helps!
@@TheSklizo : Do you think that the 95 is good for an all court game with lots of variety?
@@johnnacke893 Absolutely! I wouldn’t say it’s excellent for defense, but for mixing up angles, spins, and playing around with pace/attacking it is excellent! Really clean feel on dropshots as well.
This current vc95 is perfect for the all-court player. This gen is especially great if you're a handy/feely type also! You just may need to weight it up a bit
good playing and good review. i think girons game suffers from his racquet choice. hes a beast but i think he could definitely use more free powpow
Maybe he could, I wonder if it would help given how flat he hits though. Same with Medvedev, he could use firepower but chooses a 95 painted like a 98 so that he has that extra control on his flatter shots.
And thank you for the compliments!!
@@TheSklizo I hit pretty flat and going from 93/97 to 100 changed my whole game. In the best way. Also Medvedev is a biggg boy, Marcos is a mere mortal size wise haha 🤣
@@92edro definitely two different players haha
Have you tried the new extreme tour or pure aero 98?
I bought the new vcore 95 but I’m unsure if I’ll stay with it. Just had it two weeks
Feels clean and precise but the smaller head and off hits is a challenge specially when hitting against high pace shots.
I have tried the extreme tour, I actually made a review that came out before this one! I am trying to get my hands on an aero 98, but it is difficult. I did like the aero vs when it came out though!
I think the vcore 95 is hard to use, but I did find it very rewarding because you had to be on your game to make the most of the frame.
How do I find the extreme tour review? I don’t see it.
Can you send me the link or another way to find it.
I looked it by your name and can’t find it.
@@adriellepretre9047 if you go to my channel, the title is “best controlled spin racquet”
Thanks for the review. Sweet court, what surface is that?
Thank you! It is green clay, also called hartru. Very common replacement for red clay in the US since it is much easier to maintain and doesn't stain clothes.
@@TheSklizo thank you, it looks great! Must be fun sliding on that.
great insight. thanks!
Thanks for watching!
does the 98 got the same flaw , im a player 4,5 to 5,0 id played vcore 95 a lot but game start becoming faster and told my self should go to 98 but they told me the new 95 was more permitting it felt like a 97 or so , so now im thinking if i go for 95 again becouse the new one is forgiving or go 98 , i do go plain strokes with power but my back hand sometimes gets short but the 98 will be less aerodynamic for that i think but more power. what do you think
Don't worry about the aerodynamics. You can't really tell the difference when you play. They both swing very quickly through the air. The 98 has much more power and does not suffer with the sweetspot flaw like the 95 does. Definitely worth a try.
It's not a flaw technically but an issue with smaller head size rackets. Off the strings, you'll have a sweet feedback. It's like using a forge blade in golf and the reward of a good contact is the feel. I have both 95 and 98 tour. They're just for different profiles of players
@Sklizo - After watching several of your other videos and reading a lot of your replies, I can't help but want to offer you more ideas.
Considering your background (6.1 95 Team, Pure Control) and outgoing frame (PS VS Tour: 320g, 98" 16x20, 21mm constant beam, 7pts head-light strung, low-320's swing weight, 13.3 twist weight) and current strung weight of 350g+, I think the following frames are the most in your wheelhouse:
- Tecnifibre TFight 315 ISO (315g, 98", 16x19 w/ 6 throat mains, 7pts HL, 22.5mm beam, 69RA flex, 324SW, 15-ish TW)
- Volkl V-Cell 10 320g (320g, 98", 16x19 w/ 8 throat mains, 7pts HL, 21/22.5/20.5mm variable beam, 67RA, 319 SW, 13.7 TW)
You'll obviously have to weight them up to your playing spec, but both will give you that nice firm (but not too firm) feel you enjoy, with good power injected back into the ball from the stiffness, similar to your Pure Strike, but unlike the Strike, the TFight is foam-filled, which cuts out a lot of harmful vibration and the Volkl uses their signature handle vibration dampening system, both of which are very effective at filtering out harmful vibrations but also preserving a decent amount of feel (as opposed to being overly muted, such as with the 2021 VCores). Also, both sticks are identically as head-light as your PS VS Tour, and both have low-enough swing weights to maintain that level of whippy-ness your need for your OHBH -- the Volkl even a bit more so than the Tecnifibre. Additionally, I think you'll find the Volkl's lower twist weight makes it a bit easier to execute a topspin one-handed backhand, but I'd be interested to get your take on both frames nonetheless!
Also, there are some other 98's out there that might appear to be a fit on the surface level, such as the Diadem Elevate v3, Dunlop FX 500 Tour or Head Extreme Tour, but each have their issues that I think may ultimately be a deal-breaker for you -- v3 Elevate I think you'll find too muted and the string pattern too open/launchy, FX500T a bit of the same with such open mains and variable cross spacing, making for a unpredictable launch up/down the string bed if you don't maintain perfect spacing (like the VC95 in a way) and the Extreme Tour is really just a platform racquet, although the Auxetic is more stable than the G360+, but it will take serious customizing to bring it to spec. Could be worth a look, though.
Anyways, hope all of that helps! Best of luck in your journey!
Wow, thank you so much for writing this!! I appreciate you taking the time to do so.
I have tried a few of the racquets you named, namely the volkl, the extreme tour, and the fx500 tour. For me, the volkl had a strange feeling that I couldn’t quite enjoy while hitting. I think their dampening tech is amazing but it does change the feel drastically. On paper it’s nearly an exact match to my strike vs tours. I am however getting the c10 evo in soon to see if that feel is any different.
As for the extreme tour and fx500 tour, I’m testing the extreme tour now and I ended up throwing weight on it in a number of configurations, but I just can’t get it to feel right for my game. It’s so fun to play with though when you hit just right!
The fx500 almost was a switch for me and it played fantastic at stock weight, but when I started to add weight, it became super unpredictable and it shocked me how different the racquet played.
The technifibre I might have to try. The higher RA scared me but I think their dampening system may help my arm a bit. I think maybe it’s time for me to give it a try. The club I work at is technifibre affiliated so I will work on getting one soon. Again, thank you for your feedback and I hope to make a video updating you on these frames!
@@TheSklizo Very welcome! And glad to see you've tried everything other than the 315 ISO. Here are my comments, frame by frame:
V-Feel 10 320g -- Not entirely surprised. That somewhat oblong hoop shape and handle dampening is definitely not for everyone. I'll be interested to see if the C10 Evo feels or plays any better once spec'd up.
Extreme Tour -- Indeed, it's very touchy to try and spec up just right. When you do, it can be magical, but it can take some serious elbow grease and not many guys I know have been able to exercise that much persistence, including a master racquet tech, so that's saying something.
FX500T -- I've been on an extended trial of the outgoing black/blue model (with higher 70RA stiffness) and noticed much of the same. Being more of a player/tweener hybrid, I think it comes more highly-tuned to be played light and whippy in more or less stock form (similar to the 2023 Pure Aero), and doesn't take weight as well as some boxier-beam, older-school frames. On that note, I almost wonder if a spec'd up CX 200 might be a better fit for you; impact feel is sublime, however I have a feeling the 64RA stiffness may feel a tad too flexy for you and you'll likely find it too underpowered, even with lead. But who knows, could be worth a shot.
315 ISO -- I am super curious to try this myself. As far as comfort goes, early feedback seems to indicate that the 69RA plays more like a 66-67 and the foam filling keeps most if not all of the arm discomfort at bay. My chief concern would be: can the high twist weight be easily-enough overcome on the one-handed backhand? I'll be VERY interested to see your review on this stick when you get the chance!
Again, thank you for your channel. You have the rare combo of a high player level coupled with ability to communicate about the game and the gear in a relevant and understandable way. Subscribed!
@@outcometechnology appreciate the subscription!! Whatever I end up playing with, I’ll try to take everybody on the journey with me. Hopefully I’ll have my racquet for the future with me soon!
@@TheSklizo Very welcome, and looking forward to seeing how your journey progresses, including with the C10 Evo and ISO 315 as you get time to demo them!
If his preferred racket has a 13.3 twistweight with no weight in the hoop added, why do you think he would like a racket with a 15 TW? Those won't even play remotely similar...and he would lose a lot of manuverability
Ive worn out the lower part of the string bed and had no problems with a lack of power. But im stringing at 40 lbs with multi. Full set of poly id go like 38 lbs or less
Hi. Do you have the 2 piece stringing instructions for the new Yonex VCore 95?
I'm so sorry, but I do not. It is difficult to go through the grommet you are supposed to use for starting the crosses, so I started one over.
Great review and much appreciated. I wonder if the 98 has the same issue or not?
I tried it and it doesn’t seem to suffer from the same issue, however for my game the thing launched like crazy and I had trouble controlling it. If you’re able to control it, the power and spin it brings is unmatched in my opinion.
@@TheSklizo Thanks for the insight. Perhaps trying a thicker string in the crosses might bring some control to the high launch angle
@@a2casius yeah, my team and I thought about that but didn’t get a chance to try, also potentially putting more lead in the hoop + going to a hybrid to bring the launch angle down
Try the head boom pro. Very underrated stick.
I am always on the fence on it. Has a couple of my buddies hit it and they said it was a cannon. Maybe I’ll give it a try anyways.
where in SC are you? I just moved to Myrtle
Hi, You said it was great on slices, you meant slice volleys or slices?,,i played whit the 2018 version nd end up changing racket cause the slice was not great, not a lot of power or stability.
I thought it was good on both! Slice volleys we’re controllable and slices from the baseline seemed to penetrate through the court nicely. I should have clarified that in the video, thank you for the question!
Im the 400 subscriber :)
thank you! :D
You're flaw, never noticed it on my gravity, neither on the prince phantom 100x , prince synergy 98, but also not on the vcore 95 2023 so far. Because of the smaller head shape it could maybe be more of an issue with the vcore 95 as the shape is even more squeezed at the bottom, but so for i haven't noticed that issue.
The biggest issue i have with the current 2023 rackets is that the price is just ridiculously high. If artengo can make a 1st class tr960 control tour 18x20 product that's being endorsed by mon fills including the sponsorship to do so and sell that for less than half new price as the Head Wilson Babolat, Yonex, then their latest price increases is just theft.
Yeah the prices have been insane from a lot of the big brands recently. I suspect brands like Artengo and Dunlop will make a large surge in sales this year!
How does the VCore 95 match up with the Pure Aero 98?
The aero vs is a little easier to use in my opinion, but it needs weight. I think if you are not going to modify the racquets, the vcore 98 is better set up stock. The aero vs offers more free power and spin and I think is better for those who don't like swinging heavier frames. I can't say about the aero 98 as I haven't been able to try it yet.
@@TheSklizo do you mean VCore 95 is better in stock?
@@johnnacke2017 yes sorry, the 95 is better stock
This guy is on a journey.
On a deep journey
Did you try the new vcore 98?
I did, for my game it launched too much. I know it works for a ton of people though and I think is an excellent switch from last gens pure aero. Similar type of launch on both racquets.
Did you prefer thethe previous Vcore 95? Believe that was less of a tear drop shape.
I prefer the shape of the previous generation, as the stringbed was more predictable, but the feel is wayyy more muted compared to this current gen. I much prefer the feel of this gen. I recommend trying both for yourself to see which works best for you.
@@TheSklizo I actually prefer the tear drop shape heads like the new one so I liked it more all around.
Long story short, I have been using the VCP 97 for a while but am looking for a little more power. I really liked the Gravity Pro and switched to it. But the grip is really short and I have a 2H backhand so after a while it started to really hurt my left index knuckle.
This new Vcore 95 may be the one. Also going to try the 98 but suspect it will be more power than I’m looking for.
@@adamshettle5391
I too have a two handed backhand and currently use the VCP 97 290g. I am thinking about switching to the 95, looks like an interesting racquet
Can you please review the v core 100 2023 you will love it
I could possibly, but I already tried the 98 and that thing was uncontrollable for me and my style of play. I can only imagine the 100 has even more pop!
@@TheSklizo ya you would have to string it high 50s but a Great frame but not a players frame as in v95 . Perhaps you could review the xi98 which would be classic frame but lower trajectory . Obv not switchable as rare but would be a good video
@@farood5 yeah I’d love to get my hands on some, but it’s just tough given they are becoming a little more rare. Right now, my goal isn’t really to review a bunch of racquets, but rather review the racquets that I believe are switchable for me. I don’t have time to try a ton more because the ITF season is starting soon and I have to make up my mind. Hopefully I can find something!
Which rackets are you considering to switch?
The ezone 98 2022 is a top contender so far, as well as the aero vs/98
The 2018 version of the Vcore 95 is the best 95 square inch racket ever
I cant hear you, too much footsteps noise
working on the audio mixing, should be better in future videos