Very accurate review 👌🏻 I just bought this racquet a played a few matches with it, and having owned the Head Gravity MP & Tour, the Wilson Blade 98 (16x19), the Head Prestige MP, and the E-Zone 98, this is my favorite of the bunch. As you say, the power is low but linear, so it gives whatever you put into it, and pretty predictably. As for the string pattern (and new head shape), it’s actually perfect for what I wanted-strings are spread out enough to deliver on spin, but the extra cross gives you good control/precision when you hit flat. Also, super stable at the net, and as you say, super versatile. But yeah a few extra grams in the handle should definitely help with its minor sluggishness and give even more stability. I use an overgrip, but might try adding a couple more grams in the butt cap. All in all a fantastic racquet if you can bring your own power. **chef’s kiss**
Thank you! It's cool to see us agree on several very specific traits on this racquet. Appreciate the comment :) glad you found something you really mesh with!
Agreed with your honest review! Stiffness, dwelling time, string characteristics swing style, tension and other factors also affect what racket you can generate most spin with.
Very true! I get crazy good spin with my Black Ace 105. Decently open pattern but bigger head and a feel/touch frame layup. Very interesting combo. I bet it is the most spin friendly feel racquet out there.
Totally agree, i've been saying that they've got the Ezone and Vcore 98 reversed lol, but also found the previous VC95 was better spin than the 98 in general, i feel that it just flows better aerodynamically on a vertical swingpath, and especially the previous VC98 was not that manoeuvrable - i've only shortly hit with the current VC98 and 95, haven't decided which one i want to buy yet for a proper go
Awesome comment. Do you do anything to your rackets commonly like add a heavier grip? I generally always do that except sometimes for demo purposes just to see in stock form.
@@ZeroLoveTennis I always prioritise racquet head speed, so i try to keep weight as light as i can, whilst using an acceptable swingweight / twisteeight that will give me enough stability
@@ACTennis @time410s whoah, love both your review video collections. I did the leather grip treatment to my Ezone Tours and it changed it to about a 5.2 headlight from 4, anyway, I think it gives more spin than any vcore, so does the HD and D, and the H for me. On a purely spin basis. I tried the VC95 '23 for many hours and a singles tournament, I think I like the stiffness of the '21 better and don't get much benefit from the power. I set the ball machine to max feed rate here just for fun to test the maneuverability of the 95 ua-cam.com/video/hhcnglkQ-r4/v-deo.html. Anyway, completely agree that lower tension is needed on the 95, below 50 for sure. In the end I may stick with the Ezone tours or go back to my Regna 98.
@@ACTennis Honestly that's very similar to my preference. I might say I try to get it to be as heavy as it can be and tail-weighted. A lot of my rackets end up with an SW around 330 something and a weight a bit over 12oz. But, they are quite head-light. So they have that heft but also that torque. I think we have some similar tastes. I saw bits of your content and we agree on quite a few rackets. Namely, your video about switchable rackets.
@@nominal I'd try a Regna if I could! I'll check your video out. I can see why you'd feel that way about the 95's and I do agree with what you said about the spin and these lines of rackets. I might mess around with the VCP D just to be sure I don't like it more or as much as the EZONE 98 but the other VCP models still have a more open pattern. Very surprising to me still.
Currently I'm testing Vcore 95 side by side to 98. First, the 95 head size is barely noticeable. Every time I pick up one, I have to check it which one I grabbed. You need to superimpose them to see the difference. 95 is slightly head heavy and that's good. Tennis is more than just swashbuckling from the baseline. For blocking, chipping, net game, half-volleys, dropshots and the last but not the least slices, you may look something not so headlight (Assuming that you are staying 305-310 g unstrung range). I found 95 more topspin oriented than the previous generation. A bit more powerful but slightly less accurate. In any given day I prefer it over the Vcore 98, a racquet which I do not know why it does exist when you have Ezone in your lineup. Definitely worth to give it a try (Caution: I used multis in my trials. If you're into polys or hybrids, your experience will differ definitely)
Solid observations. I wonder similar things recently. Speaking to your comment about head light, if that's directed at me, my rackets end up being headlight in balance but still generally heavier in the head and overall than stock and swingweight ends up around 330 by the time it's made to me mine. So it swings a certain way but still has heft in the head. I like something kind of heavy and whippy. Most my shots are from baseline but I also go for a lot of dropshots. Tradeoffs happen quick with much head weight depending on how you like to hit.
@@ZeroLoveTennis "my rackets end up being headlight in balance but still generally heavier in the head and overall than stock" that's the key. My regular racquet is a Vcore Pro 330 (2018) and with such a mass behind the ball head lightness is always welcome. Thanks for the video!
I have and there's an old review on it I did. Solid racket but I felt it was a little harder than I liked to generate power. Especially if I'm really scrambling to the point I have to slide to get to balls, it was very hard to punch back enough. It's a very similar racket but I think the new one is a touch better if you want a little more power and maybe a little more spin. It's also more comfortable. Doesn't mean it's better, necessarily, but I would pick it between the two.
2018 is less muted. More of a comfortable crispyness. Definitely doesn’t have a lot of power and feels less stable that the later versions. 2018 is probably the better of the latest generation you just need some customizing for it
My main racquet was the VC95 2018 version with some lead to make it more stable and for plow as i play more flat than spin, tried the previous one and could t gel with it, my balls were all going long probably due to launch angle and needs more spin. The new one seems to be in the same path and with more open pattern needs to be played with more spin. These days i play more with ezone 98 tour with minimal customization and works well as well for me.
I really appreciate your reviews and videos! I am an aggressive all court player, I like to swing hard and fast! I use the yonex VC95 2021 and also use the Babolat APD original, I know they are very different rackets but I really enjoy them both! I have my eyes on the new Babolat PA98 and the new Yonex VC95, in your opinion which one would you think will suit my play style better? Thank you for your time!
Thank you! Wow, well, since you use both the APD and vc95 it's hard to say such you'd prefer. I think the PA98 is more in between the two you currently use and the VC95 of current gen is almost the same racket as your last gen but a little more easy access to power with slightly more comfort. For my game, I'd probably run with the PA98. Even the new 100 is solid. Much denser pattern than the last few generations of Pure Aeros.
Hi, love the video and content you are creating. I am a blade 98 v8 16/19 user and loved the racket. Thinking about using the vcore 95 because the stability is outstanding and the smaller head size help me to focus more when hitting the one hand backhand. Do you think i should upgrade or the 95 head is just too hard to use for and intermediate player? PS. My hitting partner/ teacher is a very high level player in my country should be around ATP 1000-1300 and we go at each other quite hard when playing, but i do quite getting bully around the court with the blade98 so is the stability of the 95 helps me or its too demanding in your opinion. Ohh and the last thing is i'm just annoyed at the quality control of the wilson brought 2 blade 98 and one is just unplayable.
Hard to say. It asks a bit of you but sure it's somewhat rewarding. I think 95s have some limitations that are more of a hindrance than a help in today's game. My racket of choice by quite far right now is PA98.
So in your opinion its not worth the hassle, just stick to the blade? Or give the 95 some adjustment time like 2-3 months? Now i am playing with tourbite soft 50p in the vcore will changing it to polytour pro 46p help with the dwell time of the racket?
Haha it's so hard for an outsider to say. I got away from those rackets for my own reasons. I like my PA98 a lot because if offers the control I get from those others but with the power and spin I want as well. It's only a slight adjustment for me to feel like I can get everything I need or want from the PA98.
I love the 95. More i use it more i like it. Best one handed backhand racket ive ever tried. Pretty controlled over all so if u are needing power maybe not a great choice. But if u are playing against players that crush it its great. Playing it at 40 lbs full set of multi
I have the vcore95 for a few months, based on what i see from your videos we have the same skill level, i just demoed the pro staff v14 six one… omg i m ditching my vcore pro 95 2023. Give it a try!
Haha very cool. I used to love the prostaffs. I liked them better than I liked these. Currently I suppose I'm more likely to go prostaff. What's different about it from the regular pro staff?
@@ZeroLoveTennis the head size is 100 and the weight is 305g, quite head heavy. easier to play, but for a 100, control was no issue. check it out. Feels like butter.
I love the racquet. I added a small amount of weight at 12 o’clock, and 3 & 9 o’clock and it played well. Next I will try 10&2 o’clock . However, I was thinking, what if lead tape was added…at top of racquet somewhere, and so at 5 & 7 ish where the head is narrow?
The narrower the head, the less weight will affect twist-weight. But it's also pretty far down the head and closer to the center of racquet. Might be nice for you. Really depends how you want to balance things out and swing.
Thanks for the review man. I just switched to this one in the past few weeks after demoing it. Fell in love with it immediately and agree with your review of it. I find that I can generate really good spin with it and when I need power on it I can get power on it to put away a shot. The serves are also great. I feel like I can get a lot of pop on it. Also, thanks for your comments on string tension at the beginning. I’ve been playing around with different strings to find what I like best in this racquet and just tried solinco tour bite at 51 lbs. first hit I had a pain shoot up my arm and kept happening for the first couple hits after that. I stupidly kept playing and while it got better I definitely screwed up my wrist/hand and now need to take a break for a week or two. Im going to try stringing at 46 or 47 lbs to see how that treats my arm. And the Zero string is on my list to try. Cheers!
Awesome! Yes I loved Zero at the mid 40s tension. Crazy tension sensitive racket. 5lbs more can really make or break how it feels. Some are like that. More common with smaller heads probably. Lmk about zero! Toroline Wasabi is worth a try as well. I've got codes for both.
OMG you're 100% spot on. My daughter hits with a EZone 98+ and her game is all topspin. So much so that it frustrates me when I hit with her. When I demo'ed the new 7th gen, 2023 VCore 98, she HATED IT. The EZone 98 actually falls perfectly within her play style. It's shocking how much spin potential there is on the EZone 98 line-up. DISCLAIMER: Yes her EZone 98 is the plus version (1/2" longer), but the string bed and drill pattern is identical to the regular EZone 98. Glad I waited for your review on the 95.
Thank you! I used to hit plus too actually and the way they achieve a reasonable swingweight is by reducing head weight and namely in the 3/9 area. I noticed the plus versions to be quite a bit less stable but in a way, more easily able to generate topspin. A lot of people disagree that less weight at 3 and 9 means more spin but I think it's generally true. I might try the plus again for fun just to see which one I max out spin on more.
Fantastic review! I play with a Vcore 97 D, have you tried it? What are your thoughts? I'm getting too tired when I play long games and I'm thinking of getting a vcore 95. Thanks for getting back to me
I'd prefer the 95 even though it's a little more work to get power, at least it doesn't taper off as much towards the top end of power. I might try that 95 again for a longer period but I'll see how things go with my 18x20 rackets.
I actually don't know. Never tried it. Head has so many rackets and the extreme never caught my attention somehow. Maybe I'll give it a shot but I mostly haven't heard great things. What really makes the instinct, radical and extreme all that different from each other? They seem so similar that they could almost be a different model in the same family.
I would suggest you try at least the Extreme Tour auxetic. If you use topspin and want control the new Extreme Tour is a great option. It has good comfort also. Their have been good reviews on this racket also but you know sometimes you find mixed reviews on any racket. It’s a bit subjective. I’ve tried many rackets and I’m considering it as my racket of choice. I’m trying to ignore reviews that sometimes predispose you and just play with the racket. Today I played with it and placed the ball where I wanted with excellent spin and pace. Between the Radical and the Extreme Tour you get more spin and racket speed with the Extreme. It’s more aerodynamic and it has spin grommets. Besides, a couple of UA-cam reviewers express the Extreme Tour was 2022 racket of the year. But others may differ. I personally like the racket as it works for my topspin game and I like the feel.
I'll give it a shot. Not exactly sure when but I might try to breakdown the head rackets to make the lineups more digestible and perhaps then. Thanks for putting that racket into perspective with some heads I'm familiar with. I am currently trying the gravity and speed pro but my time with them might be done soon.
Great review! I‘m currently using the prestige 360+ mp (98sq in) and have a one-handed backhand. I want more power and spin potential but don’t want to sacrifice a lot of control. Do you think the vc98 or the vc95 would suit me better? Also, any plans to review the vc100?
I might try the 95 first. It's a little more hefty and from my experience (albeit might be the leather base grip) gives easier access to spin while also being lower powered. Yes, as of doing this video I think I must haha
@@innocent.8253 Will do! Let us know if you gave it a go and how it went. My demo actually came strung with 16 gauge Hyper G at 53 lbs, fresh. Which, I think was too thick and too stiff. If my demo experience was from the perspective of that setup, I would probably think the racket felt terrible. So I hope you have a good demo experience or find a way to get your own strings in it. I put ReString in mine right away. However, if it came with 17G and a little lower tension, I'd have probably not cut out the strings right away 😅
How would you compare the ezone 98 with the vcore 95 and what differences do you see? I had the ezone 98 2022 for two years and I want something more controlled and more stable, do you think the vcore 95 is a good option?
EZ98 has more power for the same effort for sure. Also a bit stiffer, maybe. It's close. Why would you prefer the VC95 to something like the Percept line? I also figure you might want to stay with Yonex, am I right?
That's a really great question and not an easy one to answer. I definitely say the EZONE has better access to power but you could associate a sense or feeling of control that comes from a more dense drill pattern. In other words, the string bed on an EZONE looks to be more control oriented compared to the VCORE while the beam shape and thickness on VCORE is more control oriented than EZONE. So which affects control more? I'll make a video about these observations. It's a tricky thing to answer.
What do you like so much about the Ezone 98? I couldn't connect properly with that racquet (DR version). For me, it lacked feel and also lacked power. Usually you have to trade off between feel and power, but I felt the Ezone was deficient in both.
Maybe you strung high. For me it really shines around 46 with my string of choice. I moved away from that one anyway, though. Too much power, not a lot of feel. Other reasons too...
I think the last two generations of EZ98 have quite a bit more pop than the DR98. The one that came right after the DR had noticebly more, at the expense of comfort, but this apparently has been addressed in the latest iterration.
Nice summary… This racquet is getting a lot of love from those, like me, who hit with a one-handed backhand. It is piquing my interest. I’m a senior 4.0 singles player, all court game, some top, flat , slice and touch shots. Would this 95 fit my game? I also string all of my rackets with VS gut 16 mains 55; rpm blast 17 cross 52. Would this combo work? What tension adjustment would you make… You hit with a lot of top. I don’t. Variety is my game.. Ciao, John
It very well could be a good one for you to try! It's very middle grounded and still on the lower power side and pretty comfortable. I would highly suggest going down a few pounds. Honestly maybe start at 50/47 but that's a conservative suggestion. I might go a few pounds more myself and raise next time if necessary. This racket will very quickly not feel good when tension is too high.
Hi! No. I just know from stringing enough. I guess it becomes obvious after doing enough rackets how it should be strung. I've actually never looked at instructions, just followed what the last job I knew was correct did on the same racket. Now I don't need that but in the beginning that's what I followed. But really I think it's pretty obvious. If you put a string through the wrong hole, it will quickly be obvious that it is too far spaced or too closely spaced. I know this isn't the best advice but my point is that it doesn't take very long to get comfortable enough to not look at the instructions.
@@ZeroLoveTennis I've hit my best backhand slices with it, by far. I also agree it should be strung below 50lbs. I had mine at 53. I'll play it again at a lower tension, but overall, yes. Great string and great durability, especially for intermediates like me.
@@experientialtennispickleball I wonder if it's a little more stiff than some strings. Do you think so? Of strings in similar gauge? Anyway, it feels so good at just below 50 in the rackets I've been using at least. I don't really want to call it stiff, but it does feel good around 45-50lbs and I think, in general, people string poly a little higher than they should AND since ReString holds tension so well, it might appear to be stiffer a few days after stringing than other polys because the other polys at the same tension might have dropped more. Hard to say...
@@ZeroLoveTennis I played it on the Diadem Nova at 24kg. Yes, it felt quite stiff and I've stated that I should have strung it 1.5-2kg lower. The very only drawback I've found was some inconsistency on the depth of flat forehands. Should be the high tension and that it grabs the ball so well that it suits best player who hit just like you do, with lot of spin.
Nice! It seems to be the reality. I'm going to compare the lines in a future video but one obvious point on why is that the beam is thicker on EZONEs, almost implying they are designed to be the more spin friendly racket from the start. The VCORE has a somewhat control type beam shape and thickness yet a more open pattern... odd
Think it depends on swing speed and technique and how you generate spin. I find vcore more spin friendly now as my technique has changed. But I would have said opposite a year with ezone because I was able to get easier acceleration with ezone because of its weight and Ballance. Such a unique racket. The reason the string pattern is to open is because the hoop is actually as wide as a standard 100 inch racket. It's just squashed shorter to make it measure smaller
that's fair! But I think a more spin friendly racquet will generate more spin if the technique and balance are the same. As in...as long as other variables don't mess with the difference in spin then the more spin friendly one should win out But I kinda feel you in this example. I might feel the same way now if I was to balance the 95 to be even more spin friendly. But...it is a smaller head with an extra cross string. It might just not be quite as spin friendly. Been a while since messing with either! I know what I'm using now is more spin friendly than either, though! Haha. What's your main stick these days?
@@ZeroLoveTennis I'm currently hitting with the prince ats tour 98. Taking me a bit of adjusting to the swing weight and the flex point which feels mostly in the hande but seems to suit my swing path and has decent control and power. Need to try a leather grip on it.
@@ZeroLoveTennis I would do this if I had a smaller grip size but will be too big after shrink wrap. Unless I could find a half size wrap and then use feather thin to keep same size?
I do a thin shrinkwrap instead of the basegrip and put overgrip on top of that to give it a little texture. Overall ends up being about the same as a normal base grip or even slightly thinner. I don't use it to build up the grip. It's a different and more rubbery texture than the typical "build-up" sleeves. You can see them in my amazon storefront here: www.amazon.com/shop/zerolove/list/ESHRGUMFJB3Q?ref_=aipsflist
Lately I've been wishing the vcore98 came with a variant that had an 18x20 pattern. I tried switching to the vcore98 (2023) from the vcore95 (2021) and I've been finding it to be waaaay higher of a launch angle than my technique can handle. Would it be fair to say the ezone98 would fit between the two? I absolutely love the vcore95 but I'm hoping for a bit more forgiveness
Hard to say. I got great spin with the EZONE 98 but don't recall a high launch angle necessarily so maybe! Try it out. I like a little weight at 3 and 9 on the EZONE 98. It's kind of floppy. Very powerful racquet btw.
When I hit the Ezone 98, it encouraged me to hit flat. I use a Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 which has a 16x18. Very even spacing which gives a huge dip on the ball.
Interesting. My launch angle and spin is very high with the 98. I find the 100 wants to hit flatter than the 98 by a lot. But I have not compared it to this Prince you speak of so I can't say how they compare for me.
Hey Robust, totally agree on the Prince TT 100-310; amazing spin, whopping kick serves too... had to walk from it in the end due to elbow issues and it was probably a little over my level anyway. Half a mind to try to find the 290g version.
More heavy and lower powered than 300. The 315 it feels a bit more similar to. Shift gets way better spin. 95 a little nicer on shots like drop-volleys. Serve I'd prefer the 315.
I'm happy with the power level I'm achieving at 46lbs with Zero. I didn't feel like I needed more, it felt just about right. I'd highly suggest trying this racket stringing in the mid '40s with 17g poly and that will tell you a lot about how it feels when strung correctly. You truly might not feel it needs more power.
It was great! This is a racket that is extremely sensitive to being strung too high. First I tried 50 in the generation before this one and that felt awful, boardy etc. You wanna string lower than you might think you should on this one. Definitely string below 50 first time but I suggest around 45 just to be sure you aren't too high. It can go from feeling good to terrible in just 5lbs
I’m more of flat player and two handed backhand. I’m a baseline but trying to turn into all around player where I like to hit forehand/backhand slice and trying to be tricky. Do you think this racquet will help me more with that kind of playing style? I currently use Radical Pro (no mod). Thank you!
Radical Pro of this generation most recently? I think the radical pro is a pretty all around racket as well. Maybe the power from the 95 is a little more linear and you could more easily control the depth with a little more precision from the racket. It is a bit more work to generate power though and for my game, I often push a player way back blasting some heavy forehands and then suddenly taking all the pace off and hitting a really delicate drop shot. But I know my spin heavy baselines rackets enough to be able to hit a nice drop shot the way I like. It's hard to say if it would benefit you or if it would be a huge difference. You might notice the power difference and the way the racket flexes would feel different as well. Whether or not it actually helps your game, it's hard to say. Little trade offs in ease of generating power for a little gain in touch shots. But it's not like your record is some power monster, the transition may be pretty smooth. Lmk if you try it out!
I agree on the marketing side I think you really need to test the gears first before deciding on what and not to use, I think it depends on the person using it, like for me I don’t know if some people noticed it about shaped strings I hit the ball flatter than the more rounder ones mainly I think and noticed that the shaped ones aren’t moving unlike the more rounder ones they tend to move a lot therefore creating more spin
Comparable but also different. If the PA98 is your reference racquet, the VC95 is definitely more effort to get power overall. Also offers less spin. With that more linear power curve, you could make an argument for control being in favor of the 95 but I don't really feel a control issue with the 98. I feel quite in sync with it but perhaps at net you'd notice control of depth and therefore angles a little better with the VC95. Been a while since I hit with a VC95. Stringing it lower feels and plays much better for most strings. I'd suggest the 95 be strung about 5-10lbs lower than the PA98.
@@ZeroLoveTennis, I hope you’re well. I thought I’d reach out to you as you’re pretty good at getting back to your followers and I value your opinion. I’ve recently picked up the VCore 95 2023 and also use my current stick, the 2021 VCore 95(customised with a leather grip, Tourna power strips at 10&2) and strung with Head Lynx Tour 1.25mm gauge at 50lbs. That setup works well for me in the 2021, however in the 2023 it’s a shade too heavy but delivers a very heavy ball but not sustainable over 3 sets. My final numbers with this setup was 347g static weight, 340 swing weight and balance point of 32.1. In your video, you mention that you swapped out the grip for leather too, but did you add any weight in the head at all after further use? Karue from TennisHQ added weight at 12, but no mention of a leather grip. I’m almost tempted to go back to basics, play it stock with a lower tension and add weight from a base platform. Thoughts?
Karue probably did that because he hits famously flat and low. If you want a whippy racquet, like I would, weight in the handle would be nice. Perhaps with more time I'd have wanted weight on both sides but the first thing I wanted to do was make it more headlight and I liked that much better. It's hard to say. Sometimes static weight can slow everything down a bit, sometimes it is swingweight. But it is worth messing with both, perhaps. What do you think would save energy for you more, a few units of swingweight or a few grams?
@@ZeroLoveTennis , thanks for your reply. I’m going to try 2 grams at 12 and keep the leather grip on for now. Just shadow swinging with that setup feels nice and seems to bring the head through quicker. I’ll keep you posted 🤞
Tennis Nerd made a comment recently that Yonex's updates often have a very significant effect on how the racket plays, so much so that the rackets have their own personalities. So... I agree that the marketing gets super confusing, and for me what I notice most is how the RA tends to interact with the string pattern changes you mentioned. This makes relying on impressions of other players sorta useful, but there's no getting around having to demo several rackets. That said, I just bought this one and I love the feel. It's soft and solid at net and but it I do really feel it comes through contact a little faster. I normally play blades, so compared to those, I get spin easier for sure. Is it more spin friendly than other Yonex rackets??? I took your advice and demo-compared the zone 98 and the Vcore 98 and just kinda liked this one better overall.
I probably feel and experience, by a large difference, the ezone 98 to be the most spin friendly. Blades are more head heavy and play a bit differently but in some ways they aren't too far apart! I'm glad you like it.
Seems like string is a hot topic with this racquet. What poly outside of Zero would you recommend? I have this racquet but the seller strung it with hyper g 16l and honestly not sure how I feel about it.
Oh, I would say 16L a bit thick and if it's above 50lbs it's definitely too high and too thick. People are too shy to string rackets around 45 but this is a 16x20 95" and it should make perfect sense to do so, especially with a poly AND if it's thick. Besides Zero? Toroline is the only runner-up but it's somewhat different. Softer, and I don't like the company as much since they drop the ball a lot but I shouldn't get into it here. The string is legit though. After that, I feel like everything is such a far second. Zero is largely based off Hyper G but it really takes the performance and durability and spin up a few notches. So I guess Hyper G but I'd try 17g or even 17g mains and 18g crosses if you wanna get funky. Around 45-48lbs.
I have a 2019 Vcore 100. I demoed the 2022 Ezone 98 and love the power, plush feel and what I felt was way more control. Can’t wait to try the Vcore 98 to make a decision but based on all of these reviews, I am sensing the Ezone might be the one to go with.
Nice, glad you had time with both. It took a little time and that's a good sign of rackets being close in what you want. That's what it takes. Once you feel the the thing you are looking for or don't like, you don't see the racist racket the same. By the way, what were your reasons for this decision?
A lot of people conflate launch angle with spin. You're right that there are so many variables in play that it's hard to make definitive statements about how frames will perform across the board. For example, one of my buddies is similar height to me, similar build, similar style strokes, and similar level, but he plays with the Pure Aero and I play with the VC95. I had always assumed that he hit with more spin than me because my shots are more linear and lower over the net, but when I casually mentioned to another person we played with that he hits with more spin, they were like "actually I think you hit with more spin." Upon watching videos of us playing, I do notice I hit with more racquet head speed because the VC95 is so low powered. He definitely hits a more spinny serve, though.
That makes sense. It's funny to see how many players you see with a pure drive. Like some are spin heavy and some are very flat. A lot of wta players for example are good examples of both but more often flat but I know strong examples of both in person and I'm just like WTF. But I guess you could make the argument you might be able to generate more spin with his Pure Aero than your vcore. But even that, maybe not!
I haven't thought about that, maybe I've been confusing the two without realizing. I am currently demoing VC 95, 98, and Ezone 98 all latest gens. I am coming from a Blade 98 V8 16x19 and I am really liking the VC95. I am still debating with the VC98, but the Ezone 98 every time I hit with it, I hated playing with it. It seems overpowered and launch angle was always high, but I am realizing, maybe its the spin difference between those rackets and I'm confusing launch angle with more spin potential. I tend to hit the ball out more with the Ezone, maybe because it just overall has more power and I need a lower powered racket. I'm 6'2 200lbs, so I prefer a more control oriented racket which so far while demoing, the VC95 has been my favorite so far.
@@clarenceunderwood382 Ha I actually switched to the EZ98 in the past few months since I wrote this comment (because of back pain) and I agree. I hit the ball out WAY more often with the EZ98 than with the '21 VC95. I also find that I hit harder on average with the VC95 because I can swing out more freely. My serve is way better with the EZ98 though and has helped with back pain :) My back is getting better so I might switch back at some point. I might also take a look at other racquets like TF40, PS97, etc. What's your level? If you're young and healthy like me and can provide your own pace... go for the 95.
Everyone has different technique. That said, I’m a 5.0 player and have hit with both the ezone 98 and the vcore 98. I think I get a good amount more spin with the vcore. I’m able to get away with hitting flat a lot more easily with the ezone.
Interesting. In the end I found I don't really care for either racket haha. I wonder if I setup the VCORE my way, how much more spin I could get. It's probably a more stable racket in stock form. I found the EZ98 to be rather floppy by my standards now. Very happy with my PA98 now.
@@ZeroLoveTennis I’ve been using the ezone for some years now ever since the DR. I’m currently demoing the ezone 98 2022 and the vcore 98 2023. I honestly love both rackets. I’m leaning towards the vcore though. I think it also feels a bit better on my one handed backhand. I’m also going to demo the vcore 95 before making any final decisions. I’ve never customized any rackets yet btw, but I’ll probably start. I just demoed the PA98 and it felt good to me when I hit good shots, but very unpleasant on off center shots, but I also probably am just used to the yonex feel by now. Lol
@@ZeroLoveTennis what are the benefits of having a leather grip? I’ve never customized a racket, but it’s been something I’ve been wanting to do. My apologies for not being subscribed yet btw. Lol I just subscribed.
People like it for the extra weight. Having that tail weight allows the racket to have a little more stability but quite a bit more whip. So it's more stabilized in a whippy swing path. You have to feel it to notice. Sometimes it increases the grip size a little, people like or don't like that. You can get a thinner or regular grip but honesty will probably just adapt without thinking about it. As someone who is obviously incredibly picky, little changes to grip size don't generally bother me at all. People also like the stiffer feel, associated with better feel of the bevels or even the stringbed. A softer or stock base grip can sometimes round out the edges a little much. It's one of those things you have to try before you can really appreciate the differences And while I don't always use leather, I basically never use stock base grips anymore because I aim to achieve something similar to what leather offers but sometimes in a different way.
how do you compare this one with the new gravity auxetic ? i have the 95 2023 and really like it but not very forgiving on defense and volley because of the size of the head i d say
You wanna string that 95 pretty low! Mid to low 40's no higher and then see for yourself. The Gravity might be more forgiving and a bit more able to generate power but I'd have to do a side to side comparison to be sure but from memory, it seems this way. The 95 was always in need of a big commitment to your shot for anything to happen. I havent felt this way with the Gravity whereas the 95 is in your face about that reality.
@@ZeroLoveTennis yeah 100% you need to really commit and hit it hard with the 95 which to be honest I enjoy because I just love to hit the ball with full commitment, I don't really like rackets i need to sugar coat, always end up overthinking my shots because i just don't know how to play ''soft'' or with more ''touch''. Saying this, it s not like i m in full control of every point, so when you are in that defensive mode, i m struggling to counter with good depth and power. I strung it 50 lbs, poly tour. I m gonna give it a try at 45lbs Luxilon
Depends if you want a lot of spin or not. I do. I like the speed pro. Gives you a bit more power than the 95. Still good control. The 95 got a little annoying with how much you have to swing to achieve certain things. I also didn't feel like it's depth control or touch was amazing despite how much work it was to hit every shot. But the cool thing about it is how much you know to commit to each shot. Some rackets you give it a little more and the ball goes away more than you thought. It's kind of the opposite with this one in particular. It's possible I'll try it again, though. I'll string even a bit lower this time 😂
the older Vcore tours (89, Tour F) were marketed as control rackets back in the day. I believe the Vcore 95 is marketed towards the players that gravitated towards those rackets. It retains the DNA of those older rackets and keeps the 16x20 pattern
But now we have the Vcore Pro line which replaced the Duel G during the sort of Yonex rebrand which simplified the naming schemes of all their rackets and got rid of the alphabet soup after the racket line name. Yonex has always made great midsize rackets which is why I believe we still have a 95 which is why we sort of consider "mid" now
That's a good explanation and timeline story, thank you! I thought it also replaced the SV line and retained a lot of that spin marketed branding. It's just that I don't think these are actually as spin friendly as people seem to believe or the marketing seems to imply. It's a thinner beam racket but has a slightly more open pattern. If anything, the EZONE should be the spin racket but I think certain traits are so heavily stereotyped as meaning this or that to the point, maybe, Yonex is shy to market the EZONE as the spin racket because it has a dense string pattern. Despite the fact, that in my experience, it is far more spin friendly. At the least the 98, not the 100. But the 100 is more open so you get back into the territory of people assuming it's more spin friendly (the racket) because the pattern is more open. It's just not that simple...
@@ZeroLoveTennis Right, right. The SV line came out right after the Tour F line. Then came the oversimplification of the Yonex frames. I like to think about it like Babolats racket line. The Aero is marketed as being the most aerodynamic and therefore "easier" to produce spin. But the pure drives have always been able to produce easy power and spin as well. Sounds very similar to the Yonex Vcore (which is now a mishmash of the Tour F aero grommets and the vcore/SV line) and their Ezone line respectively. I think it's also important to think about the company's intention behind racket design as well. The more open string pattern in the Ezone may contribute to the supposed easier power (and the spin production is just a by-product). The denser string pattern in the Vcores may be there to keep it from being too launchy?
I think I mentioned it feels good at net like it's stable enough and so on. I've thought about breaking a review down in that form but I also feel like it's silly to express things like a racket not feeling good on a backhand. It's too personal to say if that'll translate to the user at all. It's very indefinite so I try to stick to more objective things. I generally find a more stable racket to feel better on my backhand. This one is reasonably stable. I might talk about why this is for me in a future video.
@@farood5 Serves...it was a bit more work to get going but you have all the time you need on a serve so it's just about adjusting the timing or way you swing a bit. Each racket you need to adjust your timing and once dialed in, it felt fine. I never felt like it needed more weight. It never felt too light. As I said, it's even more hefty than the VCORE 98 so if I didn't feel that way about the VCORE 98, it would make sense that I didn't feel like the 95 needed more weight since it already had that. I had to be a little more conscious of my prep because it was heavier to swing. It goes straight through the ball a bit better than my EZONE but that's not generally the type of shot I go for but on volleys it's nice! If I had a lot more time, it's possible I might want a touch more weight but I'm more of a tail-weight guy with a lot of topspin. I currently feel like I want a little more weight on my EZONE 98 but how much and where, it's tricky to say but I will play around with it.
I used to play with a 18x20 blade (heavily customized) and i really think i generate less topspin with my vcore 95 2021. Maybe its just the swingweight, but this yonex feels much more like a pro staff in my opinion, just slightly spinnier
@@ZeroLoveTennis maybe its just my technique that improved much more, but i just the vcore 95 just perfect for my style. (I dunno if it changes that much, but it was a ps 97 cv version)
Hi! Nice review. For a few month i playing with Vcore pro 97 and suddenly i love it much more than my vcore 98 (6th gen). I think its all about the weight and balance (both completely stock except overgrip). And now i wanna try new vcore 95 and wonder how do this to compare because specs are pretty similar. Also i think you got broken link for "Courtside Tennis Affiliate Link for VCORE 95:" Thanks!)
Thought I replied but thanks for pointing out the link, should be fixed. VCP feels so good! I'm dabbling with the D version. What do you love about it more than the VCORE 98?
Control is so funny. I can't get into a real conversation about it because control becomes this really subjective thing even though the word is so black and white. Things like power or spin are more definitive...stiffness. I think control largely comes from a predictable response for the user. Not something inherent to the racquet. So I can't answer your question because I don't know if you'll feel that way. But it's power response is pretty linear and that makes its power quite predictable. Not all 95 are like that.
@@ZeroLoveTennis Yes it's difficult to define control I know. For me the no1 characteristic of control that I look for is predictability and precision when targeting from the baseline both from side to side and height over the net. In my case I would be comparing it to a Pure Control 95 which I have been enjoying recently. I bought the PC with trepidation but was very pleasently surprised by how user friendly it is. It was my first experience using a 95.
Ah they don't make them anymore. I'd say this one is kind of similar. I think you can totally enjoy that kind of control from bigger head sizes but with string patterns like 16x20 or 18x20. It also might be more stable but similarly powerful. The larger head/denser pattern approach is very clever. Consider it sometime? Lmk if you want a few suggestions.
@@ZeroLoveTennis Yes those larger head deanse string pattern rackets are on my radar. I actually have a Speed Pro Graphene XT but my example is around 7mm balanced towards the head than it is supposed to be so it's quite heavy to swing. I imagine if it were on spec it would be great. Apart from that I find thet getting height above the net is easier with the Pure Control and it feels more comfortable. I think I generally like fast head light rackets which is why the new Puse Strike 100 16x20 looks interesting or maybe the Gravity Tour.
I had the VCore 95 2021 for some time and I agree with everything you said (except for the low string tension 😅) With the 95 I had to focus on every shot, full swing and correct positioning. Every little mistake translated into a shanked shot. I'm right now playing the VCORE Pro 97 and power wise it's much better. Also in terms forgiveness and ease of use. You can do full swings and get a nice power but also accepts some mistakes. Spin wise they are not that far apart. Also played long with 2021 and 2023 VCore 98 and it feels totally different in terms of power, spin and forgiveness. You lose a bit of control though. You need to be a little more conscious about how you hit. I'm thinking of testing the 95 2023 again as my skill has improved since last time I used it. Might test it along with the Dunlop CX 200 or the ProStaff but my guess is that I'm still not at the level of playing with a 95 confortably.
I find it easier to access full power on the cx200 tour which is interesting because it's also a 95 but denser pattern. Felt like less work over all but only slightly. I would pick the vcore 95 over the VCP of any kind. I can still get full power and it feels more stable to me. VCP all a little noodle like on harder shots.
I have the 95 2023 and i love it but you need to be a very good player if you want to play well with it, you nailed it, you need to be super focused, well positioned otherwise the shots are shanky. I m afraid i m not good enough actually to really play well.
Well a review is more about the experience, not the material or manufacturing quality. What makes a great racquet? And how does this translate to the user experience? This racquet will be more of this and less of that than other things and the user is to determine if it's a good fit. It's not a review about the quality so much as the "qualities" So what is your point? I don't understand.
@time410s Very subjective, everytime I watch a review about a great racquet it's almost exactly the same as the last model and this is proven by how pros routinely paint racquets they used for ten plus years just to match the new model. Racquet technology has changed very little in the last 15 years. There are tennis pros that have been hitting 130mph plus in the 80s and 90s as well as golfers hitting with old irons and new within 20 years and no difference.
Well a pro is unlikely to change racquets or much because it would risk so much for quite a while. Yeah, I don't think racquet tech is going to increase ball speed much at the top end. But it could do all kinds of other things. I'll agree with the technology being less meaningful but differences can be meaningful regardless of the technology. And IDK what your point about the engineers is or yonex because their incentive is to sell and make a new product. Them "knowing" what they are doing is largely about knowing how to sell a new product. So how does that jive with the perspective a reviewer would offer when the reviewer isn't directly made to have a bias for a specific racquet? What exactly do you trust more about yonex? Because they will tell you the new technology is meaningful and better than the old stuff and you should get the new stuff. Someone like me is just going to share their experience and make an comparison from their perspective. It's up to you to decide if the changes displayed are worth considering for any reason.
I used it briefly and l liked the feel but found that sometimes if you mis hit the sweet spot is smaller. That could be because of the new head shape. I’m leaning toward the extreme tour auxetic as I rely alot on spin and want a bigger head size a bit more forgiving. Though, Yonex has great build quality but it’s not for me maybe.
I understand! Yeah if you rely on spin and that's your game, this one might make you work for that more than it's worth. If you want to try a Yonex you may like, I think the EZONE 98 might be worth a go. String pattern is pretty tight but power and spin are it's specialty, without being out of control. It's just not expected because the racket isn't marketed that way but if you like spin, I think the ezone 98 is the racket to try if you're trying a yonex. Not the 100. Not the Vcore line either. Let me know if you do!
@@Jakub_G_Tennis I kinda feel the same way. It's like more power and less spin. I would prefer the opposite haha. And it's tiring how often people assume the larger head means more spin. I just don't believe it's true in this case, it's never that simple. I probably will do a review on it or at least focus some attention on it in a different video. Maybe ezone 98 vs 100. Something like this. And I'll try to show off the spin I get just to make my point. It looks like a ping-pong ball trajectory when I hit full power full spin 😂
I haven't but I've heard good things. However, I first care about snapback as it results in great spin and will increase lifespan greatly since friction is reduced between strings. I have compared many strings, all the big names, and ReString far out performs them all. They are not in stores yet so you just buy from the website, where I linked. And with my link or code you get 10% off.
Nice review. It's also been my experience that the VCP97 "tapers off" when I'm trying to go full out, esp compared to the VC95 (21 and 18). Regarding the Yonex lines, I've always thought it strange that the Ezone 100 is siloed as the "power" racket, compared to the Pure Drive, as it looks and plays like a Pure Aero 100 (it has a similar throat construction). Casper Ruud f.inst. came from a Aero Pro (plus?) iirc, and I wouldn't be surprised if f.inst. Jaime Munar used a Aero Pro as well, before switching to Yonex (Ezone 100, not sure what he plays now). When it comes to spin generation and string/drill patterns, ime the most important factor is how the racket itself lends itself to your game, i.e. some rackets (and setup) just promote a "better" or more spin-oriented swing, regardless of string pattern. I've never gel'ed with the Ezone/DR 98, and prefer the VC98 line f.inst. The most spin friendly racket I've owned/tried is my old Prince Graphite Pro 90 (14x18 pattern in a 93 sq in frame). That being said, I have the new VC98, and I really enjoy it, but it feels like a more control oriented VC100 (compared to the tango version). It's just as solid going flat as producing spin, which is strange given the marketing, I admit that :-)
Really interesting to hear such a similar experience but I think that points to some of the truth that is surprisingly different from the marketing. Thanks for sharing your comment.
You should have tested in stock form rather than changing the grip - essentially renders your review invalid. Nevertheless good review. I see your level of play is not advanced so I note your review is based somewhat on your skill. Nice comments on if you want the 95 then you need to generate your own power and spin - normal for all advanced players
You feel the same here? It's actually an earlier hitting session with the racket. Maybe you'll just feel that way about my hitting ua-cam.com/users/shorts4T2QMXAU6HE?feature=share
100% awesome Haha JK. The more recent the contact, the more efficient the formatting. I feel ya. Some like it but I can do both a bit better and try to. Easier said than done.
One minute your happily playing with a stock pure aero….the next your ordering xtp buttcaps and waiting for the next time410s video to drop. It’s slippery slope
@@TheJakenesbit Ha, I'm on that same rollercoaster. Back from 2 years of extended length to standard again. But, I learned a lot and that journey opened my mind to many things and I have a deeper perspective on rackets and how specs translate to the user experience. As we acquire more data and search for something better, our preferences seem to change.
Very accurate review 👌🏻 I just bought this racquet a played a few matches with it, and having owned the Head Gravity MP & Tour, the Wilson Blade 98 (16x19), the Head Prestige MP, and the E-Zone 98, this is my favorite of the bunch. As you say, the power is low but linear, so it gives whatever you put into it, and pretty predictably. As for the string pattern (and new head shape), it’s actually perfect for what I wanted-strings are spread out enough to deliver on spin, but the extra cross gives you good control/precision when you hit flat. Also, super stable at the net, and as you say, super versatile. But yeah a few extra grams in the handle should definitely help with its minor sluggishness and give even more stability. I use an overgrip, but might try adding a couple more grams in the butt cap. All in all a fantastic racquet if you can bring your own power. **chef’s kiss**
Thank you! It's cool to see us agree on several very specific traits on this racquet. Appreciate the comment :) glad you found something you really mesh with!
Agreed with your honest review! Stiffness, dwelling time, string characteristics swing style, tension and other factors also affect what racket you can generate most spin with.
Very true! I get crazy good spin with my Black Ace 105. Decently open pattern but bigger head and a feel/touch frame layup. Very interesting combo. I bet it is the most spin friendly feel racquet out there.
Totally agree, i've been saying that they've got the Ezone and Vcore 98 reversed lol, but also found the previous VC95 was better spin than the 98 in general, i feel that it just flows better aerodynamically on a vertical swingpath, and especially the previous VC98 was not that manoeuvrable - i've only shortly hit with the current VC98 and 95, haven't decided which one i want to buy yet for a proper go
Awesome comment. Do you do anything to your rackets commonly like add a heavier grip? I generally always do that except sometimes for demo purposes just to see in stock form.
@@ZeroLoveTennis I always prioritise racquet head speed, so i try to keep weight as light as i can, whilst using an acceptable swingweight / twisteeight that will give me enough stability
@@ACTennis @time410s whoah, love both your review video collections. I did the leather grip treatment to my Ezone Tours and it changed it to about a 5.2 headlight from 4, anyway, I think it gives more spin than any vcore, so does the HD and D, and the H for me. On a purely spin basis. I tried the VC95 '23 for many hours and a singles tournament, I think I like the stiffness of the '21 better and don't get much benefit from the power. I set the ball machine to max feed rate here just for fun to test the maneuverability of the 95 ua-cam.com/video/hhcnglkQ-r4/v-deo.html. Anyway, completely agree that lower tension is needed on the 95, below 50 for sure. In the end I may stick with the Ezone tours or go back to my Regna 98.
@@ACTennis Honestly that's very similar to my preference. I might say I try to get it to be as heavy as it can be and tail-weighted. A lot of my rackets end up with an SW around 330 something and a weight a bit over 12oz. But, they are quite head-light. So they have that heft but also that torque.
I think we have some similar tastes. I saw bits of your content and we agree on quite a few rackets. Namely, your video about switchable rackets.
@@nominal I'd try a Regna if I could! I'll check your video out. I can see why you'd feel that way about the 95's and I do agree with what you said about the spin and these lines of rackets. I might mess around with the VCP D just to be sure I don't like it more or as much as the EZONE 98 but the other VCP models still have a more open pattern. Very surprising to me still.
Currently I'm testing Vcore 95 side by side to 98. First, the 95 head size is barely noticeable. Every time I pick up one, I have to check it which one I grabbed. You need to superimpose them to see the difference. 95 is slightly head heavy and that's good. Tennis is more than just swashbuckling from the baseline. For blocking, chipping, net game, half-volleys, dropshots and the last but not the least slices, you may look something not so headlight (Assuming that you are staying 305-310 g unstrung range). I found 95 more topspin oriented than the previous generation. A bit more powerful but slightly less accurate. In any given day I prefer it over the Vcore 98, a racquet which I do not know why it does exist when you have Ezone in your lineup. Definitely worth to give it a try (Caution: I used multis in my trials. If you're into polys or hybrids, your experience will differ definitely)
Solid observations. I wonder similar things recently. Speaking to your comment about head light, if that's directed at me, my rackets end up being headlight in balance but still generally heavier in the head and overall than stock and swingweight ends up around 330 by the time it's made to me mine.
So it swings a certain way but still has heft in the head. I like something kind of heavy and whippy. Most my shots are from baseline but I also go for a lot of dropshots.
Tradeoffs happen quick with much head weight depending on how you like to hit.
@@ZeroLoveTennis "my rackets end up being headlight in balance but still generally heavier in the head and overall than stock" that's the key. My regular racquet is a Vcore Pro 330 (2018) and with such a mass behind the ball head lightness is always welcome. Thanks for the video!
I recently acquired a 2018 Vcore 95, which I feel has the best cosmetic. Have you hit the 2018 version? How does it compare?
I have and there's an old review on it I did. Solid racket but I felt it was a little harder than I liked to generate power. Especially if I'm really scrambling to the point I have to slide to get to balls, it was very hard to punch back enough. It's a very similar racket but I think the new one is a touch better if you want a little more power and maybe a little more spin. It's also more comfortable.
Doesn't mean it's better, necessarily, but I would pick it between the two.
2018 is less muted. More of a comfortable crispyness. Definitely doesn’t have a lot of power and feels less stable that the later versions. 2018 is probably the better of the latest generation you just need some customizing for it
My main racquet was the VC95 2018 version with some lead to make it more stable and for plow as i play more flat than spin, tried the previous one and could t gel with it, my balls were all going long probably due to launch angle and needs more spin. The new one seems to be in the same path and with more open pattern needs to be played with more spin. These days i play more with ezone 98 tour with minimal customization and works well as well for me.
I really appreciate your reviews and videos!
I am an aggressive all court player, I like to swing hard and fast! I use the yonex VC95 2021 and also use the Babolat APD original, I know they are very different rackets but I really enjoy them both! I have my eyes on the new Babolat PA98 and the new Yonex VC95, in your opinion which one would you think will suit my play style better?
Thank you for your time!
Thank you! Wow, well, since you use both the APD and vc95 it's hard to say such you'd prefer.
I think the PA98 is more in between the two you currently use and the VC95 of current gen is almost the same racket as your last gen but a little more easy access to power with slightly more comfort.
For my game, I'd probably run with the PA98. Even the new 100 is solid. Much denser pattern than the last few generations of Pure Aeros.
Hi, love the video and content you are creating. I am a blade 98 v8 16/19 user and loved the racket. Thinking about using the vcore 95 because the stability is outstanding and the smaller head size help me to focus more when hitting the one hand backhand. Do you think i should upgrade or the 95 head is just too hard to use for and intermediate player?
PS. My hitting partner/ teacher is a very high level player in my country should be around ATP 1000-1300 and we go at each other quite hard when playing, but i do quite getting bully around the court with the blade98 so is the stability of the 95 helps me or its too demanding in your opinion.
Ohh and the last thing is i'm just annoyed at the quality control of the wilson brought 2 blade 98 and one is just unplayable.
Hard to say. It asks a bit of you but sure it's somewhat rewarding. I think 95s have some limitations that are more of a hindrance than a help in today's game. My racket of choice by quite far right now is PA98.
So in your opinion its not worth the hassle, just stick to the blade? Or give the 95 some adjustment time like 2-3 months? Now i am playing with tourbite soft 50p in the vcore will changing it to polytour pro 46p help with the dwell time of the racket?
Haha it's so hard for an outsider to say. I got away from those rackets for my own reasons. I like my PA98 a lot because if offers the control I get from those others but with the power and spin I want as well. It's only a slight adjustment for me to feel like I can get everything I need or want from the PA98.
I love the 95. More i use it more i like it. Best one handed backhand racket ive ever tried. Pretty controlled over all so if u are needing power maybe not a great choice. But if u are playing against players that crush it its great.
Playing it at 40 lbs full set of multi
Niiice, 40 lbs!
I have the vcore95 for a few months, based on what i see from your videos we have the same skill level, i just demoed the pro staff v14 six one… omg i m ditching my vcore pro 95 2023. Give it a try!
Haha very cool. I used to love the prostaffs. I liked them better than I liked these. Currently I suppose I'm more likely to go prostaff. What's different about it from the regular pro staff?
@@ZeroLoveTennis the head size is 100 and the weight is 305g, quite head heavy. easier to play, but for a 100, control was no issue. check it out. Feels like butter.
What gauge of zero did you buy ? 1.23 mm Gauge in the v95 ?
It is 1.23mm.
I love the racquet. I added a small amount of weight at 12 o’clock, and 3 & 9 o’clock and it played well. Next I will try 10&2 o’clock . However, I was thinking, what if lead tape was added…at top of racquet somewhere, and so at 5 & 7 ish where the head is narrow?
The narrower the head, the less weight will affect twist-weight. But it's also pretty far down the head and closer to the center of racquet. Might be nice for you. Really depends how you want to balance things out and swing.
Thanks for the review man. I just switched to this one in the past few weeks after demoing it. Fell in love with it immediately and agree with your review of it. I find that I can generate really good spin with it and when I need power on it I can get power on it to put away a shot. The serves are also great. I feel like I can get a lot of pop on it. Also, thanks for your comments on string tension at the beginning. I’ve been playing around with different strings to find what I like best in this racquet and just tried solinco tour bite at 51 lbs. first hit I had a pain shoot up my arm and kept happening for the first couple hits after that. I stupidly kept playing and while it got better I definitely screwed up my wrist/hand and now need to take a break for a week or two. Im going to try stringing at 46 or 47 lbs to see how that treats my arm. And the Zero string is on my list to try. Cheers!
Awesome! Yes I loved Zero at the mid 40s tension. Crazy tension sensitive racket. 5lbs more can really make or break how it feels. Some are like that. More common with smaller heads probably.
Lmk about zero! Toroline Wasabi is worth a try as well. I've got codes for both.
@@ZeroLoveTennis sweet, thanks! I will definitely give it a try!
OMG you're 100% spot on. My daughter hits with a EZone 98+ and her game is all topspin. So much so that it frustrates me when I hit with her. When I demo'ed the new 7th gen, 2023 VCore 98, she HATED IT. The EZone 98 actually falls perfectly within her play style. It's shocking how much spin potential there is on the EZone 98 line-up. DISCLAIMER: Yes her EZone 98 is the plus version (1/2" longer), but the string bed and drill pattern is identical to the regular EZone 98.
Glad I waited for your review on the 95.
Thank you! I used to hit plus too actually and the way they achieve a reasonable swingweight is by reducing head weight and namely in the 3/9 area. I noticed the plus versions to be quite a bit less stable but in a way, more easily able to generate topspin. A lot of people disagree that less weight at 3 and 9 means more spin but I think it's generally true.
I might try the plus again for fun just to see which one I max out spin on more.
Fantastic review! I play with a Vcore 97 D, have you tried it? What are your thoughts? I'm getting too tired when I play long games and I'm thinking of getting a vcore 95. Thanks for getting back to me
I'd prefer the 95 even though it's a little more work to get power, at least it doesn't taper off as much towards the top end of power. I might try that 95 again for a longer period but I'll see how things go with my 18x20 rackets.
How do you compare this vcore 95 with the extreme tour auxetic ? In terms of spin, precision, comfort, power and overall quality?
I actually don't know. Never tried it. Head has so many rackets and the extreme never caught my attention somehow. Maybe I'll give it a shot but I mostly haven't heard great things. What really makes the instinct, radical and extreme all that different from each other? They seem so similar that they could almost be a different model in the same family.
I would suggest you try at least the Extreme Tour auxetic. If you use topspin and want control the new Extreme Tour is a great option. It has good comfort also. Their have been good reviews on this racket also but you know sometimes you find mixed reviews on any racket. It’s a bit subjective.
I’ve tried many rackets and I’m considering it as my racket of choice. I’m trying to ignore reviews that sometimes predispose you and just play with the racket. Today I played with it and placed the ball where I wanted with excellent spin and pace.
Between the Radical and the Extreme Tour you get more spin and racket speed with the Extreme. It’s more aerodynamic and it has spin grommets.
Besides, a couple of UA-cam reviewers express the Extreme Tour was 2022 racket of the year. But others may differ.
I personally like the racket as it works for my topspin game and I like the feel.
I'll give it a shot. Not exactly sure when but I might try to breakdown the head rackets to make the lineups more digestible and perhaps then. Thanks for putting that racket into perspective with some heads I'm familiar with. I am currently trying the gravity and speed pro but my time with them might be done soon.
Great review! I‘m currently using the prestige 360+ mp (98sq in) and have a one-handed backhand. I want more power and spin potential but don’t want to sacrifice a lot of control. Do you think the vc98 or the vc95 would suit me better? Also, any plans to review the vc100?
I might try the 95 first. It's a little more hefty and from my experience (albeit might be the leather base grip) gives easier access to spin while also being lower powered.
Yes, as of doing this video I think I must haha
Thank‘s for the answer, keep producing these awesome reviews!
@@innocent.8253 Will do! Let us know if you gave it a go and how it went. My demo actually came strung with 16 gauge Hyper G at 53 lbs, fresh. Which, I think was too thick and too stiff. If my demo experience was from the perspective of that setup, I would probably think the racket felt terrible.
So I hope you have a good demo experience or find a way to get your own strings in it. I put ReString in mine right away. However, if it came with 17G and a little lower tension, I'd have probably not cut out the strings right away 😅
How would you compare the ezone 98 with the vcore 95 and what differences do you see? I had the ezone 98 2022 for two years and I want something more controlled and more stable, do you think the vcore 95 is a good option?
EZ98 has more power for the same effort for sure. Also a bit stiffer, maybe. It's close. Why would you prefer the VC95 to something like the Percept line? I also figure you might want to stay with Yonex, am I right?
Thanks for the review! Spin is one thing, what about control? Which one has more control, the Ezone 98 or the Vcore 98?
That's a really great question and not an easy one to answer. I definitely say the EZONE has better access to power but you could associate a sense or feeling of control that comes from a more dense drill pattern.
In other words, the string bed on an EZONE looks to be more control oriented compared to the VCORE while the beam shape and thickness on VCORE is more control oriented than EZONE. So which affects control more?
I'll make a video about these observations. It's a tricky thing to answer.
Started watching your videos. Love the advice, I realy like your descriptions.
Good to have you aboard! Haha do you mean the literal video descriptions? 🤣
What do you like so much about the Ezone 98? I couldn't connect properly with that racquet (DR version). For me, it lacked feel and also lacked power. Usually you have to trade off between feel and power, but I felt the Ezone was deficient in both.
Maybe you strung high. For me it really shines around 46 with my string of choice. I moved away from that one anyway, though. Too much power, not a lot of feel. Other reasons too...
I think the last two generations of EZ98 have quite a bit more pop than the DR98. The one that came right after the DR had noticebly more, at the expense of comfort, but this apparently has been addressed in the latest iterration.
Nice summary… This racquet is getting a lot of love from those, like me, who hit with a one-handed backhand. It is piquing my interest. I’m a senior 4.0 singles player, all court game, some top, flat , slice and touch shots. Would this 95 fit my game? I also string all of my rackets with VS gut 16 mains 55; rpm blast 17 cross 52. Would this combo work? What tension adjustment would you make… You hit with a lot of top. I don’t. Variety is my game.. Ciao, John
It very well could be a good one for you to try! It's very middle grounded and still on the lower power side and pretty comfortable. I would highly suggest going down a few pounds. Honestly maybe start at 50/47 but that's a conservative suggestion. I might go a few pounds more myself and raise next time if necessary.
This racket will very quickly not feel good when tension is too high.
Hi. Do you have the 2 piece stringing instructions for the new Yonex VCore 95?
Hi! No. I just know from stringing enough. I guess it becomes obvious after doing enough rackets how it should be strung. I've actually never looked at instructions, just followed what the last job I knew was correct did on the same racket. Now I don't need that but in the beginning that's what I followed.
But really I think it's pretty obvious. If you put a string through the wrong hole, it will quickly be obvious that it is too far spaced or too closely spaced. I know this isn't the best advice but my point is that it doesn't take very long to get comfortable enough to not look at the instructions.
@@ZeroLoveTennis He means where to tieoff
I 100% concur on EVERYTHING you say about the ReString Zero.
One heck of a string
@@ZeroLoveTennis I've hit my best backhand slices with it, by far. I also agree it should be strung below 50lbs. I had mine at 53. I'll play it again at a lower tension, but overall, yes. Great string and great durability, especially for intermediates like me.
@@experientialtennispickleball I wonder if it's a little more stiff than some strings. Do you think so? Of strings in similar gauge? Anyway, it feels so good at just below 50 in the rackets I've been using at least. I don't really want to call it stiff, but it does feel good around 45-50lbs and I think, in general, people string poly a little higher than they should AND since ReString holds tension so well, it might appear to be stiffer a few days after stringing than other polys because the other polys at the same tension might have dropped more.
Hard to say...
@@ZeroLoveTennis I played it on the Diadem Nova at 24kg. Yes, it felt quite stiff and I've stated that I should have strung it 1.5-2kg lower. The very only drawback I've found was some inconsistency on the depth of flat forehands. Should be the high tension and that it grabs the ball so well that it suits best player who hit just like you do, with lot of spin.
Agree with you. I also think that I can generate more spin with Ezone 98 any of the Vcore lines.
Nice! It seems to be the reality. I'm going to compare the lines in a future video but one obvious point on why is that the beam is thicker on EZONEs, almost implying they are designed to be the more spin friendly racket from the start. The VCORE has a somewhat control type beam shape and thickness yet a more open pattern... odd
Think it depends on swing speed and technique and how you generate spin. I find vcore more spin friendly now as my technique has changed.
But I would have said opposite a year with ezone because I was able to get easier acceleration with ezone because of its weight and Ballance.
Such a unique racket. The reason the string pattern is to open is because the hoop is actually as wide as a standard 100 inch racket. It's just squashed shorter to make it measure smaller
that's fair! But I think a more spin friendly racquet will generate more spin if the technique and balance are the same. As in...as long as other variables don't mess with the difference in spin then the more spin friendly one should win out
But I kinda feel you in this example. I might feel the same way now if I was to balance the 95 to be even more spin friendly. But...it is a smaller head with an extra cross string. It might just not be quite as spin friendly.
Been a while since messing with either! I know what I'm using now is more spin friendly than either, though! Haha. What's your main stick these days?
@@ZeroLoveTennis I'm currently hitting with the prince ats tour 98.
Taking me a bit of adjusting to the swing weight and the flex point which feels mostly in the hande but seems to suit my swing path and has decent control and power.
Need to try a leather grip on it.
I always enjoy some handleweight! But I do shrinkwrap now haha
@@ZeroLoveTennis I would do this if I had a smaller grip size but will be too big after shrink wrap. Unless I could find a half size wrap and then use feather thin to keep same size?
I do a thin shrinkwrap instead of the basegrip and put overgrip on top of that to give it a little texture. Overall ends up being about the same as a normal base grip or even slightly thinner. I don't use it to build up the grip. It's a different and more rubbery texture than the typical "build-up" sleeves. You can see them in my amazon storefront here: www.amazon.com/shop/zerolove/list/ESHRGUMFJB3Q?ref_=aipsflist
Lately I've been wishing the vcore98 came with a variant that had an 18x20 pattern. I tried switching to the vcore98 (2023) from the vcore95 (2021) and I've been finding it to be waaaay higher of a launch angle than my technique can handle.
Would it be fair to say the ezone98 would fit between the two? I absolutely love the vcore95 but I'm hoping for a bit more forgiveness
Hard to say. I got great spin with the EZONE 98 but don't recall a high launch angle necessarily so maybe! Try it out. I like a little weight at 3 and 9 on the EZONE 98. It's kind of floppy. Very powerful racquet btw.
When I hit the Ezone 98, it encouraged me to hit flat. I use a Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 which has a 16x18. Very even spacing which gives a huge dip on the ball.
Interesting. My launch angle and spin is very high with the 98. I find the 100 wants to hit flatter than the 98 by a lot. But I have not compared it to this Prince you speak of so I can't say how they compare for me.
Hey Robust, totally agree on the Prince TT 100-310; amazing spin, whopping kick serves too... had to walk from it in the end due to elbow issues and it was probably a little over my level anyway. Half a mind to try to find the 290g version.
How would you compare the Vcore 95 with the shift 300 and 315?
More heavy and lower powered than 300. The 315 it feels a bit more similar to. Shift gets way better spin. 95 a little nicer on shots like drop-volleys. Serve I'd prefer the 315.
Would you string that zero restring at 46 on the vcore 98 as well? Or a little closer to 48?
Maybe 48. I do 48 happily in the EZONE 98. Same head size slightly more open pattern, should be good.
Thanks for your review Justin.
You are welcome!
Please comment because this racquet is so low powered whether guy poly would be a good fit ? And what tensions ?
I'm happy with the power level I'm achieving at 46lbs with Zero. I didn't feel like I needed more, it felt just about right.
I'd highly suggest trying this racket stringing in the mid '40s with 17g poly and that will tell you a lot about how it feels when strung correctly. You truly might not feel it needs more power.
@@ZeroLoveTennis at 46lbs was the control still great? have you tried at 48-50lbs and how was the difference in control?
It was great! This is a racket that is extremely sensitive to being strung too high. First I tried 50 in the generation before this one and that felt awful, boardy etc. You wanna string lower than you might think you should on this one. Definitely string below 50 first time but I suggest around 45 just to be sure you aren't too high. It can go from feeling good to terrible in just 5lbs
I’m more of flat player and two handed backhand. I’m a baseline but trying to turn into all around player where I like to hit forehand/backhand slice and trying to be tricky. Do you think this racquet will help me more with that kind of playing style? I currently use Radical Pro (no mod). Thank you!
Radical Pro of this generation most recently? I think the radical pro is a pretty all around racket as well. Maybe the power from the 95 is a little more linear and you could more easily control the depth with a little more precision from the racket. It is a bit more work to generate power though and for my game, I often push a player way back blasting some heavy forehands and then suddenly taking all the pace off and hitting a really delicate drop shot.
But I know my spin heavy baselines rackets enough to be able to hit a nice drop shot the way I like.
It's hard to say if it would benefit you or if it would be a huge difference. You might notice the power difference and the way the racket flexes would feel different as well. Whether or not it actually helps your game, it's hard to say. Little trade offs in ease of generating power for a little gain in touch shots.
But it's not like your record is some power monster, the transition may be pretty smooth. Lmk if you try it out!
@@ZeroLoveTennis thank you for the quick answer! I'll let you know once I actually use the racquet. going to demo soon!
I agree on the marketing side I think you really need to test the gears first before deciding on what and not to use, I think it depends on the person using it, like for me I don’t know if some people noticed it about shaped strings I hit the ball flatter than the more rounder ones mainly I think and noticed that the shaped ones aren’t moving unlike the more rounder ones they tend to move a lot therefore creating more spin
Oh you're a snapback guy! You gotta try my string, Restring zero! You get the shape AND the snapback better than anything you've seen.
Take the 95 with the leather grip and add a little weight to the top of the hoop. This is the way.
I agree 100% it playes much better with an extra 10g in the handle and I can see a little headweight being nice as well.
How would you compare the vcore95 to the Pure Aero 98 ? are they at all comparable or very different frames? Thanks
Comparable but also different. If the PA98 is your reference racquet, the VC95 is definitely more effort to get power overall. Also offers less spin. With that more linear power curve, you could make an argument for control being in favor of the 95 but I don't really feel a control issue with the 98. I feel quite in sync with it but perhaps at net you'd notice control of depth and therefore angles a little better with the VC95.
Been a while since I hit with a VC95. Stringing it lower feels and plays much better for most strings. I'd suggest the 95 be strung about 5-10lbs lower than the PA98.
@@ZeroLoveTennis, I hope you’re well. I thought I’d reach out to you as you’re pretty good at getting back to your followers and I value your opinion. I’ve recently picked up the VCore 95 2023 and also use my current stick, the 2021 VCore 95(customised with a leather grip, Tourna power strips at 10&2) and strung with Head Lynx Tour 1.25mm gauge at 50lbs. That setup works well for me in the 2021, however in the 2023 it’s a shade too heavy but delivers a very heavy ball but not sustainable over 3 sets. My final numbers with this setup was 347g static weight, 340 swing weight and balance point of 32.1. In your video, you mention that you swapped out the grip for leather too, but did you add any weight in the head at all after further use? Karue from TennisHQ added weight at 12, but no mention of a leather grip. I’m almost tempted to go back to basics, play it stock with a lower tension and add weight from a base platform. Thoughts?
Karue probably did that because he hits famously flat and low. If you want a whippy racquet, like I would, weight in the handle would be nice.
Perhaps with more time I'd have wanted weight on both sides but the first thing I wanted to do was make it more headlight and I liked that much better.
It's hard to say. Sometimes static weight can slow everything down a bit, sometimes it is swingweight.
But it is worth messing with both, perhaps. What do you think would save energy for you more, a few units of swingweight or a few grams?
@@ZeroLoveTennis , thanks for your reply. I’m going to try 2 grams at 12 and keep the leather grip on for now. Just shadow swinging with that setup feels nice and seems to bring the head through quicker. I’ll keep you posted 🤞
Very cool!
Tennis Nerd made a comment recently that Yonex's updates often have a very significant effect on how the racket plays, so much so that the rackets have their own personalities. So... I agree that the marketing gets super confusing, and for me what I notice most is how the RA tends to interact with the string pattern changes you mentioned. This makes relying on impressions of other players sorta useful, but there's no getting around having to demo several rackets. That said, I just bought this one and I love the feel. It's soft and solid at net and but it I do really feel it comes through contact a little faster. I normally play blades, so compared to those, I get spin easier for sure. Is it more spin friendly than other Yonex rackets??? I took your advice and demo-compared the zone 98 and the Vcore 98 and just kinda liked this one better overall.
I probably feel and experience, by a large difference, the ezone 98 to be the most spin friendly. Blades are more head heavy and play a bit differently but in some ways they aren't too far apart! I'm glad you like it.
Seems like string is a hot topic with this racquet. What poly outside of Zero would you recommend? I have this racquet but the seller strung it with hyper g 16l and honestly not sure how I feel about it.
Oh, I would say 16L a bit thick and if it's above 50lbs it's definitely too high and too thick. People are too shy to string rackets around 45 but this is a 16x20 95" and it should make perfect sense to do so, especially with a poly AND if it's thick.
Besides Zero? Toroline is the only runner-up but it's somewhat different. Softer, and I don't like the company as much since they drop the ball a lot but I shouldn't get into it here. The string is legit though.
After that, I feel like everything is such a far second. Zero is largely based off Hyper G but it really takes the performance and durability and spin up a few notches. So I guess Hyper G but I'd try 17g or even 17g mains and 18g crosses if you wanna get funky. Around 45-48lbs.
I have a 2019 Vcore 100. I demoed the 2022 Ezone 98 and love the power, plush feel and what I felt was way more control. Can’t wait to try the Vcore 98 to make a decision but based on all of these reviews, I am sensing the Ezone might be the one to go with.
The EZONE is surprisingly plush, isn't it? I thought it would feel stiff but not really.
Let me know how the vcore 98 felt and what you decided 😁
Defenitely try it before you buy it. I have eZ98 and vc98(new) After playing with vc98 for few weeks i wil be putting it on eBay and staying with eZ
@@rainbowracquets2670 Why are you tossing it? Is it the launch Angle?
Nice, glad you had time with both. It took a little time and that's a good sign of rackets being close in what you want. That's what it takes. Once you feel the the thing you are looking for or don't like, you don't see the racist racket the same.
By the way, what were your reasons for this decision?
@@ZeroLoveTennis I am still waiting to try the new Vcore before making a decision.
Is the demo back at courtside yet? Still has the leather grip? 😁
LOL no. Rackets are pretty returned as they are taken. It's strung with Zero this time, though.
A lot of people conflate launch angle with spin. You're right that there are so many variables in play that it's hard to make definitive statements about how frames will perform across the board. For example, one of my buddies is similar height to me, similar build, similar style strokes, and similar level, but he plays with the Pure Aero and I play with the VC95. I had always assumed that he hit with more spin than me because my shots are more linear and lower over the net, but when I casually mentioned to another person we played with that he hits with more spin, they were like "actually I think you hit with more spin." Upon watching videos of us playing, I do notice I hit with more racquet head speed because the VC95 is so low powered. He definitely hits a more spinny serve, though.
That makes sense. It's funny to see how many players you see with a pure drive. Like some are spin heavy and some are very flat. A lot of wta players for example are good examples of both but more often flat but I know strong examples of both in person and I'm just like WTF.
But I guess you could make the argument you might be able to generate more spin with his Pure Aero than your vcore. But even that, maybe not!
I haven't thought about that, maybe I've been confusing the two without realizing. I am currently demoing VC 95, 98, and Ezone 98 all latest gens. I am coming from a Blade 98 V8 16x19 and I am really liking the VC95. I am still debating with the VC98, but the Ezone 98 every time I hit with it, I hated playing with it. It seems overpowered and launch angle was always high, but I am realizing, maybe its the spin difference between those rackets and I'm confusing launch angle with more spin potential. I tend to hit the ball out more with the Ezone, maybe because it just overall has more power and I need a lower powered racket. I'm 6'2 200lbs, so I prefer a more control oriented racket which so far while demoing, the VC95 has been my favorite so far.
@@clarenceunderwood382 Ha I actually switched to the EZ98 in the past few months since I wrote this comment (because of back pain) and I agree. I hit the ball out WAY more often with the EZ98 than with the '21 VC95. I also find that I hit harder on average with the VC95 because I can swing out more freely.
My serve is way better with the EZ98 though and has helped with back pain :) My back is getting better so I might switch back at some point. I might also take a look at other racquets like TF40, PS97, etc.
What's your level? If you're young and healthy like me and can provide your own pace... go for the 95.
Everyone has different technique. That said, I’m a 5.0 player and have hit with both the ezone 98 and the vcore 98. I think I get a good amount more spin with the vcore. I’m able to get away with hitting flat a lot more easily with the ezone.
Interesting. In the end I found I don't really care for either racket haha. I wonder if I setup the VCORE my way, how much more spin I could get. It's probably a more stable racket in stock form. I found the EZ98 to be rather floppy by my standards now.
Very happy with my PA98 now.
@@ZeroLoveTennis I’ve been using the ezone for some years now ever since the DR. I’m currently demoing the ezone 98 2022 and the vcore 98 2023. I honestly love both rackets. I’m leaning towards the vcore though. I think it also feels a bit better on my one handed backhand. I’m also going to demo the vcore 95 before making any final decisions. I’ve never customized any rackets yet btw, but I’ll probably start. I just demoed the PA98 and it felt good to me when I hit good shots, but very unpleasant on off center shots, but I also probably am just used to the yonex feel by now. Lol
I love that PA98. My favorite first thing to do on anything, generally, is a heavier base grip that's harder. Leather or something.
@@ZeroLoveTennis what are the benefits of having a leather grip? I’ve never customized a racket, but it’s been something I’ve been wanting to do. My apologies for not being subscribed yet btw. Lol I just subscribed.
People like it for the extra weight. Having that tail weight allows the racket to have a little more stability but quite a bit more whip. So it's more stabilized in a whippy swing path. You have to feel it to notice. Sometimes it increases the grip size a little, people like or don't like that. You can get a thinner or regular grip but honesty will probably just adapt without thinking about it. As someone who is obviously incredibly picky, little changes to grip size don't generally bother me at all.
People also like the stiffer feel, associated with better feel of the bevels or even the stringbed. A softer or stock base grip can sometimes round out the edges a little much.
It's one of those things you have to try before you can really appreciate the differences
And while I don't always use leather, I basically never use stock base grips anymore because I aim to achieve something similar to what leather offers but sometimes in a different way.
how do you compare this one with the new gravity auxetic ? i have the 95 2023 and really like it but not very forgiving on defense and volley because of the size of the head i d say
You wanna string that 95 pretty low! Mid to low 40's no higher and then see for yourself. The Gravity might be more forgiving and a bit more able to generate power but I'd have to do a side to side comparison to be sure but from memory, it seems this way. The 95 was always in need of a big commitment to your shot for anything to happen. I havent felt this way with the Gravity whereas the 95 is in your face about that reality.
@@ZeroLoveTennis yeah 100% you need to really commit and hit it hard with the 95 which to be honest I enjoy because I just love to hit the ball with full commitment, I don't really like rackets i need to sugar coat, always end up overthinking my shots because i just don't know how to play ''soft'' or with more ''touch''. Saying this, it s not like i m in full control of every point, so when you are in that defensive mode, i m struggling to counter with good depth and power. I strung it 50 lbs, poly tour. I m gonna give it a try at 45lbs Luxilon
Low is nice. Still not too much power I promise lol. Good point. Dialing back can be disorienting.
what rackets you tried recently you found much better than the 95 in the control space ?
Depends if you want a lot of spin or not. I do. I like the speed pro. Gives you a bit more power than the 95. Still good control. The 95 got a little annoying with how much you have to swing to achieve certain things. I also didn't feel like it's depth control or touch was amazing despite how much work it was to hit every shot.
But the cool thing about it is how much you know to commit to each shot. Some rackets you give it a little more and the ball goes away more than you thought. It's kind of the opposite with this one in particular.
It's possible I'll try it again, though. I'll string even a bit lower this time 😂
the older Vcore tours (89, Tour F) were marketed as control rackets back in the day. I believe the Vcore 95 is marketed towards the players that gravitated towards those rackets. It retains the DNA of those older rackets and keeps the 16x20 pattern
But now we have the Vcore Pro line which replaced the Duel G during the sort of Yonex rebrand which simplified the naming schemes of all their rackets and got rid of the alphabet soup after the racket line name.
Yonex has always made great midsize rackets which is why I believe we still have a 95 which is why we sort of consider "mid" now
That's a good explanation and timeline story, thank you! I thought it also replaced the SV line and retained a lot of that spin marketed branding. It's just that I don't think these are actually as spin friendly as people seem to believe or the marketing seems to imply.
It's a thinner beam racket but has a slightly more open pattern.
If anything, the EZONE should be the spin racket but I think certain traits are so heavily stereotyped as meaning this or that to the point, maybe, Yonex is shy to market the EZONE as the spin racket because it has a dense string pattern. Despite the fact, that in my experience, it is far more spin friendly. At the least the 98, not the 100. But the 100 is more open so you get back into the territory of people assuming it's more spin friendly (the racket) because the pattern is more open.
It's just not that simple...
@@ZeroLoveTennis Right, right. The SV line came out right after the Tour F line. Then came the oversimplification of the Yonex frames.
I like to think about it like Babolats racket line. The Aero is marketed as being the most aerodynamic and therefore "easier" to produce spin. But the pure drives have always been able to produce easy power and spin as well.
Sounds very similar to the Yonex Vcore (which is now a mishmash of the Tour F aero grommets and the vcore/SV line) and their Ezone line respectively.
I think it's also important to think about the company's intention behind racket design as well. The more open string pattern in the Ezone may contribute to the supposed easier power (and the spin production is just a by-product). The denser string pattern in the Vcores may be there to keep it from being too launchy?
I don’t think we heard from you in this review about the serve or how you felt it was on your backhand and volley . Great overall review
I think I mentioned it feels good at net like it's stable enough and so on.
I've thought about breaking a review down in that form but I also feel like it's silly to express things like a racket not feeling good on a backhand. It's too personal to say if that'll translate to the user at all. It's very indefinite so I try to stick to more objective things.
I generally find a more stable racket to feel better on my backhand. This one is reasonably stable. I might talk about why this is for me in a future video.
@@ZeroLoveTennis that's fair and reasonable what you have said . How did you serve with it ? You didnt feel it needed lead ?
@@farood5 Serves...it was a bit more work to get going but you have all the time you need on a serve so it's just about adjusting the timing or way you swing a bit.
Each racket you need to adjust your timing and once dialed in, it felt fine. I never felt like it needed more weight. It never felt too light. As I said, it's even more hefty than the VCORE 98 so if I didn't feel that way about the VCORE 98, it would make sense that I didn't feel like the 95 needed more weight since it already had that. I had to be a little more conscious of my prep because it was heavier to swing. It goes straight through the ball a bit better than my EZONE but that's not generally the type of shot I go for but on volleys it's nice!
If I had a lot more time, it's possible I might want a touch more weight but I'm more of a tail-weight guy with a lot of topspin. I currently feel like I want a little more weight on my EZONE 98 but how much and where, it's tricky to say but I will play around with it.
The 95 with a little weight added up top is an absolute beast on serve.
I used to play with a 18x20 blade (heavily customized) and i really think i generate less topspin with my vcore 95 2021. Maybe its just the swingweight, but this yonex feels much more like a pro staff in my opinion, just slightly spinnier
Even though i love the control it gives, it helps with my game, i love serving and volleying with it
Interesting. I've always felt the Pro staff to be a pretty spin friendly racket.
@@ZeroLoveTennis maybe its just my technique that improved much more, but i just the vcore 95 just perfect for my style. (I dunno if it changes that much, but it was a ps 97 cv version)
These days I'd take the 95 over it as well.
Hi! Nice review. For a few month i playing with Vcore pro 97 and suddenly i love it much more than my vcore 98 (6th gen). I think its all about the weight and balance (both completely stock except overgrip). And now i wanna try new vcore 95 and wonder how do this to compare because specs are pretty similar.
Also i think you got broken link for "Courtside Tennis Affiliate Link for VCORE 95:"
Thanks!)
Thought I replied but thanks for pointing out the link, should be fixed.
VCP feels so good! I'm dabbling with the D version. What do you love about it more than the VCORE 98?
It this racket is so user friendly for a 95, does that mean it has less conrtol compared to a regular 95?
Control is so funny. I can't get into a real conversation about it because control becomes this really subjective thing even though the word is so black and white. Things like power or spin are more definitive...stiffness. I think control largely comes from a predictable response for the user. Not something inherent to the racquet.
So I can't answer your question because I don't know if you'll feel that way. But it's power response is pretty linear and that makes its power quite predictable. Not all 95 are like that.
@@ZeroLoveTennis Yes it's difficult to define control I know. For me the no1 characteristic of control that I look for is predictability and precision when targeting from the baseline both from side to side and height over the net.
In my case I would be comparing it to a Pure Control 95 which I have been enjoying recently. I bought the PC with trepidation but was very pleasently surprised by how user friendly it is. It was my first experience using a 95.
Ah they don't make them anymore. I'd say this one is kind of similar. I think you can totally enjoy that kind of control from bigger head sizes but with string patterns like 16x20 or 18x20. It also might be more stable but similarly powerful. The larger head/denser pattern approach is very clever. Consider it sometime?
Lmk if you want a few suggestions.
@@ZeroLoveTennis Yes those larger head deanse string pattern rackets are on my radar. I actually have a Speed Pro Graphene XT but my example is around 7mm balanced towards the head than it is supposed to be so it's quite heavy to swing. I imagine if it were on spec it would be great. Apart from that I find thet getting height above the net is easier with the Pure Control and it feels more comfortable. I think I generally like fast head light rackets which is why the new Puse Strike 100 16x20 looks interesting or maybe the Gravity Tour.
I really liked the gravity MP actually. I'd absolutely choose it over the Pure Strike 100 but that's just me.
Just got off work and at UC Davis tennis courts
I'll be here for another hour and a half come on out
At 3am? I'm not hitting at 3am. Also I said to message me on IG if you wanna try to set something up. I can't plan anything on UA-cam comments 😅
I had the VCore 95 2021 for some time and I agree with everything you said (except for the low string tension 😅)
With the 95 I had to focus on every shot, full swing and correct positioning. Every little mistake translated into a shanked shot.
I'm right now playing the VCORE Pro 97 and power wise it's much better. Also in terms forgiveness and ease of use. You can do full swings and get a nice power but also accepts some mistakes. Spin wise they are not that far apart.
Also played long with 2021 and 2023 VCore 98 and it feels totally different in terms of power, spin and forgiveness. You lose a bit of control though. You need to be a little more conscious about how you hit.
I'm thinking of testing the 95 2023 again as my skill has improved since last time I used it. Might test it along with the Dunlop CX 200 or the ProStaff but my guess is that I'm still not at the level of playing with a 95 confortably.
I find it easier to access full power on the cx200 tour which is interesting because it's also a 95 but denser pattern. Felt like less work over all but only slightly. I would pick the vcore 95 over the VCP of any kind. I can still get full power and it feels more stable to me. VCP all a little noodle like on harder shots.
I have the 95 2023 and i love it but you need to be a very good player if you want to play well with it, you nailed it, you need to be super focused, well positioned otherwise the shots are shanky. I m afraid i m not good enough actually to really play well.
Yonex knows what they are doing I trust the engineers over any review.
Well a review is more about the experience, not the material or manufacturing quality.
What makes a great racquet? And how does this translate to the user experience? This racquet will be more of this and less of that than other things and the user is to determine if it's a good fit.
It's not a review about the quality so much as the "qualities"
So what is your point? I don't understand.
@time410s Very subjective, everytime I watch a review about a great racquet it's almost exactly the same as the last model and this is proven by how pros routinely paint racquets they used for ten plus years just to match the new model. Racquet technology has changed very little in the last 15 years. There are tennis pros that have been hitting 130mph plus in the 80s and 90s as well as golfers hitting with old irons and new within 20 years and no difference.
Well a pro is unlikely to change racquets or much because it would risk so much for quite a while.
Yeah, I don't think racquet tech is going to increase ball speed much at the top end. But it could do all kinds of other things. I'll agree with the technology being less meaningful but differences can be meaningful regardless of the technology.
And IDK what your point about the engineers is or yonex because their incentive is to sell and make a new product. Them "knowing" what they are doing is largely about knowing how to sell a new product.
So how does that jive with the perspective a reviewer would offer when the reviewer isn't directly made to have a bias for a specific racquet?
What exactly do you trust more about yonex? Because they will tell you the new technology is meaningful and better than the old stuff and you should get the new stuff.
Someone like me is just going to share their experience and make an comparison from their perspective. It's up to you to decide if the changes displayed are worth considering for any reason.
I used it briefly and l liked the feel but found that sometimes if you mis hit the sweet spot is smaller. That could be because of the new head shape.
I’m leaning toward the extreme tour auxetic as I rely alot on spin and want a bigger head size a bit more forgiving.
Though, Yonex has great build quality but it’s not for me maybe.
I understand! Yeah if you rely on spin and that's your game, this one might make you work for that more than it's worth. If you want to try a Yonex you may like, I think the EZONE 98 might be worth a go. String pattern is pretty tight but power and spin are it's specialty, without being out of control.
It's just not expected because the racket isn't marketed that way but if you like spin, I think the ezone 98 is the racket to try if you're trying a yonex. Not the 100. Not the Vcore line either.
Let me know if you do!
Do it with the vcore 100 2023 please :)
I think I'll have to haha might as well get em all done. I'm curious now as well. Which will have more spin? I must know.
Can you also review the ezone 2022 100 as it's such a popular frame with Great reviews
@@Jakub_G_Tennis I kinda feel the same way. It's like more power and less spin. I would prefer the opposite haha. And it's tiring how often people assume the larger head means more spin. I just don't believe it's true in this case, it's never that simple. I probably will do a review on it or at least focus some attention on it in a different video. Maybe ezone 98 vs 100. Something like this. And I'll try to show off the spin I get just to make my point. It looks like a ping-pong ball trajectory when I hit full power full spin 😂
Restring zero is great
I'm still a big fan. It's a top string for me. Only a few are. Have other favorites?
Where do you buy restring zero string?
I like Grapplesnake strings. Have you tried them?
I haven't but I've heard good things. However, I first care about snapback as it results in great spin and will increase lifespan greatly since friction is reduced between strings. I have compared many strings, all the big names, and ReString far out performs them all.
They are not in stores yet so you just buy from the website, where I linked. And with my link or code you get 10% off.
@@ZeroLoveTennis problem is they don't ship to Europe
Just curious, is there parallel drilling on the Vcore 95?
Yes. Most of the holes feature it. I think all the yonex frames do this. Even the Ace models feature it on about half the racket.
Nice review. It's also been my experience that the VCP97 "tapers off" when I'm trying to go full out, esp compared to the VC95 (21 and 18).
Regarding the Yonex lines, I've always thought it strange that the Ezone 100 is siloed as the "power" racket, compared to the Pure Drive, as it looks and plays like a Pure Aero 100 (it has a similar throat construction). Casper Ruud f.inst. came from a Aero Pro (plus?) iirc, and I wouldn't be surprised if f.inst. Jaime Munar used a Aero Pro as well, before switching to Yonex (Ezone 100, not sure what he plays now).
When it comes to spin generation and string/drill patterns, ime the most important factor is how the racket itself lends itself to your game, i.e. some rackets (and setup) just promote a "better" or more spin-oriented swing, regardless of string pattern. I've never gel'ed with the Ezone/DR 98, and prefer the VC98 line f.inst. The most spin friendly racket I've owned/tried is my old Prince Graphite Pro 90 (14x18 pattern in a 93 sq in frame).
That being said, I have the new VC98, and I really enjoy it, but it feels like a more control oriented VC100 (compared to the tango version). It's just as solid going flat as producing spin, which is strange given the marketing, I admit that :-)
Really interesting to hear such a similar experience but I think that points to some of the truth that is surprisingly different from the marketing. Thanks for sharing your comment.
You should have tested in stock form rather than changing the grip - essentially renders your review invalid. Nevertheless good review. I see your level of play is not advanced so I note your review is based somewhat on your skill. Nice comments on if you want the 95 then you need to generate your own power and spin - normal for all advanced players
I must show my better hitting in a future video. Where do you think this videos level is?
You feel the same here? It's actually an earlier hitting session with the racket. Maybe you'll just feel that way about my hitting
ua-cam.com/users/shorts4T2QMXAU6HE?feature=share
I agree with TT C. Leather grip dramatically changes balance point. Good strokes but not college level
90% talk,10% review
100% awesome
Haha JK. The more recent the contact, the more efficient the formatting. I feel ya. Some like it but I can do both a bit better and try to. Easier said than done.
The lost art of verbosity is not dead, apparently.
Haha lost but not dead, perhaps? Thank you.
One minute your happily playing with a stock pure aero….the next your ordering xtp buttcaps and waiting for the next time410s video to drop. It’s slippery slope
@@TheJakenesbit Ha, I'm on that same rollercoaster. Back from 2 years of extended length to standard again. But, I learned a lot and that journey opened my mind to many things and I have a deeper perspective on rackets and how specs translate to the user experience. As we acquire more data and search for something better, our preferences seem to change.
Can i get a racket to play with please?!
Which would you pick?
@@ZeroLoveTennis babolat pure aero, pure drive or wilson pro staff 97 v13
Are you seriously planning to give me a racket sir?! Omg
@@ZeroLoveTennis I can't be choosy since I'm the one who got no money, so may be anything would work whatever you choose..
Your review style is great. Really. But, please don't spend so much time telling us what you're going to tell us. Just get to it.
I wonder if you feel like I do this more to your liking in the newer stuff. Thanks for watching! This one's a little older.
1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lol I should comment first on my own video sometime 🤣
@@ZeroLoveTennis Position is taken:)
and still the teasers keep on coming…………..
Thank you!!!🎉
How much money ezone.give u to trash talk vcore?
That's pretty funny.