Volkl V Feel 5 Racket Review

Generally speaking I tend to go for a bit of a weightier racket that offers a good level of stability and plow through, without being too sluggish or cumbersome. So, the 260g unstrung weight of the Volkl Feel 5 was a bit unnerving for me.

Sure it’s a very easy racket to swing, but oftentimes lighter rackets need to be stiffened up so they remain strong and can actually give a good amount of energy transfer as you strike the ball. This can sometimes deaden the feel of these rackets, making them a little soulless to play with.

Whilst this is something that is inescapable with the Feel 5, they have done a great job of making this racket as powerful and manoeuvrable as possible whilst still retaining as much feel and crispness as they can.

Volkl have implemented a number of new technologies in the V Feel 5, such as EVA technology which increases the stability and shock absorption of the frame, making it both more solid feeling and comfortable on the arm than before.

They have also added their famed V Cell technology which enhances the feel of the racket, increasing your connection to the ball. Volkl have also included their good old Super G grommet system which helps stiffen up the frame and ensure as little energy is lost between your inputs and the racket’s outputs as possible.

Throwing all of this technology at the racket makes it a good all rounder, an ideal candidate for a beginner to intermediate player that wants a lightweight frame that they can swing quickly and not have to worry about giving them arm issues.

Naturally, a racket this light makes it easy to generate insane racket head speed, so if you are someone that wants a racket that flies through the air quickly and is very easy to swat balls away up at the net, this could be a great option for you.

The 16×18 string pattern is even more open than you will usually find on most rackets, so you have a great amount of spin potential, especially when you consider how easy this racket is to swing quickly.

You can get the ball dipping very low on passing shots and you can rip the ball high when you are looking to push your opponent back.

However, one thing you may find is that although you can produce a lot of topspin with this racket, your shots may not carry the same amount of power as you are used to, as the racket does not have much momentum behind it due to the low static weight and swing weight.

The 100sq in head size gives it a reasonably big sweet spot (although slightly smaller than other lightweight rackets in this category), so you can strike the ball cleanly even if your timing is a little off.

The racket does remain stable on contact however due to the 70 stiffness rating, so you can be confident that you won’t get an inconsistent feel from the Volkl V Feel 5. It is definitely a very versatile racket that could be used by a beginner or an intermediate player that simply wants a lighter racket that is easy to swing quickly but still retains a good level of stability.

Overall it was a nice racket to strike with and was incredibly manoeuvrable, but I would say it is a little too hollow feeling and underweighted for my liking.

Volleying with the Volkl V Feel 5 was a pleasantly surprising experience but not perfection. The stiffness and light weight of the racket means you can hit solid, crisp volleys easily as you are able to drive the racket through the ball and carve under it with backspin.

This makes punching the ball deep a rewarding experience as you can really place the ball exactly where you want to with a lot of control. It is also a great doubles racket thanks to its manoeuvrability, plus it would make an unnatural volley more comfortable coming into the net as they would feel more confident wielding this very accessible racket.

However, the lack of mass being the ball does make the racket feel a little flimsy when your opponent  really ramps up the power.

This is something that the average club player or junior probably won’t encounter, but if you are playing at a higher level of intensity where the ball is getting hit harder, you may start to uncover the limitations of this model in the V Feel range.

It certainly doesn’t feel out of place up at the net, as the high stiffness rating does compensate well for the lack of weight, but you may need to try it out and see if the racket suits the pace you’ll be playing at.

Lighter rackets can give you a great deal of spin and make it easy to place the ball where you want to on serve, but sometimes fall a little short when you are looking for out and out power. The V Feel 5 by Volkl did follow this trend, but not as much as I would have first thought.

The super lightweight and very open string pattern meant it was easy to generate a lot of topspin on my second serve as well as a lot of slice when I was looking to curve the ball away from my opponent.

It was actually a bit too much spin to begin with as I needed to calibrate how short the ball was landing in the box and push it a little deeper to get the best result.

The racket was very easy to swing and did allow a lot of racket head speed to be generated, however it did also feel a little tinny and underpowered at times due to the low weight and head light balance.

It could perhaps do with a bit of beefing up around the top of the frame to give it a bit more power and perhaps stringing it with a looser tension would help matters.

Whilst the Volkl V Feel 5 was very easy to swing it did lack that all important solid feel I love in a racket when returning serve.

It will definitely be to the taste of some players out there looking to step in and crunch the ball with a bit of a larger swing, but it wasn’t my favourite racket to block balls back with and use to guide the ball into court.

It felt reasonably stable thanks to the high stiffness and the light weight meant it was good for getting in position quickly when I wanted to take the ball early, but it could have done with a little more weight in the hoop to give it some more plow through.

Overall, the Volkl V Feel 5 was a pleasant racket to use and one that is definitely aimed at an improving player that wants a lot of racket head speed and a stick that is easy to manoeuvre.

You can expect a good degree of usability from this very accessible frame, as its low swing weight and high stiffness rating make it easy to swing quickly and allows you to generate a lot of power and spin.

You won’t get the same level of natural power as you would with a more hefty racket, but a bit of lead tape at the top of the frame could go some way to improving that.

If you are a junior looking for their first adult racket or a player just returning from an injury that needs a lighter racket that still packs a punch, this could be well worth giving a try!