Volkl V-Feel 10 Racket Review
A long, long time ago, some 16 years now, I was a Volkl player, so I was quite excited to see how much the rackets have changed over the years.
I had a few anger issues on court back then and seem to remember having to buy an all too expensive number of frames, so I’ve probably owned more Volkl rackets than any other brand despite only playing with them for a couple of years.
There was a time when every kid in the country seemed to be playing with Volkl rackets, but nowadays they are few and far between.
Popularity doesn’t always speak to the quality of a racket though, and we thought we would find out how one of Volkl’s premiere rackets plays.
We picked up the 320g version of the Volkl V-Feel 10, a racket that would most closely resembles the Head Graphene Touch Prestige, and the Prince Textreme Tour 95.
It’s just a little heavier than the Prestige, which we quite like, and at 6pts HL it is similarly headlight.
This should lend the Volkl V-Feel 10 to control, whilst encouraging players to take big, fast rips at the ball.
We found this was certainly the case, as we got on well with the racket from the off, benefiting from its high level of precision and easy manoeuvrability.
My personal opinion is that the Volkl V-Feel 10 is not the most aesthetically pleasing; although this wouldn’t bother me in the slightest if I decided it was the right racket for me.
It’s decked out in all-black, with a lizard-like yellow-green flecks decorating the frame, and the shape just looks a little off for some reason.
But, like I said, that kind of thing doesn’t bother me much.
Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro is the pro who reps the V-Feel range, using the V-Feel 10 Tour that weighs in just a little heavier than our racket at 326g.
Obviously, the Tour version is aimed at slightly more advanced players, but the 320g makes for a good racket for anyone from intermediate to an advanced level.
The Volkl V-Feel 10 is quite accommodating despite its 320g weight and would appeal to a wide variety of styles of play.
It suits the modern-day game style, where aggressive baseline strokes are encouraged, but it is also quite adept at the net.
We would categorise it similarly to the Prestige, as a control racket, but its slightly bigger head (98sq inch) means that you can get away with shots when you’re timing isn’t perfect, something that is virtually impossible with the Prestige.
However, I wouldn’t put it in quite the same league as the Prestige for feel, but perhaps the Volkl would appeal to a wider range of players than the Prestige.
The V-Feel 10 has a load of Volkl technology included, with V-Cell and V-Sensor both included to increase feel and absorb those pesky vibrations that can shoot through your arm.
The big tennis brands seem to be making a big effort in this area, developing shock absorbing technology, and really using it as a marketing tool.
The V-Feel, like many of today’s rackets, does feel like it has taken a step forward in this area, and it felt like any pain I might normally feel (especially on my forehand and serve,) was limited.
As a fan of the heavier, pro-style rackets, I was very excited to get out and try the Volkl V-Feel 10.
I’m a control guy deep down, but I also need a little bit of pop to get me out of trouble on my backhand, so I was looking forward to seeing if the Volkl V-Feel 10 would offer me that perfect balance I look for.
Groundstrokes
9out of 10
Like the true, modern, aggressive, baseliner that I am (or maybe I’m just an advertiser’s dream), I set about ripping into some forehands and backhands from the back of the court, and immediately felt at ease with the Volkl V-Feel 10.
The 320g weight felt heavy enough without being too heavy, and the headlight balance just egged me on, even more, to hit through the ball.
If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you might note my slight gripe that all modern rackets seem to lack weight, but I would not make that complaint with that racket.
Though it is a control racket, I felt that the racket was heavy enough to help me hit through my backhand, and I was rewarded with good length and pinpoint accuracy.
I will often spend half my time trying to run around my backhand to hit forehands, but with the Volkl V-Feel I felt quite comfortable off the backhand side and was quite enjoying myself.
If you’re forced into a tight situation then the V-Feel 10 has great feel when you’re forced to chip the backhand, and I was sending some beautiful sliders back off my opponent’s best shots.
The V-Feel 10 didn’t let me down on the forehand side either. I was able to generate a lovely balance of power, spin, and control, and I was able to dominate the play with my leftie forehand exactly as I like to.
The V-Feel 10 is a perfect weight and balance to be able to go after your strokes and give the ball the full force of your swing.
It suits players who love to attack, but if you’re someone who likes to generate easy power it is probably not the one for you. You get exactly what you put in with this racket.
I loved hitting with the Volkl V-Feel 10 and give it a 9 out of 10 for groundstrokes.
It allows you to attack the ball with confidence, safe in the knowledge that the V-Feel control will land the ball where you want it.
Volleys
8out of 10
The precision and stability of the Volkl V-Feel 10 make it a very enjoyable racket to use at the net.
It has a reasonably sized sweet-spot so you don’t have to hit everything perfectly out the middle.
But when you do connect, it is very responsive for that extra bit of touch you need.
Given the control nature of this racket, you do have to make sure you really attack your volleys and hit through the ball.
If you’re reacting late and just letting the ball control the hit, then you’re not going to get much out of the Volkl V-Feel 10.
This is true of any of the more pro-style rackets – you get out what you put in, and they encourage you to take on your shots and swing through the ball.
I felt very comfortable with the Volkl V-Feel 10 in my hands at the net and it felt good on everything from easy put-aways to difficult pickups.
In general, I don’t spend too much time at the net. For me, it’s more to finish off the point than chip and charging, but I would have no worries charging forward for that put-away with this racket.
The Volkl V-Feel 10 gets an 8 of 10 on the volleys, it is well balanced and has a solid feel at the net, exactly what I look for.
It’s not quite up to the standards of the Head Prestige at the net, which is an absolute dream, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Serve
7out of 10
This was the weakest area for the Volkl V-Feel, I felt that it was significantly lacking pop, and on a big point, I could see myself hitting a 40mph second serve with this racket.
Not ideal!
This is mostly a reflection on me, but I think most people seek a little power assistance from their racket on the serve, and the V-Feel 10 didn’t really give me that.
The headlight balance did encourage me to swing through the ball though, and as you would expect, the V-Feel 10 gave me good control.
You feel confident to go after your targets with the V-Feel 10, and it would suit someone who naturally generates a lot of power on the serve and is looking for a little bit more control.
The V-Cell and V-Sensor technology do a nice job on the serve, and I felt like I had good feel on the ball, while the vibrations coming through my joints were limited.
This isn’t always the case when I serve with a slightly heavier racket, so the Volkl V-Feel 10 did impress me in this area.
Ultimately this racket just lacked the pop I need on my serve, so I gave it a 7 out of 10.
I’m sure I could play around with the strings a bit and drop the tension, but I already had it strung lower to slightly maximize the power.
This is always worth remembering when you test a racket. There are a thousand of ways you can customise it, so bear in mind the changes that you can make.
We liked the setup we chose for the Volkl V-Feel 10, but it didn’t quite work for us on the serve.
Overall
8out of 10
The 320g Volkl V-Feel 10 is a very good racket.
On groundstrokes, we couldn’t find any problems with it, as we enjoyed hitting through our shots, and chasing the lines with pinpoint accuracy.
The weight and balance of the racket is exactly what we look for, and it’s nice to see something with a little bit of extra weight when many of the racket companies seem to be moving away from heavier rackets.
This is a good all-round racket and it is very solid at the net.
Whether you’re someone who spends a lot of time at the net, or an infrequent visitor, you’re bound to feel comfortable hitting volleys with the Volkl V-Feel 10.
The only area we found this racket to be wanting was on the serve, where it lacked power.
Both Lawrence and I tried this racket, and our speed serves dipped quite a bit.
When I’m returning Lawrence’s serve with his normal Babolat Pure Aero Tour I’m normally ducking and diving just to scramble the ball back, but when he took over with the Volkl V-Feel 10 I felt like I could step into the court and start to attack the ball.
This racket would be ideal for a pretty advanced player who loves going after his or her shots.
You’ve got to be confident in your strokes if you’re going to get the most out of the Volkl V-Feel 10, especially on the serve, where you’re going to have to work hard to generate power.
I debated the overall rating for this racket a lot, and in the end, I settled with an 8 out of 10.
It’s a very good racket on the groundstrokes and is solid at the net, but at the end of the day, the serve is a very important shot.
Nevertheless, the Volkl V-Feel 100 is well worth checking out. If you’re an advanced level player, then it could be exactly what you are looking for to really go after your shots.
Is the Volkl V-Feel 10 the perfect racket for you? Find out with a custom fitting!
Groundstrokes
9
out of 10
Volleys
8
out of 10
Serve
7
out of 10
Overall
8
out of 10
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