This spin-friendly weapon combines impressive plow through and precision with outstanding feel
Introducing the VCORE 98 Tour! With this new addition to the VCORE family, Yonex gives experienced players a solid feeling racquet with an impressive combination of plow-through, precision and spin. At 11.7 ounces strung, the Tour 98 does a great job redirecting higher levels of pace while also delivering enough mass-based power to keep your opponent in check. According to our playtesters, the feel at impact is outstanding, not least because of how solid and smooth this stick feels across every stroke. Notable features include an ISOMETRIC head shape, which is decidedly more comfortable and forgiving than conventionally shaped equivalents. Other technologies include SIF Grommets, which deploy a silicone oil infusion to reduce the friction between the string and grommet. The upshot is greater string movement for increased snapback and more vicious ball rotation. In addition to a VDM Mesh in the handle to help with vibration dampening, the VCORE 98 Tour features 2G-NAMD FlexForce Graphite in the upper shaft and lower hoop, enabling the racquet to flex optimally through impact. Ultimately, this heavier model is an impressive addition to the VCORE line. Experienced players looking for power, spin and precision will love this one.
Specifications
| Head Size: 98 in² / 632.26 cm² | ||||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||||
| Strung Weight: 11.7oz / 332g | ||||
| Balance: 13in / 33.02cm / 4 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 326 | ||||
| Stiffness: 63 | ||||
| Beam Width: 23mm / 23mm / 21mm | ||||
| Composition: 2G-Namd FlexForce/H.M. Graphite | ||||
| Power Level: Low-Medium | ||||
| Stroke Style: Medium-Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Medium-Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colors: Red | ||||
| Grip Type: Yonex Synthetic | ||||
String Pattern:
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| String Tension: 45-60 pounds |
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Customer Reviews
Great racquetI love this racquet. It is super stable, soft at impact, and it generates great topspin. I used to play with a 2016 Babolat Pure Aero Tour, and I was hoping this racquet would have the same stability and spin with a slightly more comfortable feel. This Vcore Tour fits that description. I do wish, however, that it were ever-so-slightly easier to swing. At times, it feels a tiny bit too heavy for me on the forehand side. I was hoping it would feel a bit lighter than the Pure Aero Tour, but it feels pretty close to the same swing weight. But it's still a great racquet.
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Perfect spin/control weapon for expertsThis Tour version of the VCore 98 takes everything good from that frame and solves its only problem -- lack of power and stability -- with a perfect balance of weight and plow. The only downside is that you must be a strong player -- minimum 4.5 -- with scaldingly high racquet head speed to control this thing. This racquet is designed for a player who has huge topspin strokes, big spin serve cuts, and lightning fast slices with power. If you don't spin the ball with this racquet, and HARD, then the ball will fly on you. If you do spin it, you can bully your opponent with depth and angles that have significantly more margin for error than less-spin-friendly alternatives such as the Ezone 98 Tour and Blade Pro. This racquet has the flex and ball pocketing effectively to flatten out groundstrokes, volleys, and especially serves, and it has better feel than the Ezone 98 Tour, but again you need to be an expert to do so, because the stringbed is inherently less controlled than the Ezone or the Blade Pro. Yonex has made a home run bat with this heavy version of the VCore, but it's a bat that only major leaguers will have the fitness and skill to swing.
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Very spinny, surprisingly powerful.Coming from playing more control oriented frames like the 2018 Yonex Vcore Pro I was looking for something with a little more pop but still being controllable. Played this for about 20 hours. Great frame for spinny heavy groundstrokes. The high static weight and swingweight make it a real weapon in the right hands. Ultimately though I decided against it because it wasn't as maneuverable as I wanted, and it was a little too powerful for my style of play. It was really great on serves and groundstrokes. Weaker at the net in my opinion. Great choice for strong players who can handle the heavy weight.
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Great racquetI’m fairly new to tennis so I don’t have a very in depth knowledge of racquets since I just started in February of this year. I started with a Babolat pure aero 102 that only weighed 260 grams. I played with it for a few months and then tried one of my friend’s racquets which had a 98 inch head and weighed over 300 grams. I really liked the heavier and smaller racquet. So I demoed a Yonex VCore 98 Tour, a Wilson Blade 16x19, and a Pure Drive. This racquet just has a very sturdy and consistent feel. I noticed that this racquet helps me hit with more power and spin while also being very solid at the net. This racquet is fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone.
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Well Executed RacquetPretty good pop. Feels good on flat serves. Some of that nice Yonex damping to give a bit of a control feel. Will fly on you some, but balls can be shaped nicely with some aggressive spin. Definitely on the comfortable side for a spin-friendly racquet. Might be a good choice if you are looking for some elbow protection, but want to maintain a fast-swing playing style. Tour model handles heavy balls very well. Might feel a tad slow at the net and on second serves. Overall, a very strong, well-executed offering.
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Outstanding all-around stickThe VCore 98 Tour is simply a phenomenal racquet. I was previously using a weighted-up version of a standard 2023 VCore 98, which I was perfectly happy with, but couldn't resist picking up one of these when they were released last fall. The tour version has a considerably better feel than a weighted up VCore 98. This racquet provides excellent spin, power, stability, all while having above-average control for a spin-marketed racquet. Serves and backhand slices are my favorite shots with this racquet, but I think this racquet does everything well. The stock weight of this racquet is borderline perfect; I only swapped in a leather grip to make it slightly more head light. Racquet is plenty maneuverable. I'm not too picky with strings and have been bouncing back and forth between Confidential 17 and Hyper-G 17 in this thing. For reference, I'm a 4.5 baseliner and an aggressive mover that still relies on running down a lot of balls. I hit a heavy topspin forehand, flat two-handed backhand and a *lot* of one-handed backhand slices. Above average first serve. Racquet checks all the boxes.
Maneuverable, powerful and versatile.I received my racquet strung with Yonex Poly Tour Pro 16. I put in a vibration dampener and this combination weighed in at 12.0 oz. That may seem heavy, but this racquet is really easy to swing and feels very nimble like a great sports car. There is plenty of power on tap and the control is excellent. This is a great stick for an all-court player. Muted feel, comfortable, stable and zero vibration. As a side note, if you are looking for a poor man’s version of this racquet, take a Prince 100x 305, put 9 grams of TW Tungsten tape in the handle and a Tourna power strip at 3 and 9 and you will have something that plays very similar.
Perfect blend of controlled power & feelI tend to bounce back between power frames and control frames with good feel. The VCORE 98 Tour is a perfect blend of both. It’s rock solid with excellent feel for a power/spin frame. This racquet really does everything well for my game. Excellent on serve, getting lots of action on my balls. Forehands are with heavy top spin, solid on backhands, filthy slices, and surprisingly great feel on volleys. I currently have one of my racquets strung with Tour Bite and the other with Silver 7 Tour (48lbs). I feel like a crisp poly really goes well with this frame.
Agree with WOW!I played with the 2023 Vcore 95, 98, and 100. Previously used the 2021 Vcore 100+. I bought the Vcore 98 Tour because I used to play with the Ezone 98 Tour, and this racquet just hits everything with substantially more power and spin, and has so much more control. Both of my racquets average 327 SW, which works super well with my technique. Serves are pinpoint, and unlike with the other racquets, I rarely double fault. Everything just seems easier. The weight is distributed perfectly for my topspin forehand and one-handed backhand. Volleys are solid. Assume everything is about the player finding the right racquet, but this one is definitely the one for me, a 4.5 NTRP tournament player.
WOWServing and volleying is rock solid. Flat forehands can be a bit erratic, but anything using spin can be controlled very well. You can't have it all, but this comes close to trying.
One of the racquets of the yearThis racquet combines amazing spin and power, with the added stability of the extra weight. At 11.7 oz strung it's not heavy at all, more of a mid-weight racquet. Swings very fast. Compared to the VCORE 98 this one has a much better feel. Currently I play it in stock form with only an overgrip and a dampener added. It may benefit from a leather grip but I don't think any lead in the hoop is needed. Outstanding addition to the VCORE line. 40 year-old 4.5 singles player with western FH and two-handed BH, for reference.
Rock solid additionRight away I noticed the 315 gram Tour feeling substantially better! More solid and stable right from the start. Still maintains its quickness and plenty additional speed once you get it moving a touch sooner. When connecting solidly, it rewards you with a better sense of connection to the ball for better overall control. There were far less “surprises” which often meant launching it higher & towards the back fence. As you’d expect, amazing off the ground and especially effective on serve. Volleys were serviceable and despite the bump in weight, access to spin was ever present thanks to its quickness and overall maneuverability. With the same weight and balance as the Ezone 98 Tour, I switched out the factory grip for a leather and that did the trick. I also compared it to a similarly weighted VCore 98 (305 grams). Despite being nearly identical in specs, the new Tour feels significantly more solid and more predictable. I felt more comfortable going after the ball, even when flattening out the ball. This always seemed harder with the 98, even weighted up. My only wish would have been for Yonex to have utilized a 16x20 pattern for both this as well as the Ezone 98 Tour. That added cross would’ve helped to tame the launch and add a touch more control. One can dream still! Overall, a very good addition to this dynamic lineup of Yonex frames.
