Volkl V-Torque Tour String Review

Control - Score: 91 / Power - Score: 70

V-Torque Tour managed to give our team great control without ever feeling dead or unresponsive (two common problems with control strings). Brittany liked the response because it gave her the confidence to attack the ball. She said, "As expected, I found a very control-oriented response from this string, which allowed me to take full swings at the ball without any fear of it sailing long. I could also pick smaller targets and hit higher risk shots because I was able to be very accurate and precise with my groundstrokes. This gave me the confidence to be more aggressive on my groundstrokes, especially on my approach shots. Even though V-Torque Tour is a co-polyester string, I found enough access to power to satisfy my needs and found it complemented my Yonex EZONE Ai 100 well."

Like Brittany, Chris also appreciated the response of this co-poly. He explained, "I liked the power level of this string. It had a bit more power than Volkl Cyclone, yet it was still controllable. It also felt softer than the original V-Torque and it had a little more launch off the stringbed. V-Torque Tour felt smack in the middle between Cyclone and Cyclone Tour. I find Cyclone Tour to be a tad softer feeling and more powerful, while Cyclone is deader and stiffer. I hit V-Torque Tour in both 16 and 19 gauges. The 16 gauge offered more control and felt a tad firmer. The 19 gauge felt noticeably livelier (getting it a little closer to Cyclone Tour 17 in its response, but still with more control), and I liked the ball pocketing because it kept the response controlled. I was able to keep the 19 gauge down at my regular 48 lbs and still get enough control to keep my shots inside the lines. Fun times!"

Spin - Score: 97

In addition to receiving one of the top spin ratings in our TW University String Lab, V-Torque Tour received one of the highest spin scores ever awarded by our playtest team. Needless to say, Chris had all the spin he needed. "I really enjoyed the spin I got on the ball with this string," he said. "I felt like I was getting good bite on the ball, and I liked the way the string pocketed the ball — especially the 19 gauge. Comparing the string once again to Cyclone Tour, I thought V-Torque Tour offered a similar grip on the ball, yet its more controlled response allowed me to take even bigger cuts at the ball and get more spin. Both my topspin and slice shots were loaded with spin, which made it fun to work the ball around the court."

"With its six-sided profile, this string offered spin potential that lived up to my expectations," said Brittany, who was able to hit some nasty angles with this shaped co-poly. "Some of my favorite shots to hit were passing shots and angled approach shots. On passing shots, I was able to brush up the back of the ball and have it dip right at my opponents' feet in both singles and doubles, making it difficult for them to hit their volleys. One of my strategies when I play is to pull my opponents off the court with shorter, angled groundstrokes (shh... don't tell the other playtesters!). I had a lot of success with this during the playtest and found I was using this tactic more than normal because the ball would dive down into the court inside the lines more consistently and at a sharper angle than normal."

Comfort - Score: 78

Made primarily from polyester, V-Torque Tour isn't designed to offer the ultra plush response of a multifilament or a natural gut. However, it is softer than the average control string, which helps explain why it earned an impressive score for comfort. Let's just say Brittany had zero complaints. She said, "I never really have any comfort issues with most strings, including full bed polyesters. However, I have dropped the tension about 7-9 lbs since my college days when I was playing with a multi/poly hybrid. V-Torque Tour is no exception, and I had absolutely no issues throughout the playtest with it strung up at 52 pounds. The string actually played softer than I was expecting, which was a bonus."

Chris, our resident fan of firm polys, also had no issues with discomfort. He said, "For a co-poly, V-Torque Tour offered a pretty comfortable response. The 19 gauge felt especially soft, and I got the sense that it was pocketing the ball better. I found V-Torque Tour to be a far cry from the stiff and very firm first generation polys I used back in the day. I liked that it offered some new-school comfort without losing too much old-school control."

Feel - Score: 89

The upside of softer co-polys like V-Torque Tour is that they are more responsive on slower strokes and touch shots, and they don't shrink your racquet's sweetspot like some of the stiffer polys. The downside is that they can become mushy, which can lead to a less controllable shot trajectory. According to Chris, V-Torque Tour avoids this problem. He explained, "The feel of V-Torque Tour was decently soft for a co-poly without feeling too lively or erratic. I felt connected to my shots and didn't have to worry about the ball flying. I liked the sense that the ball was sinking into the stringbed with good pocketing. My touch shots worked well with this string, and I needed no adjustment to feel dialed in. I had a lot of fun hitting it. I was able to move the ball around the court with plenty of spin, good pace and lots of control."

For Brittany, this co-poly's feel was nicely balanced between firm and soft. She explained, "While softer than Volkl Cyclone, V-Torque Tour still had a good response when pocketing the ball. I liked how it wasn't overly stiff or too soft, but was comfortably in the middle. Additionally, the string had a pretty consistent feel throughout the stringbed, even when I hit outside of the sweetspot."

Playability Duration - Score: 76

All tennis strings lose tension over time, after which the feel and response change. The big question is how long does it take for a given string to become unplayable? According to Brittany, the answer for V-Torque Tour is a little more than two weeks, which is slightly above average for a softer co-poly. She explained, "With my string of choice, Volkl Cyclone, I like it more the longer it stays in my racquet. With V-Torque Tour, it was almost the opposite. I really liked the playability at the start of the playtest. I left it in my racquet for about a day after stringing before I played with it for the first time. I didn't have to make any adjustments and enjoyed the first two weeks of the playtest. At around two-and-a-half weeks into the playtest I noticed a drop in control, and after three weeks I was ready to cut it out of my racquet."

Chris also got a full two weeks of hitting in before it became unplayable. He explained, "I like to get at least two weeks of hitting out of my co-poly strings before playability drops off and I have to cut them out. V-Torque Tour lasts two weeks for me, but not much more. When I get into week three with this string I'm getting ready to install a fresh set. Playability drops off enough that I lose some connection to my shots. While the string was still playable, I felt like I lost a little spin and a little control. The feel also wasn't as good into the third week. It's not a big deal for me, and in the 19 gauge I've most likely broken it by then anyway."

Overall - Score: 89