Intro

Developing players looking for a user-friendly frame will want to pay attention to the new Volkl V-Feel 6. For this update, Volkl has increased the beam width to add additional power to the frame. The V-Feel 6 also receives the same material updates as the rest of the V-Feel family. V-Cell, a cellulose material that provides improved responsiveness and better feel is incorporated into the frame’s layup. The well known Volkl V-Sensor handle has also been updated with REVA which offer significantly more shock absorption and resilience. The butt cap also adds a new silicone polymer called VTex for improved dampening and longer lasting durability. With a substantial amount of innovations on board, the question was how would this translate to playing with the Volkl V-Feel 6?

Groundstrokes

There definitely was no shortage of power from the baseline with the V-Feel 6. With stiffness around 70 RA and a 24-26-23 mm beam, it produced plenty of pop from either wing. The 100 inch head had a good sweet spot and provided solid power even if contact was off center. The 10.2 oz strung weight meant it was effortless to swing and load my shots with pace. The frame lacked the court penetration of a heavier model, but I was able to keep most shots fast and deep into the court. I found the racquet to perform best at moderate swing speeds as anything too fast tended to be more difficult to control. The directional control was decent although not as precise as a thinner more compact frame would have been. As long as I played to bigger targets, I was able to move the ball around the court fairly effectively. The frame’s 16 x 19 string pattern made it easy to generate spin on my groundstrokes. I was able to reliably create spin to bring the ball down and add margin to my shots. The reduced mass of the frame made it a little harder to flatten out mid court balls and keep them under control. On defense, the sub 300 swingweight made it a bit unstable against big shots but for intermediate players it should play fine. The upside was that the V-Feel 6 was easy to snap running shots with and was very quick to use when scrambling on defense.

Volleys & Serves

Net play with the V-Feel 6 was about utilizing its speed. It was quick to position during exchanges and I had no trouble staying in front of volleys. The effortless power made it easy to put away anything I had the chance to attack. At times the frame floated balls or pushed them long, especially if I was a bit careless or late with my preparation. While not as precise as more advanced models, I was able to volley deep into the corners and put opponents on the run. Similar to other V-Feel models, the increased stiffness of the 6 made it a bit more difficult to execute touch and drop volleys the way I wanted to. The racquet had some flutter against hard hit balls but there was enough stability against intermediate level balls.

The V-Feel 6 was a bit of a mixed bag for me on serve. The easy acceleration made it easy for me to load my first serve with plenty of pace but I found it challenging to find a good rhythm for reeling that power in. My flat serve had plenty of pace but lacked the court penetration that a frame with more mass would have produced. I was able to shift my serve around the box although I stayed away from trying to paint the lines. My most effective first serve with the 6 was a high pace body serve. On second serve, my kick serve effectively moved up and away from returners, thanks to the spin friendly pattern and ample head speed. I mostly used this as my slice served lacked the bite I wanted.

Feel & Comfort

Similar to the other V-Feel frames, the 6 played stiffer than previous model lines from Volkl. It had a crisp feel on contact. While this was fine for the most part, I did find myself wanting a bit more flex and feedback. The ball just seemed to exit the string bed without much input on what it was doing. Despite the firmer build, the combination of V-Cell and REVA material did an impressive job of absorbing vibration. The frame didn’t increase in harshness off center, it simply played uniformly firm across the string bed. I didn’t experience any comfort issues but concerned players could always match the V-Feel 6 with a softer string or lower tension to help add comfort and playability.

Overall

Volkl continues its impressive update with this new V-Feel 6. It packs tremendous speed and power off the ground while offering solid control and stability. It offers options for attacking tennis while also being fast enough to play on the run when needed. Developing players and those looking for a lightweight frame that doesn’t skimp on performance should take a close look at the Volkl V-Feel 6.

About the Reviewer: Matt Locke formerly served for 3 years as the Junior Programs & Development Coordinator for USTA-Idaho. He is a PTR certified coach and is an active USTA 4.5 League and Tournament player.