Volkl has once again updated their bread and butter frame, the V1 Classic! When this racquet was released back in the day, its combination of forgiving sweet spot, mobility and dampened response was an immediate hit. It was one of Volkl’s first frames with big grommets, which allowed for more string movement and power on off center hits. Many players still view the V1 as one of the most arm-friendly racquets, and it’s arguably Volkl’s most enduring frame.

Groundstrokes
This frame was absolutely remarkable to hit with. The lighter weight will make advanced players a little hesitant, but after the first couple of hits you will fall in love. The racquet has been slightly updated from the 2014 version with a new design but it didn’t change the feel. The large sweet spot and forgiving feel helped me blast my topspin groundstrokes from the baseline and never worry about hurting my arm. I felt very comfortable maneuvering the racquet for forehands and backhands without feeling tired. I could easily hit with power and spin off the ground without feeling out of control.

Volleys
Volleying with the V1 felt very quick and easy. The racquet gave me plenty of stability and power to put the ball away when I came to net. What really surprised me was the amount backspin I was able to generate for touch volleys. Whether the ball came fast or slow, I could simply direct the ball where it needed to go and add a little more spin. Most racquets that are oversize, light weight and thicker towards the head are usually not the greatest for stability. Surprisingly enough I didn’t feel any stability issues enabling me to stay comfortable no matter the type of ball hit at me.

Serves
My serves seemed way faster than normal with this frame. I was able to easily accelerate through contact and generate plenty of racquet head speed for pace and depth. Flat serves seemed to take off as soon as I hit the stringbed while slice and kick serves got more spin. Sometimes I felt I needed to add more spin because the ball would go a little bit longer than expected. However, I did feel comfortable moving my serve around the box and showing opponents I could hit multiple locations.

Feel/Comfort
Feel is amazing with this racquet and is great for players with arm problems. Although it has a relatively high RA of 69, players will not get a stiff feeling as they hit. The dual-dampening system does an excellent job reducing torsional shock and vibrations so there is no feeling going back to the hitting arm. Even with polyester strings, players will get a muted response at impact allowing them to play longer than normal.

Overall
This is a classic frame and lots of players will enjoy this racquet from Volkl. The power and spin levels are more than other racquets but don’t go way overboard even with the 102 square inch head. The dampening system truly is remarkable and should be utilized on more racquets for today’s game.

About the Reviewer: Chris Virk-Brown currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is an active USTA League and Tournament player.