YONEX VCore Tour G Lite Tennis Racquet Review
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The VCore Tour G Lite has been garnering a lot of attention since Stanislas Wawrinka won his maiden grand slam with the slightly heavier edition. Yonex enthusiasts will love its orange paint job, reminiscent of the old RDS 002 which was a fan favorite for many years. Its classic colors and performance may conjure memories the crushing serves and groundstrokes of Mario Ancic and Paradorn Srichiphan.
Groundstrokes
I was pleasantly surprised to find an incredibly different feel with the Tour G Lite in comparison to all of the other VCore frames that I have tried. Despite having a lower flex rating than most of its counterpart VCore's, the string bed did feel a bit stiffer at contact. Stiffness aside, I had heard that the "G" line was designed for more spin, and this racquet delivered in that regard. I found that hitting heavy topspin from both the forehand and backhand was the more comfortable way to wield this racquet. It really helped me produce a noticeably heavier rally ball that aided in pushing opponents off of the baseline. The Tour G Lite's 16x20 string pattern, while being very responsive to spin, still produced great control while hitting flatter groundstrokes. Control-oriented players who favor a very feel-focused racquet should value the Tour G Lite's precision.
While offering great spin and control, I felt it required a lot more effort than anticipated to continually produce the racquet speed needed to strike the ball at a consistently high pace, even with a 7-point head light balance. In other words, the Tour G Lite was a little more demanding from the ground than I am used to.
Volleys
While volleying with the Tour G Lite, I did enjoy the control and precision that this racquet offers. It feels very maneuverable at the net, making it easy to punch through contact for finishing volleys or take pace off the ball for touch drop or angle volleys. Whether cutting under the ball slightly for an underspin volley, or driving it flat, the Tour G Lite produced great results.
Serves
From my very first serve, I was impressed with the Tour G Lite. The level of control, power, and spin that I could impart on the ball was astonishing. This racquet really blew me away with its precision when serving, and I am yet to find a racquet that has instantly garnered such a quick response. From hitting hard flat serves, sliding slices, or twisting kick serves, the Tour G Lite delivered absolute control and plenty of power to make holding serve during a match feel easy.
Overall
The VCore Tour G Lite offers a unique feel different than many of the other Yonex racquets currently available, and may be best suited to more advanced players looking for a very precise, control-oriented frame. The Tour G Lite really shined in two big areas: producing heavy topspin groundstrokes that really bite off of the court, and delivering precise and powerful serves. A demanding racquet, the Tour G Lite did feel a little under powered, and hitting off center did cause many weak and inaccurate shots (as expected). Strong players who favor an aggressive, all-court style will love how this racquet performs.
.jpg) About the Reviewer: Brandon Arradaza is a Tennis Professional at the Chris Lewit Tennis Academy in New York City. He is a graduate of the Professional Tennis Management Program at Ferris State University, a USPTA Elite Professional, PTR Professional and USRSA Master Racquet Technician.
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