Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.3

When it came to hitting groundstrokes, the Vostra V1 Pro proved to be a willing partner across a variety of playing styles. Spin was consistently accessible, so our playtesters had fun leaning into their creativity with this racquet. The Vostra V1 Pro offered Michelle a comfortable experience throughout the playtest. She explained, "The V1 Pro has always been a solid option from Volkl, so I was curious to see how this update would play. Right away, I found it easy to swing and generate power and depth. It felt fairly stable as well, and as someone who likes heavier racquets, I was happy this Vostra V1 Pro held up to any off-center hits. The string pattern is denser in the center of the racquet and more open just above the middle, which is where I like to make contact. I wish that feature had been swapped, with the denser part of the stringbed just above the center instead. The second thing that became obvious to me was the very sensitive stringbed. The tension seemed to drop almost immediately no matter which string I used. I tried stiffer strings and higher tensions, and the tension still dropped almost immediately after an hour of use. This led me to the idea of just embracing it and stringing with a controlled poly at a lower tension."

Munish experienced a great blend of handling and feel, letting him expand his repertoire of offensive shotmaking. He said, "I really liked the Vostra V1 Pro but not for my usual reasons. I found this racquet very maneuverable, and it also offered a lot of feel. I was able to hit my groundstrokes with a lot of RPMs, which surprised me at first because I'm usually not able to generate a whole lot of spin on my backhand. The maneuverability, paired with the amazing feel of the V1 Pro, allowed for some really crafty drop shots. However, there were times when I wished the racquet had a bit more stability to it. I found the racquet twisting in my hand any time I hit the ball outside the sweetspot."

For Zsofi, using the Vostra V1 Pro at the baseline was a captivating experience, characterized by the easy comfort, satisfying pocketing and overall great feel. She explained, "We have tested a bunch of different racquets during the past year, and the Volkl Vostra V1 Pro is definitely my favorite so far! It did take a while for me to get used to it, but the more I played with it, the more I liked it! The first thing that stood out to me while playing with the Vostra V1 Pro (besides the kind of crazy cosmetics) was how extremely comfortable it feels! I definitely noticed the plush, responsive feel, and I really enjoyed how long the ball sat in the stringbed. The Vostra V1 Pro pockets the ball impressively well! While the stringbed is forgiving for the most part, it is denser in the center of the racquet. When I hit the ball just a bit higher in the stringbed I ended up sometimes launching the ball and losing control a bit. This just took a little time to get used to."

Ana required more of an adjustment period due to the lack of control she found from this Vostra V1 Pro. She said, "It took some time to figure out this Volkl Vostra V1 Pro. Initially, the racquet felt too low-powered and unstable, so I struggled to find depth on my shots. After playing with the Vostra V1 Pro for a bit I had a better feel for the ball and felt connected and precise. I did feel like the racquet was a little less stable, but I was still able to generate lots of racquet speed. The main thing I struggled with was the lack of control when hitting outside of the sweetspot. I feel like the racquet is less forgiving due to the open spacing outside of the center of the stringbed. The Vostra V1 Pro was very quick and easy to play with. I was able to generate lots of racquet speed while keeping control of my shots when I hit in the sweetspot. The Vostra V1 Pro is a spin-friendly racquet, but I felt like my shots weren’t landing heavy enough and weren’t causing much damage to my opponent. It also felt like the Vostra V1 Pro lost tension very quickly. It kind of worked out better for me at first because I was able to generate more power and spin, but it got to the point where I couldn’t control my shots at all."

Volleys: 7.8

The Vostra V1 Pro proved a tad divisive at the net, with some testers having no issues and others encountering instability when trying to absorb heavier pace. Volleys with the Vostra V1 Pro were a highlight of the playtest for Zsofi, and her precise style of play was easily implemented, making her all-court game even more devastating. She described, "I especially enjoyed the Vostra V1 Pro on volleys since the way it pockets balls really increased how connected I felt to the ball. Control was amazing, and I still had nice touch as well."

Ana had a more difficult time implementing her offensive game while volleying, mainly due to issues with stability. She explained, "I struggled with my volleys. I thought the Vostra V1 Pro was quick on the turn and reaction, but the racquet kept moving every time I made contact. I needed more stability behind it. I felt like I lost control quite easily, and it felt shaky every time I hit the ball -- especially on fast shots coming at me. It was hard to firmly block and keep control of the ball."

Michelle was pleased with how the V1 Pro played while in the forecourt. She said, "I was really happy with the stability of the Vostra V1 Pro at the net. The sweetspot was forgiving, and I found I could execute a variety of shots, from deep first volleys to touch droppers. I could even hit swinging volleys through the court or angling off the court."

Like Ana, Munish encountered some instability, but otherwise he appreciated the maneuverability this Vostra V1 Pro offered. He added, "I was able to hit volleys with a lot of depth, but could also create short angles whenever possible. Again, the maneuverability of the racquet really played a big role. I really liked the feel of the ball with this Vostra V1 Pro. I felt connected, and I felt like I could put the ball anywhere. I wish the Vostra V1 Pro had a bit more weight in the hoop for stability, though, because I found even more twisting of the racquet when at the net."

Serves: 8.3

Serving was perhaps the most positive area of performance for this Vostra V1 Pro. For Munish, the easy spin and handling translated into deadly kick serves. He said, "My kick serves with this racquet were amazing! I wasn't hitting the biggest of serves, but I was able to hit my spots. It was surprising because I got more aces from my kick serve than my flat. On second serves, I felt a bit more exposed than usual. I felt like it was easier to attack my second serve because I didn't have the usual power or pop behind it. With that being said, I rarely had to hit my second serve as I was quite consistent with my first."

Michelle had only positive comments about her time serving with the Vostra V1 Pro. She said, "I enjoyed serving with this racquet. The lively stringbed turned out to be welcomed when serving. I could get a bit of pop and really appreciated the access to slice and kick. The Vostra V1 Pro came through the ball quickly and was fairly accurate when targeting."

Zsofi also had a favorable experience serving with the Vostra V1 Pro. She was able to up her swing speeds without compromising her performance. She explained, "I felt like I could really tap into the power potential of this Vostra V1 Pro on my serves. The racquet head moved very fast, and I could accelerate it nicely."

While Ana didn't love serving with the Vostra V1 Pro as much as the other testers, this was still one of the stronger parts of the playtest for her. She said, "The Vostra V1 Pro was good for serves, but nothing too crazy. I thought it was quick on the take-back and turning, but I struggled to generate a good second serve since I felt that I had less access to spin. My slice serves were great, though."

Returns: 8.1

Returns with the Vostra V1 Pro produced mixed results. Ana didn't feel anything exemplary on returns, but she appreciated being able to take advantage of the maneuverability. She explained, “Like my serves, I didn’t find any crazy good results when hitting returns. The V1 Pro felt maneuverable enough to have good timing, but I struggled with the lack of control when the ball hit outside of the sweetspot. If my timing was not right, the racquet wasn't forgiving. Due to how maneuverable this Vostra V1 Pro was, I was able to step into my returns and take time away from my opponents. I also found myself stepping away to give myself time to take a big swing and generate a fast, heavy spin, deep ball."

Zsofi's return of serve was powerful and plush, but perhaps not as precise as she would have liked. She said, "Returns were comfortable, but I had to be mindful of overhitting or launching the ball. As a result of this, I mostly sliced my returns back to feel a bit more in control. My slices felt great and controlled."

Yet again, the Vostra V1 Pro provided Michelle with great maneuverability and occasional control issues. She said, “For the most part, the Vostra V1 Pro worked well on returns. However, the stringbed was a bit flighty and powerful at times, leading me to sometimes overhit. What I did appreciate was the maneuverability and stability, because I could access angles well with my returns. The Vostra V1 Pro was also stable against bigger servers, which allowed me to block balls deep into the court to help neutralize points.”

Munish thought the Vostra V1 Pro felt fast on returns, but that maneuverability may have come at the expense of control. He described, "The return of serve was one of the more challenging aspects of the playtest. A decent number of my shots were falling short, and that allowed my opponent to get the upper hand very early in points. I was able to be a bit more aggressive returning second serves, and I could hit bigger and deeper into the court. Directing the ball was difficult at first, but I was able to get the timing down and hit some angles. I still kind of struggled with direction on first serve returns, but not as much as I did at the beginning of the playtest."

Breakdown Summary