Volkl V-Cell V1 Pro Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 80

From the back of the court, our playtesters commended the V-Cell V1 Pro's speed and playability, with several drawing comparisons to previous iterations. The maneuverability of this update is what stood out most to Andrew. He said, "This may be the fastest racquet I have tested thus far, and I enjoyed hitting it from the baseline. The 23-mm beam at the throat and top of the head, along with a thinner 20-mm beam at 3 and 9 o'clock, provided a plush response. The racquet boasted comfort (even after hours of rallies), along with above-average response and feel. As for the power level, the racquet falls toward more power than control. I found myself taking shorter reach-backs and needing to utilize more wrist snap for spin rather than swing speed. When I focused on this, I was winning points and playing well; however, I tend to hit flatter when I'm in a match situation, and the racquet could be a little too powerful at times. Overall, this racquet has great spin potential but was not as well suited to my flatter playing style."

Kristen thought this update was much easier to swing than past iterations. She said, "I tested the previous version, and I preferred this updated model since I found it to swing much faster through the air, making it less taxing during point play. I thought it played comfortably. It felt slightly dampened on contact and offered great access to spin and easy power. However, I did struggle with the feel and finding consistent playability out of the stringbed. At times I'd find that sweetspot and get a plush, controlled response, and other times I'd come through the ball with the same swing speed but find the ball really launching out of the stringbed and soaring off course."

Although this racquet is a bit out of spec from what Michelle typically plays with, she enjoyed the playability, particularly during doubles matches. She explained, "When I have a chance to playtest a racquet that weighs an ounce less than my racquet of choice, I am usually excited to unlock some maneuverability, and that was the case with this racquet! Although definitely lighter and faster than my racquet of choice, the V1 Pro still felt stable for its weight and allowed me to ramp up the speed and spin on my shots. I found easy depth, as well as the ability to play with angles on the court. The racquet was comfortable at impact despite the RA of 68, and the ball felt like it sunk into the stringbed. I wasn't hitting heavy shots like I do with heavier racquets, but I found a good amount of controlled power. I was able to get the ball to jump up off the court rather than just blasting the ball through the baseline. I seemed to align best with this racquet in doubles, and while I should be getting to the net quicker, this racquet gave me a variety of shots to select. I could go deep with a ball and then angle the next one to work the point to my advantage. If the power level ever felt too high I would change up the string setup for a bit more control with a deader poly."

Brittany has a long history with Volkl racquets and found that this update stayed true to the line. She said, "I have always enjoyed the V1 Pro offering from Volkl, dating all the way back to the 2013 Organix version. One minor change I noticed this time around was the maneuverability. From the baseline, it was easy to swing and generate racquet head speed. I found easy spin on my groundstrokes, and I was hitting a relatively heavy ball that was pushing my opponent back off the baseline. I typically describe racquets as either powerful or control-oriented, and this V1 Pro sits dead even in the middle for me. I could be really effective on my slice as well when I was on defense. Slice normally isn't a strength of mine, so I always enjoy when it is enhanced by a racquet."

Volleys - Score: 80

The maneuverability our playtesters found at the baseline was also present when they moved up to the net. For most, the V-Cell V1 Pro held its own and met expectations. The racquet felt both stable and speedy in Michelle's hands at net. She said, "The V1 Pro was quick to move into place at net and held up against big hitters. I could pick up balls that dropped low below the net or dipped at my feet. I was connected to the stringbed and could place the ball where I wanted. Again, I got to take advantage of this in doubles and found confidence moving after balls and getting aggressive at the net with it in hand. It wasn't as stable as a 12-ounce racquet, but it didn't fold against pace either."

It was also smooth sailing for Kristen, who noted, "The racquet's performance at net was pretty straightforward. It was easy to get into position, easy to punch volleys deep, and overheads felt effortless."

"The V-Cell V1 Pro performed well up at net," Brittany added. "It was plenty stable for my tastes, and I never experienced any racquet fluttering or twisting. It was also easy to get into position, which was beneficial in doubles for quick volley exchanges. To me, the feel was a bit dampened in the handle, but it was stiffer in the hoop. I will note that I didn't have any comfort issues. However, I tended to stick to simple volleys that I punched back deep in the court."

Andrew found he could mix up his volley game at net thanks to the racquet's maneuverability and access to spin. He explained, "I found volley timing to be very simple with the Volkl V1 Pro. Because of its low swingweight, I was able to get myself in position for any volley coming my way — especially difficult, almost-out-of-reach volleys. With its ability to spin the ball well, I enjoyed dropping volleys low and short with touch, and I didn't have any stability issues at net. If I had to be picky, my dislike would be that the racquet offered a lot of power, and my deep, powerful volleys could be erratic at times."

Serves - Score: 80

Although all of the testers thought the V-Cell V1 Pro felt easy to swing overhead, some enjoyed serving with it more than others. The serve is where Michelle was able to pull the most magic out of this racquet. She described, "Serving with this racquet was my favorite part of this playtest. I liked how easy it was to ramp up pace on serves and get the ball to jump when it came to spin or slice. I felt fairly confident stepping up to serve with this racquet and found I could gain a couple of free points in each game with my serves."

Kristen also enjoyed her results on serve. She added, "Stepping up to serve with the V-Cell V1 Pro felt pretty routine. The racquet swung easily overhead, so it definitely is not a frame I'm going to get any arm fatigue with. Spin was plentiful, which allowed me to spot my serves with ease, and I felt like I was getting decent pace on my serves as well."

Andrew struggled with his serves landing a bit long. He explained, "I had trouble dialing in the serve due to this racquet's combination of lower static weight and low swingweight. Serves had plenty of pop and spin, but I was overhitting the ball deep due to the speed of the racquet. Because of this, I focused on snapping quicker with my wrist, allowing the racquet's spin potential to bring the ball down. It worked well, but when I really wanted to crank up the speed, or when I got tight during intense play, I was often hitting the ball long, and the V-Cell V1 Pro was not as forgiving (control-wise) as my typical racquets."

While Brittany was able to serve with this racquet successfully, she didn't experience any wow factor. She said, "With the power and control levels being equal, there was nothing that really stood out on serve. I was able to hit all my different serves relatively well. I found myself leaning toward a slice out wide for my first serve with an occasional flat up the middle to mix things up. On my second, there was some access to spin, although I would have liked a little more to really get some good kick on the ball. Regardless, I was able to stay relatively neutral on the second serve and did not experience any additional double faults."

Returns - Score: 79

Our playtesters had mixed reviews on returns, with some finding it difficult to keep the ball inside the lines when swinging big and others achieving enough spin to land their returns on target. As someone who would typically rather return than serve, Brittany felt that this V-Cell V1 Pro fit right into her preferences. She said, "I preferred to return with this racquet, like with most racquets I playtest. Everything I said previously applies to returns as well. On first serve returns, I could punch the ball back deep with little effort. On second serve returns, I was able to really swing out on the ball, and I had enough control to aim for lower percentage targets to be really offensive."

For Michelle, the opposite was true. "I liked this racquet least on returns," she said. "I craved a bit more control here, but I could attack with angles instead since I noticed that flatter, big returns sailed on me more often than not. This is where I was impressed by the stability of the racquet, though. Sometimes lighter frames crumble a bit against bigger first serves, but I felt in command with this V-Cell V1 Pro in my hands, and I could even block big serves back if I didn't have the chance to take a full swing. Again, referencing doubles play — I could get the ball dipping right at my opponent's feet."

Kristen had a similar experience to Michelle. She added, "Returning is usually my favorite shot, and I generally prefer to return over serving. However, with this racquet the opposite was true. While finding my targets on serves came effortlessly, I struggled to find that same accuracy on returns. Starting my return position a bit farther back than I normally do helped a bit with consistency, but it was never a shot that I felt fully confident in."

Like Britney, Andrew found success with the V-Cell V1 Pro in his return game. He said, "Returning was super fun with this racquet, as the beam provided great response and touch on counterpunches. As with my groundstrokes, my shots excelled when I utilized wrist snap and less swing speed. As a result, it was simple and efficient to keep the ball deep in the court. The maneuverability of the V-Cell V1 Pro also assisted in returning powerful serves. It is very swift, and I had no trouble getting it out in front for ideal contact. On second slower serves, the swingweight made it incredibly easy to keep opponents off the court by adding excessive spin for aggressive serve returns or short angles. One quick flick was all that was necessary to shift into an offensive position to win the point."

Overall - Score: 80