Review: Volkl C10 Evo Racquet · Unstrung
Published on 07/21/2023 · 3 min readCurated Tennis Expert Brandon M. shares his experience with using the Volkl C10 Evo Racquet. Note that experts are not sponsored by any brands; these are their honest opinions.By Tennis Expert
Brandon M.
11 photos
The Curated Take
3.8/5
The Volkl C10 Evo racquet is ideal for advanced players, high-level juniors, smaller women, and former top players wanting the control and feel of a classic player's racquet but in a more user-friendly package. It offers a plush, arm-friendly response with excellent control and maneuverability due to its thin, flexible beam, moderate static weight, and fast swingweight—however, the racquet's small sweet spot and low power level demand consistent strokes. Despite the power challenge, its low response lets users with long, fast swings trade big shots confidently from the baseline.
Ideal for
- Plush and comfortable
- Outstanding precision
- Excellent maneuverability
Not ideal for
- Small sweet spot
- Underpowered
Volley
The Volkl C10 Evo is a big confidence booster at the net. I loved how it was maneuverable, but it retained solid stability against hard-hit passing shots. The outstanding feel...Read more
Control
When hitting with the Volkl C10 Evo, I was very confident in aiming for small targets thanks to its great control. With low power and excellent ball pocketing thanks to...Read more
Maneuverability
The C10 Evo is meant to be a more maneuverable version of the C10 Pro. I really appreciated that in my tests. I found the C10 Evo easy to get...Read more
Stability
The Volkl C10 Evo took the advanced C10 Pro racquet's mold and dropped the weight to make it more maneuverable. In theory, this should have had a large impact on...Read more
Comfort
The thin, flexible beam combined with Volkl's Twin Absorber dampening in the handle of the C10 Evo makes for a really comfortable, arm-friendly feel on impact. Volkl prides itself on...Read more
Feel
The Volkl C10 Evo has an old-school, thin 20mm beam that offers a plush feel with great feedback. There is nice ball pocketing which let me feel exactly where I...Read more
Sweet Spot Size
The sweet spot on the C10 Evo is quite small and, as a result, makes it a pretty unforgiving racquet. It definitely demands a high level of consistency in one's...Read more
Durability
Volkl's German-engineered heritage has meant that they pride themselves on using the highest quality materials to construct their racquets. With a really nice paint job, excellent quality grips, and top-notch...Read more
Ground Stroke
Even with a fairly small sweet spot, I really enjoyed hitting groundstrokes with the C10 Evo. With all the control and ball pocketing, I could utilize the maneuverable swingweight, take...Read more
Serve
The Volkl C10 Evo was a mixed bag when serving for me. I appreciated the maneuverability to move the racquet for ample slice and kick on my second serves. It...Read more
Power
The Volkl C10 Evo is a classic player's racquet where the thin beam construction doesn't offer a whole lot of power on its own. Most of these racquets compensate for...Read more
Versatility
The Volkl C10 Evo is definitely for advanced players, even though it is a more user-friendly weight than the C10 Pro. With the small sweet spot and low-powered response, it...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Volkl C10 Evo Racquet
Brandon M. The Volkl C10 Evo is a racquet for advanced players looking for a plush, arm-friendly response with lots of control and outstanding maneuverability. Volkl took a lot of the features of classic players' racquets with a thin, flexible beam, smaller head size, and pinpoint control and put them into a more user-friendly package with a moderate 305g static weight and really maneuverable 319RDC swingweight. The C10 Evo works quite well for high-level junior players, smaller women, and former high-level players who may have lost a step from their best days, who want the control and feel of a classic players racquet but might not be up to the demands of the typical 320-330g weight and 330 RDC swingweights. The sweet spot is quite small and low, with a noticeable drop off in power if I hit high up in the string bed. Overall, the power response is on the low end for racquets in this class, but that lets players with long, fast strokes swing away without fear of hitting the ball long. This made for a really enjoyable experience hitting ground strokes where I could stand back behind the baseline and trade big shots with my playing partners. For advanced players looking for loads of feel and control with the consistency to find the sweet spot, the C10 Evo is a must-try.
Review Ratings
Volley
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Volkl C10 Evo is a big confidence booster at the net. I loved how it was maneuverable, but it retained solid stability against hard-hit passing shots. The outstanding feel helped me to hit some really nice drop and cut volleys which is rare for a baseliner like me.
Control
5/5
Brandon M. gave 5 of 5 stars. When hitting with the Volkl C10 Evo, I was very confident in aiming for small targets thanks to its great control. With low power and excellent ball pocketing thanks to the thin, flexible 20mm beam, I felt like my directional control was outstanding. I could change my aim quite late in my stroke to keep my opponent guessing, and it helped me construct points with spin and finesse more than usual.
Maneuverability
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. The C10 Evo is meant to be a more maneuverable version of the C10 Pro. I really appreciated that in my tests. I found the C10 Evo easy to get into position for reaction volleys when stretched on the run, and it allowed me to generate lots of racquet head speed to get bite on my groundstrokes.
Stability
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. The Volkl C10 Evo took the advanced C10 Pro racquet's mold and dropped the weight to make it more maneuverable. In theory, this should have had a large impact on stability as well. Still, on the court, I felt like the C10 Evo was really solid against 5.0 opponents with big serves and heavy groundstrokes.
Comfort
5/5
Brandon M. gave 5 of 5 stars. The thin, flexible beam combined with Volkl's Twin Absorber dampening in the handle of the C10 Evo makes for a really comfortable, arm-friendly feel on impact. Volkl prides itself on arm-friendly racquets, and the C10 models are throwback examples of how to make a racquet comfortable with basic frame design rather than relying on new technology like the V-Cell line.
Feel
5/5
Brandon M. gave 5 of 5 stars. The Volkl C10 Evo has an old-school, thin 20mm beam that offers a plush feel with great feedback. There is nice ball pocketing which let me feel exactly where I was directing the ball. At the net, the feel was outstanding, and I could confidently play finesse shots thanks to the feedback from the racquet.
Sweet Spot Size
2/5
Brandon M. gave 2 of 5 stars. The sweet spot on the C10 Evo is quite small and, as a result, makes it a pretty unforgiving racquet. It definitely demands a high level of consistency in one's strokes to keep the ball in the sweet spot. I also didn't like how low the sweet spot was on the face. I prefer to hit my groundstrokes a little higher on the strings for a higher launch angle and struggled to adjust to the lower location on the C10 Evo.
Durability
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. Volkl's German-engineered heritage has meant that they pride themselves on using the highest quality materials to construct their racquets. With a really nice paint job, excellent quality grips, and top-notch carbon and fiberglass, Volkl's racquets are built to last. The C10 Evo demo racquets I used both looked as good as new, even though they had received plenty of use.
Ground Stroke
4/5
Brandon M. gave 4 of 5 stars. Even with a fairly small sweet spot, I really enjoyed hitting groundstrokes with the C10 Evo. With all the control and ball pocketing, I could utilize the maneuverable swingweight, take big cuts at the ball, and be confident in hitting my targets. There was ample topspin with the open 16x19 string pattern to make for a nice, heavy ball.
Serve
3/5
Brandon M. gave 3 of 5 stars. The Volkl C10 Evo was a mixed bag when serving for me. I appreciated the maneuverability to move the racquet for ample slice and kick on my second serves. It lacked some of the pop I usually have to make both first and second serves heavy and difficult to return. Instead, I had to rely on the control of the racquet to go for smaller targets to keep opponents guessing.
Power
3/5
Brandon M. gave 3 of 5 stars. The Volkl C10 Evo is a classic player's racquet where the thin beam construction doesn't offer a whole lot of power on its own. Most of these racquets compensate for the lack of power in the frames with higher swingweights to help strong players drive the ball through the court with mass. The C10 Evo doesn't have the mass-based power of the C10 Pro, and as a result, I was looking for a little more free power on serves when stretched wide. On some shots, I tried to put away for winners. At this stage in my playing career, I need a little more help than the C10 Evo can offer.
Versatility
3/5
Brandon M. gave 3 of 5 stars. The Volkl C10 Evo is definitely for advanced players, even though it is a more user-friendly weight than the C10 Pro. With the small sweet spot and low-powered response, it requires consistency and strong form to get the most out of it. Therefore, I don't recommend this racquet for anyone under 4.0 NTRP. It is less versatile than some other modern players' racquets on the market which are a bit more forgiving.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Brandon M. During a mixed doubles match with my wife against my sister and her husband, I was playing with the C10 Evo. I played one of the best sets of my life at the net because it is so easy to volley with this racquet. I don't think I missed a volley, and I gained so much confidence after the first couple of games that I was poaching quite often and ending points early. For a guy who typically sticks to the baseline, having a match like this was a lot of fun.
Why did you choose this product?
Brandon M. The Volkl C10 Evo has many characteristics I like in a racquet, with good maneuverability, plenty of control, and a comfortable feel on impact. As I've gotten a little older, I don't have quite as much pop in my game as I used to have, and I am also a touch slower, so I need a racquet that is a little more forgiving and has more free power. In the end, I didn't switch to the C10 Evo. Instead, I chose the Volkl V-Cell V1 Pro, which offers similar control, maneuverability, and comfort, with a more forgiving head size and more useable power.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Brandon M. The Volkl C10 Evo provides a lot of value. Its retail price of around $219.99 undercuts competitors like the Wilson Ultra Pro 16x19, Head Boom Pro, and Yonex VCORE Pro 97 by approximately $30-$50.
What do you love about this product?
Brandon M. The Volkl C10 Evo is a racquet that gives me a ton of control and maneuverability with a plush, comfortable feel that I really love. The stability is really nice against hard-hitting opponents and at the net. The outstanding ball pocketing and low-powered response make it easy to take big swings from the baseline. I feel confident knowing where the ball will go.
4.91
Brandon M.
Tennis Expert70 Reviews
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