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The Yonex Percept, formerly called the Vcore Pro, is one of the best tennis racquets for control on the market. Below, we’ll review the Yonex Percept, including pros, cons, and different models of the racquet. Then, we’ll compare it to other tennis racquets to help you decide if the Percept is right for you.
Review Summary & Ratings for the Yonex Percept
Advanced players who are looking to find a racquet with elite levels of control, the Yonex Percept checks all of the boxes.
It is a great racquet for advanced players looking to complement their game with stability and control. This in-depth review of the Yonex Percept will help you decide if this is the best tennis racquet for your game.
See our ratings, plus the pros and cons of the Yonex Percept below for a quick glance at how it performs compared to other tennis racquets.
Our Ratings for the Yonex Percept
- Power: 6
- Control: 9
- Spin: 8
- Serve: 6
- Return: 8
- Groundstrokes: 8
- Volleys: 9
- Price: $$$
Pros
- Very control-oriented
- Excellent plow through
- Great feel for a control-oriented racquet
Cons
- It lacks some power for players who struggle to create their own
Different Versions of the Yonex Percept Tennis Racquet
The Yonex Percept tennis racquet comes in several versions that vary in weight and size. Below is a list of the different Yonex Percept racquets on the market today.
We’ll review each version in more detail below.
What did Yonex Update with the Change to the Perecpt?
The Yonex Percept is the new name for the Vcore Pro line of racquets. You can still purchase the previous Vcore Pro racquets while supplies last.
Other than the name change, the biggest update is the added stiffness in the head and flexibility in the throat.
The stiffness in the racquet head adds a little extra power and added stability on off-center hits. Meanwhile, the added flexibility in the throat maintains the arm-friendly and control-oriented nature that the Percept/Vcore Pro line is known for. These changes make the new Percept racquets the most forgiving control-oriented racquets on the market.
Yonex also replaced their Vibration Dampening Mesh system in the handle with a new dampening system called Servo Filter. Both serve the basic function of limiting the harsh vibrations caused when hitting a ball, making the racquets more arm-friendly, but many people complained of a muted feel from the VDM.
The change to Servo Filter helps give the racquets a more connected feel than the previous version.
Yonex Percept 97 Review: An Advanced, Control-Oriented Racquet
We’ll start with the standard version, the Yonex Percept 97. Below are the specifications and on-court performance you should expect from this racquet.
Yonex Percept 97 Specifications
- Weight: 11.5 oz. strung
- Head Size: 97 square inches
- Length: 27 inches
- Stiffness: 60
- Balance: 320 mm
- String Pattern: 16 x 19
Read our guide on how to choose a tennis racquet.
Yonex Percept is made of graphite and weighs 11.5 ounces strung (326 g.) placing it on the heavy side among other top racquets.
With a 97 square-inch head and a higher swing weight, this racquet rewards players with sound swings and accuracy. The racquet is great for players looking to get the most out of their shots.
It is the standard 27 inches long with a balance point of 320 mm, making it head light and easy to swing.
The 60 stiffness rating is a lot more flexible than many racquets for club or recreational players. However, Yonex has implemented some new technologies to help with stability.
Read our Yonex racquet reviews to learn more about their other options.
Other Sellers: Amazon.com
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The Percept is one of the Best Advanced Racquets on the Market
The Percept can go toe-to-toe with any racquet in the market in terms of control and maneuverability.
The racquet provides a great feel at contact and has plenty of maneuverability to make every shot possible.
The racquet is very easy to swing from the baseline and is easy to generate racquet head speed.
Despite Yonex’s reputation for making racquets that can be played at any level, the Percept is made primarily for advanced players.
Still, this racquet ranks very high in terms of creating topspin and slice, making it accessible for higher intermediate players.
For a similar racquet with even more spin potential, read our Yonex Vcore review.
The Percept series is probably best known for its easy control on every shot. It is hard to achieve this level of control while maintaining power, but the Percept helps players to harness their raw power.
The signature isometric head shape and servo filter help to filter out unwanted vibration for added touch and precision.
Our Yonex Ezone Review highlights the most powerful racquet from Yonex.
Overall, this racquet provides enough power for advanced players who have no trouble generating their own.
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The Percept is one of the most maneuverable racquets on the market. It is one of Yonex’s best options for net players and it performs well from anywhere on the court.
For those used to finishing points at the net, it’s hard to knock this racquet for being anything but reliable.
There are no major drawbacks to this racquet, especially in the hands of advanced players.
The New Percept 100D is a Great Addition to the Lineup
The Percept 100D is a particularly interesting racquet in the lineup. It has a unique 18×19 string pattern that is more dense than most racquets with a 100 square inch head size.
It is a great racquet, particularly for doubles. The larger head size provides a little extra stability and power allowing for great reaction volleys. It also adds a little extra depth, particularly on the return of serve. Meanwhile, the more dense string pattern maintains excellent control.
The Yonex Percept 100D is one of the best new racquets to be released in 2023.
Reviewing Other Versions of the Yonex Percept
| Model | Technical Differences | Result In Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Percept 97 | N/A | N/A |
| Percept 97H | Weight – 0.8 oz. heavier | For advanced players only More power & stability Less maneuverability |
| Percept 97D | Weight – 0.5 oz. heavier String Pattern – 18×20 | For advanced players only More stability Better control & feel |
| Percept 100 | Head Size – 3 in. larger Weight – 0.3 oz. lighter | For intermediate to advanced players Better power & spin with a larger sweet spot |
| Percept 100D | Larger 100 inch head size String Pattern – 18×19 | For intermediate to advanced players Greater forgiveness and power without sacrificing control |
The Best Alternatives to the Yonex Percept
Below are several tennis racquets similar to the Yonex Percept.
- Wilson Pro Staff – A very control-oriented racquet, best for players who already provide plenty of power.
- Babolat Pure Strike – Another control-oriented racquet, the Babolat Pure Strike is very well-balanced.
- Wilson Blade – This racquet offers more stability than previous versions and is great for players who struggle with elbow issues.
The Yonex Percept is Best for Tennis Players Who…
If you’re an advanced player looking to find a racquet that complements your tennis game, then you should consider this racquet. The Yonex Percept is a great racquet for those looking to improve their control.
While other racquets can make it difficult to hit your spots, the Percept was designed to help players get the most out of their shots from anywhere on the court. There’s a reason the Percept is known for being control-friendly.
This is a great racquet for most advanced players, but especially for those looking to add a little extra control with a reliable racquet. The racquet truly performs well from anywhere on the court.
My Experience Playing with the Percept
The Yonex Percept is one of my favorite racquets on the market. The older version, the Vcore Pro 97HD from 2019, is my current racquet of choice (with a little customization), so I was especially excited to test out the new version.
The extra stability and power enhance the performance of this racquet, particularly for those who play with their racquets without customization. The previous iterations greatly helped with a little bit of extra weight to increase the power and forgiveness, but the updates do a great job of helping in those areas in stock form.
The Percept 100D in particular impressed me. I loved this racquet at net and on the return of serve, two areas where I usually don’t find the same racquet excelling in. The 18×19 string pattern helped maintain control and a lower trajectory over the net to help avoid the server’s partner trying to poach, while the larger head size gave me just a little extra stability if I hit the ball a little off center.
I have played with racquets with a sub-100 inch head size for almost my entire career. The Percept 100D is the first racquet with a 100-inch head size that I have enjoyed using for all aspects on the tennis court, and the first one since I became a more advanced player that I could see myself playing with. I was very impressed with this racquet.
Overall, the Yonex Percept is a great racquet for advanced players who like to control points with accuracy, delivering excellent spin and lots of plow through on groundstrokes. It’s right there with the Wilson Pro Staff as one of the best on the market.
Hello Will! As you mentioned the VcorePro 97D and 97H are for advanced players only but this statement gets me a bit confused and I hope you could help me clarify this.
I often see the terms “advanced” vs. “intermediate” players in the context of racket reviews. However, control rackets fundamentally require the player to generate his own power. My question then is what could describe a typical ‘intermediate’ player that can generate his own power but is not yet suitable for an “Advanced” players racket like these mentioned above? What could be lacking such a player that prevents him to take advantage of an “advanced” racket like these 97D/H?
Hi Bernardo, great question… advanced racquets usually have several characteristics that make them “advanced”, including a smaller head size and heavier weight. The VCore Pro is isn’t great for beginners or intermediate players because it is both heavy and has a small head size, making it harder to handle and less forgiving (smaller sweet spot).
A power-oriented racquet for advanced players, like the Yonex Ezone, for example, would probably be considered a racquet with good control if a beginner used it. So, the skill level context matters a lot.
Hope that helps!