Volkl Powerbridge 1 w/ Power Arm Tennis Racquet Review

Tennis Magazine

How it tested: Upon first glance, you might think that the DNX 1 w/Power Arm is a gimmick that’s trying to impress with an unusual appearance. But there’s a purpose behind the design. The Power Arm moves back in conjunction with the string bed upon impact, causing a pocketing effect, and catapults the ball forward like a slingshot. DNX material (an ultralight and strong graphite on the Arm, and anywhere you see silver) makes the Arm very stiff, but it has to be to provide stability. The results are a huge sweet spot that extends to balls hit down by the throat, and limited twisting when you miss the mark. The vibration dampener adds comfort, but it can come loose and flap around. Some playtesters found the big, thick frame not conducive to producing topspin, which created a few control issues from the baseline. But players with shorter swings who favor flat or slice strokes should have more success.


Bottom Line: The stick delivers on its promise of power and stability, and should be a welcome addition to the club doubles circuit.

The remarkable Powerarm design converts the racquet into an ultimate power machine. It ensures that the ball is accelerated from the strings with great force at every stroke. The decoupled design of the Powerarm means that the tennis racket is extremely powerful. The yoke of the new POWERARM has also been developed further along Powerbridge lines. The new trapezoid cross section of the yoke is even more torsion-resistant, thus providing more control for every stroke.