Victor VBS-63 review: high-spring thin string that demands timing
Victor VBS-63 is the thinnest high-elasticity string Victor sells at 0.63 mm. They could make 0.61 or 0.58; 0.63 is the commercial sweet spot. Official hardness…
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Overview
Victor VBS-63 is the thinnest high-elasticity string Victor sells at 0.63 mm. They could make 0.61 or 0.58; 0.63 is the commercial sweet spot. Official hardness charts look conservative to me — at 26–28 lb the feedback sits at least with VBS-66N, and among Victor's top three for firmness. Before Yonex's EXBOLT N-series took over this gauge, EXBOLT 63 was the main peer. On pure spring alone, picking a winner between VBS-63 and EXBOLT 63 is hard. My racket cycles are short, so I never fully stress-tested tension hold on VBS-63.
Sound and character
Versus EXBOLT 63, VBS-63 loses on sound — the metallic "singer" crack is quieter. That matters more than people admit. Overall feel? Highly elastic, a bit unruly, and addictive once you lock timing. "Too much spring" is really a player-skill problem. Stronger players will not float soft touches or lose smash transfer on any decent string. Club players should chase spring that matches their force, not maximum spring on the chart. At normal tensions, EXBOLT 63 and older AS lines feel more controllable — "sexy" rather than wild. VBS-63 asks more.
Why it misbehaves
String wander looks lower than on 66N, so grip roughness is not the villain. I blame hardness. Soft/hard is how much the bed deflects for a given force; elasticity is how fast that deflection returns energy. A hard, high-elastic thin string gives direct feedback but a narrow window to put energy into the shuttle — you need cleaner, more concentrated force. Small timing errors also amplify distance and speed mistakes on a thin bed. So VBS-63 plays firmer than EXBOLT 63 for me, and finesse demands rise with it.
Who it fits
If your short force is soft or you miss the sweet spot often, drives may feel lively while smashes refuse to outpace those same drives. I have felt "dragged" by the string on messy days. I still prefer forcing open that tight bed and getting the sharp release — especially on attack-first frames. For doubles where I am not living on soft net exchanges, trading a bit of soft-block quality for smash and drive violence is worth it.
Verdict
VBS-63 is high-spring, high-demand thin string. Pull it when you want aggressive attack feedback and will practice your timing. If you want easier manners at the same gauge, EXBOLT 63 is the calmer peer.
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