Volkl Super G V1 Midplus Review

Groundstrokes - 83

The V1 Midplus has been around for quite some time, which is a definite sign of its popularity. All of our playtesters agreed that this Super G rendition continues to impress off the ground. A big fan of this racquet's maneuverability and comfort was Jason, who liked the spin and power he could generate. He said, "The Super G V1 Midplus is a really easy racquet to use from the baseline. I found it to be very maneuverable, so I could generate lots of racquet head speed. I was putting a lot of spin on my shots, with numbers comparable to my own racquet, the Yonex EZONE Ai 100. One of the standout characteristics was the power. I could feel the ball sink into the stringbed and launch out. This is probably one of the most, if not the most, powerful racquets in the mid-10 ounce racquet range I've ever tested."

Brittany was able to redirect the ball with ease with the Super G V1 Midplus, and she found the response to be very consistent. She stated, "Having playtested and enjoyed the previous version of this racquet, I was very happy to find similar results with this update. The Super G V1 Midplus was very easy to use, light weight and had a relatively large sweetspot. There was access to power from the baseline when I needed it, and I was impressed with the stability when playing against bigger hitters. I was able to take balls on the rise and redirect the pace to different areas of the court to take time away from my opponent. The feel was comfortable, and the consistent response off the stringbed made me feel in full control of my shots. I would have liked a little more mass when I was forced to play defensively because my shots sat up a little more than I would have liked."

Tiffani found a springy response off the stringbed, and it took her a while to dial it in. Nevertheless, she found this update just as comfortable as previous versions. She said, "The V1 Midplus is such an easy racquet to use, and this Super G version is no different. I really enjoyed the comfort of this lightweight racquet. Even on mis-hits this racquet's response remained comfortable. It's also very easy to swing, and I could execute pretty much anything I tried, whether it was hitting flat, with topspin or with slice. I was surprised when I looked at my PlaySight data because I was expecting to see higher speed numbers. It felt like the ball was shooting off the stringbed, and it took me a few minutes to dial in my depth control. I thought I was hitting with more pace because of this sensation. My power levels were in step with my Babolat Pure Drive, so I have nothing to complain about. This Super G V1 Midplus is just as comfortable as previous versions, but perhaps due to its springy response, it took me a little longer to find my depth control."

Mark really found great power from the baseline playing with the Super G V1, but he was hitting more erratic shots until he adjusted his swing. He explained, "From the first forehand I could tell I had a lively setup in my hands. Even with a full bed of a polyester string, the ball was eager to launch off the stringbed of this newer Super G V1 Midplus. Keeping the ball inside the lines was challenging at first. Once I figured out a more efficient swing path with it, this racquet rewarded me with deep shots that kicked up high to my opponent, which is always a plus. Another plus was my backhand slice, which I was able to keep low and deep. I was impressed, as that is a sentence I normally reserve for racquets with smaller hoop sizes and tighter string patterns. The Super G V1 Midplus was a very fast swinging racquet with just enough mass to be stable against the bigger hitters."

Volleys - 82

The generous sweetspot and easy maneuverability made this racquet a popular choice at net. Brittany enjoyed being able to get this racquet in position quickly up at net. She stated, "As expected, I felt I had plenty of time to hit any ball that came at me up at net. The racquet was fast, and I felt I could hold my ground on reflex volley exchanges. There were only a couple times I could feel the racquet twisting in my hand when returning harder hit balls, but that was expected with a sub-11 ounce racquet."

There was enough mass on the Super G V1 Midplus for Jason to get the power he wanted on his volleys, and because the power is paired with easy maneuverability, the Super G V1 Midplus could really be dangerous up at net. Jason said, "The combination of power and maneuverability really helped me out up at net. I was able to get the racquet quickly into position for those reflex volleys, and there was enough put away power on my overheads. Even when I didn't hit a clean volley there was enough mass to get the ball over the net."

The Super G V1 Midplus felt great to Mark on a wide variety of shots up at net, from swinging volleys to half volleys. He said, "In terms of maneuverability at net, the Volkl Super G V1 Midplus was top notch for my game. It was not until passing shot speeds exceeded 70 MPH that this racquet quivered at all in my hand. My half volleys and drop shots were also on target."

Tiffani found that she was able to punch volleys deep and drop them short effectively and with relative ease. She noted, "Like with most racquets in this weight category, the Super G V1 Midplus was easy to maneuver. What I liked best is how well it transitioned from punching volleys deep into the court to dropping them short with touch. I often struggle with my variety at net, but I liked the feel of this racquet and could mix up my net game more effectively."

Serves - 82

Consistency and easy access to spin came to the forefront for our testers when serving with the Super G V1 Midplus. Brittany found the racquet gave her the ability to swing out with confidence on serves. She said, "When I first hit serves with this racquet I was missing a little weight behind my shots. However, the consistent response let me go for a little bit more on my serve so my first serve percentage was higher than usual, according to my PlaySight data. Most my first serves I placed flat and into my opponents' bodies. My second serve had plenty of RPMs, which translated to more confidence and higher accuracy. I was averaging 1235 RPMs on second serves versus 477 RPMs on my first serve."

The Super G V1 Midplus did just enough for Tiffani's serve. She explained, "I enjoyed hitting serves with this racquet, and it performed well enough. I didn't see many extra benefits in terms of power or spin over other racquets. My serve is never a weapon, however, and this racquet provided me with just enough of everything so I didn't find myself immediately on the defensive."

Mark found his percentages were standard on serve, but he ultimately had to work harder than usual. He said, "The serve is one area that I would have preferred to have had a little more weight. On serve, my PlaySight numbers were predictably in the high 90s to low 100 MPH range, but I felt like I had to work harder than usual to achieve them. My serve percentages were fine, but with this racquet I did not feel like I could crush a serve quite the way I like."

Jason found the Super G V1 easy to swing on his serve, and it provided easy access to spin. He offered, "Given my recent shoulder injury, I haven't been able to put as much power into my serves as I'm used to. I was able to use this racquet's great access to spin and free power to hit effective serves. This racquet was just so easy to swing and serve with."

Returns - 82

Our testers found the Super G V1 Midplus easy to swing on returns. The big sweetspot coupled and easy maneuverability were real winners for Tiffani, who enjoyed returning with this racquet. She said, "Two things stood out to me when I was returning with the Super G V1 Midplus. This racquet swung very quickly, so it was easy to get it around in time for just about every serve. It was also very comfortable, so when I missed the sweetspot I never felt any jarring sensations, even when returning well-struck first serves. It did twist a bit on the biggest serves, but I never felt undue stress on my arm, which really impressed me."

Similarly to Tiffani, Brittany felt confident on returns and liked stepping in and taking control of the point right from the outset. She stated, "I may sound like a broken record, but this racquet is light and quick when returning. I could take the ball early and place the ball deep in the court. I felt very comfortable returning and often would step in to try to take control of the point early. The lighter weight wasn't too much of an issue, and I was able to adapt to any instability issues."

Mark felt most comfortable on returns when he had time to set up. He said, "I really liked the Volkl Super G V1 Midplus for most returns of serve, at least until the serve speeds exceeded the 100 MPH threshold. Once serves reached those speeds this racquet twisted a bit in my hand, and it was harder to gain control."

Like Mark, Jason would've liked a bit more mass in the racquet to deal with faster paced serves, but he enjoyed the feel this racquet offered. He said, "I was hitting solid returns with this racquet. It was fast, and it provided enough spin to help me keep the ball in play when I took bigger swings. Whether I was hitting cross court, down the line or going inside out, I felt like I could hit my targets with accuracy. The rare times when I was trying to return serves hit over 100 MPH I wanted a bit more mass in the hoop for added plow through and stability."

Overall - 83

Technical Specifications Length 27 inches 69 centimeters Head Size 102 square inches 658 square centimeters Weight 10.5 ounces 298 grams Balance Point 13.25 inches 34 centimeters 2pts Head Light Construction 27mm / 26mm / 23mm Composition Organix, Carbon, Fiberglass String Pattern 16 mains / 19 crosses

Babolat RDC Ratings Score Grade Flex Rating 67 Range: 0-100 Swing Weight 308 Range: 200-400

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Babolat Pure Drive.

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE Ai 100.

Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two handed backhand. Currently using a Yonex EZONE Ai 100.

Mark: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with the Wilson Steam 99S.

Review date: April 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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