Volkl Super G 10 (325g) Racquet Review

Price:

$

Volkl Super G 10 (325g) Scores
Power	80
Comfort	86
Touch/Feel	85
Serves	85
Groundstrokes	82
Returns	78
Slice	82
Topspin	82
Volleys	85
Overall	82

Upsides

• Balance of power/control
• Rock solid
• Comfort

Downsides

• Nothing we could agree on

Summary

Amazing feel, precision and plow through come together in the Volkl Super G 10 (325g). With a new grommet technology, V-Sponse, the Super G 10 (325g) felt comfortable but still provided our team with a crisp feel and remarkable control. An impressive amount of maneuverability and stability allowed our aggressive hitters to pack a powerful punch, while our counter-punching defensive players could block big shots back with confidence. The predictable response at the net made this racquet a great choice for doubles, helping our playtesters finish points off with ease. Whether our playtesters were pulling opponents off the court with spin or sticking them with a big first serve into the body, serves were easy to hit. With so much maneuverability, our playtesters could rip returns or place the ball exactly where they wanted to start points off offensively. After this successful playtest, we think intermediate to advanced players looking for a comfortably quick racquet will enjoy the crisp, predictable response of the Super G 10 (325g).

Groundstrokes - Score: 82

The Super G 10 (325g) has all the ingredients to appeal to big hitters looking for control and precision on their groundstrokes. Chris, who is no stranger to the Volkl 10 line of racquets, loved the plush and comfortable feel of this racquet. He explained, "I was impressed with how comfortable and solid it felt even when my timing was slightly off. This racquet came through contact with some decent heft, yet it still felt decently maneuverable. I was able to generate some solid topspin, but I liked it the most on my slice backhand. I was able to knife through the ball with a lot of pace and spin. My efforts were rewarded with a driving slice that often enabled me to take control of the point."

Hitting groundstrokes with the Super G 10 (325g) was a struggle for Michelle. She said, "I felt like I couldn't slow down my swing at all with this racquet without losing some control. If I did, When I tried to slow down my swing I wasn't keying in on the sweetspot and the results were erratic. On a positive note, the Super G 10 (325g) was very fast and maneuverable, which helped me whip through the ball quickly. I could have used a tiny bit more stability, but the Super G 10 (325g) has a thinner, more flexible beam than what I am used to playing with, and I think that was what I felt. Unlike Chris, I struggled to knife my backhand slice, which surprised me. In all honesty, and this is neither a positive nor a negative, I felt like this racquet played faster than I expected based on its swingweight because I never had a problem accelerating fast through my forehand or backhand."

For a 12-ounce racquet, this Volkl was easy for Troy to swing. He said, "The Super G 10 (325g) felt very maneuverable when I hit it side by side with the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, which allowed me to generate lots of racquet head speed. I found the open string pattern allowed for easy access to spin when hitting angles cross court. The stability of this racquet was good, but it was subpar compared to the RF97 Autograph, which feels like a Mack Truck at contact. I really enjoyed the overall control and maneuverability from the baseline, but I felt the Super G 10 (325g) didn't have enough power to keep the ball as deep in the court as I would have liked."

With the Super G 10 (325g)'s combination of control and power, it was no surprise that Karly found this racquet to match up well with her game. She raved, "Where do I even begin with all the great features of the Super G 10 (325g)? Right from the start, I loved the blend of control and power it offered; neither feature was drastically more prominent than the other. I was able to hit where I wanted with good power. I also found the comfort that Volkl racquets are known for. The Super G 10 (325g) felt very solid and stable on contact, but with a very dampened feel. I loved how comfortable it felt, even if I hit outside the sweetspot; I never experienced any harsh vibrations. The weight was the only thing I struggled with slightly. The maneuverability wasn't exceptionally slow and the weight really helped it have great plow through, but over time it wore out my arm faster than usual. I have a longer, fuller swing style, so the extra weight requires more energy from me when I hit for a longer period of time."

Volleys - Score: 85

Volleying seemed to be a strong suit of the Super G 10 (325g), and the maneuverability helped our playtesters take control at the net. With a quick, solid feel and a soft response, there was nothing but compliments and praise for the racquet. While Karly thought the Super G 10 (325g) lacked some maneuverability at the baseline, it wasn't a problem on her volleys. She said, "When I was back at the baseline the racquet's hefty weight was tiring on my arm, but I think the thin beam and head light balance really helped make the racquet feel much faster when I was volleying with quick, short movements. I had no issues moving it in time to set up for the next shot. I also found easier access to power when volleying. The comfortable, solid feel was still there, but I didn't have to put as much effort into putting good pace on my volleys. With its livelier feel, improved mobility and the same comfort and stability I found from the baseline, I have no complaints about volleying with the Super G 10 (325g)."

Feel and control were the highlights for Troy at net. He reveled in the quickness of this racquet, especially when playing doubles. He said, "The response of this racquet was very plush, but I still had nice feedback that helped me place the ball close to the lines. Stability was good, but once again not quite on the level of the RF97 Autograph. I could generate ample backspin on the ball and execute deep, low-bouncing volleys. I found great feel, control and maneuverability, but not quite as much stability as my Wilson Six.One 95."

"I've always liked Volkl racquets at the net because I can carve out craftier shots or hit penetrating volleys to put the ball away," stated Michelle, "and this one was no different. I could be aggressive or play with softer hands at the net. I was confident at the net, especially in doubles. I could hit whatever shot I needed to end the point."

The solid and comfortable feel of this racquet continued at the net for Chris. He added, "There was some nice dampening to the response, yet I still felt very connected to what was going on. I loved the feel of this racquet on touch and placement volleys. Also, when looking to punch a volley away I found adequate pop thanks to the rock solid response."

Serves - Score: 85

The open 16x19 string pattern of the Super G 10 (325g) provided plenty of pop for our playtesters while also giving them access to enough bite to get the ball really moving on serves. Finding the Super G 10 (325g) to be very user-friendly for his tricky lefty serves, Troy said, "My favorite serve with this racquet was the flat serve down the T. I found that I could consistently hit this serve with good pace and accuracy, and it did not fatigue my shoulder as much as the RF97 Autograph did. Kick serves were also much easier to hit with the Super G 10 (325g) than with the RF97 Autograph. I found that I could whip through the ball with this racquet for longer periods of time during a match. My command and consistency while serving with this racquet made me feel confident that I could hold serve!"

Michelle continued to praise the precise power of this racquet when she served. However, she did crave a bit more bite off the stringbed for her kick and second serves. She concluded, "I found I could execute what I wanted to with my serve. Big, flat first serves were easy to hit and I could get my slice serves moving. I just felt like my kick serves weren't as effective as they could be."

Finding a goodly amount of power to complement his serve was Chris, who was able to put the mass of this racquet to good use. He said, "I was sliding my slice serve wide of my opponents well. I had success coming in behind it and putting my volley away to the open court. Again, slice proved to be my favored spin. My topspin serve was working decently enough, but I felt I was hitting a heavier serve when using slice."

Karly found the maneuverability and power easy to come by on her serves. She said, "The racquet felt more whippy and cut through the air better when I was serving, so I was able to hit a fast serve. With that being said, as easy as it was to hit powerful serves I personally would have liked more control. The precision didn't come as naturally, and I had to concentrate more on my consistency with first serves than any other area of the court. However, this racquet also offers good access to spin, so I was more confident with the consistency of my kick serves. I was able to rely on the spin to help keep my serve in."

Serve Returns - Score: 78

Whether the Super G 10 (325g) was in the hands of defensive or offensive players, its stable response made it a weapon. For the most part, it suited Michelle's aggressive return style. She said, "I could definitely take a big crack at the ball when returning, and the precision was key when I was playing doubles and had a smaller target to work with. My small critique would be that the sweetspot felt smaller than what I'm used to, and anything outside of the sweetspot was slightly erratic. I wanted a tiny bit more control out of this racquet at times, but that is just me being picky."

The stability Chris found from this racquet worked well on his return. He commented, "The rock solid response made this racquet feel very precise on both aggressive and defensive returns. I was returning with a lot of control, and that allowed me to be very aggressive. I felt confident really going after my shots with this racquet. All of my returns were working well with, and I felt like I had lots of options to try to steal the offensive right off the return."

Karly also really liked how the Super G 10 (325g) felt on contact. She said, "Its rock solid feel and weight made it extremely easy to drive through the ball, while offering a very soft, comfortable feel. The combination of power and control was there with returns, just like on my groundstrokes. As long as I got my racquet back in time I was able to hit the ball right where I wanted without sacrificing power. When returning against hard serves I had to learn to shorten my swing because the weight really slowed down my longer stroke."

The control of this racquet allowed Troy to place his returns exactly where he wanted them, especially when he needed to keep the ball away from the net player in doubles. He did mention that he struggled to find easy depth, explaining, "I felt that my backhand slice return was consistently falling close to the service line, while the RF97 was getting the ball deeper in the court. I was finding myself in a defensive position too often when returning with this racquet."

Overall - Score: 82

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Chris: 5.0 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick.

Troy: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a full Western Forehand and a two-handed backhand. Troy currently plays with a Wilson BLX Six.One 95.

Karly: 4.0 baseline player currently playing with the Volkl Organix 10 Mid. She hits with a semi-western forehand grip and uses a two handed backhand.

Review date: September 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2014 Tennis Warehouse.