scotus' review of Volkl Super Perforated Grip
Which color overgrip did you receive? Green
Do you typically use an overgrip? All the time. Never play without one.
If yes, which one do you use? A long-time user of Yonex Super Grap but has since switched over to Volkl V-Dry.
Was the test grip easy to apply (any wrinkles during install, did the grip lay down nicely?) Extremely easy, has the perfect amount of stretchiness, does not wrinkle, does not loosen up after installation. Tapers on one end with built in sticky for easy installation.
Was it sized appropriately (e.g., was it long enough?) Long enough for my 28-inch longbody stick. Possibly the longest grip in production.
Level of tackiness (did your hand stick/slip too much?) When new, it feels tacky as in semi-sticky. I am not a big fan of the feel of holding in my hand a piece of glue tape or sticky gooey gel. It's not as bad as some other "tacky" grips but the moderately sticky feel is there.
Longevity of Tackiness: Personally I find that the so-called "tackiness" has little to do with whether or not it will slip in my hand. I will explain this further in the next paragraph.
Level of sweat absorption:
I have sweaty palms. My palms are somewhat moist with sweat throughout the day (maybe I should get my thyroid checked out). On the sweaty-palm scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being Dracula-dry and 10 being Rafa's shirt or Roddick's hat (or Talk Tennis' own McLovin's sweaty hands from what I hear), I am about 7. It helps that I live in SoCal where it is relatively dry.
My palm is sweaty enough and my grip loose enough that I have cracked racquets when they escaped my grip from a serve and hit the court, thanks to slippery grips like Wilson Pro and Gamma Supreme. For a long time, the only grip I could trust was Yonex Super Grap, which had mild tacky feel but supreme grippiness. The black was acceptable in the winter, but for the rest of the year when my hands get more sweaty, the white was the only option for my sweaty hands, and even then I needed a fresh overgrip every day.
Enter Volkl V-Dry. The V-Dry has zero tacky feel. Seriously it feels like it would not stay in your grip. However, it is mind-boggling how it neither slips nor twists around in your hand and performs better and better the more you use it. It absorbs my sweat and simply does not slip. I can use V-Dry up to 8 hitting sessions in the winter and probably 4 sessions in summer. This is my current go-to overgrip
Now let's turn to this new Volkl Super Perforated Grip. Did I have high expectations for this grip, since it is also made by Volkl? Yes and no. I have also used Volkl's Super Grip II and was thoroughly disappointed. Unfortunately, this Super Perforated Grip has much in common with Super Grip II and nothing in common with the V-Dry.
The Super Perforated Grip initially feels pleasant in hand, feels cushy enough for an overgrip, moderately sticky (that I believe many others would enjoy) with nice texture.
However, with my sweaty palms, I found that the grip simply failed to keep the racquet from sliding and rotating in my hand. It took only about 5 minutes for me to notice slight shifting around and by about 20 minutes into my singles match, I noticed excessive slipping. 10 more minutes and I completely lost confidence in the overgrip, so much so that I took the grip off, picked up the old, used V-Dry that I had earlier taken off and shoved into the pocket of my tennis bag, and re-gripped the handle. And voila, my control is back, the racquet no longer slipping and twisting around in my hand. All is good again.
Would you consider using this overgrip? Obviously my hands are too sweaty for this grip. But I can see those who enjoy Wilson Pro or Gamma Supreme having success with this grip. I am sure other playtesters will chime in with some positive results.
What color would you prefer for this overgrip? The green looks nice.
List any additional thoughts on the overall performance
Too slippery for sweaty hands. Message to Volkl: Don't ever discontinue your V-Dry.
Thanks to Volkl and Tennis Warehouse for the playtest opportunity.