The Mach 2 Forza is a recently introduced shape in Volair’s thermoformed line. While I typically wouldn’t devote an entire review to a new shape in a paddle series I’ve already reviewed, this particular shape caught my attention. It features a widebody design that is shorter and wider (15.88″ x 8.12″), which is a shape that is often neglected in favor of hybrid and elongated shapes that are currently popular.
Then Volair made what I think is a smart decision to pair the widebody shape with a longer 5.5″ handle. It’s interesting that many brands typically pair widebody or standard shaped paddles with shorter 5″ handles. Longer handles offer more than just support for two-handed shots; they also provide extra leverage for power and spin, which players and brands often overlook. Moreover, thermoformed paddles are more forgiving near the throat, reducing the need for shorter handles on thermoformed paddles compared to non thermoformed paddles.
The Mach 2 Forza is available in two thicknesses, 14mm and 16mm. After using both paddles for over two weeks, here are my thoughts on their performance. I’ll start by discussing how they play, and later on, I’ll explain the main differences between widebody and elongated shapes and offer guidance on determining the best option for you.
Table of Contents
Performance Summaries
Mach 2 Forza 16mm Review
16mm Stats
- Weight: 8 oz avg
- Swingweight: 112 (low)
- Twistweight: 7.26 (very high)
- Length x Width: 15.88″ x 8.12″ (widebody)
- Face: Raw Carbon Fiber
- Grip Circumference: 4.15″ (octagonal)
- Handle Length: 5.5″
- Core: 16mm Polypropylene Honeycomb, Foam Walls
- Special Features: Thermoformed
- Paddle Type: Control
- Price: $180 (only $162 with code 10EFFECT)
- Warranty: 90 days
(Get 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT directly on Volair’s site or from Fromuth)
| Pros |
|---|
|
Huge sweet spot |
|
Top Tier spin rating |
|
Long handle paired with widebody shape |
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Low swingweight and good maneuverability |
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Softer feel, stability, and lightness combines for good control |
| Cons |
|---|
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Less reach at kitchen |
|
Lower power for a thermoformed paddle |
Power & Control
The Mach 2 Forza 16mm falls into the category of a control paddle, but it belongs to a new generation of control paddles that have improved offensive capabilities compared to those in the past. The widebody shape slightly loosens the tension in the sweet spot, resulting in a softer feel and less power compared to thermoformed paddles with elongated shapes. This reduced tension and softer feel allows for better pace absorption and enhanced control. However, the thermoformed construction of the paddle gives it more power, pop, and stability compared to previous generation widebody paddles. Thermoforming brings a fresh and exciting aspect to widebody paddles that were previously known for being overly soft and lacking offensive potential. Thanks to thermoforming, widebody paddles now have the extra boost that was missing in the past.
The paddle had a consistent bounce across the face and had a big sweet spot which only enhanced its control rating. I connected with it quickly and was hitting my thirds, dinks, and resets well. This paddle will help enhance your ability to control the ball if that’s something you struggle with. Then its little extra boost in power and pop (and big spin that I’ll talk more about later) over past generation widebody paddles makes it more attractive and brings new life into what a widebody shape can offer.
Sweet Spot & Maneuverability
The paddle has a low swingweight of 112 and a high twistweight of 7.26. This is a nice combination of speed and stability that you don’t get in hybrid and elongated paddles. The paddle feels light and maneuverable but also very stable and forgiving. The 16mm in particular just felt like there were no dead spots on the paddle and mishits were much less common.
Although the paddle’s widebody shape reduces the power level of the paddle, the enhanced sweet spot and speed make up for that in some ways. I noticed a reduction in unforced errors which extended points longer until I found good opportunities to attack. Then the fast nature of the paddle with its low swingweight improved hand battles to the point where I found myself too far ahead of the ball in some cases. I really enjoyed the paddle when at the net but as your opponents moved back to the midcourt and baseline it was more difficult to overpower them in those scenarios and took a few extra shots to finish the point which increased the likelihood of me making a mistake at some point in there.
Spin
The spin on both the 16mm and 14mm was really big. My spin tests were averaging around 2,150 RPMs which are among the highest measurements I’ve recorded. And you can tell when you play. The spin is easy to tap into on every kind of shot from drives to dinks. The facing layer they use is a little rougher than most other raw carbon paddles and it works. It’s great having the big spin paired with the good control of the paddle. It helps make up for the lower power and pop ratings and enables you to be aggressive and attack in a variety of ways.
Handle Length
I want to talk about the longer handle for a minute. I like the pairing of the longer 5.5” handle with the widebody shape. The longer handle facilitates two handed shots but also adds leverage for increased power and spin over 5” handles. Having that little extra leverage goes a long way on a widebody shape because the shape naturally hits a bit softer so this helps make up for that and as two handed shots continue to get more popular it’s nice to have a longer handle option as most brands pair widebody or standard shaped paddles with 5″ handles.
Last Thoughts
I loved the forgiving nature of this paddle and think its control, forgiveness, speed, and spin is a winning combination that a lot of players would enjoy and benefit from. It is more control oriented than thermoformed hybrid and elongated shapes which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re looking for and then its wider shape is unique and perhaps more niche than a hybrid shaped paddle but I definitely think there is space for it and a lot of people would enjoy it.
The main drawback of the paddle was that it’s shorter. Although a half an inch doesn’t sound like much, you can tell a difference when you’re playing. The areas where the shorter paddle affected my game was anytime I was reaching into the kitchen, either for a dink volley or when reaching in to attack a third shot drop or a floating dink. You can’t reach as much in those scenarios and that is something you give up in exchange for the other benefits of the paddle. Check out my section below about picking between a widebody and elongated shape.
(Get 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT directly on Volair’s site or from Fromuth)
Mach 2 Forza 14mm Review
14mm Stats (with added weight)
- Weight: 7.7 oz avg
- Swingweight: 110 (low)
- Twistweight: 6.9 ( very high)
- Length x Width: 15.88″ x 8.12″ (widebody)
- Face: Raw Carbon Fiber
- Grip Circumference: 4.15″ (octagonal)
- Handle Length: 5.5″
- Core: 14mm Polypropylene Honeycomb, Foam Walls
- Special Features: Thermoformed
- Paddle Type: All-Court (with added weight)
- Price: $180 (only $162 with code 10EFFECT)
- Warranty: 90 days
(Get 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT directly on Volair’s site or from Fromuth)
| Pros |
|---|
|
Good sweet spot for a 14mm |
|
Top Tier spin rating |
|
Long handle paired with widebody shape |
|
Low swingweight and very good maneuverability |
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More control than most 14mm paddles |
| Cons |
|---|
|
Less reach at kitchen |
|
Lower power for a thermoformed paddle |
|
Smaller sweet spot compared to the 16mm version |
Power & Control
Out of the box, the Mach 2 14mm offered more control and less power than I expected. The ball pops off the face a little quicker and feels a little firmer than the 16mm version but I couldn’t generate the same power on serves and drives compared to the 16mm. That was until I added some tungsten weighted tape to give it the plowthrough it needed to add more power. However, in its stock form the 14mm is very light with a swingweight of 110 and static weight of 7.8 oz. It was a little too light and it got pushed around a bit and didn’t carry through the ball well at impact. But adding some weight quickly remedied this and brought it out of its shell.
Once you added some weight to the paddle it gave you more pop on counters and an even more noticeable increase in power on drives. Resets weren’t quite as solid as with the 16mm, but it wasn’t terribly far off. The feel of the paddle is stiffer than the Mach 2 16mm but as far as 14mm paddles go it had a softer and more pleasant feel to it.
I appreciated the extra speed of the thinner core at the net and felt confident with counters and hand battles. Although the paddle offers a little more pop than the 16mm it was consistent and predictable and isn’t as poppy as 14mm paddles with a hybrid or elongated shape which helped keep it controllable.
The 14mm offered a lower ball trajectory than the 16mm which I personally enjoyed. It helped keep my drives and drops lower and penetrating though there was a higher likelihood of finding the net than the 16mm on those shots as well.
After adding some lead tape I would consider this an all-court paddle but it didn’t have the power and pop to put in the all-court category without the added weight.
Sweet Spot & Maneuverability
I’ve always been drawn to 14mm paddles because of their ability to cut through the air easily and have a lower ball flight trajectory, which I prefer as it helps keep drives and drops low. However, the tighter sweet spots of 14mm paddles make them less user-friendly and more challenging to fully utilize their capabilities.
However, with the widebody design of the Mach 2, the sweet spot is improved and the paddle’s stability is increased. This makes it much more forgiving and accessible compared to 14mm paddles with hybrid and elongated shapes. I absolutely loved this aspect. Although it’s a very forgiving 14mm paddle, the 16mm is more forgiving and has a bigger sweet spot in comparison.
In terms of maneuverability, the paddle is incredibly fast. It was effortless to get in front of the ball during hand battles and when I found myself in a scrambling situation, it performed exceptionally well in this area and is one of the main strengths of the paddle.
Spin
The spin on both the 16mm and 14mm was really big. My spin tests were averaging around 2,150 RPMs which are among the highest measurements I’ve recorded. And when you’re playing with it, it feels like my measurement should be higher because to the naked eye it felt like I was getting even more spin. The spin is easy to tap into on every kind of shot from drives to dinks. The facing layer they use is a little rougher than most other raw carbon paddles and it works. It’s great having the big spin paired with the decent pop and high maneuverability of the paddle. It helps make up for the lower power and shorter design of the paddle to enable some offense and be aggressive in a variety of ways.
Handle Length
I have the same thoughts here on the handle length as I did with the 16mm. I like the pairing of the longer 5.5” handle with the widebody shape. The longer handle facilitates two handed shots but also adds leverage for increased power and spin over 5” handles. Having that little extra leverage goes a long way on a widebody shape because the shape naturally hits a bit softer so this helps make up for that and as two handed shots continue to get more popular it’s nice to have a longer handle option as most brands pair widebody or standard shaped paddles with 5” handles.
I’m not a full time two handed player but I do use two hands occasionally when I’m on defense and when I’m working cross court dinks from the left side of the court.
Tungsten Tape Set Up
Here’s the tungsten tape set up I settled with. After adding three grams of tungsten tape on each side, added my electric blue overgrip and some edge guard tape on the top, here’s how the numbers changed.
My goal with this set up was to just flat out increase the weight and swingweight so that it carried through the ball better. I tinkered with four grams and five grams on each side but felt that 3 grams was enough to get the plowthrough I wanted while also keeping the paddle light and fast. Even at a 115 swingweight the paddle moved well and was easy to manipulate because of its thinner core. And then the added twistweight was just a bonus and the sweet spot felt great. The extra weight also has the benefit of softening up the feel a little so that it felt even better.
An alternate set up that I liked was having that same length of tape but moved down an inch and a half from what you see in the image. This kept the static weight the same to give you some decent plowthrough but the swingweight didn’t increase as much and the twistweight was still solid. For me, I liked having that little higher swingweight to help put balls away but if you wanted to keep that incredible hand speed while still adding some plowthrough to the paddle then this alternate set up is a good option.
Last Thoughts
If you’re like me and have always been drawn to 14mm paddles but need your paddle to be more forgiving then this is a good option. It’s a forgiving 14mm paddle.
Like the 16mm, the 14mm offers a nice combination of control, forgiveness, spin, and speed but it’s faster and less forgiving in comparison though I wouldn’t say it has a small sweet spot or anything.
I personally really liked the 14mm paddle and preferred it over the 16mm. It suited my game. I played really well with it during the time I was playtesting the paddle. This doesn’t mean it’s perfect for everyone but this is definitely one I’ll be recommending when it makes sense.
The main drawback of the paddle was that it’s shorter. Although a half an inch doesn’t sound like much, you can tell a difference when you’re playing. The areas where the shorter paddle affected my game was anytime I was reaching into the kitchen, either for a dink volley or when reaching in to attack a third shot drop or a floating dink. You can’t reach as much in those scenarios and is something you give up in exchange for the other benefits of the paddle. Check out my section below about picking between a widebody and elongated shape.
(Get 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT directly on Volair’s site or from Fromuth)
Widebody vs Elongated Shapes
If you’re coming from an elongated shape the Mach 2 shape does feel shorter and it takes some getting used to. The paddle is only half an inch shorter than elongated paddles but the sweet spot is lower on the face compared to elongated shapes where the sweet spot is higher so it feels more like an inch or more shorter.
I categorize paddle shapes into four different groups. Elongated, hybrid, standard, and widebody. Here are the dimensions I correlate with each shape.
Elongated dimensions: 16.5″ x 7.5″
Hybrid dimensions: 16.25″ x 7.5″-7.7″
Standard dimensions: 16″ x 8″
Widebody: Less than 16” in length and wider than 8”
Picking between a widebody and an elongated shape
A widebody shape is going to offer:
- More control
- Bigger sweet spot
- Better maneuverability
- Less reach
- Less power
While an elongated shape is going to give you:
- More power
- More reach
- More spin
- Less maneuverability
- Smaller sweet spot
Depending on what you value more will determine what is best for you. Generally speaking, I think a widebody or standard shape is going to benefit more players than elongated paddles as a larger sweet spot, speed, and consistency will help you win more points than power will at most levels.
However, higher level players and pros do tend to gravitate towards elongated shapes so they can reach further into the kitchen and for the added power, but we are starting to see some pro level players switch to standard and widebody paddles. Notable pro players that use a standard or widebody paddle are Collin Johns, Federico Staksrud, and Anna Leigh Waters.
Another way to look at shape selection is to pay attention to where you mishit the ball. If you find yourself mishitting the ball on the tip of your paddle more than on the sides then you would benefit from a hybrid or an elongated shape paddle. But if you find yourself mishitting the ball more on the sides of the paddle then a widebody or standard shaped paddle would be better.
Other factors to consider are your physical characteristics. If you have mobility challenges due to age, injuries, or something else then you may like a longer paddle to help you cover more court and extend your reach. If you’re a taller player and reach isn’t as big of a consideration then you might like the benefits of a wider and more forgiving paddle.
Lastly, I’d like to mention that if you come from a tennis or another racket sport background, you may find elongated paddle shapes more familiar as they mimic the movement and gameplay of other sports’ rackets. However, this doesn’t mean you have to exclusively play with an elongated shape.
Comparing the Mach 2 Forza to Similar Paddles
There are a couple of other brands that have created standard or wider shaped paddles with longer handles but there aren’t many. The most notable one is JOOLA’s Scorpeus 16mm and 14mm. I thought I’d offer a short comparison of them because I know this question will come up when player’s are researching this paddle.
The Mach 2 14mm is less powerful and poppy than the JOOLA Anna Bright Scropeus 14mm. This made the Mach 2 easier to control but it did have less put away power. The spin on the Mach 2 was much better, though.
The Mach 2 16mm and the JOOLA Collin Johns Scorpeus 16mm play very similar except the Mach 2 gives you much more spin.
In most cases I would recommend the Mach 2 Forza paddles over the JOOLA Scorpeus paddles. However, if you’re looking for maximum power from a standard or widebody shape then the JOOLA Anna Bright Scorpeus 14mm would be the way to go.
Another popular standard shaped paddle is the Engage Pursuit Pro EX and EX 6.0, though it has a shorter 5” in handle. The Mach 2 Forzas are less poppy and more controllable than those and both the Engage and the Volair paddles offer more spin than the JOOLA Scorpeus paddles.
My Recommendation
I liked these and thought they played nice. The thermoformed design adds some new life to widebody paddles and makes them more attractive than ever before and I’m happy they gave it a longer handle. I predict that we will start to see a shift towards shorter, wider paddles as more people seek the benefits of increased forgiveness and maneuverability. This expectation is based on the fact that paddles are continuously becoming more powerful, which used to be a limitation for higher-level players using shorter paddles in the past. If a shorter paddle can now offer more power, it partially combines the advantages of both worlds. I don’t think we’ll see widebody and standard shaped paddles take over, but I bet we start to see a lot more of them.
I appreciate the advantages of speed and forgiveness that these paddles offer and see myself recommending these often. However, it’s important to note that their shape may not be suitable for everyone. Despite this, I believe players should give widebody and standard shaped paddles a closer consideration than they have in the past.
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Shop VolairBraydon competes at the 5.0 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and would play more if time allowed it.
