MVP Disc Sports Volt Review

After a very long (and anticipated) wait, the brand new driver from MVP Disc Sports has arrived. The MVP Volt is described as a stable fairway driver. MVP was kind enough to send us a Volt to try out. We’ve been able to take the new Volt out on the course a few times now and we’ve walked away very impressed.

Let’s first look at how MVP describes the Volt:

The Volt fairway driver is capable of holding long dependable lines with a slow, forward-penetrating fade. Its aerodynamic profile is optimized for long, accurate placement shots. The driver’s weight is transferred to the very outer rim with a unique GYRO™ design, substantially increasing the disc’s gyroscopic property. For GYRO™-optimized performance on both distance and powered-down lines, just reach for the Volt.

When we first got our hands on the Volt, we instantly felt how comfortable it was in the hand. We felt like we were easily in control of the disc right from the start. Typically, some of us throw a fairway driver on holes around 300-350 feet. On my first few throws, we wanted to keep a flat release and see what the disc naturally wanted to do. For the first 100 feet it would stay flat and straight, then the turn would kick in. It didn’t flip, turn, and burn. Once it started to power down, the nose came up a little bit and the fade kicked in. It faded back to the initial line we threw it on. 

We threw a second toss with a flat release and again saw the same result. The turn was noticeable but seemed controllable. If on a clock, we released it at 12 and it would turn to about 1 or 1:30.

Because of the turn, we wanted to see what it would do on a hyzer flip and a big sweeping hyzer. This is where we really started to really like the Volt. If you release it on a slight hyzer, yet straight, it will flip up flat before a very, very slight turn. When hyzer flipped, we saw very little fade. It was a nice forward fade that didn’t finish that far left at all. We went right back to the hyzerflip and saw the same thing. If you give it the hyzer angle right off the start, you’ll see a very straight flight with little fade.

We then turned to more of a sweeping hyzer route. We saw the Volt flip up flat and due to some added height it was able to fade back left at the end. The higher we got the disc in the air and the higher the nose got… the more fade we saw at the end.

The Volt does include a pretty decent glide as well. It is a pretty flat disc but was happy to see it carry a little longer than I expected on our test throws.

One negative that we’d have to say about the disc is the combination of the low profile and the black outer rim. The outer rubber-like-rim, MVP’s GYRO technology, is what makes MVP stand out from other disc golf discs on the market. On their previously released putters and midranges, the profile was a lot larger. When thrown, you could still see it coming at you. The Volt is a very low profile flat disc. On a few holes we threw it on, we even lost sight of it as it flew away from me. The backdrop was a combination of trees and a shadowy fairway. Once the turn kicked in and we picked up the color of the disc, we was able to pick it back up. Some others on another hole were watching me throw and they had a hard time tracking it as it flew towards them about 500 feet away. Others who were perpendicular to the flight path also stated it was hard to pick up from that angle. This is due in part to the black edge as it flies.

We asked MVP about this and if they would look into other color overmolds beyond black. This is what they had to say:

We do not have any plans to deviate from the standard black. The reason for this is because different colors of material require different temperatures and curing times for processing, and as a result are a big culprit of inconsistencies. We want to ensure that our discs have the highest level of quality and consistency, hence we keep the overmolding as consistent as possible. We chose black because it universally matches all colors in the core.

The difficulty in being able to see it in direct flight was not something that we were expecting. Although in generality, we do advise to avoid throwing discs towards crowds of people for safety purposes, regardless if the disc was easily visible or not. We see where you are coming from, and will keep that in mind as we develop future products.

We don’t blame MVP for wanting to make sure their discs are always consistent. Of course, you don’t want to be throwing into a group of people but keep in mind that at times, this might not be the most vivid disc you’ll be throwing. We also have to thank MVP for great communication for the last few weeks.

Even with that said, we do like the Volt a lot. Golfers looking for a controllable longer fairway driver should look into the Volt. It is very controllable disc. We wouldn’t recommend it into a big headwind but in most conditions the Volt will fly as advertised. If released on a slight hyzer, it will hold a very straight line and finish with very little fade. If the nose gets up, it will fade a little harder.

For those wondering about the flight numbers for this disc (on Innova’s scale) we would put the speed at 8, glide at 5, turn at -1 and fade at 2. We went back and forth on the speed number but it felt faster than a Teebird or Eagle, yet slower than a Firebird. Luckily, we passed preschool and quickly narrowed down that the number less than 9 and more than 7 is indeed 8.

We do think MVP has a winner on their hands here. We do think this disc will sell and sell well for them. With two putters and a pair of midranges on the market the Volt fits into the MVP stable quite well. We would love to see MVP put out an overstable fairway driver and eventually a distance driver. Right now though, we don’t blame MVP for going for the quality route instead of the quantity route. They have put out five discs which are loved by their fans. One disc at a time the MVP following seems to be growing.

Volts are in stores today. Controllable, comfortable, and long. The MVP Volt is a winner.

July 13, 2013 – Proton Volt Update:

Months after releasing the Volt in their Neutron plastic, MVP has now released the Volt in Proton plastic. We took the Proton Volt out for a test to see how it compared to it’s Neutron brother.

The Proton Volt is slightly more stable than the Neutron version. We saw very little turn out of the Proton Volt. The high speed stability reminded us of the MVP Shock. We could really give the Volt a strong throw and it would really resist turn.

The fade was slightly stronger in the Proton, but not as strong as a Shock. The Proton Volt was really strong on sweeping hyzer shots or shots where we needed to to hold a line and then slightly finish left. The speed seemed the same as the Neutron version, but the Proton Volt brought slightly less glide.

We rated the Neutron Volt at 8, 5, -1, 2. We’d rate the Proton Volt at 8, 4.5, 0, 2.5.