Paddle Reviews
Vatic Pro Prism Review: A Carbon Fiber Control Paddle at Rec Center Doubles
Seven months, three mornings a week, one rec center. What the Vatic Pro Prism changed in a 3.5 doubles game, and what it did not.
A retired UPS driver on why he handed his first real paddle to a stranger and kept the carbon one for himself.
Seven months, three mornings a week, one rec center. What the Vatic Pro Prism changed in a 3.5 doubles game, and what it did not.
I have played the Prism three mornings a week since April. I got one full game with the SLK Evo. Here is what actually separates them for a recreational doubles player.
Seven months with one paddle at a Knoxville rec center, and the ten things that actually held up.
A retired UPS driver on why he handed his first real paddle to a stranger and kept the carbon one for himself.
Five habits that turned a twitchy carbon fiber paddle into a quiet one, from a 59-year-old who plays three mornings a week at a Knoxville rec center.
Seven months with one paddle, three mornings a week. The parts that helped my game, the parts that cost me games, and the claims I will not make.
Seven months after buying my first real paddle, here is what the HEAD Extreme Elite does well, where it runs out of gas, and why it still lives in my bag.
One of these was my first real paddle. The other is the one in my bag now. Here is which one fits which player, and where each of them gives something up.
A rec center regular on why the HEAD Extreme Elite is still the paddle he hands to every newcomer, even after he moved on to something else.
I bought it in March as my first real paddle. It is not my main one anymore, and I still would not take it out of the bag.
Five things to check before you spend a dime, from a retired UPS driver who learned the hard way with a paddle that buzzed.
I played the HEAD Extreme Elite three mornings a week for four months. It is a good first real paddle and a poor control paddle, and both of those things are worth knowing before you buy one.
A 59-year-old rec center player on the ball that ended the mid-rally scramble, how it holds up over a season, and who should not bother.
Two 40-hole outdoor balls, two different mornings. A rec-center player sorts out which one belongs in your bag.
Ten practical points from a rec center regular who got tired of playing whatever came out of the bucket.
A retired delivery driver on the day a worn-out rec center ball cracked mid-rally, and the three-pack he started carrying after.
Five checks I run at the bench before the first serve, plus what to do with the dead ones and why the rec center bucket is not your friend.
A season with the X-40 as my only outdoor ball, including the morning the shell cracked two games in and the three checks I now run before every session.
I went sliding across a gym floor in running shoes, then spent a season in one pair of court shoes. Here is what changed, what did not, and who should bother.
One shoe is built for standard width feet. One is built for wide feet. The right pick starts with your foot, not the label.
A retired UPS driver on why the gear you feel first is not the paddle.
A rainy Monday, a slick gym floor, and the pair of shoes that finally got me to stop playing careful.
Five steps that got me out of running shoes and into a court shoe that holds on wet gym floors and outdoor concrete alike.
Three months in one pair, indoors and out, from a 59 year old who plays three mornings a week. What held up, what still bugs me, and who should not buy these.
I bought this bag in June after one too many parking lot searches. Here is what a 59-year-old rec player actually does with it three mornings a week.
One bag is built to hold a full morning at the rec center. The other is built to hold a paddle and get out of the way. Here is where each one actually earns its place.
Ten small things that changed about my Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings after I stopped carrying a gym duffel to open play.
A retired UPS driver on the ninety seconds of every session he got back, and the one feature that did it.
A plainspoken packing order for players who play outside on Monday and in a gym on Wednesday, from a retired UPS driver who learned it the hard way.
A frank second look at the five-pocket bag with the fence hook: what holds up, what annoys me three months in, and who should walk away from it.
Seven months, three mornings a week, one rec center. What the Vatic Pro Prism changed in a 3.5 doubles game, and what it did not.
Seven months with one paddle, three mornings a week. The parts that helped my game, the parts that cost me games, and the claims I will not make.
Seven months after buying my first real paddle, here is what the HEAD Extreme Elite does well, where it runs out of gas, and why it still lives in my bag.
I played the HEAD Extreme Elite three mornings a week for four months. It is a good first real paddle and a poor control paddle, and both of those things are worth knowing before you buy one.
A 59-year-old rec center player on the ball that ended the mid-rally scramble, how it holds up over a season, and who should not bother.
A season with the X-40 as my only outdoor ball, including the morning the shell cracked two games in and the three checks I now run before every session.
I went sliding across a gym floor in running shoes, then spent a season in one pair of court shoes. Here is what changed, what did not, and who should bother.
Three months in one pair, indoors and out, from a 59 year old who plays three mornings a week. What held up, what still bugs me, and who should not buy these.
I bought this bag in June after one too many parking lot searches. Here is what a 59-year-old rec player actually does with it three mornings a week.
A frank second look at the five-pocket bag with the fence hook: what holds up, what annoys me three months in, and who should walk away from it.