PADDLE REVIEWS
FRANKLIN FS TOUR DYNASTY 14 PADDLE REVIEW
Look / Cosmetics : 3.5 / 5 Simple , mostly black design with the only pop of color coming from the edge guard ( blue , gray or pink ). What I immediately noticed was the plush , ribbed grip . It feels nice and tacky with grooves for your fingers to give you a very secure grip . Comes in 14 or 16mm thickness and mine weighed in at 8.2 oz . Measures 16.5 ” x 7.5 ” with a 5.6 ” handle . Also comes with a nice plush cover and a free paddle eraser . Nice touch !
Serves / Returns / Groundstrokes : 4 / 5 Solid feel on serves and groundstrokes . Paddle felt a little head-heavy through the air . Very good power on full strokes . These paddles feel a little heavier than most , but that ’ s by design so you won ’ t need to add any lead tape . Seems to be working so far .
Touch / Feel / Spin : 4 / 5 Spin was above average , and the gritty T700 carbon surface really grips the ball well . Feel was nice — not ultra-soft like some carbon paddles , but soft enough while still feeling firm . The ball really jumps off the face , which made it a little challenging at first to keep from popping up dinks , but once I got acclimated it was fine . Takes some finesse to control the pop .
Sound / Sweet Spot / Playability : 4 / 5 Pleasant sound that is neither quiet nor too loud . I found the sweet spot to be around average in size , and playability to be more suited toward advanced players . The added weight and heavier feel will be welcomed by some , but not for everyone . The paddle feels very solid on hard blocks and resists twisting in your hand .
Summary : 3.8 / 5 Franklin is putting out a very high-quality paddle here for a very reasonable price . I was quite shocked when I saw the price after playtesting the paddle . Many options for color , width , weight and shape give you plenty of ways to find your preferred specs within this new line . These heavier paddles seem geared toward the advanced / tournament players who want a heavier-feeling paddle they can use right out of the box . If this is you , check this one out .
Current Price : $ 150
by JACK BANDEL
HEAD RADICAL TOUR GRIT PADDLE REVIEW
Look / Cosmetics : 4.5 / 5 Love the bright orange color with the Head logo across the middle — very eye catching ! Paddle is a teardrop shape , a little flared at the top . Width is 15mm , which is in the middle of the usual 14 or 16mm choices . Weight was a touch under 8 oz ., with a 5 ” handle , and it measures 16 ” x 8 ”. The carbon fiber surface has a gritty feel to it that is supposed to be unique and longer-lasting .
Serves / Returns / Groundstrokes : 4.5 / 5 Nice , easy power on my serves and returns . You can really feel the “ grit ” grip the ball when you hit topspin or slice returns . Let ’ s hope that surface grit lasts as Head claims it does . This paddle was very easy to just pick up and play with — feels balanced through the air and swings easy .
Touch / Feel / Spin : 3.75 / 5 Mixed marks here — loved the spin , but the touch was not great for me . This paddle leans more toward power than control and I struggled a bit with my finesse game . However , the spin I could put on the ball was very enjoyable . Very hot paddle face was great for quick flick put-aways but made the soft game a bit more challenging .
Sound / Sweet Spot / Playability : 3.5 / 5 Unfortunately , I have to deduct a few points for the sound , which is a bit louder than I prefer . Some may not notice this , but I did . On the other hand , the playability is very welcoming to most levels . This is one of those “ all-around ” paddles that does everything reasonably well . The sweet spot was above average and seems to extend toward the tip a little . No harsh vibrations were felt on mishits , and this was a very easy paddle to play with .
Summary : 4.0 / 5 This is a great , easy-playing paddle from Head that should appeal to a wide audience of players . If you like a powerful all-around paddle that does almost everything well , this should be on your demo list . I would like to try the elongated EX model because I think that shape would suit me better , but it ’ s good to have choices . Also a great value for the price .
Current Price : $ 169.99
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