Pickleball Playtest - Babolat MONSTER POWER PADDLE

TW Staff

Administrator
Attention Talk Tennis Members:

Playtest: Babolat Monster Power pickleball paddles for a playtest.

The application period is over.

Selected playtesters have been notified.


Your review is due by MAY 28 (or erarlier)


Posting a review by the deadline is necessary to remain in good standing for future playtests.

Please comment on the following for your review:
Power
Control
Touch/Feel
Maneuverability
Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why?
Additional comments

Feel free to start discussing Babolat pickleball paddles!
 
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Are there any specs for this paddle?

Hi mogo,

From Babolat

Polypropylene Honeycomb core with EVA foam layer and SWC Feel (8 cm.sq SMAC layer)
80% Carbon / 20% Fiberglass

Weight: 8.11 oz
Thickness: 0.59"
Length: 16.14"
Width: 7.8"

Thanks,
Jon
 
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Hi mogo,

From Babolat

Polypropylene Honeycomb core with EVA foam layer and SWC Feel (8 cm.sq SMAC layer)
80% Carbon / 20% Fiberglass

Weight: 8.11 oz
Thickness: 0.59"
Length: 16.14"
Width: 7.8"

Thanks,
Jon

Thanks!!! This is awesome! I am just starting to get into pickleball and new to the spec range of paddles. This info is great to have, I appreciate it.
 
this is pretty cool of Babolot to do this. Help get the exposure into the PB scene even more. I've read a post on a PB Group that this paddle is getting a bunch of praise.
 
Likewise for me--first time tester but really looking forward to testing it out. I've been playing for almost 3 years (previously played a lot of racquetball & tennis). The paddle just arrived but I have already played today and it is also raining now so it will have to wait until tomorrow.
 
So received my Monster Paddle today and it is pretty cool. The color of a Pure Aero!!!!
Grip feels great and the skin has some kind of grit to it that I can feel. I just recently bought some paddletek's and in comparison the PT is smooth as the Babolat has some grab to it. So I think it will help with control. I also like the Babolat name on the side of the paddle, really cool. Hoping to get out and try this beast!!!

Some pics below.

bTmAagPm.jpg
TzqJmFIm.jpg
9tj4xktm.jpg
CZFcXQXm.jpg
 
So received my Monster Paddle today and it is pretty cool. The color of a Pure Aero!!!!
Grip feels great and the skin has some kind of grit to it that I can feel. I just recently bought some paddletek's and in comparison the PT is smooth as the Babolat has some grab to it. So I think it will help with control. I also like the Babolat name on the side of the paddle, really cool. Hoping to get out and try this beast!!!

Some pics below.

bTmAagPm.jpg
TzqJmFIm.jpg
9tj4xktm.jpg
CZFcXQXm.jpg
o_O
 
My Review of the Babolat Monster Power Pickleball Paddle

First impressions: The specs say this paddle weighs 8.11oz, but my scale said 8 oz even. I’m used to 9 oz and noticed the difference in weight as soon as I picked up this paddle. It has a nice balance, more head light than my other paddles and the longer flared handle and grip are excellent. I also noticed the surface is more textured when I rubbed my hand across. The rubber collar ring around the throat is an added bonus that I wish all paddle makers would include. My paddle was shipped quickly with extra padding and expert handling.

Date of playtest: April 30 2021

Power: Even though this paddle is labeled "Monster Power", I didn’t see it in my testing. I had to swing harder on overheads and put aways to get the same effect as my heavier paddles. Drive shots were more effective but I would still rate this paddle lower than mine for power. 4/5

Control: What the paddle lacks in power (for me) it makes up for in control. I had an easy time placing balls where I wanted, and spin was effortless with the rougher surface. Blocks and half volleys were easy to execute. Dinks were accurate and I even hit one ATP. I would rate this paddle above mine for control and spin. 5/5

Touch/Feel: Because of the lighter weight and head light balance, I missed several touch drop volleys I normally have no trouble with. After some adjustment they began to fall in, but the instinctive feel wasn’t there for me. With practice I think I might do better, but I would rate this paddle lower for touch and feel than mine. 4/5

Maneuverability: Outstanding. I was only caught off guard once in the 2.5 hours I played. The longer flared handle and grip made playing with this paddle a pleasure. It also allowed me to extend my reach on a couple returns in some scrambling points. I’m impressed and would rate this paddle higher than mine for maneuverability. 5/5

Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why? Backhand slice serve return from deuce court. More than once our opponents dumped their third shots in the net for second serves or side outs due to the heavy spin this paddle produces.

Additional comments: I thouroughly enjoyed playtesting this paddle. I give it high marks and would recommend it for anyone from beginners to 5.0 players. My review is for doubles play, but I see no reason why singles players wouldn’t excel with it as well.
 
My Review of the Babolat Monster Power Pickleball Paddle

First impressions: The specs say this paddle weighs 8.11oz, but my scale said 8 oz even. I’m used to 9 oz and noticed the difference in weight as soon as I picked up this paddle. It has a nice balance, more head light than my other paddles and the longer flared handle and grip are excellent. I also noticed the surface is more textured when I rubbed my hand across. The rubber collar ring around the throat is an added bonus that I wish all paddle makers would include. My paddle was shipped quickly with extra padding and expert handling.

Date of playtest: April 30 2021

Power: Even though this paddle is labeled "Monster Power", I didn’t see it in my testing. I had to swing harder on overheads and put aways to get the same effect as my heavier paddles. Drive shots were more effective but I would still rate this paddle lower than mine for power. 4/5

Control: What the paddle lacks in power (for me) it makes up for in control. I had an easy time placing balls where I wanted, and spin was effortless with the rougher surface. Blocks and half volleys were easy to execute. Dinks were accurate and I even hit one ATP. I would rate this paddle above mine for control and spin. 5/5

Touch/Feel: Because of the lighter weight and head light balance, I missed several touch drop volleys I normally have no trouble with. After some adjustment they began to fall in, but the instinctive feel wasn’t there for me. With practice I think I might do better, but I would rate this paddle lower for touch and feel than mine. 4/5

Maneuverability: Outstanding. I was only caught off guard once in the 2.5 hours I played. The longer flared handle and grip made playing with this paddle a pleasure. It also allowed me to extend my reach on a couple returns in some scrambling points. I’m impressed and would rate this paddle higher than mine for maneuverability. 5/5

Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why? Backhand slice serve return from deuce court. More than once our opponents dumped their third shots in the net for second serves or side outs due to the heavy spin this paddle produces.

Additional comments: I thouroughly enjoyed playtesting this paddle. I give it high marks and would recommend it for anyone from beginners to 5.0 players. My review is for doubles play, but I see no reason why singles players wouldn’t excel with it as well.
Thanks for the review. Do you mind responding as to a few things--1. what is your current paddle and did you adjust the weight via lead tape/overgrips to get to 9oz? 2. How long did you play with the paddle in your playtest 3. What level of play are you roughly/levels of the game you played with it? Thanks!
 
Thanks for the review. Do you mind responding as to a few things--1. what is your current paddle and did you adjust the weight via lead tape/overgrips to get to 9oz? 2. How long did you play with the paddle in your playtest 3. What level of play are you roughly/levels of the game you played with it? Thanks!

1. My current paddles are the Paddletek Phoenix Pro and the Bantam EX-L. On both I added a tennis overgrip using the whole grip from front to back then back to front to increase the grip size. That was enough to bring the weight up to 9 oz. I made no changes to the Babolat paddle, played it straight out of the box. If I were to change anything, it would only be to add an overgrip like I did for my other paddles, but my inclination is to let it stay as is.
2. My test lasted 2 and a half hours. I'm between 4.0 and 4.5. We played outside in somewhat cold and windy conditions.
 
My review of the Babolat MNSTR Power

Quick background--I have been playing pickleball for almost 3 years. I came from playing a lot of racquetball but I grew up playing a lot of tennis. I am roughly a 4.5 level PB player. I have played with many different paddles (Onix Z5, Selkirk S2, Ben Johns Maverick Pro, Gearbox GX6, Onix Evoke Premier, Electrum Pro, Paddletek Tempest Reign Pro and Electrum Model E) with the last 2 listed being the most recent.

Overview
I have been playing with this paddle over the last week, starting last Sunday May 2nd up through today (6 days for about 18 to 20 hours total). I played with it in a tournament yesterday and today. Originally I was going to wait until after the tournament but on a whim pulled it out of my bag last Sunday and was only going to play a game or two with it. And to be honest, I didn't expect much from this paddle. I have a lot more expensive paddles in my bag ($180 Electrum Model E, $170 Reign Pro). However, I was kind of blown away by how well this paddle played. It just seemed lightning quick in my hands. I have attached a photo comparing the center of gravity of the various paddles I own (CG maybe is a loose term, more like center of balance, loosely calculated). The MNSTR had the lowest CG (closest to the base) of any of the paddles even though it was longer than some of the others. What resulted for me was a very quick paddle at the net so it was great for volleys and switching from forehand to backhand.

Weight: 231g or 8.15 oz
Grip: 5" L, 4.25" circumference (estimated). The grip is 8 sided with the edges softened by 45 degree bevels of about 3/8". I loved the feel of the Babalot grip and it was just the right size for me. 5/5

Power: This power exhibited great power for my game--I have a pretty hard serve and as a result get a lot of short returns which I will jump on for a 3rd shot drive and it was very good for that. I also found it to be pretty good for driving volleys. It was not as powerful as say the Electrum Pro. I would say that finishing overheads it maybe doesn't have quite the pop of a longer paddle but overall I was happy with the power. 4/5

Control: I felt that this paddle gave me great control on all of my shots--returns, volleys, 3rd shots, dinks and resets. I had a high degree of confidence that the shot I thought I would hit came off--not many surprises. Yes, I had some occasional mishits and shots off of the edge but those were probably on me. 5/5

Touch/Feel: When I first started playing with this paddle and taking dinks out of the air I was occasionally hitting a dead dink that would die at the net. I had to focus on adding a little more to make sure I got those dinks over the net or that I was hitting the ball in the correct spot. Once I got used to that I think it was fine and I didn't really notice it--it could just be the difference in coming from one of the other paddles I had been using. 4/5

Maneuverability As I stated in my overview I feel that this paddle is lightning quick and great on maneuverability. At 8.1 oz I know that some people might be surprised in that analysis but that was my take on it. 5/5

Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why? I don't really have one shot in particular--this paddle was great on so many different shots there wasn't one thing in particular. For example with an Electrum Pro most people would say it is a spin shot because that paddle is so gritty. The MNSTR was solid in all areas of the game.

Durability/Construction: This paddle seemed to be very solidly built. The edge guard is thick and securely fastened to the body. Time will tell how durable this paddle is but initial impressions are that this should last.

Additional comments: I liked this paddle a lot. After only playing with it for 4 days I decided to play in 2 tournaments with it and my impressions of it didn't disappoint and I was able to medal in both events (Men's 50+ 4.5/4.0 and Men's open 4.5/40). I am interested in seeing how this paddle compares to the MNSTR Control which is coming out in conjunction with the Power paddle. At this point this paddle will be staying in my bag! This paddle will launch on June 2, 2021 with a retail price of $139.

paddles-cg.jpg
 
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Playtest: Babolat Monster Power pickleball paddles.

I am relatively new to Pickleball and have been a long time tennis player. I had been playing with a cheap Walmart pickle paddle till now. Thanks to Babolat and TW, now I know what I had been truly missing, and how much really fun pickleball is.

Power: Really good power. I feel like beginners can pick up this racket and play good aggressive game right away. Of course a lot of pickle about touch and feel, but there are times when you get that high ball and the satisfaction of rocketing that drive is incomparable.

Control: Huge difference from cheap pickle paddles. Very good control. It was great to feel that I can pinpoint the shot directions. For guys coming from tennis background and obsessed with topspin, the topspin drives from the far court are super fun as well. The only times balls flew off me where when I was caught really lazy on my foot and not in position to execute the shot.

Touch/Feel: This is all pickleball is about. And yes, the Babolat Monster Power Paddle excels in this department. Sure, I don’t have much experience with other top quality pickle paddles, but I am really curious to find out what else is really needed from touch/feel dept. I was able to dig out tough transition shots and land them in kitchen area with touch shots very easily and get back in the point right away and possible attack with aggressive position gained. In tennis I was not a big net player and it was really tough for me to adapt to the transition volleys in pickle, but this Babolat paddle made my life a lot easier, and I am good at it now among the friends I play with.

Maneuverability: Coming from tennis, I never had any issues with maneuvering a pickle paddle around. But I guess since there are no strings, some bad designs could make it harder. I find that the Babolat Monster Power Paddle was really easy to maneuver around and I could send the shots back in play even with some bad/lazy footwork, as long as I am not being overly aggressive. But to be fair, I probably have yet to find a pickle paddle which is bad in this department.

Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why? Well… topspin forehand drive from far court. I guess most pickle players may say that, it is a tennis shot … but I love hitting that shot with this paddle, and that is my favorite shot with this paddle. It is a tough shot to execute with cheap paddles, and this Babolat Monster Power paddle do provide me that control and spin needed to execute the topspin drive properly with some oomph. It may also be because of my obsession with topspin in tennis. I also like to hit those drive volleys from mid court with some topspin but tons of power.

Additional comments: This Babolat Monster Power paddle was a lifesaver for me and I really did not know what I was missing when playing with cheaper paddles. Definitely this improved my game a lot, and also made it a lot more fun to play. Highly recommended for anyone at beginner/intermediate level. I don’t really know what advanced level players are looking for, so I will leave that open.

I also want to put this disclaimer out here, that I am relatively new to pickle, and some of my comments may be the “wow” effect of a newbie, who probably never had experienced a good quality paddle.

I will add additional comments or messages, if I find any of the above feelings changes, as I learn more as I progress, and also as I get more experience.

Thank You Tennis Warehouse for being a life savor for me and for pushing me deep into enjoying pickleball.
Thank You Babolat for the opportunity.
 
Caveats: I'm fairly new to pickleball (primarily play tennis) so take my review with that in mind. Based on feedback from people I've played against, I'm guessing I'm somewhere around 3.5 level. I typically play with either a Prince Response Pro or Spectrum Pro and have very little experience with other models, so that will skew my baseline, I'm sure. Without further ado, here we go!


Power

True to Babolat tennis racquets I've played with in the past, this paddle was not short on power. My swing felt faster because of the perceived weight balance (I felt this paddle was light on the head side vs the Prince's I'm used to swinging) but whatever magic Babolat does to make the pickleballs boink off the paddle face with such crispy-ness on their tennis racquets, they did here minus the sometimes hurting my elbow/shoulder's feelings. Overall, I felt great pop when I struck the ball well, more so than the princes. If the Prince was a 7/10, the Babolat is easily a 8/10


Control
I'm a spray and pray kind of guy that is working on not being so erratic, but I can say this paddle does not make me spray the balls around any more than the Prince. This might have more to do with my (lacking) skill level more than anything else, but I was able to direct the ball and change depth, power, etc as much as I could with the Prince paddles. The only other thing I might add to this is that my slice lobs had a lot more movement than I was used to hitting with to the point that people I've played with in the past that weren't much affected by slice bounces had to make noticeably more adjustments on the bounce.

Touch/Feel
My dinking game is close to being non-existent, and my drop shots are almost entirely accidental, but I during the games I played with this paddle, I was feeling better than usual and was able to hit some drop shots with real intent. I was able to angle some dinks away that I wouldn't normally have tried in the past, but I can also say I've been improving in these areas more every time I play so it is difficult to attribute it all to the paddle. You won't hear me complaining about it though, regardless.

Maneuverability
So this is probably my favorite thing about this paddle. There was a distinct perceived head light feel that set it apart from my Prince paddles. Weight overall felt pretty similar, but I definitely felt it was faster to swing, especially on the reflex volleys. Maybe it was a honeymoon period type of thing, but I felt I was swinging more easily/faster on everything I hit.

Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why?
My favorite shot was the kill volley/overhead just because I was able to snap the paddle through the overhead so quickly it was almost comical.

Additional comments
I love the color scheme, looks great with pure aeros!
 
Official review Babolat MONSTER Power Paddle

I have been getting into pickleball more and more out of curiosity. I have seen a lot of clubs convert some tennis courts into pickleball courts which is just where we are headed so my interest has peaked over time. Tennis is where my heart is at, but I do like that the new challenge pickleball presents. Being new to pickleball I am learning what paddles are better for me. Started with a wooden paddle and that was bad. I recently got some Bantam EX-L
paddles and they were really nice. So, I was really excited to get on this playtest and Babolat did not disappoint one bit. They are in the game and have made a great paddle that I can’t put down!

Power: 9/10 I loved cracking flat or topspin from the court. I feel like this was another Power Babolat product. You just give it a swing and there it goes with minimum effort. Super easy on my arm and wrist. I could easily ramp up pace and smash anything without extra effort. Could amp up flat or low serves too which helped me out in point play. I could get the advantage on serve and get in quick and let the MONSTER do the work.

Control: 10/10 – I feel with the grit on the paddle that this had so much control and I could get extra spin when needed. It only added to my confidence with hitting power on shots and volleys. I felt the ball would stay in and have great dip for me. I could angle, drop, lob, or power my shot selection without having to worry about the result. Spin was very good. I have paddles that don’t get as much movement on them. The Babolat MONSTER shined in the control department 100%.

Touch/Feel: 9/10 – Feel was great, I could absorb or add pace when needed. Loved the drops and angles. The grit on the paddle just felt like I was able to adjust to all around play. For serves it was definitely and advantage to move an opponent and get to the kitchen fast. Or if I wanted to jam them, I could easily add pace.

Maneuverability 8/10 – I liked how it moved through the air, I thought if it was more HL maybe I could get more angles. I can always add a leather grip and see how it changes the dynamic of the paddle. Overall, I could move the ball around, but just felt a more HL balance could help me out to gain an extra edge.

Favorite shot to hit with playtest paddle/why? FOREHAND!!! I usually just hit with a continental grip but felt I could hit semi western and blast the ball with no fear of hitting long. I honestly felt like I was attacking a short ball in tennis which only made me love this paddle more. I just took a full swing and kept going to the net for a smash.

Additional comments: I see Babolat has added their great tennis formula to pickleball. I absolutely love the grip. I felt at home and didn’t want to put this paddle down. Big shout out to Babolat and TW for the playtest. This is my #1 paddle I am using, and I am extremely happy with it. I am curious to try the other paddle that Babolat is also adding to their line. Thanks again to Babolat and TW and hope everyone had a great playtest like I did.
 
So many companies getting into the pickle ball paddle business..
Cheap investment.. easy returns on brand recognition and marketing...
A few manufacturers who Will brand for you...
 
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