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.
