GRUVN first gained traction after the CRBN ban when a lot of people playing a CRBN switched to one of GRUVN’s paddles. Even professional player JW Johnson played a couple of tournaments with their RAW-16H. They have since grown in popularity though they are not as well known as some of the leading brands. Whenever you get a paddle from a non-mainstream company you are always a little uncertain of the kind of quality you’ll get but I was very impressed with both of these paddles and am willing to bet they will continue to gain more traction.
For this review I played with their rounded widebody paddle, the RAW-16R, and their most popular elongated shape, the RAW-16H. After playing with both of these paddles for over two weeks, here’s my review of their performance.
Performance Summary
Each of GRUVN’s paddles are built with a raw carbon fiber face and a 16mm core. This combination gives their paddles a very soft and consistent feel across the board. They do offer several different unique shapes that give you different things. I would categorize both of the models I played with as control paddles. I had no trouble dialing in my dinks, thirds, and resets with these.
The RAW-16R is a shorter, more forgiving option that has a unique long handle that you don’t see on widebody shaped paddles often. This gave the paddle a lot of maneuverability and options for more comfortable two-handed shots. But it was weaker on the offensive side of things.
The RAW-16H is an elongated paddle with a very long handle. The extra long handle changes up the timing of your swing and is trickier to adjust to but it enables you when attacking at the net by enabling flicks and rolls like I haven’t experienced with another paddle.
Bottom line: These paddles would be a great fit for anyone who wants a consistent, solid touch and can generate their own power. They are both non-traditional shapes and handle lengths that fit niche needs so they are not for everyone but some people are going to really love them.
RAW-16R Quick Stats
RAW-16H Quick Stats
Try Our Paddle Fitting Quiz
Not sure what paddle to get? Take our paddle fitting quiz and we'll recommend three paddles that suit your game.
GET FITTEDDesign & Technology
Both of these models are built with a raw carbon face and a 16 mm core. Almost all of GRUVN’s paddles are built the same when it comes to those two features. Where these paddles differ is the shape.
RAW-16R: The RAW-16R is a fairly standard wide-body-shaped paddle. It’s just over 15.5 inches long and 5.5 of those inches come from the handle. 5.5 inches is a long handle for a short, widebody shaped paddle. The other thing that makes this paddle a little bit different from other widebody paddles is its circular shape. It helps make the paddle aerodynamic and honestly just looks cool.
RAW-16H: The RAW-16H is a one of a kind paddle because it has an extremely long handle. The paddle is 16.5 inches long in total and 5.875 of those inches come from the handle. A typical long handle is considered something between 5.25-5.5 inches. It has the longest handle that I have personally ever seen on a paddle and it gives the 16H an interesting feel
Attacking
RAW-16R: Attacking is probably the main drawback when it comes to the Raw 16R. The paddle is extremely soft because of its carbon fiber face, thick core, and shorter wider shape, so it can be a bit difficult to get the power needed to overpower your opponents. To be effective while attacking with this paddle, you need to be able to swing hard enough to generate a solid amount of power on your own. The 16R is also a very short paddle so you don’t have a ton of reach at the kitchen line which makes it a bit harder to attack balls out of the air.
RAW-16H: I don’t consider the 16H to be a power paddle, however, it was great and extremely fun when it comes to attacking. The 5.875″ handle allows you to whip and flick the ball unlike any other paddle I’ve played. This was so helpful on my drives. I felt like I was shaping the ball well and getting it to dip over the net. This paddle specifically played well in singles when I needed to hit hard angled passing shots.
One thing worth mentioning for both of these paddles is that they both have a solid amount of spin. They are both made with a raw carbon fiber face and a thicker core. That combination allows you to grab the ball, and spin it to where it needs to go. It didn’t give more more spin than other raw carbon fiber paddles (other than maybe the 16H) but they for sure give you more spin than what a fiberglass or graphite face would.
Soft Game
RAW-16R: Soft game is definitely where this paddle stands out. I loved the feel of this model. The sweet spot was extremely consistent and predictable, so I knew exactly where the ball was going to go with each hit. The thicker core allows you to slow down your opponent’s power shots and easily take control of pace of the game. It took almost no time at all for me to dial in my dinks, resets, and thirds. This is the best wide-body paddle that I’ve ever used when it comes to control.
RAW-16H: The RAW-16H is also a very great paddle when it comes to soft game and defense, however, it’s slightly behind the 16R in this aspect of the game for a few reasons. The main reason is the long handle. This handle is so long that it sort of threw off my timing and it has a smaller head. It almost felt like I had a tennis racquet in my hand. I’m sure with a bit more practice I could adjust to it, but it would definitely take some time and didn’t come to me during the two weeks I played with it. This paddle still absolutely has great consistent touch and feel, however, it just wasn’t on the same level as the 16R when it came to the soft game.
Other Player Comments
Other Considerations
One other thing I’ll say is in regards to the customization options GRUVN gives you. They have a few different color options but they also let you choose the type of grip you want. They have a stitched grip and a cushioned honeycomb grip that looks like a Gamma grip. I’m all for extra options so I liked that.
Who would like these paddles?
I thought these were quality control paddles. The thing with these though is their untraditional shapes. Although I thought they felt and played well, not everyone will like having a 5.8″ long handle. This puts these paddles in a sort of niche category that fit a certain playstyle and need that not everyone has.
The RAW-16R is a good paddle for a new player coming into the sport that wants help with their soft game and easy access to spin. It had a nice touch and played forgivingly. It does lack some offensive ability though it’s longer handle gave made it a bit more maneuverable. I think true widebody shapes like this are getting less common because of their lack of attacking options but it’s a great paddle for the defensive player. I also reviewed the Joola Radius which is a similar paddle and I would recommend this one over the Radius.
The RAW-16H is a very niche paddle because of its super long handle. It almost felt like a tennis racket in my hands. I think anyone come from a strong tennis background would appreciate the extra long handle. If you have some funky shots at the net and want something that is easy to flick and maneuver then this might be good for you too. However, I think for the majority of players out there, this handle is too long and you’d benefit from a larger hitting surface of a shorter handle closer to 5.25″ or 5″.
Try Our Paddle Fitting Quiz
Not sure what paddle to get? Take our paddle fitting quiz and we'll recommend three paddles that suit your game.
GET FITTEDGage competes at the 5.0 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and would play more if time allowed it.
