TMPR Sports is a relatively new paddle brand that has been around since 2018. They continue to gain in popularity and their momentum is only going to continue with their new line of paddles called the Luxe Series.
The Oculus LX is an innovative design that is much more round than the traditional pickleball paddle shape. TMPR is challenging the status quo and pushing the limit of paddle design with the Oculus LX.
All of TMPR’s paddles feature a more rounded shape than traditional paddles and it has a lot of benefits. A more rounded paddle improves the maneuverability of the paddle, reduces vibration, and increases the size of the sweet spot.
After drilling and playing over 20 games with the Oculus LX, here are my review on its performance.
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If you think the Oculus LX is the right paddle for you, get $10 off at tmprsports.com using the coupon code, PBFX10.
SHOP OCULUS LXPaddle Design
Core & Construction
All paddles in the Luxe Series feature a thicker, high quality polymer core with a textured fiberglass face. Thicker cores help soften the paddle and increase feel, while a fiberglass face is known for adding extra power. The combination of the fiberglass face with the thicker core is a winning mix to create a superior control paddle with enough power to speed up the ball when you need to.
The paddle is designed to be more of a control paddle, but I found that it carried more punch than other thicker core paddles that I’ve tested.
Shape
The shape of a paddle has a major impact on its performance and playabilty. Although each paddle in the Luxe Series has the same core and face, they all play a little differently depending on the shape.
The round oval shape of the Oculus LX increased the sweet the spot of the paddle from almost edge to edge both vertically and horizontally. I’ve never played a more forgiving paddle than this one.
Increasing the the sweet spot does bring down the power of the paddle a little. But, I think the increase of the sweet spot and the forgiveness of the paddle outweighs the small reduction in power.
The paddle shape really sticks out on the court, I definitely got some looks when I was playing with it and I like that. I want people to notice me and wonder what paddle I’m using when I beat them 😉
Oculus LX
Playabilty
Soft Game & Defending
The feel with this paddle is fantastic. It feels soft off the face, but it’s not over the top soft. I was instantly hitting great drop shots and dinking well with it, my soft game was definitely strengthened with this paddle.
From my very first time playing with the paddle, I noticed how forgiving it was. It seemed like every shot I hit came off the face with the intended amount of power no matter what part of the paddle I hit the ball with. It was awesome, I honestly loved the amount of forgiveness and made fewer errors because of it. Especially around the net when I was dinking. I can sometimes hit dinks into the net from an off center hit, but with the Oculus LX, my off center dinks were still going over the net.
Another bonus from the large sweet spot and soft touch of the paddle was controlling the pace of the game and slowing down fast balls. Specifically when my opponent would speed up the ball at the net and I wanted to hit a block shot to reset the ball. I had a much higher success rate blocking the ball with this paddle than I did with other paddles in the Luxe Series and with other paddles on the market in general.
Attacking
I would say this paddle has the least amount of power and pop compared to the other paddles in TMPR’s Luxe Series. However, I was still able to generate enough power when I needed to. The fiberglass face was responsive when I put a little muscle behind the ball to speed it up.
This is not a power paddle, but I was able to generate my own power with it. I say this because I’ve played with other thicker core paddles, like the paddles from Engage Pickleball, that just don’t have the capacity to speed the ball up when you tried.
There were a few rare moments where I wish I could of put a little more mustard on the ball with overheads and high balls, but 95% of the time I was able to put enough speed on it to challenge my opponents when I drove the ball and when I was putting high balls away.
Other Opinions
I really liked this paddle and eagerly shared it with my network to get their thoughts on the paddle. My favorite quote was from a 3.0 friend named Breanne. Breanne got a chance to play with all the paddles in the Luxe Series and said this about the Oculus LX.
Customizations
This paddle has four different colors you can choose from. These include:
- Blue
- Red
- Yellow
- Pink
It also has three different weight options. Not very many companies offer these many weight options, it’s nice to have the options to suit your preference. The weight options include:
- Light Weight (7.1 – 7.5 oz.)
- Medium Weight (7.6 – 8.0 oz.)
- Heavy Weight (8.1 – 8.5 oz.)
The lighter the weight the easier it is to maneuver and handle, but will require you to swing harder to put more power on it. The heavier the paddle the more weight is behind the ball so dinks and hard shots don’t have to be swung as hard to add more power.
Summary and Recommendation
The highlights of this paddle are the excellent feel and large sweet spot. My soft game and defense benefited with this paddle in my hands.
This is the most player friendly paddle in the Luxe Series. Beginner to intermediate players preferred the Oculus LX because of its large sweet spot while more advanced players raved about its performance from a defensive standpoint.
I would recommend this paddle to anyone who wants a performance level paddle that is player friendly. If you are looking to get your first performance level paddle, this is a great option for you. If you are a defensively minded player then you’ll love this paddle as well.
I’m a 4.5 player and loved what this paddle did for my defense, it will be staying in my bag.
Get $10 Off of TMPR Paddles
If you think the Oculus LX is the right paddle for you, get $10 off at tmprsports.com using the coupon code, PBFX10.
SHOP OCULUS LX
