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 Rave LX is a new paddle shape that was introduced with the Luxe series. It is an elongated paddle that is more oval shaped than any other elongated paddle out there.
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 Rave LX, here is my review on its performance
Get $10 off of TMPR Paddles
If you think this is the right paddle for you, get $10 off at tmprsports.com using the coupon code, PBFX10.
SHOP RAVE 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.
The paddle felt really soft and in control, but the fiberglass face was enough to generate power when you needed it.
Shape
The shape of the paddle has a major impact on the playabilty of the paddle. Although each paddle in the Luxe Series has the same core and face, they all play a little differently depending on the shape.
This elongated shape was really nice around the net when dinking. Thanks to the extra length, I went after and picked up a lot dink volleys that I don’t usually go for. I found that the shape also helped in moments when I was digging shots or scrambling, I was able to keep more rallies alive as a result.
Not everything was positive about the shape, though, there is always a little give and take. The elongated shape did slow me down sometimes when the ball sped up at the net, I wasn’t able to move it as quickly as non elongated shaped paddles. I found myself a little behind the ball sometimes as a result. That’s not a fault of this paddle, that is just the case with all elongated paddles.
I did notice, though, that this paddle was very well balanced and felt really comfortable and easy to move around compared to other elongated paddles that can tend to be a little head heavy.
Rave 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 quickly hitting great drop shots and dinking well with it, my soft game was definitely strengthened with this paddle.
However, I did struggle a little with block shots at first with this paddle. The sweet spot is pretty high on the face and it loses quite a bit of power when you take shots closer to the handle. There were moments during drills and games where a block shot fell short because I missed the sweet spot. Especially when players chicken winged me, because I couldn’t bring the paddle over far enough to block the shot in the sweet spot at the top of the paddle.
Attacking
I was able to generate more power with this paddle shape than others in the series. Especially with overheads. Whenever I had an overhead opportunity, the ball wasn’t coming back.
I wouldn’t say this is a power paddle, but it generated enough power when I needed it. Thanks to the fiberglass face. I’ve reviewed other thicker core paddles similar to this one from Engage Pickleball, but their thicker core paddles did not generate near the power that this, and others in the series, can.
Volley and ground strokes were strong, as long as I focused on hitting the sweet spot at the top of the paddle. If you miss hit a ball and strike it with the lower half of the paddle then you lose some power.
The paddle was responsive in that when I needed to generate power in an attack, I could swing a little harder and the paddle gave me the power I needed. The paddle won’t generate explosive power on it’s own, you need to give it a little extra, but it responds.
Other Opinions
I played and reviewed this paddle with my good friend, Brian. Brian is an advanced player and pickleball instructor. He is a very sarcastic person so this quote is a high compliment.
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 is the excellent feel, extra reach, balance, and for a thicker core paddle, it has excellent power.
I would recommend this paddle to anyone who would benefit from a little extra reach and wants to dominate at the net with the soft game.
Intermediate to advanced players tended to prefer this shape over the others in the Luxe Series, because they liked the benefits of a longer paddle, but less experienced players tended to gravitate to other paddles in the series like the Oculus LX and the Tantrum LX because they had larger sweet spots which made them more forgiving and a little easier to play.
Get $10 off of TMPR Paddles
If you think this is the right paddle for you, get $10 off at tmprsports.com using the coupon code, PBFX10.
SHOP RAVE LX
