Vatic Pro has been turning heads for months now and that’s not changing with the release of their Prism series. Their mantra of being a disruptor in quality and price is being shown in full force with these paddles.
The Prism series consists of two paddles, the Prism-Flash and Prism-V7, that each retail for $100. The Prism series uses high end Toray T700 raw carbon fiber, foam injection and has a unibody design. These features bring to mind the Joola Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16 which has almost the same construction but is retailing for $220.
With the specs of these paddles being so similar to the Hyperion CFS 16, the big question for me going into this review was if they played like it as well. If they do, it could really throw a wrench in the paddle market, because the Hyperion CFS 16 is one of the most popular paddles to date and these cost less than half the price.
After drilling and playing with both the Prism-Flash and the Prism-V7, here’s my review of their performance.
Table of Contents
Performance Summary
In short, these do play just as well as the Hyperion CFS 16, and maybe even better. I’m categorizing these as control paddles, though a year ago I would have categorized them as all-court paddles. And they are very good control paddles.
The V7 in particular feels almost identical to the Hyperion CFS 16. It has the same plush, soft feel, good spin, and more power than you think it should. It also has the same head heavy design, though. Both the Hyperion CFS 16 and the V7 have a high swingweight of 128. Having a higher swingweight makes it feel heavy at times but it also is part of the reason they feel so plush and are easy to control. The V7 doesn’t have the carbon forged handle that the Hyperion CFS 16 has, though. Joola’s Carbon Forged handle tended to break for big hitters, so I imagine the V7 is actually more durable than the Hyperion CFS 16 which would make the Prism-V7 a better paddle overall.
The Prism Flash also felt very similar to the Hyperion CFS 16 and the Prism V7 but it has a much lighter swingweight of 114 which makes it easier to maneuver and manage. It also has a very plush and soft feel to it that I like, but it has more of a light, plush feel compared to the dense, plush feel of the Prism-V7 and the Hyperion CFS 16.
Vatic Pro Prism Flash 16mm
- Average Weight: 8.1 oz
- Swingweight: 114 (moderately low)
- Twistweight: 6.4 (moderate)
- Length: 16.2″
- Width: 7.7″
- Face: Toray T700 Raw Carbon
- Grip Circumference: 4.25″
- Handle Length: 5.4″
- Core: 16mm Premium Polymer
- Price: $99.99 ($89 with code 10EFFECT)
(use 10EFFECT at checkout for a discount)
| Pros |
|---|
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Plush feel that is easier to control |
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It will help improve your soft game |
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Hybrid shape for extra reach + forgiveness |
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Good spin rating |
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Manageable swing weight for fast hands |
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Comfortable octagonal handle |
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Good forgiveness |
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Excellent price and value |
| Cons |
|---|
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Could be too soft for some players |
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Only one thickness option |
|
Not big on power |
Vatic Pro Prism V7
- Average Weight: 8.4 oz
- Swingweight: 128 (high)
- Twistweight: 6.96 (moderately high)
- Length: 16.5″
- Width: 7.5″
- Face: Toray T700 Raw Carbon
- Grip Circumference: 4.25″
- Handle Length: 5.4″
- Core: 16mm Premium Polymer
- Price: $99.99 ($89 with code 10EFFECT)
(use 10EFFECT at checkout for a discount)
| Pros |
|---|
|
Plays nearly identical to Joola Hyperion CFS 16 ($220 paddle) |
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It will help improve your soft game |
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Good spin rating |
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Forgiving for an elongated shape |
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Comfortable octagonal handle |
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A very solid, stable, quality feel to it |
|
Excellent price and value |
| Cons |
|---|
|
High swingweight makes it feel slower in hand battles |
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No lighter weight options |
|
Not big on power |
Performance Details
Prism Flash
There were a lot of people that tried and liked the Ben Johns Hyperions CFS 16 but didn’t stick with it because it was too head heavy. This paddle changes that. It has a moderately low swingweight of 114 that makes it very manageable but it still has many of the same qualities of the Hyperion CFS 16 like the easy control, plush feel, and decent power.
This paddle, and the Prism-V7, are easy to control and I would consider them top-tier control paddles. The soft, plush feel they give you makes taking pace off the ball easier and placing shots more precise. I was consistently hitting my resets and drops into the Kitchen during my first drill session with them which is the part of my game that usually takes the longest to get down when trying a new paddle.
The spin was good too. My spin tests were coming in around 1650 RPMs which is plenty in my opinion. It’s enough to enable you to be aggressive at the net with roll volleys, drives, and serves though they don’t top the charts.
On the power side, the Prism-Flash gave me a little less than the Prism-V7 but they both give you more than a generation one carbon fiber paddle without the foam injection and less than thermoformed paddles. They sit somewhere in between.
Prism V7
The main difference between the Prism-V7 and the Prism-Flash is the weight. The V7 has a high swingweight of 128 just like the Hyperion CFS 16. This gives the paddle more of a dense, plush feel to it compared to the lighter, plush feel of the Prism-Flash. The two paddles feel very similar but I favored the feel of the Prism-V7 a little more and thought it was a little easier to connect with and control on my soft shots.
The extra weight added more power on drives and put aways too, though it wasn’t a big difference. The extra weight did slow the paddle down so it wasn’t as fast as the Prism-Flash and if you’re prone to overuse injuries like tennis elbow then this paddle won’t do you any favors there. However, if you don’t mind the extra weight, then there are certainly some benefits to it.
This paddle can basically be summed up as a shorter handled version of the Hyperion CFS 16. They played very similarly to each other.
Picking between the Prism Flash and the Prism V7
Picking between the two models comes down to shape and weight preference, though weight is the primary difference between the two. They are both excellent control paddles though the Prism-Flash is lighter and easier to maneuver while the V7 is heavier and carries through the ball a little better.
If you’re nervous about the heavier weight of the Prism-V7 then go with the Prism-Flash, though I do think the denser, plush feel of the Prism-V7 is more appealing if you don’t mind the extra weight.
I imagine more people are drawn to the Prism-Flash model. It’s lighter out of the box and easier to customize the weight with lead tape if you’d like. I ended up adding some lead tape to the Prism-Flash and achieved the same denser, plush feel as the V7 but it still had a lighter swingweight.
(use 10EFFECT at checkout for a discount)
My Recommendation
Overall, these are very good control paddles and I feel like I’m stealing money from Vatic Pro. It seems ridiculous that these only cost $100. I’m not afraid to say these had the best first impression for control paddles I’ve played, regardless of the price tag. I would take these over many of the more expensive control paddles out there. If you’re a newer player, then these are easy to recommend. The price is great and they will help you improve your soft game. Plus, these will grow with you as your game develops and you won’t be left wanting more.
If you’re an experienced player that doesn’t like the feel of thermoformed paddles or think they are too poppy, then these are great options too. They seem to sit right between generation one raw carbon paddles and thermoformed paddles in terms of the blend of control and power.
Additionally, these are not thermoformed so you don’t have to worry about delamination or a crushed core which is a big plus. These should last longer than those.
I think these are going to be really popular and the only reason someone might not like these is because they are looking for bigger power or don’t like softer feeling paddles. I wish they had 14mm options but I imagine those will come eventually. Other than that, they don’t have many drawbacks.
Is this the right paddle for you?
If you think a Vatic Pro has the right paddle for you, you can pick one up from their website for a discount using the code 10EFFECT.
Shop Vatic ProBraydon 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.
