Reviews of the Prince Spectrum Pro Pickleball Paddle by Pickleball Central Staff:
"When I heard that Prince was introducing a paddle, I thought 'how is a tennis company going to do with creating a pickleball paddle?'. Well I got to test one, and I have to say that I was totally blown away with how good a paddle they produced! The round shaped head creates an enormous, super consistent sweet spot. To me playing at 5.0, I look for a paddle that allows me to play well defensively when I'm attacked with a hard volley or aggressive ground stroke, and the Prince paddle is one of the best control paddles I've ever picked up. To me it's a composite paddle with the touch and feel of graphite, with plenty of control plus a ton of power when you want to put a ball away. It's light weight, and so I feel like I can get fantastic touch on softer shots. The face has enough grit on it to give me excellent spin control. I think I am really going to like this thing!"
Peter, Head Pro / IPTPA Certified Teaching Professional (5.0 Player)
"The first thing you notice about the Prince Spectrum Pro is the shape of the grip, due to its thick core, the shape of the grip is a bit more squared up (vs oval or elongated rectangle), which I find to be a positive. I love that it comes is both a thin (4 1/8") and standard (4 3/8") circumference size. The shape makes it easy to maintain a feel for the proper angle of the paddle in your hand, minimizing off angle hits from rounder paddles. While I do think this is a power paddle because the sweet spot is larger, shots are more predictable and therefore ball control is enhanced on all shot types. This paddle feels lighter than it is and therefore I think the amount of power/pop can be surprising. We know weight affects the amount of power or soft touch a paddle will have and because this paddle has such a wide range of weight options one could easily go up or down in weight to get more or less power or control. As a Product Manager, I love it when a paddle company doesn't assume 'one size fits all', and this paddle has great options available for weight range and grip - let the customer pick what's best! In terms of ball feel and shot control, I think this is where the Spectrum shines. It flat out feels good. Initially I was hitting a lot of balls out the back because I was not anticipating how much pop the paddle has and was probably overswinging because it does feel lighter (not sure where the weight is centered but it feels like it may be a bit more handle biased). Once I played with it for 15 minutes or so I really started to get the feel of it and was able to put a lot of spin on the ball and still feel like I could control and place shots. Because of the weighting it also feels very quick and maneuverable and the wider face instilled confidence particularly as I was working on spinning serves, defending volleys, and cutting backhand returns. It has a wide consistent sweet spot that allowed for more creative and risky shots while maintaining consistency because I didn’t have to worry as much about hitting it right on center. Truly confidence inspiring. Because of these attributes, I really think this is a great paddle for players of all levels, so long as someone is looking for something to truly improve their game. Because of the larger face and large sweet spot this paddle plays great and is also quite forgiving. But when you see some of the pros (like Jennifer Lucore) using the paddle, you can tell this is a paddle you won't outgrow. "
Jimmy, Paddle Product Manager (3.5 Player)
"If you love the science of the pickleball paddle, the new Prince paddles are an inviting playground. The new rounded shape allows the energy to dispense throughout the paddle evenly, creating one of the largest sweet spots in pickleball. The paddle will also resonate with those who like a thicker paddle. The Spectrum has a 9/16” core which softens the play without compromising power. If you are not into the science, you will just enjoy the way the paddle plays. Great touch at the net is combined with enough power to get serves and returns to the back line. "
John, Sales (3.5 Player)