I absolutely love my new Prism Bloom 16mm! I'm a 3.75 recreational pickle baller with seven years experience, playing a mixed hard and soft game with more emphasis on control than on overwhelming power. Compared to my old $200 paddle, the Prism Bloom has more pop, better spin, better control, and a larger sweet spot! I haven't had it long enough to speak to its durability, but at $99 the performance it delivers seems almost miraculous. The only very minor negative I've noticed is that the surface seems to pick up a fair amount of dust and residue from the balls during play. I haven't noticed this affecting performance--it is an appearance issue only--and it is easily dealt with by wiping the paddle surface with a damp cloth after use. I would highly recommend this paddle for players of any level, beginner to advanced.