I purchased the Vatic Sol-Pro (hybrid shape, short handle) about three weeks ago. So far, I have found it to be a versatile paddle that provides a good balance of power and control. It feels and plays like much more expensive paddles, which is a wonderful surprise at this price point.
Coming from the Vatic Saga, I was surprised with how, in my hands, the paddle offered more “pop” on drives and overhead shots, but was more muted on dinks. While it was confusing to me during the first couple of times out with the paddle, I have come to appreciate that dinks are much more controllable when I stopped relying on wrist motion and focused more on using my shoulder to guide and propel dinks and other “soft” shots. I retrospect, this was a bad habit I had developed, and with the Sol-Pro, I was forced to break it and improve my technique. This has resulted in better control, especially around the kitchen for resets and dinks. Speaking of resets, the paddle is amazing; I can’t believe how much control I am getting on putting my opponents’ overhead “kill” shots back into the kitchen area.
The sweet spot is quite large with a little bit of dead feel near the tip, but those tend to be mishits anyways, and they do not detract from the paddle’s performance. Spin is consistent with excellent results on serves and drops (to be frank, the spin it incredible and easy to control). I have not added any weight yet and I am not sure if any is called for currently. I like the maneuverability of the paddle in its original form.
I did purchase both the Sol-Pro and Sol-Power versions and like both of them. However, the Pro has become my go to “comfort” paddle and is likely to continue to hold that rank as my preferred paddle. I like how it communicates the touch of the ball more than the Power. A criticism I do have is that after the first week of play, the paddle face developed a whitish residue across the surface and a large scratch-like mark appeared that look to be permanent. I play indoors on a rather clean surface, so I am not sure what I am dealing with. I suspect the residue is from plastic shaved off game balls (it won’t come off with a lightly wet rag and the paddle surface has a lot of texture), which has left the paddle face looking hazy (maybe if the paddle surface was gray, you would not notice?!). The origin of the large scratch is unfortunately a mystery, and while not affecting game play, it is an unsightly battle scar.
Overall, I am a big fan of the paddle’s performance and have no reservations about my purchase. If I were to lose my Sol-Pro today, I would purchase another without hesitation given it combination of performance and prices. Keep up the great work and customer-friendly pricing, Vatic!
