I own and use a Spartus Apollo paddle. It's a great doubles paddle. It has great spin, wide sweet spot, pop, and can put some pace on the ball. In comparison to a CRBN 1 X . It has a little more spin and pop, and bigger sweet spot. For $117.00 this paddle is well worth it.
Dawson Here: Got a chance to hit with Jim’s Spartus Apollo and wanted to share my personal thoughts and feedback. First off the spin on this paddle is top tier very big fan of the RPMs I was getting on the ball. As for the shape I was not a big fan. Pretty awkward shape coming from M2F previously and Monarch AC paddles during testing. It just felt boxy - square more than most other wide bodys feel. As well as the handle feeling a touch small. Otherwise absolutely enjoyed the paddle and at the price range its at after code DDOG_Pickleball at checkout its a STEAL! Great priced high performance paddle for the intermediate-advanced players out there.
Got one on order should be here in a couple of days! I love the price. After getting ripped off with $180+ plus paddles I went to the Vatic Prism Flash($90), which I am still playing and love. I will never pay north of $150 again. I would rather give my money to a company like Spartus which is bringing value to it's customers.
Just got the Apollo, the spin is great! Getting used to different shape. I hope it last longer than my previous paddle Volair mach 1 Forzda which lasted 6 months , before the raw carbon surface wore out. I've been using paddle cleaner spray to clean it instead the eraser blocks.
I would say they're pretty comparable to me. They play very similar with the Apollo maybe having a little more power/pop. The shape is the biggest difference. - Jim
Thank you for the podcast. Great paddle, am looking to buy it. Do not love the Hat ( L.A. Fan ). Nice intro about the NASA Apollo program. Keep up the good work. Saludos from Panama.
