Spartus Apollo Review: The New Highest Spinning Paddle in 2024 

Thank you, STS, for this spot on accurate review of this Spartus Apollo paddle. I bought this based off of your review and it is my favorite paddle I have ever tried. Like you, I was most surprised that serves and drives had as much power as they did given the wide body design and this even competes with some elongated power paddles in that regard. It has improved my kitchen game a lot with hands battles and I'm putting more volleys away with this due to the added pop and stability of this paddle. I feel the added spin also helps make the power very controllable with my heavy topspin forehand. I watch all of your paddle reviews and every paddle I've tried I agree with your review of it. You are the G.O.A.T. pickleball paddle reviewer, in my opinion.

I'm surprised none of the big 3 reviewers have even mentioned this paddle. I now have my perfect paddle thanks to you.

This is such an incredible value for a wide body Gen2 paddle regardless if it has a Kevlar face or not. Thanks for the review!

Thanks for the review! I appreciate the enthusiasm and comparisons to some of your favorite paddles with similar shapes and/materials to help us make the best decision when purchasing a new paddle

Once again thanks for covering a paddle that has a ton of interest and very little reviewer attention. Definitely appreciate you comparative analysis and reviews. Thanks!

My husband is getting me this paddle for Mother's Day! Can't weight. I love your vibe and really appreciate your humility and desire to help people wade through the paddle insanity.

Thanks! Another great review of a top tier paddle. I really appreciate that you show the usable grip length!!! It's so hard to tell from the measurements companies give to know how much space I'll have for a 2 handed back hand. I'm a huge fan of high spin paddles and the super low swing weight + high twist weight on this paddle makes is really appealing. If I didn't already have 4 perfectly good paddles (XD), I'd be buying this one right now. I wonder how much having a lower swing weight contributes to the higher pop (making it easier to generate force on a shorter swing).

Thanks for shining a light on this paddle, I had not heard about it until your review and I bought one directly because of your review! Thank you

Solid review, great voice, to the point, not too much talking. Thanks.

Got this paddle to replace my Gen3 Perseus, based on your review. Used it for the first time last night and am very pleased with its performance. I value spin above all else since I can generate enough power on my own, and this paddle has insane amounts of spin. The pop was on par with the Perseus, too. Can't beat the price point, compared to $280. I was also concerned about using a rubber eraser to clean off the significant amounts of ball dust, like I've done with all my carbon fiber paddles, so I emailed Spartus Support for clarification and they responded today: "You can carefully use a paddle eraser or a damp cloth! Regards, Team Spartus." Thanks for the great recommendation and price. I also got the Volair Mach1 Forza on your advice and used it until the Gen3 came out.

I did a search and don't find any results for 11six24 paddles? I'm now a fan of wide body paddles and am looking for reviews of their Monarch series. Keep up the good work.

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.

Have one on order. What a value on this! Insane. Another salient review from you. Great job.

Yes - but only time will tell if the grit holds up. My Mach 1 Forza and Engage MX 6.0 pursuit pro are both around a year old and are still my top two spin paddles in my bag. I’ll wait 6 mo and then see what updated reviews say. BTW - love your reviews.

Got mine yesterday and hit on it a bit. Definitely noticed improved spin/pop but I was surprised that the grittiness/feel on the face was far less coarse than I expected it to be. Felt like very fine grained sandpaper vs a rougher sandpaper. Wanted to make sure that was as it is supposed to be or if maybe I got a bad unit.

Such a good review! Thank you for the comparison to all the paddles I either have or were considering, and for responding to my questions! You are the best!

I bet the double 8in tungsten tape setup would make this a monster with how low the swing weight is

Great job encouraging a handle upgrade! Had a similar issue with my Centurion. Hope they upgrade the other paddle handles, too!

Fan of the channel..without going into too much detail..I tried this paddle along with the M2F and the Monarch wide body CFC..all were a lot of fun..that being said...BnB fatboy or Apollo? The M2F would be awesome with some more pop. The Apollo was just so easy to play with. I never felt I was going to hit the net on Volleys with the Apollo.

Bought one after this and other reviews. Used your discount. Thanks STS! Great paddle overall, exactly what I was looking for and exactly as you described. Only downside is that the initial great spin went away very quickly (couple of weeks) and it’s completely smooth now. Seemed to lose that spin alot faster than my carbon fiber paddles. Still my favorite paddle overall despite now so-so spin.

Mine arrives by the end of the month. Rocking the M2F 16 right now and it’s not going anywhere. That thing is a control beast against bangers like me. Grabbed the Apollo for that pop pop pop at the net when playing against some groups of players that have those super fast hands at the net.

Hey there.. great review.. how would you say this compares to Hudef Gen3. I know they are different shapes, but it would appear that they have similar power. Would that be accurate? Also, between this and J2K, what would be your preference!!!! Thanks for all the work and effort!! PS - new subscriber here, and I've hust been going over all your content!!! Loving the reviews..

If you had to pick one to take to a tournament tomorrow, would you choose the apollo, the mach 2 forza, or the j2k??? I am about to upgrade to my first expensive paddle

Just got mine today. Cannot wait to play with it this weekend.

Definitely considering this paddle as it seems really hard to beat for the price. Do you find the shape takes some getting used to? I tend to play hybrid or elongated (16.5") paddles. We're really only talking about moving a half inch or so around, but I'm concerned I'll be hitting everything at the top edge for the first week. 😕

Any comments on durability between the Spartus Apollo and the Forza Mach 2? Specifically face wear / spin reduction over time

Thanks for the review. One thing missing from pretty much everyone’s reviews that’s extremely important to know is for how long a frequent player can expect top-tier spin from their paddle before it wears smooth. Is there a way to project this info based on the time you spend testing the paddle?

Any chance you could comment on how this would compare to a 2022 Engage EX 6.0 (Graphite). I love the control on my current paddle but could use more spin/pop. Debating between this, the Mach 2 Forza, or a Pursuit EX Pro 6.0.

Great review! What is your recommended lead tape set up for this paddle and will it help mute the pop a little bit?

how do you feel the grit will hold up over time? I was torn between this and the Mach 2 forza in regards to the face material longevity but went for the Apollo for the slight added power.

Great review. I placed my order, and it's still hard to decide between this and the J2k, but I went with the Apollo.

Ahhh I was a click away from getting the Ruby after seeing your review, but now after watching this idk! Money is not the issue, so should i just go with the Ruby for a better all round paddle?

I’ve watched so many videos on this thing and can’t wait to get one!

Can't seem to find this paddle, like many paddles, in Canada. To buy one, even with the discount, after adding tax and shipping will run me over $210.00 PLUS any duty on top of that. Sucks for us... LOL. I would buy one of these, BUT! Nice reveiw.

The M2F is about the same price as the Apollo with the current sale going on so disregarding the price would you recommend the Apollo over the M2F if I'm looking for a paddle favoring faster hands/power? Also it would be nice to know if ones spin falls off significantly more than the other? I've never used a Kevlar paddle so I'm unsure on the lifespan compared to the M2F. thanks for the review.

I love all of the metrics of the Apollo, but I have played with the Thrive Azul and was very impressed with the power, pop and spin of that paddle. I realize that the two have different shapes and thus different inherent characteristics, but how would you compare the two? Is the Apollo at all close to the Azul in the power and pop categories?

my pre-sale should be shipping today 🥳

I’m advanced level trying to decided between the Apollo or Ballr - what are your thoughts?

How does this compare to the Thrive Azul?!?! After watching your review amongst others, that is one I'm strongly considering.

A lot of the metrics compare to M2F16. For pop/power & feel how does it compare to M2F 14?

How does this compare to the CRBN 2X in terms of power and control ?

Will they be coming out with hybrid or elongated shaped versions of this paddle?

Please review the new Mark pickleball paddle Mark OneX. I saw the specs and I like the longer handle. Please let us know and if you could get a discount code…thanks!

Is the face grit spray on? How long will it last for?

What are the best alternatives to the Luxx Invicta shape? Having spray on grit problems need carbon fiber or Kevlar.

Thanks, Need recommendation on J2K vs Apollo ?

Does 4 rpm really make it “the king of spin”? 🤷🏼‍♂️ I’m actually surprised it’s not 100-300 rpm higher since the owner changed the peel ply. That being said, I’m waiting for my first batch replacement and really enjoyed the few games I got out of it.

What determines legal spin in Rec play?

Just ordered! Are drives from the baseline lacking?

Can you compare this more to the 14mm M2F? I feel like I want to know the differences there more so than the 16mm m2f.

Thanks for the informative review!! Sounds like great bang for the buck!! I’m wondering how this compares to the new Ronbus R2 Fx. Same shape but more $$$. Have you tried them yet? Thank you!!!

You prefer the J2K over the J2K Pro?

Which of these paddles has the most elonated shape. I need the reach.

Hey! When do you think you’ll do reviews on the new Joola gen 3s?

Great review. My next paddle

Great review!!

What’s your go to paddle for play?

how does Spartus recommend cleaning the kevlar face?

Liked. Curious about the banana in the background.

Thanks!

Is this tournament approved?

They dont ship to mexico 😡

Paid review? I ordered one FYI 😊

Bought one 2 months ago and just bought the all court monarch from reviews is a better version of the apollo..