My daily driver paddle is a Selkirk luxx. I was looking for something a little more poppy but still had good control. The twill is very good at that. The uni felt too thin and light for my style of play
Haven’t seen many yt reviews on this and it’s a disservice to the innovation that went into this paddle and its overall performance compared to the landscape. I bought the Uni off of someone and absolutely loved it. Response off the face is consistent with its massive sweet spot and power and pop is perfectly tuned to be enough and not too much, with its ability to spin and shape the ball allowing you to place it exactly where you want it to go. Quick in the kitchen but powerful, long and spinny enough in the baseline, a rare combination. This has been my main for a few months now and it’s definitely built to last too. I’ll be buying the Twill soon and letting more people know about them this side of Asia.
Love my new Thompson Twill. Great control and precision. Tons of spin and power when you need it! Great paddle and live that it’s hand made in Boyne City, Michigan! Go Blue!
Great way to test new paddles, with so many choices on the market. I was able to play three times to determine if I liked the paddles and if I preferred one of the available choices. I decided on the Twill model.
I currently have the Gamma 16 airbender and demo'd the Thompson paddles for 2 playing days. I would have liked to demo more, but we were traveling south for winter and my schedule would not allow for more playing days. I like the control and feel both paddles, but didn't fall in love with either paddle. Maybe i didn't play them enough? But, for the price point I couldn't justify a purchase.
I had you send them to Florida because i was going there on 11-5
I was able to use them only for one day before i had to ship them back
I thought the paddles performed very well I wish i had more time to use them
Picked up this paddle after reading a few reviews. Love that it's American made and it's also an excellent paddle so far. Feels great in hand and plays super well. Excellent control and spin! Thanks Thompson
I wanted to find the lightest high-spin pickleball paddle and after Dinkbase analysis (spin vs swing-weight, and spin vs. twist weight), wanted to try the Thompson 515 Uni. The Uni does exactly what I was hoping for added spin without losing reaction time (my previous favorites were Paddletek TS-5 and the Selkirk Catalyst). I have a small wrist but with ping pong experience - hence those were the considerations.
The Uni adds amazing spin while still allowing quick reaction time at the kitchen. So some shots I never played with confidence before, are enabled. The paddle has some zing,too, which should be valuable for dink drives when I learn them. My backhand serve with side spin is now a good surprise element with the crazy spin of the Thompson 515 Uni.
Last but not least, the personal touch added by Mr Thompson have sealed it for me. The demo option was invaluable, and was well worth the $30. The Thompson Uni 515 is now on my Christmas list!
Thank you, Jeff and the folks at Thompson! All the very best to you folls! Keep innovating!
Nothing else in my bag has the same control at the net that this one does for me. Power where I need it and quick in my hands. Group I play with never know where I’m gonna put the ball, drastically increased my stock as a partner.
They were great paddles. They each had a different Handel. Though it was good to try the different handles , it made it harder to make a side by side comparison .
1st: The Uni and the Twill are GREAT paddles. Being made in America and able to compete against the best of the best out there is a great achievement.
2nd: The paddles I regularly play with. Friday (mid tier paddle), Onix z5, Joola Ben Johns Perseus, and Finally the Diadem Vice.
3rd: Performance.
Both Thompson paddles are great. Both are capable of some Beast shots. The twill landed some world-class serves that left no chance of a return. The second I picked up the Twill I decided,, this is the one I will purchase no question.. Then I switched to the Uni and the waters got muddied. I simply can't decide what one I should get. Honestly I don't think it really matters. Both are so similar, with very small differences.
Compared to the previously mentioned paddles:
The Thompson paddles destroy the Friday paddle. Not even worth going into details.
The Thompson paddles compare nicely to the Onix Z5. The Onix Z5 is probably the best mid tier paddle on the planet, so this is a nice comparison. I would give the Thompson paddles the edge.
The Thompson paddles are better than the Joola Perseus. They have comparable power, comparable control. Spin is similar in my findings as well. Over all I'd chose the Thompson paddles over all of these listed so far from a performance perspective. Add they are American made and they are the clear winners.
Finally comparing to the Diadem Vice. Nothing compares to the vice in regard to power. Its not a USA Pickleball approved paddle and has MASSIVE power, so no surprise here. The Thompsons are MUCH easier to use however and have much more forgiveness compared to the Vice.
In summary. For the price point of a top tier paddles the Thompson paddles are in the range of what you would expect. They perform great. The thing I have not mentioned to this point is this: If you want to win, these are great choices. I went 24-2 in 4's play. Something about these paddles just seems to get you the 'W'. It was rather amazing. I didn't always get the big shot that would make a highlight like the Vice, but I got the Win nearly always. This was a very impressive factor that might not get talked about enough. I will be purchasing one of these at some point. I very much appreciate the Demo program, without it and I may not have looked to Thompson for a top tier paddle.
iI WOULD GIVE IT 10 STARS IF I COULD. THIS PADDLE HAS CHANGED MY LEVEL OF PLAY. I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND
Enjoyed both the Twill and Uni, but ordered the Uni !
My current Joola paddle that I've had for about 10 months broke (still waiting on a replacement under warranty). That's a whole different story. I went out to check out the market, did my research. I decided to test these out. Paid the somewhat steep $30 for demo paddles and had high hopes that I would buy one of them, recouping the $20. By the stats they seemed to be great paddles. Excellent characteristics, excellent reviews, excellent engineering and manufacturing practices. When I received the demo units, I booked some court time to test them out. They did have great spin and I could see the potential for accurate shots. I strongly considered them but couldn't pull the trigger due to the short handle, the odd feeling of them in my hand, and the 'plastic' response. It just didn't feel good in my hand in comparison to a Joola, Six Zero, Selkirk or really any paddle I've tried in recent memory. There was no price incentive either. $250 for this paddle seemed insane after playing with it. For the additional $50, I ended up buying a Joola Agassi 14 mm that feels and plays how I like it. Maybe there's a paddle family that it makes sense to migrate from, but I would rather play with almost any other paddle I've encountered over these.
After receiving my new 515 Twill, my partner and I took home gold! I am still adjusting to the power and spin I can generate, but I continue to ace my competitors on serves. Thanks for your demo program as this helped me make my decision. Your product has lived up to all of your claims. We'll try to make Thompson a popular name in Texas!
Switched from a Uni paddle purchased about a year ago to the Twill and I love it. Not missing any of the extra pop of my Uni. So far, so good!
I liked the paddles but I’m using the CPX Pro paddle now and feel they are about the same quality. So I’ve returned your paddles but I don’t think I will be buying one at the moment.
Thanks, Bob Edwards
The paddles were good paddles and I enjoyed demoing them. I would still wonder what the different handle would feel like but it was a good experience although 30 dollars is a little high for a week if you don’t end up buying
I have played with both for the last week and have decided on the Uni. Will place my order upon the return of the demo paddles.
I've been playing with the Twill since March this year, decided to try the Uni, fresh out of the box, straight into battle. Massive sweet spot, great grab on the ball for extra spin while still providing great driving power.
I love this paddle. It has the explosive power that I like. When I decide to use it. I especially like how it gives me more feel of the ball. Helped with my touch game.
Great job guys.
Both paddles had a good feel. Overall I liked the Twill better than the Uni. The surface on the Twill provided better spin. Very surprised you put a $.50 grip and what is a good paddle. I live in FL where we experience high humidity. Even using sweat bands on my wrist and a tacky towel, the paddle kept slipping in my hands. I believe you need to immediately address this flaw in design. The paddle market moves very quickly. You may only get one chance to prove your concept.
Perfect paddle for spin, control and power. I’m new to the Pickleball scene however, I played tennis and racquetball competitively. I love the feel of the 525 Twill and also appreciate that’s it’s Made in America. 🇺🇸
