The sweet spot? The spin? It’s even better than what they describe! And I dearly love the handle shape and the shrink wrap grip.

I knew I was sacrificing some power when I chose this paddle but I didn’t realize how much. It’s definitely got slightly more control than my current paddle but…. The handle is too short and it’s actually not a great looking paddle. Arrived with a ding in the carbon fiber and a sticker mark, however the sticker was located (relocated) onto the handle when it arrived. If I had to guess, I’d say my paddle was slightly used upon arrival. The inner honeycomb is already showing through the paddle after the second use. The packaging was also cheap and it came with no cover. Wanted to love this paddle to support a small startup but…Are returns a thing with Thompson?
Male, 40’s, Dupr 4.8

I made up a new word after upgrading from a Ben Johns Hyperion gen 2 paddle.
1. Effortless spin
2. Accuracy. I wondered how accuracy would manifest itself with this paddle. I think it’s the consistent feel of the paddle over the whole surface. The Joola’s sweet spot was pretty small for me. It had more pop so in the week I’ve been playing with it, I’m still trying to dial in my out balls.
3. Made in the USA. I love that I can a quality product and support our nation’s economy. I love that each paddle has been QA’d by a passionate player.
4. I love the handle. It seems to get grippier with sweat. The oval shape is comfortable and I still have feedback on my grip position
5. Nothing but paddle. I don’t need a cover. I want all the cost to go into the paddle.

After a week, the word is paddle-icious!

Have played a couple of times with the Twill and the spin is off the charts! Had a couple of opponents comment on the spin after completely missing the ball on my return. Ball also pops off the face with little effort without sacrificing any control. I'm a 3.0 at best and I don't play in tournaments. Spin, control, forgiveness, weight balance all in one - the best way I can sum up this paddle by calling it The Total Package. Or as Muhammad Ali once said.."floats like a butterfly but stings like a bee".

I like to spin coming off another head light gearbox 14e. I do like the small gearbox handle coming from 5 years of badminton play. I ground the nubs off the grip, cut 1/2 of foam off handle to make smaller. Great paddle!

I find this paddle to be well made and a delight to the hand. I recently played this paddle in a tournament here in Florida. I played using both my Luxx and new Uni,. The Luxx felt very hard to maneuver compared to the Uni. Uni was easy to move around and much more stable from twisting while taking on hard drives. The most noticeable attribute of this paddle in my opinion is the way the face T1100 grabs the ball, causing it to fly true with controllable spin. I am looking forward to using this paddle to its full potential in the future. Note I have only used this paddle for a week.

Very impressed with the combo of power, pop and spin rate and still has great control. Highly recommend

Has more spin than my engage pursuit pro, six zero black diamond, and honolulu pickleball jk7 pro. Not quite as much power as those paddles but makes up in the spin and control. Everyone complains about the handle but I'm fine with it. It does have a slightly tapered spine right above the handle (probably structure support) and i feel that it affects ball trajectory a bit if you hit it there. It handles a little faster than my other 8 once paddles but i do wish they had a lighter weight option then weight could be added to change performance a bit. All around my new main paddle.

I love the great spin, but the power and pop is also there. It is advertised as having a length of 16.5 but it comes up a little short. Add .25 inches to the handle to make it 5.5 inches and I'll be ready to order again!

I'm definitely a paddle nerd so I used dinkbase.com, John Kew's paddle database, the Pickeball Effect paddle database, and every YouTube reviewer I could find to help me select my new paddle.

Requirements: A paddle with tier-1 power, pop and spin. But I didn't want some weird trampolining effect that destroys control, an unpredictable break-in period that makes the paddle play differently each outing, or any foam settling / core crushing that cuts the lifespan to a few months. You know the paddles I'm referencing.

The Thompson Uni 515 is magic. It took me less than 5 minutes to notice that its biggest feature wasn't even something on my list. It doesn't have any dead spots. You can hit the ball right to the edge of the face and the shot is still predictable with no vibration or twisting. I know edge weighting makes paddles much more stable, so I guess that Urethane frame is truly doing something special.

And just in case you're like me and saw a YouTube reviewers mention that the handle is "weird" and he didn't like the buttcap, I'll just say "so what." It literally took me 30 seconds to note that "yes, the handle is more of an oval shape but it fits in my hand just fine." I wrapped it with my favorite overgrip, just like all my other paddles, and never thought about it again.

It's also interesting to see the reactions I'm getting at the court using a paddle that no one has ever seen, especially when they see it in action. If I had a demo paddle I'm sure I could sell quite a few of these, but I think I'm going to have to limit any test runs because I'm not going back to another paddle.

Thank you Thompson -- this paddle is truly like no other. And personally, I love being able to support the ingenuity and craftsmanship it takes to design and construct one of these paddles here in the USA.

Favorite paddle. I bought one and had to get one for my wife.
NV Zone touch and control is amazing. Seems to have great power and control from baseline. Love the patented "No Edge Guard". High quality, durable. Great product, made in USA! Love it.

I own a few dozen paddles, and have tried out just about every common paddle on the market, but the spin and control that my Thompson Uni provides is unmatched. I’ve stopped playing with all of my other paddles and exclusively use the Thompson, furthermore, I’ve already ordered the Twill, and am waiting eagerly for it to arrive.

My only gripe with Thompson is how long it takes for a paddle to arrive, that being said, the wait is worth it.

The 515 Uni is an excellent paddle. The TrueFeel edge is definitely noticeable and makes it seem like the whole face of the paddle is the sweet spot. The carbon fiber is very high quality and imparts a ton of spin on the ball. The paddle is built very well and looks very good. I would definitely recommend this paddle for anyone looking for more power and control.

Purchased the uni and have been playing with it for a few weeks now. I’m coming from a bantam tko-c and am a 4.0 DUPR. The uni is a phenomenal paddle. Coming from a heavier swing weight paddle I love the light weight it has made my hands significantly faster. There is a ton of pop and power and also control. Also for an edgeless paddle the construction is very durable. The spin is off the charts. Don’t hesitate on this paddle.

The face is great! Lots of control. Great spin added a new serve to me repertoire.

Purchased this based on the John Kew Podcast. They didn’t do a long review, but this mixed with the stats this thing has in Kew’s paddle database was enough for me to give it a shot.

Strengths:
* Perfectly weighted. Thompson hit it out the park with the sidewall technology. Swing weight and balance point cant get better. The paddle may look a tad heavy on paper, but even after adding tungsten tape in the handle; it still felt great.

* Excellent spin. American sourced carbon fiber isn't a buzzword gimmick. As a paddle nerd, I have plenty of CF paddles with all sorts of weave and top sheet constructions. The Twill’s grip is amazing. I play 4x week at an advanced level, and I have seen zero wear after a month. I know thats not a ton of time, but I always see white nicks developing on other CF paddles after this timeframe. The ball just grabs so nicely. Able to pit a tremendous amount of shape on the ball.

* Power + Control. This paddle does both beautifully. I have always been a 16mm paddle thickness guy. So with the power stats on Kew’s website, mixed with the slightly thinner core; I was a little nervous. I can report no dinking issues. I did have to adjust to the amount of pop this paddle has though. But not a huge issue. Plus it makes your flicks even more deadly.

Weaknesses
* Handle. I know this is a preference thing, so take this with a grain of salt. Although the ovular shape of the handle helps the twist weight dramatically, it’s just not my favorite in stock form. I decided to take the plunge and remove the heat shrink grip and doctor it myself. I placed tungsten tape along both sides of the urethane sidewall handle. I peeled off the foam ridged butt cap as well. From there, I put a hesacore grip over the weighted bare handle. I then beefed up the butt cap area with over grip to make it thick again but more gradual of a slope. Finally, I wrapped the the entire thing in an over grip (not just the spot wrap I just mentioned). From there, she’s good to go.

* Lack of a paddle cover. At this price point, even a blank blue neoprene cover for $3 on amazon would have been welcomed. Gotta fix that.

Other than that, I love this thing.

I have purchased over 50 paddles every major paddle on the market this is truly the first paddle that I can say does everything well superior spin power and control no other paddle have I ever used covered all three bases they all claim it but don't deliver congratulations to everyone at Thompson pickleball outstanding great paddle my fiance thanks you because I won't need to purchase any more paddles to find the right one thank you again

Used many paddles over the last two years and by far Uni has the most spin I’ve experienced. The power is adequate but coupled with the spin puts shape on the ball that haven’t seen before. Truefeel gives a unique feel to the face. Off center hits still seem to work and the dampness of these hits seem to iron out a bad shot.
5 stars would be order but shorter handle takes a half star off. Starting to get used the handle after a few games but adjustments could be made to accommodate a twoey backhand.

As of right now don’t see myself using any other paddles. Thompson is definitely on to something with their construction and premium equipment. Extended handle would make it perfect.

Very well made and solid paddle. Nice shape and looks sharp. Does everything well! Excellent spin and control. Above average power and excellent pop.

Tons of power and spin. It took a bit to dial it in but it isa now my primary paddle. (and I have 12 paddles)

This is a great new paddle that does a good job of balancing power with control. The paddle handle is effective because it’s built to fit the hand to help avoid slipping. I appreciate the edgeless dimension to the paddle because it holds up more to wear and tear. I like that this paddle is made in the USA!

Background: 3.5 - 4.0 doubles, 4.0 singles, used to play tennis, 59 year old athletic male.
Previous paddles in order: Wooden Franklin from Dicks, B&B Filth, B&B Loco, Pickleball Apes Pro-Line Energy, Ronbus R1 Pulsar FX .

4 hours into use of Thompson Uni: Power, Pop and Spin are all first rate and I would assume right up there with the Paddletek Bantam series after playing with a friend's TKO-C. The power and pop are deceptive in that when you make solid contact, the ball really takes off but without any rebound type feel. The control is also excellent but not with a "dwell time" type feeling. It's more that the paddle responds directly to your input. The best way I can describe the feel is that you sort of forget you are holding a paddle and instead view it as an extension of your arm. The things I notice most are very direct power on ground strokes; by this I mean there is no wasted energy and what you put into the shot seems to translate 1 to 1. At the kitchen the low swing weight makes a huge difference and counters are very powerful, yet controllable. It is easy to be patient with this paddle and keep your opponents deep until they make a mistake. With a eastern, semi-western or western grip, the spin on serves and ground strokes is significant with others noticing. There is no vibration or feeling of "I hit a dead spot" on any type shot. It is immediately obvious when lazy feet or poor technique have cause a mishit.

And maybe that is really what best describes this paddle; it will force you to analyze your game and either work to improve or go chase another paddle that you think will fix your weaknesses. Those other paddles don't actually exist. I can't imagine a player of any age would need more power, pop or spin than this paddle provides.

I use the Yonex Super Grap over the OEM handle as I need the thickness to avoid my paddles twisting and also experiencing forearm pain. Once you put an overwrap on this handle, it feels just like any other standard shaped handle, maybe even better due to its more oval shape. It allows me to change grips in mid-rally easily.

The quality of the product puts the major paddle manufactures to shame. The surface grip is incredible and if you aren't getting heavy spin you are doing something wrong. I placed some hockey tape around the uper edge for protection without adding weight. You don't need to weight the paddle at all as it is very balanced. I thought I liked the head heaviness of my Ape and Ronbus, but now realize I was over-relying on the whip action of those setups to the detriment of my ground strokes. This paddle forces you to be purposeful and thoughtful with your strokes as it's power and pop is very subtle but there for the asking.

I'm hoping Thompson doesn't change the design, or if they do, they keep the Uni in its current iteration for repeat purchases down the line. The paddle is a work of art for sure.

Thanks!

Definitely a good paddle, it has good pop, power, and is definitely very controllable. The sweet spot is good too and it’s quick in the hands. The only negative I’d say is I expected alil more bite on the ball for spin, but even then I’m still getting good spin as well, just expected a bit more. Overall a great paddle.

Tout d’abord, la raquette en elle même est belle. Ensuite, c’est un plaisir de jouer avec. Le contrôle de balle est parfait sans pénaliser la puissance des coups. Cette raquette s’adapte à tous les styles de jeu, ce qui est rare. Je ne peux que recommander.
Bravo !

I love my 515, it gives me outstanding spin and control in a 14mm profile with the expected pop. For me the standout feature is the balance. After 3 weeks of using the 515 exclusively, I used my DBD the other day and my hands felt so slow. I’m actually thinking about buying another 515 now as a backup!