Look, the paddle handles are rough and unfinished, but not enough to give me splinters, and for the price, this set is an amazing bargain. The rubber and padding are surprisingly good - gives me the control I'm used to- and the balls work well and feel right. This is much better than hard-rubber foamless pips up paddles in starter kits, and hopefully these will send my kids down the path of good feel and technique that the hard ones wouldn't. Highly recommend this starter set for beginners, for See full review