Review on STIGA Evolution Tournament-Grade Table Tennis Racket Featuring Approved Rubber For High Performance Play by Brian Manfre

I'll start off by saying I am an intermediate player who plays about 5 hours a week during my lunch breaks. I have been playing consistently for about 5 years and I am one of the better players in the office. I've purchased progressively better (and more expensive) paddles throughout the years as my game has developed. I have always "gotten what I paid for" when it comes to purchasing better paddles. I consider myself an all around player who mostly uses my backhand for defense (chops) and my forehand for loops and smashes.My previous paddle was the DHS 6002(star) purchased from Walmart about 3 years ago for about $40-$50. The DHS has tremendous speed and spin but it started to lose a little of each over time. Also, it is the heaviest paddle among my peers which is both good for power and bad for quick adjustments. So I thought I would splurge and upgrade to this almost top of the line Stiga paddle for more speed and spin on a lighter bat. Almost all the reviews for it were good, but now I believe most of the reviews came from novice players who received it for free through the vine program and were coming from very cheap paddles. I made the mistake of looking at the Stiga ratings for speed, spin and control, thinking the $60 Stiga paddle would be that much better than a $40 paddle. The paddle just does not have the spin, power or feel that the DHS had. I have to swing much harder to get the same result despite having a 96 speed rating. Also, the spin does not puzzle my opponents that same way as my last paddle despite having a 94 spin rating. The paddle is weighted pretty well but it feels a little hollow (maybe that is because of the shock dispersion tube technology). I might have been better off with the Stiga Pro Carbon which is few rating points better in each performance category. I can't justify spending another $70 on equipment when my last one lasted 3 years.If you are like me and want a top of line pre-assembled paddle, I think there a better options for your money.