Thrive Pickleball Paddle Review

Company Info: Thrive Pickleball is a pickleball company that is based and founded in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since their inception, they have partnered with professional players to test their developments across their product lines. They hold themselves to a high standard and they provide 5 key measurements specific to every single paddle. Their goal is to ensure you can remain consistent by knowing exactly what you’re playing with and by having the ability to customize a paddle to your exact specifications. Check out more on them at www.thrivepb.com.

Item: We’ve got the Threat 16MM and Rush 13MM pickleball paddles to review!

Description: The Threat 16 and Rush 13 are virtually identical, outside of one saying “Threat 16MM” and one saying “Rush 13MM” vertically down the left hand side of the paddle face. Additionally, if you couldn’t tell already, the Threat is a 16MM paddle, with the Rush being a 13MM.

The paddles are primarily black, with the paddle face and edge guard both being black in color. The Thrive T logo is present on the paddle face, outlined in white. The Thrive wording is just below the “T” logo at the base of the paddle face, just above the USA Pickleball approval. The edge guard is black, as previously stated, but the Thrive wording is also present there down both sides.

The grip is white, with the Thrive wording in black wrapped around the handle. The handle cap also features the T logo.

The paddles feature 360 Unibody construction and foam injected walls. The face is a Toray T700 carbon fiber.

You have the ability to select your swing weight as well when purchasing your paddle.

Each paddle comes with a custom weight card, paddle cover, eraser, and lead weights. The weight card provides 5 key metrics specific to that paddle. This card provides you the serial number, swing weight, twist weight, balance point, head heavy, and then the general paddle weight.

Play Feel: At first handle and inspection, these paddles feel great and really comfortable when handling. I am really fond of the grip tape they’ve chosen. It doesn’t have ridges like some of the Joola Paddles. I prefer the style that Thrive has chosen. The grips also do have a more sticky texture similar to a Tourna Grip, and I think you could get away with not using any overgrip on these paddles.

Both paddles allow for great handling and ability to put spin on the ball as the surface of the paddle has great texture. They feel very strong in handling and take power shots very well, with minimal vibration. I also believe both paddles have a sweet spot that play true to what you would expect. They require little learning curve to get acclimated to the paddle.

The Threat 16 MM felt like I had a little more control for the softer shots, whereas the Rush 13 MM felt like it had more “pop” and power. This ultimately makes sense though, as that’s pretty typical of a 16 MM vs. a 13 MM paddle. However, what I found with Thrive is that it seemed like the Rush 13 MM had more control than I normally see from a 13 MM paddle.

I think these paddles stack up with some of the highest quality paddles on the market and it’s really no secret, as they’ve been partnered with professional players from the start.

Price Point: The paddles are available on the website for $179.99 each.

Recommendation: I like the fact that you can pick either a 13 or 16 MM paddle that has the same general specifications and materials. This allows you to pick your preference on the paddle width.

The main selling point to me on these paddles is just how specific they are with their information. Each paddle gives you the EXACT information regarding overall weight, swing weight, etc. AND gives you the ability to customize to your liking with lead weights. Given you pay a premium for these top tier paddles, I like to see the attention to detail and the quality is evident. It really gives you the peace of mind that they go the extra mile to get you the exact specs per paddle, so you know they aren’t cutting corners with their production. I also really like that you know you’ll also receive the paddle cover and eraser with your paddle. It seems small, but little things like these add-ons give great value in extending your paddle life.

The paddles play great and I would rank them up there with the most notable brands on the market. They have held up great in play and I would definitely recommend checking them out! They’ve also got some pickleball accessories on their website as well (bag, etc.).

Be sure to give them a look and for full photographs, check out our Instagram!

Dimensions:

Total Length: 16.5 Inches Width: 7.5 Inches Shape: Elongated Grip Circumference: 4.125 Inches Grip Length: 5.5 Inches  High Grade Polymer Honeycomb Core Core Thickness: 13 or 16 USA Pickleball Approved: Yes