Lives Up to the Hype: I have been playing with a Diadem Icon V1 and decided to give this paddle a try since it is hyped as being ******* fast! It is for sure as fast as the Icon and has a very nice soft feel when slowing things down. There is also plenty of pop when you have a juicy one to put away. I used an overgrip and at first it felt larger compared to the Icon, but I got used to it quickly and now love the feel. I asked for the lightest paddle they could find (7.75 oz) and added a 3g weigh
Not up to all the hype ...: There was a lot of hype when this paddle was coming out. Personally I wasn't thrilled with Diadem's advertising on this particular paddle about how ****ing fast it is. I almost didn't buy it based on that ad, I found it very offensive. Unfortunately I did go ahead and purchase it and consequently I was quite disappointed. First of all, I don't think it's the fastest paddle out there and it also doesn't have anything particularly special about it in any way, except may
The Diadem Edge 18k is the real deal—I've never played with a paddle that generates spin like this, both in the amount and the consistency. The 18k carbon weave is no gimmick. I could beat teams almost entirely with topspin. If you're a big spin player, or you come from a tennis background (like me), I can't recommend this paddle enough.
