Vatic Pro Flash 14mm Pickleball Paddle Review (Power, Spin, Control)

The pickleball paddle market is continuing to grow and evolve in 2023. Hundreds of new paddles were approved in 2022 and dozens of new paddle companies have stormed the market.

Some of the paddles and the companies behind them are set to change the game this year, the Vatic Pro line among them.

The new company Vatic Pro (along with Legacy Pro and SixZero) have released a new evolution of carbon fiber paddle that features a thermoformed unibody construction, improved edge foam, and improved paddle facing that enhances spin. On top of this, they’ve done it while keeping their paddles under $200.

In this post, we’ll be breaking down everything we know about the much hyper Vatic Pro Flash V7 14mm paddle.

This paddle has just been redesigned and will feature a smaller, more compact, and more abundant honeycomb core pattern and tighter carbon weaving on the face of the paddle. These improvements should improve both power and spin output.

The new redesigned Vatic Pro Flash 14mm paddle is available for preorder now on Vatic’s website and comes with a paddle cover. It will be shipped in late February/early March. Use code: DASHPB for 10% off your order.

You can also learn more about the elongated Vatic Pro V7 16mm model on this site.

Alright, let’s dive into the review.

Vatic Pro V7 Flash 14mm Technical Specifications

• Price: $139 (+$10 off with code: DASHPB)
• Warranty: 4 Months
• Shape: Standard
• Core thickness: 14mm
• Face: Raw Toray T700 Carbon Fiber w/ heat compressed texture
• Average weight: 7.8 oz
• Grip length: 5.4′
• Swing Weight: 105
• Grip size: 4.125
• Core: C7 Polymer performance honeycomb
• Edge Guard: Anti-Abrasion TPU
• Total length: 16.2 in
• Width: 7.7 in

Vatic Pro V7 Flash Quick Summary

I’ve tested the vast majority of carbon fiber paddles on the market and really enjoy the Vatic Pro paddles. The Legacy Pro and Vatic Pro have given me the perfect balance I wanted in a paddle, all in one package.

The improvement in play and feel was immediate when I picked up the Flash 14mm. I feel a great balance of control and power with this paddle that enabled me to return shots and win hand battles with greater ease.

When compared to other 13/14mm paddles on the market, it’s not even close (except for the CRBN 1x 14mm, which is comparable).

The disparity can mostly be attributed to the new technology that the Vatic Pro company is embracing.

The foam injected walls are now becoming a standard, and for good reason. They give added control, pop, and increase the sweet spot. That sweet spot improvement is very helpful for a 14mm paddle, as thinner paddles don’t have as good of sweet spots as thicker ones. I’ve noticed that edge/mishits aren’t nearly as off feeling with this paddle than other non foam-injected 13-14mm paddles.

The Flash gives great hand speed. It’s tied for me with the SixZero Double Black Diamond for hand speed among the gen 2 carbon fiber paddles.

When it comes to feel, this paddle simply feels right when held. Obviously, this is subjective. But I’ve held a ton of paddles, and the Vatic Pro 14mm stands out in a big way. It might be the thermoformed construction, but it feels even better to me compared to some other thermoformed paddles.

I also notice the affect that the added shock absorbers in the paddle’s grip have (two ethylene vinyl acetate inserts). Thinner paddles like this tend to have more vibration than thicker paddles, which can be annoying, but I don’t notice much issue with vibration with this paddle. This is great for people who struggle with tennis elbow.

The 14mm Vatic Pro does feel less powerful than the 16mm Vatic Pro. The reduced power is likely due to the lower swing weight. It’s a fine tradeoff for me, especially because it’s modifiable with weighted tape. When I weighted it up, the power felt more than enough.

It also has less pop than the 16mm Vatic Pro. But this should be changing with the newly redesigned paddles that are using a new tighter paddle-face weaving pattern and tighter/smaller honeycomb layout that should increase pop, dwell time, and spin.

Overall, the Vatic Pro v7 Flash is a very solid paddle that’s among my top recommended recommendations. It has the perfect amount of power and control for me.

Power Summary

The gen 2 carbon fiber paddles using the thermoforming all pack a lot of punch. The Flash does quite well in the power department for a 14mm paddle, though it’s not going to take the power mantle away from the carbon fiber power king, the Legacy Pro.

Driving feels really great with the Flash, especially when you hit the ball dead on. There’s no lack of power or pop with this paddle. It’s super fun to hit with this as a banger, especially if you weight it up a bit.

In the end, this paddle does sacrifice some power for amazing hand speed. But considering its weight, it hits well above average in the power department. You won’t have difficulty playing aggressive with this paddle, especially when you integrate some spin into your power shots, which this paddle is excellent at providing.

If you want more power, I recommend adding weight to the sides and/or top of the paddle. To keep the power and control well-balanced, consider adding tape to the throat and sides.

Control Summary

This paddle is quick and gives you unmatched hand speed. And it’s potent spin provides great control for topspin drives.

Being a 14mm paddle, the Vatic Pro Flash won’t have as good of control as its 16mm V7 brother. Being thinner, it doesn’t handle mishits as well, especially near the bottom edges. Adding weighted tape on the throat will help this a lot.

It does have a better sweet spot than other 14mm paddles, though, with the foam-injected walls. I personally found it easy to control drops and resets with this paddle, though people moving from a foam-injected 16mm paddle could notice less control.

It can take some people a few games to adjust to the pop of this thermoformed paddle if they’re accustomed to a paddle that’s more plush. Once you get a feel for it, it’s hard to go back, though. Regardless, some people just can’t get a feel for the resets with it and don’t enjoy the paddle because of the pop.

You’ll notice that this paddle feels quite solid. If it feels a bit too stiff or poppy for you, give it a week or two to break in. I’ve found that the new thermoformed paddles soften up over time in a nice way.

If control is one of the most important factors for you, I’d recommend the Vatic Pro v7 16mm or the Six Zero Double Black Diamond if you want to get one of the Gen 2 RCF paddles.

Spin Summary

All of the raw T700 carbon paddles have great spin, the Vatic Pro Flash included. The Flash made it onto my list of the best paddles for spin performance.

I’ve hit plenty of topspin serves and drives that dipped like crazy. I’ve had both opponents and myself think the ball was going to go out, but it arced in at the last second due to the high spin.

After playing with it for a while, I’m able to shape my shots even better and the resultant spin has improved my game considerably.

Note that the newer version of this paddle that’s on preorder now will have even more spin, likely comparable to the Legacy Pro, as they’re tightening up the honeycomb cores and the Toray paddle-face weaving. I’m in love with the spin on my Legacy Pro and am very excited to see what the new 14mm Flash can do.

Durability Summary

The Vatic Pro paddles are excellent on the durability front due to their one-piece thermoformed construction. They’re comparable to GearBox in this regard. This will hopefully be the new norm in paddle-making.

This gives relief for those players who’ve struggled with unreliable paddles (looking at you Joola).

There were some delamination issues on the paddle faces in the early batches of these new gen 2 raw carbon fiber paddles that affected about 2% of the paddles made. Vatic has since fixed this by changing the adhesives/resins used.

Value Summary

The Vatic Pro absolutely shines with its value. If you are considering moving to a T700 carbon fiber paddle, this one is an exceptional value!

The Flash is incredibly similar to the CRBN power series and is $80 cheaper. The paddles are made with essentially the same process in the same factory, even.

It’s a durable paddle with new tech and a budget price. A total win here.

Should you buy the Vatic Pro V7 14mm paddle?

This is the paddle I recommend for players who prefer 14mm paddles and want the newest paddle tech. This is probably going to be one of the most popular paddles on the market once they blow up. I recommend ordering the redesigned Flash now if you’re interested, as the demand is growing quickly. Remember, use code: DASHPB for $10 off your paddle.

It’s an ideal paddle for players that want an excellent blend of power, spin, and pop. If you’re a newer player that struggles with control, I wouldn’t recommend it necessarily. You might want a dedicated control paddle like the SixZero Double Black Diamond. It features the new tech but is control focused and has the least pop of the Gen 2 carbon fiber paddles.

The Legacy Pro and Vatic Pro 16mm V7 are also great options. They’re elongated, which some players prefer. They also have a bigger sweet spot and are easier to control. But they have higher swing rates (less speed) and are less modifiable with their weight. The Vatic Pro 16mm doesn’t (currently) feature the tighter weaving and thinner polymer cores that the redesigned 14mm Flash has.

Interestingly, Vatic Pro is planning to release a 16mm Flash model, as well as a brand new thermoformed paddle, potentially in March. Keep this page bookmarked for updates.