You might wonder why I’m reviewing the Gamma Mirage Pickleball Paddle. Well recently the sport of pickleball has seen a massive influx of new players coming in wanting to try the sport out.
On the surface, the game seems simple, hit the ball with your paddle and you are good to go. However, seasoned players who have gone through thousands of sessions and hundreds of hours of practice will attest to the sheer amount of decision-making the game requires. The first of those decisions for any new recruit is picking the right pickleball paddle.
I’ve had many players ask me for suggestions, and my answer has varied a bit depending on a number of factors.
But I want to answer everyone honestly, and so I’ve gone ahead and played a set with every paddle I could lay my hands on over the past couple of years.
My default answer to anyone who wants to start out with a balanced paddle is the Gamma Mirage Composite Pickleball Paddle. With its large sweet spot and balanced out impact distribution, the Gamma Mirage is a strong contender for best paddle at any experience level. But we’ll delve into the details later.
Let’s get started with an overview:
Overview
Gamma Mirage Pickleball Paddle
Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Length: 16 inches (406.5 mm)
Width: 8 inches (203.2 mm)
Weight: 7.8 – 8.2 ounces (221 g – 232.5 g)
Frame: Sensa Poly Frame
Core: Sensa Poly Core Construction
Grip Circumference: 4 1/8 inches (104.775 mm)
Grip Length: 4 1/4 inches (107 mm)
Factory Grip: Gamma Honeycomb cushion grip (perforated and ribbed)
Sleeve: None
Meets USAPA requirements: Yes
Key Features of the Gamma Mirage Composite Pickleball Paddle:
Design and Build
Anyone with any experience in pickleball will tell you one thing, accurate placement over anything else is key.
If you can’t send the ball to where you want it to go, you don’t really have the sport mastered yet. And while a lot of that may be down to practice and skill, having a paddle that enables your playstyle never hurts.
So paddles can come in two styles. One with a smaller but stronger sweet spot that is harder to be accurate with but produces harder shots, or, with larger sweet spots that distribute the impact throughout the paddle.
The Gamma mirage is a special paddle, in the sense that it has a larger head, that enables a bigger sweet spot with weight adding power.
The Polymer core does take away some of your finesse though, due to it’s hardness. But at it’s very base, the Gamma Mirage specializes in one thing and that’s raw, unadulterated power.
This means every shot you hit is stronger, giving you satisfaction and making you fall in love with the game that much quicker.
The Gamma Mirage is one of a line of new age pickleball paddles that go for an elongated, larger head.
This means it’s easier to hit certain shots around the court. However, the weight is a bit heavier and might hurt your control play.
Handle and Grip
The grip that the paddle comes with is one of my absolute favorites. The grip shape along with the handle size perfectly fits my palm (which is regular human sized) and the entire paddle feels secure and stable. The paddle handle is a bit on the shorter side though which means no two handed backhand shots.
The best part is definitely the ‘pop’ sound the paddle makes when you hit your shots within the sweet spot. The provided grip tape also has a nice premium feel to it. The grips comes in at a wonderful circumference of 4 1/8 inches. This means that the paddle fits perfectly in a place where the room between your palm and the handle is such that you don’t hit a loose shot due to bad grip fitting. However, grips are much more down to individual preference and I realize that this one might not be perfect for everyone. The re-grip process is very easy too!
Pros and Cons:
Every paddle has its ups and downs. I promised an honest review and I’ll be doing exactly that by comparing its pros and cons
Pros
- Large but powerful sweet spot allows you to hit absolutely gorgeous power shots even if you’re a beginner. The paddle rarely feels off balance. This makes the game much more fun since you’re making fewer mistakes
- The ‘pop’ sound that the paddle produces is what every pickleball player lives and dies for. Your confidence goes through the roof and that helps you become better at the game.
- The grip and handle size and fitting is probably the biggest advantage it has over other paddles at a similar price range.
- The paddle allows you to play all over the court
Cons
- The hardness of the core along with the weight does compromise a bit of finesse. This shouldn’t be a problem for those who are new to the game. But for control players, definitely not your cup of tea.
- Due to the shortness of the handle, there is definitely not going to be many double handed powerful backhand shots.
Final Verdict
The Gamma Mirage Composite falls within the middle tier price range and is a strong contender as one of the best within its peers.
The paddle feels solid through each stroke and the sheer power it generates evenly throughout its large sweet spot is amazing. I would be wary of the weight and hardness.
But for newer players, the Gamma Mirage is like the perfect starter paddle. Take a look at our article on some of the Best Pickleball Paddles in the market.
On to the next game!
