Spartus Olympus Review
The Spartus Olympus is my favorite 14mm paddle in 2024.
It’s been a year of flashy releases that keep moving the goalposts of what’s considered a power paddle. The Olympus draws its line in the sand by giving the people what they need, not necessarily what they think they want.
Spartus made a foam core that shouldn’t break or wreck your playstyle. In today’s market, this paddle falls into a sweet spot giving you the extra pop/power you need to keep up without pushing your game out of control.
Specs
Price: $199.99 (Code: PBSTUDIO to bring it down to $180)
Shape: Hybrid (16.35” x 7.65”)
Thickness: 14mm
Core: Polymer
Face: Raw Carbon Fiber + Fiberglass
Handle: 5.5” (*feels shorter due to neck taper*)
Grip: 4.25”
Static Weight: 8 oz
Swing Weight: 109-112
Twist Weight: 6.21
Warranty: 90 day
Design: Gen 2 thermoformed, Ascension Core (foam-filled cells)
Foam Core Durability
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Up until now, foam cores haven’t had a good track record with durability. Due to its design, the Olympus’s Ascension Core is different. The honeycomb cells are foam-filled which Spartus claims will never expand.
To check its durability, I spent 3 weeks playtesting it plus baking it in my car and blasting it with a hair dryer. Nothing has changed about the paddle throughout. It plays identically and has no “break-in period” unlike other foam cores.
And while my tests weren’t the most scientific, they were reasonably fair to see if the foam would expand and damage the paddle. Of course, I speak only from my experience with what I received, so as more hit the market, things could be different.
So at least for now, the Ascension Core proves that a foam core doesn’t have to be problematic while still providing increased benefits.
Paddle Feel
Not unlike myself, most players shy away from 14mm in exchange for 16mm paddles. Generally, the added thickness increases stability and decreases how harsh the ball feels off the face.
The Olympus does not fall into that category. It’s one of the few 14mm’s on the market that I really enjoy. The foam core makes the paddle feel more dense and less flimsy all around. Additionally, the drop-off as you hit from center to edge is far less drastic than other 14mm’s.
In one word, I would describe the Olympus as FULL.
Control & Power
Unlike other 2024 releases, the unique foam core within the Olympus was not intended to increase power. Instead, it focuses on the curated feel described above. This places it in the bottom of the power category or at the very top of all-court.
In my opinion, Spartus has found the perfect sweet spot with this. The Olympus has access to great pop and power when you want it but retains solid control (especially for being a 14mm). Unlike recent power paddles, you don’t have to only focus on babying the ball.
But don’t be mistaken, this is not a control paddle. If you’re coming from control-oriented, then you will have an adjustment period still. Mid-court and touchy dinks are not as forgiving, whereas speed-ups and counters will come easier during hand battles.
Summing it up, the Olympus does a really good job of balancing great pop/power without sacrificing the other aspects of the paddle. It doesn’t fall into the standard traps of other power paddles:
Less satisfying feel off the face
More dead spots
Uncontrollable pop and power
Sweet Spot & Setup
The sweet spot is very good for a 14mm. But, let’s be very clear, this is still a thin paddle. While it’s improved compared to others, it does not have an oversized sweet spot. If your hits are off-center, then you will notice more of a feel and power drop-off than thicker, more stable paddles.
For reference, the ProXR Signature 13mm, Paddletek 12.7mm, Black Diamond 14mm, and Engage Pursuit Pro1 all have slightly worse sweet spots than the Olympus. The Engage Pursuit Pro1 is the most comparable but lacks the Olympus’s fuller feel.
As for setup, I think this paddle is very playable out-of-the-box, but it could use a little more stability and plow-through. To do so, I fully covered the straight sides with 0.5g/in tungsten tape bumping up the swing weight from 107 to 110. I also added an XS Hesacore plus overgrip, which is just my preferred grip nowadays.
This customization made it more comparable to 16mm’s and increased the speed of my drives.
Closing Thoughts
The Olympus is a very nice paddle and one I would consider competing with. It's fast in the hand, poppy, powerful (without being over the top), feels great, and has a better-than-average 14mm sweet spot.
My only pain point in this review is the warranty. This is the first premium ($200) paddle in Spartus’s lineup, and they have not increased their standard 90-day warranty to match its level. I would like to see them bump it up to 6 months, but that may not be an issue with the durability I experienced.
You should buy the Spartus Olympus if:
You like power paddles but want less pop/power
Like being aggressive at the net and having good counters
Like optimizing your setup
You should avoid it if:
You want a paddle to assist in control (e.g. you struggle in the mid-court or with touchy dinks)
Like stabilized control paddles and don’t want to go through an adjustment period
Prefer an oversized sweet spot
Overall, the Olympus is very playable, user-friendly, and needed especially in today’s game. Spartus found a great sweet spot between power and all-court that a lot of players will enjoy.
Interested in buying one?
If you plan to pick one of these up, you can use code PBSTUDIO to save 10% on your order with the link below.