Vatic Pro Saga Flash - pickleball paddle review

If you're looking for a step-up paddle that's fast, has great spin, and has a good balance of control and power, check out the Vatic Pro Saga Flash. This is an exciting new launch from a popular brand.

The Saga Flash is a 16 mm carbon fiber paddle with a hybrid shape. It comes in two models, one with a standard handle length (5.3") and one with a long handle (5.75"). For this review, I tested the standard model.

If you're a frequent Pickleheads reader, you'll know that we rate Vatic Pro paddles highly. The Vatic Pro PRISM Flash is consistently one of the best pickleball paddles as it's one of the highest-performing budget paddles ever made at $100. Read my Vatic Pro Saga Flash review to see if it's worth the extra $50 over the PRISM Flash.

If you're a fan of Vatic Pro, you'll like the Saga Flash—the latest paddle in their popular Flash series. These are hybrid-shaped paddles including the Vatic Pro Flash and PRISM Flash. While the Saga Flash keeps many good qualities of both paddles (the Flash's speed and the PRISM Flash's power), it does have some issues.

For one, control and forgiveness are weaker. The PRISM Flash is one of the best control paddles but the Saga Flash is harder to maintain accuracy with. That's because it has a lower twist weight, meaning the paddle twists more in your hands. This has led to some mishits.

Check out my initial thoughts on the Saga Flash:

I actually find the elongated Saga V7 more forgiving, which is unusual as the wider face on a hybrid paddle usually means a larger sweet spot and more forgiveness. The Saga Flash just feels less consistent on shots that require more touch like drops, dinks, and resets.

Thankfully, spin and power are as good on the Saga Flash as the PRISM Flash. Spin is up there with new premium paddles like the Bread & Butter Invader and Pickleball Apes Pulse S. While it doesn't have the effortless power (or pop) of a Paddletek Bantam ALW-C, I can still drive the ball really hard if I want to.

The Saga Flash has a low 113 swing weight (short handle version) so it swings lighter than the Saga V7. I feel more comfortable swinging fast and hitting hard. I can feel the speed difference when I'm at the kitchen line trying to defend against speed ups or win hands battles.

Overall, this paddle can hit hard without tiring your arm or elbow out. You can generate aggressive spin and get good control—even if there are some mishits to factor in. It's good value at $140 (with our exclusive Vatic Pro discount) for any beginner or intermediate player upgrading from a cheaper beginner pickleball paddle.

If you're an advanced player and have the budget, you might prefer spending the extra $50-100 for a more consistent and high-performing advanced pickleball paddle. Otherwise, the Saga Flash is a great choice if you want a faster version of the Vatic Pro PRISM Flash.

The Saga Flash's hybrid shape (16.3" x 7.7") gives you a nice balance between a standard square-shaped paddle and an elongated paddle.

There's only one core size (16 mm) whereas the other Flash paddles are available in both 14 mm and 16 mm. However, you do get more variety when it comes to handle lengths. You can choose between a standard 5.3" handle or a long 5.75" handle if you love to hit with two hands.

Let's see what else the Saga Flash has going on.

Like Vatic Pro's other Flash paddles, the Saga Flash has a Toray T-700 carbon fiber surface. This paddle has really great spin too (9/10), like many of the best carbon fiber paddles. I'm happy to see the grit hasn't worn down either after more than 10 hours on the court. It still generates day 1-level spin.

I feel confident hitting aggressive topspin shots like deep serves and third-shot drops because I know the paddle face will spin the ball the way I want it to.

Vatic Pro paddles have two polyurethane inserts in their handles that absorb shocks, making them great paddles for tennis elbow. The Saga Flash has a "fully reinforced" handle that's wrapped in layers of carbon.

Add that to the unibody design and foam-injected walls and you've got a solidly built, long-lasting paddle.

As you'd expect from a hybrid paddle, the swing weight is lower here than on the elongated Saga V7. That makes the Saga Flash a faster paddle. It feels similar to fast standard-shaped paddles like the Selkirk 007 and Paddletek Bantam ALW-C but with a little more reach thanks to the extra length.

The Saga Flash can generate similar power to the Saga V7. I'm able to overpower opponents with third-shot drives and be aggressive when approaching the kitchen.

While I can drive the ball hard, I do have to put force into my shots as this paddle doesn't have effortless power or pop like a Gearbox Pro Power or Paddletek Bantam. If that's what you're looking for, you're better off with a pure power paddle.

Power is matched by control. The 16 mm core is soft and absorbs the ball. You can hit it soft when you want to, and hard when you want to hit with power.

That said, it's still far off the control you get with the Vatic Pro PRISM Flash, one of the only paddles we've ever scored 10/10 for control. The main issue holding the Saga Flash back here is its low twist weight. This means the paddle is less sturdy when swinging, which can lead to mishits.

While I can still hold my own on a competitive level hitting shots like drops, dinks, and resets, it's not as smooth as with other premium control-focused paddles like the Ronbus R2 PULSAR FX or Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta.

Vatic Pro uses high-quality carbon fiber and you can feel it when you try to spin the ball. I find it easy to generate topspin when I want to serve really deep or hit dipping third-shot drops and drives.

I can return serves with slice, helping add an unpredictable bounce to my returns. Lastly, I've not had any issues getting the sidespin necessary to hit the ball around the post if someone hit a dink too wide.

This paddle is soft and has foam-injected walls, so it has a good level of forgiveness for the most part. The ball usually goes where I aim it, but I do get occasional mishits if I hit farther away from the medium-sized sweet spot.

Newer players might not notice, though. If you're moving up from a beginner pickleball paddle, the Saga Flash will still feel like a major upgrade. At a competitive level, where the ball moves much faster, I have noticed inconsistencies in my drops and resets if I fail to hit close to the sweet spot.

This paddle averages around 8 oz and has a low swing weight so it doesn't feel very heavy compared to other premium paddles. There's no additional weight around it, so it feels balanced.

The grip felt sticky or tacky at first, but it ended up being really comfortable. The paddle doesn't slip out of your hand. The grip is slightly thinner (4.125") than grips used by the likes of Selkirk use (4.25"), and it feels comfortable enough in my hands. I'm 5'7 and I don't have the biggest hands, so some players may feel different.

The paddle grit felt the same after my fourth session as it did on my first, which is a great sign. The core sounds the same too after more than 10 hours of playing. This makes me really confident that the paddle will last a long time.

Vatic Pro made the Saga Flash with a lower swing weight than the Saga V7, but it doesn't quite have the top-tier swing weight of paddles like the Paddletek Bantam ALW-C or Selkirk 007. It is still smooth when you swing it quickly and doesn't have much drag. It's a good fit if you like to play fast in hands battles.

Rating:

$149.99 feels like a good price given what you're getting here. Plus, you can take $10 off with our exclusive PICKLEHEADS discount code, bringing it down to $139.99.

This is a noticeable upgrade from most paddles around the $100 price range (excluding the PRISM Flash), but it's not at the level of a $200 paddle, so it warrants the mid-range price. If you're moving up from a beginner paddle or want good features without spending a ton, the Saga Flash is a good deal.

If you're after an advanced pickleball paddle and have the budget, I'd recommend spending the extra $50-100 and get more pop and consistency. This is meant for beginners to intermediates who are ready to play with power and spin. Former tennis players or bangers will also get a lot out of this paddle, and it may even give them more control on softer shots.

If the Vatic Pro Saga Flash isn't the right paddle for you, check out some other paddles I rate highly:

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