I recently gave the RPM Q2 a shot—and honestly, it didn’t last long. I returned it almost right away. It’s just not for me.
Right off the bat, it felt way too poppy. The balance point wasn’t where I like it, and while the handle circumference was okay, the shape felt really rectangular and flat in my hand. For the price, it just didn’t make sense to keep it.
But this isn’t really about the paddle itself—it’s more about what I realized because of it.
Lately, I’ve been trying a lot of different paddles, doing reviews, and chasing that “next one.” And I started noticing something during rec play the other night—I wasn’t playing well. Like, noticeably off. My drops were inconsistent, my resets weren’t as clean, and I was popping balls up way more than usual. With the RPM Q2, it was probably the worst I’ve seen in a while.
Now to be fair, no one expects to pick up a new paddle and instantly play their best. But that’s when it hit me: constantly switching paddles might actually be holding me back.
Every paddle has its own feel—different response, different pop, different timing. Some are close, sure, but none are identical. And when you keep switching, you’re always adjusting instead of improving. With the RPM, I could feel how good it was on dinks and soft shots, but I just couldn’t keep the ball down consistently. That disconnect was frustrating.
So I decided to return it—not just because I didn’t like it, but because I’m kind of done chasing paddles for a while.
At this point, I’d rather focus on getting better.
Ironically, the paddle I keep coming back to is still the Bread & Butter Loco. It just fits my game. I’ve also had some surprisingly good runs with the Boomstik too—something about the stability and higher twist weight seems to help more than I expected.
But overall, I’m just tired of buying paddles that look great on paper but don’t actually help my performance.
What I learned the other night was more important than any paddle review. My returns are still solid—low, controlled, and intentional—and I’ve actually been doing better with my resets lately by slowing things down and staying patient. That said, I still struggle more against aggressive players, and that’s something I need to work on. I also want to start paying attention to whether I play better on the left or right side of the court. Another big area for me is being more intentional during rallies—understanding what to expect on the next shot instead of assuming the point is over. I’m not always trying to hit a winner, but I think I need to stay mentally in the rally longer and expect the ball to come back every time. Maybe I’m already doing some of that and just don’t see it clearly in the moment—I really wish I hadn’t forgotten my tripod to record the games. Either way, it was just an off night… honestly, for most of us.
The biggest areas I need to improve? Long-distance drops—especially on my backhand—and being just a bit more aggressive when it matters. I had a couple of really solid forehand drops from the baseline, so I know it’s there. It just needs consistency.
At the end of the day, this was a good reminder: not everything that’s new is better. And sometimes, sticking with what works is the best way to actually improve your game. For me, that is the Bread and Butter Loco elongated paddle. Its not going anywhere...yet or until the grit really wears out.
