Rs Pro Edition Simon Vasquez

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The Axis Force system tucked into the throat soaks up a big chunk of off-center vibration, which you'll notice on cut bandejas when the ball comes in heavy off the back glass The 1cm-longer-than-standard grip stretches your reach in the overhead game: you'll get to viboras that a conventional handle would force you to let drop first The Power Holes and the head-heavy balance turn the flat smash into this racket's bread and butter; with 360-375g up top, kicking the ball off the back wall takes barely any arm effort The 12K carbon face with its rough 3D-textured finish bites into the ball on pinchadas and topspin viboras, giving a slower, more controllable ball exit than its power-oriented profile would suggest The 38mm frame with Dynamic Hex geometry — a hybrid between teardrop and diamond — spreads the sweet spot a touch more generously than a pure diamond shape without sacrificing pop

Cons

• ✗The head-heavy balance punishes you on defence: arrive late to a wall exit or a deep lob and the head weight works against you, leaving your block short

RS Padel Pro Edition Simon Vasquez Review: 12K Carbon and 38mm Built for the Smash

The RS Padel Pro Edition Simon Vasquez is the brand's collab with Swedish star Simon Vasquez, and its mission statement comes down to three numbers: a 12K carbon face, a 38mm frame, and 360-375 grams loaded firmly toward the head. On top of that sits a detail most spec sheets never mention: the handle is built 1cm longer than standard.

This isn't a racket for players still finding their feet. It's a tool for advanced players who already know exactly what to do once the ball sits above net height.

RS Pro Edition Simon Vasquez Specs

Is This Racket Really a Diamond Shape?

Not quite, and that's one of its defining traits. The Dynamic Hex geometry is RS's own hybrid between a teardrop and a diamond. The upper apex still pushes the impact point upward — hence the head-heavy balance and the pop — but the shoulders don't taper as aggressively as on a classic diamond racket.

On court, that translates into a hitting zone that's a bit more forgiving through the middle than a pure diamond shape, without the racket losing its punch. It's still demanding, but off-center contact doesn't get punished with the brutality you'd get from an extreme-apex diamond.

12K Carbon Over EVA Pro Adaptive: What It Actually Feels Like

12K is a mid-weave carbon fabric — not as stiff as 18K, not as flexible as 3K. It gives you a crisp, direct response with just enough give that the racket never feels dead on touch shots.

Underneath sits the EVA Pro Adaptive, a medium-hardness core that plays firmer than its label suggests in this build, precisely because it's boxed in by a 38mm frame under a rigid face. The ball doesn't sink into it — it pings back.

That cuts two ways. First: on the flat smash and the kick off the back glass, energy transfers straight through with none lost to deformation. Second: ball exit is contained. This padel racket won't hand you free depth on your resto or your defensive lob — you have to generate that with your own arm speed.

The Power Holes — targeted perforations across the face — are there to offset that, speeding up the head without adding grams. And the Axis Force, built into the throat, works as a stabiliser: it cuts vibration on impact and keeps the face steady when contact isn't centred. On a racket carrying 375g up top, that structural reinforcement isn't just for show.

The Extra Centimetre of Grip: The Detail That Changes Your Overhead Game

The grip, 1cm longer than standard, is Vasquez's personal signature, and it has one measurable effect: more swing radius and more head speed for the same shoulder motion.

In practice, you'll feel it in three specific spots:

1. **High viboras**: you reach balls that a standard handle would force you to let drop into a bandeja instead.
2. **Third-shot smash**: choke down for more leverage on the smash, or move up for more control on the bandeja, all without switching rackets.
3. **High finishing volleys**: your contact point sits slightly further forward, which helps you close the angle.

The trade-off: if you're coming from a standard-grip racket, your first session will throw off your sense of distance. It takes some adjusting to.

Shot-by-Shot Breakdown: Where It Shines, Where It Struggles

Smash and vibora. This is where the racket earns its keep. The head-heavy inertia does most of the work: the flat smash comes off heavy, and the kick bounces high enough to send the ball out of the court entirely. The 3D-textured face grips well on both topspin viboras and pinchadas.

Bandeja. Rock solid thanks to the Axis Force, which keeps the face from twisting open on off-centre contact. It demands a firm wrist but rewards you with a deep, cutting bandeja.

Volleys. Strong on the attacking ones, tougher on tight blocks close to the body. The sweet spot sits high on the face, so balls taken below waist height lose precision.

Defence and wall exits. This is its acknowledged weak point. The head-heavy balance means you need to set up earlier than you're used to. Get caught late on a deep lob and the head weight works against you, leaving your block short of the net.

Who Should Actually Play With the RS Pro Edition Simon Vasquez?

An advanced player, with solid technique and the fitness to swing 360-375 grams for three sets. Specifically, someone playing the backhand side or the finishing role — a player who builds the point to close it out with a smash, not a dropshot.

If your game leans on defence, grinding out long rallies from the back, or counter-punching, this isn't your racket. And if you've had elbow trouble in the past, the combination of high weight, a rigid face and a 38mm frame is a risk worth weighing carefully.

As a doubles partner, it pairs well alongside a control player who closes off the gaps while you step in to finish.

Verdict

The RS Padel Pro Edition Simon Vasquez plays in high-end power-racket territory — the same space occupied by the Babolat Technical Viper and the Adidas Metalbone — and it holds its own there with two genuine advantages: the Dynamic Hex geometry, which softens the usual punishment of a pure diamond shape, and the extended grip, which is a real edge in the overhead game rather than a marketing gimmick.

In return, it asks for what every racket in this category asks for: a trained arm, early preparation, and accepting that defence is going to be more work. Sign up for that trade-off, and the pop this racket gives back is the kind that closes out points.