Expert review: New Engage Pursuit Pro1 shapes provide good options for every type of player
Last Edited
Feb 25 2025
Category
Gear
Nearly a year after releasing the popular Pursuit Pro1 in an elongated version, Engage has now released two new shapes that incorporate the same Pro1 technology.
The new widebody and hybrid options have a similar feel to the Pro1 elongated, but each shape offers different strengths, giving players of all types a great chance to find something that suits their game.
Each design comes in a 13mm option (Pro1) and 16mm option (Pro1 6.0). In general, the 16mm versions feel a little more plush and solid overall, while the 13mm Pro1 paddles are more poppy and maneuverable.
According to Engage, these paddles test at the top end of the maximum allowable power limits set by USA Pickleball and the United Pickleball Association of America and they play consistently over extended use, while other paddles can change drastically after a “break-in” period.
There's been a lot of talk in the pickleball community lately about which shape is ideal -- elongated, hybrid or widebody -- and the answer almost always depends on the type of player.
For players who aren't coming from a tennis background, the widebody or hybrid shapes offer the benefit of faster hand speed and more control. Most former tennis players, however, prefer an elongated shape because it's closer to the feel and balance of a tennis racquet, and they're able to generate more power on groundstrokes.
For this review I'll break down the pros and cons of each Engage Pro1 variation and how each paddle performs in three critical areas -- at the kitchen, in the transition zone and from the baseline.
Let's cook!
Engage Pursuit Pro1 Widebody
Pros
- Very big sweet spot.
- Consistent on dinks and resets.
- Most maneuverable option while still generating good pop, making it a strong paddle in hands battles.
Cons
- Not as much power on drives and overheads as the elongated model.
- Can feel a little clunky on flicks and rolls at the kitchen line.
- Shorter handle than many modern paddles.
Engage Pursuit Pro1 Hybrid
Pros
- Overall shape along with curved edge at the top of the paddle makes it very whippy -- making it good for flicks out of the air or aggressive roll dinks.
- Most balanced paddle in the line in terms of playability -- solid in all aspects, especially the 16mm version.
Cons
- Not as forgiving as the widebody, although adding weighted tape to the throat/bottom corners helped in this regard.
- Not as much power as the elongated version.
Engage Pursuit Pro1 Elongated
Pros
- Best option for players transitioning from a tennis background -- extra long handle for two-handed backhands.
- Generates the most power of any paddle in the Pro1 line.
- Offers more reach at the kitchen line, allowing for more aggressive attacks out of the air.
Cons
- Smaller sweet spot than the widebody or hybrid.
- Not as fast in the hand as the widebody, but the curved top helps in this regard.
- 16mm version has the highest swingweight of any paddle in the line.
FROM THE BASELINE
Widebody
This paddle is ideal for players who prefer to drop their third shot and work their way into the kitchen line from there. It has a very big sweet spot and performs consistently from this area. Both the Pro1 and Pro1 6.0 are great for drops, so it's just a matter of whether you want the added plush feel that the 16mm delivers. I found that drives are still good, particularly with the 13mm version, but not as powerful as the elongated Pro1.
Hybrid
The curved top of the paddle on the hybrid version allows players to be more aggressive from the baseline, whether that be on third-shot drives or more heavy topspin rolls. All of these paddles have Raw Toray T700 Carbon Fiber faces and get good spin, but it's the shape of this paddle that allows for more shape on the ball.
Elongated
This paddle offers the most power from the baseline out of any in the Pro1 series. The extra long handle lets tennis players feel comfortable on two-handed backhand drives and it also features a curved top, making it very whippy through the hitting zone. This is also a good singles paddle for those reasons.
IN TRANSITION
Widebody
I think this is the best performing paddle in the line in this area of the court, particularly the 16mm version. It's easy to take pace off of an opponent's aggressive attack and it's also maneuverable, allowing you to get the paddle where it needs to be very quickly to defend hard shots.
Hybrid
This is the area where adding weighted tape to the throat and bottom corners really helped this paddle for me. Out of the box it can be a little hard to feel consistent when defending aggressive shots, but the weighted tape resolved most of that issue. Again, the 16mm performed best on resets in this zone.
Elongated
This paddle has the smallest sweet spot in the line simply because of its elongated shape, so that works against it in the transition zone. However, because of its extra length, you can reach a few more balls that you wouldn't be able to with the widebody paddle.
AT THE KITCHEN
Widebody
This paddle really shined in this area for me. I felt like I was never going to miss a dink and I also got the added benefit of more maneuverability in hands battles. I'm a relatively tall player, so I was fine sacrificing the reach in order to pick up those other attributes. The 13mm version in particular was strong at the kitchen because it has a little more pop than the 16mm. And because of the thin profile, it was better on flicks and aggressive shots out of the air compared to the 16mm, which can feel a little clunky on those shots.
Hybrid
I was able to hit more aggressive roll dinks with this paddle compared to the widebody and elongated. The weighted tape also added pop and power on overheads, which was lacking a little bit out of the box.
Elongated
If you feel like you need extra reach at the kitchen, this paddle will provide that, along with the most power on overheads. But it's also going to be a little more difficult to hit consistent dinks with this paddle because of the smaller sweet spot. The 16mm definitely feels easier to control in that regard while still generating good power on putaways.
CONCLUSION
I am on a little bit of a square paddle kick at the moment, so I really liked playing with the 13mm widebody. I felt like I could still hit good drives, my drops were consistent, resets and dinks felt easy and I had fast hands at the kitchen because of the lower swingweight that square paddles provide.
Widebody paddles used to be seriously lacking in power, but modern technology has done a lot to solve that issue. So now you can get the best of everything with a widebody paddle: Good pop and power, big sweet spot and good maneuverability.
The only thing you're sacrificing is a little bit of reach and a shorter handle.
That said, tennis players are still going to feel more comfortable with either the elongated or the hybrid, and those versions of the Pro1 have plenty of benefits as well.
Overall, it's a smart move by Engage to expand its offerings, and I feel like most players will be able to find some combination of shape and thickness that they like in the Pro1 series.
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