Palio has a great reputation for producing pre-made ping pong paddles for all levels of players. They have a more advanced player paddle, the Legend, an intermediate player paddle, the Master, and they also have a good beginners paddle. For this piece, we’ll focus on the beginner’s paddle and provide the complete Palio Expert 2 review.
The Palio Expert 2.0 is the second generation of the Palio Expert model. This is the control-focused paddle in Palio’s series and is the ideal first premium paddle for new ping pong players that are looking to learn the basic techniques and strokes of the game. If you’re a newcomer to ping pong, it would be wise to look into a paddle with high control rather than speed, as this way you’ll be able to keep the ball in play more often and practice shots more consistently and repetitively.
This paddle would be a really great first premium paddle to look into if you’re a new player and we’re excited to bring you the fine details.
| Performance | Speed: 60, Spin: 90, Control: 100 |
| Blade | All real wood (not sure on plies) |
| Rubber | Palio’s CJ8000 |
| Sponge | Around 1.8mm |
| Playstyle | Defensive/Controlled |
| ITTF Approved? | Yes |
| Our rating | 8.5/10 |
Who is it for? | Who is it not for? |
The Expert 2.0 is the perfect first premium paddle for a beginner player. The paddle has fantastic control and is the perfect option for players looking to enhance their technique and learn the major fundamentals of ping pong play. | We don't recommend the Expert 2.0 to advanced recreational players, as this paddle is more geared towards players who struggle to control their shots - so there isn't much speed in the paddle. |
Once again, for this review, we’ll focus on the key components of any ping pong paddle, namely: the blade, the rubber, the handle as well as what the paddle specializes in.
If interested, we’ve written a complete ping pong paddle buying guide here – which may help you in determining which paddle suits you best.
The Blade
The Expert 2.0 has an all-real wood blade which gives the paddle a solid and durable base. The blade is the lightest in Palio’s paddle options, which is optimal for control and precise placement.
The Expert 2.0’s blade has been redesigned from its first generation, with a greater focus on consistent control and genuine feedback. The Expert has a great reputation for giving players great feedback – meaning players are able to learn from each shot they play.
We’re not 100 percent sure on how many layers of wood are used for the Expert, but what we know is that Palio has a great reputation for build long-lasting blades which have a premium feel. These are some of the most popular pre-made bats on the market right now, and the Expert falls into that category.
The paddle also comes with a protective case, which prevents the accumulation of dust and other dirt while not in use.
Overall, this is another solid blade build by Palio. This blade is more control-focused and is slightly lighter, which benefits beginners who are learning the basic techniques and skills. This blade is a huge upgrade from the stock standard paddles which you may receive with a table.
The Rubber
The rubber used for the Expert 2.0 is Palio’s CJ8000 rubber. The ITTF approved inverted rubber is a premium rubber that can even be bought by itself. This is a highly rated all-round rubber, with a greater focus on control and spin, rather than all-out speed. This rubber is also used on Palio’s Master – which is a paddle that has greater speed.
The CJ8000 rubber has a very tacky top sheet, giving players great ability to grip and spin the ball – which is a big reason for the Expert’s high spin rating. The sponge is also considerably softer compared to other Palio rubbers – this benefits control within the paddle. Another benefit of the CJ8000 rubber, is that it can easily be maintained, or even replaced if need be.
We’re not sure on the exact sponge thickness of the Palio Expert, but we’d estimate it to be around 2mm. This paddle has a fantastic control rating, and the sponge thickness will have a large role to play in that. We wouldn’t be surprised in the sponge thickness is slightly thinner than 2mm, as this will be better for the control attribute in the paddle. Having a thinner sponge means less speed and more control.
Overall, the CJ8000 rubber is one of Palio’s better rubbers and is used in a few of their pre-made bats. The rubber is an all-round rubber but is geared more towards control and spin. The use of this rubber in the Expert is a large reason for the paddle’s impressive reviews and great success.
The Handle
The handle used for the Palio Expert 2.0 is a flared handle. This is the ideal handle for a Shakehand grip user.
Palio has used a flared handle in all of their pre-made paddle builds, as it provides great comfort to players. A flared handle suits Shakehand grip users who often look to forehand play, while also being able to control and place their shots ideally. This grip is ergonomic, making comfort and performance the main goal.
Overall, this is a commonly used handle to modern ping pong paddles, as it provides the most comfort to players using the most commonly used grip – the Shakehand.
General Overview
We’ve put together a table highlighting both the pros and the cons of the Palio Expert 2.0:
We’ve also put together some ratings out of 100, for the 3 key characteristics – speed, spin, and control.
| Speed | Spin | Control |
| 60 | 90 | 100 |
Conclusion
The Palio Expert 2.0 has become one of the most popular paddles for beginners, as it has a perfect control rating as well as impressive spin numbers. We couldn’t recommend the paddle higher to a new player, as you’ll be able to learn and master the basic strokes with ease.
If you’re on the lookout for another control-focused paddle, you may want to look at the Omega Control or the Killerspin JET 200. Otherwise, we’ve reviewed all kinds of pre-made paddles here.
