Engage Pursuit Pro Lab Breakdown

The Upgrade Engage Fans Have Been Waiting For

Players loved the uniquely crisp and powerful feel of the original  Engage Pursuit’s “Black Core”, and though those paddles still play well, the spin potential and slightly jarring feel on impact left room for improvement in comparison to the latest and greatest paddles on the market. Engage took the best of the original pursuit and its short-lived successor, the Pursuit Ultra, to produce the upgraded Pursuit Pro, and they nailed it.

Pursuits come in 4 configurations with standard and lightweight versions of each.

• EX – Widebody shape, thinner ½” core

• EX 6.0 – Widebody shape, thicker 5-8” core

• MX – Elongated shape, thinner ½” core

• MX 6.0 – Elongated shaper, thicker 5/8” core

The biggest upgrade from the original Pursuit to the Pursuit Pro is the new “Raw” Toray T700 carbon fiber face cured with a resin peel ply weave texture similar to other raw paddles on the market. Toray T700 carbon fiber demonstrates fantastic strength and resin retention capabilities making it an ideal material for a high-quality woven peel ply texture. Microscope analysis and playtesting results confirmed higher spin potential across the board that competes with the highest performing paddles on the market.

Engage Pursuit Pro EX vs Engage Pursuit Pro EX 6.0 Comparison table

Engage Pursuit Pro MX vs Engage Pursuit Pro MX 6.0 Comparison table

Flexing their marketing jargon muscles, Engage included “Vortex Barrier Edge Technology” in the Pro line. Similar to expanding edge foam used in other paddles on the market, it helps with perimeter weighting and slightly dampens vibrations on impact which we were able to feel in a side-by-side test with the original Pursuits. Unlike others though, it’s not carbon fiber wrapped foam around the exterior, this is foam that is injected into the core cell walls at the sweet spot to help with perimeter weighting and dampen vibration. This precision foam placement offers stability and vibration dampening benefits through the contact zones while saving weight outside them.

The Pursuit Pro uses the same “Black core” used in the original Pursuit models that give a satisfyingly crisp ball feel on contact. This is a constant throughout the Engage Line of Performance Paddles, all known for top of class power off the face.

Thanks to an investment that allows full color prints on “Raw” Carbon paddles Engage is rolling out a more recognizable aesthetic with the Pro that helps differentiate it from the influx of all black paddles on the market with a more defined signature “Target” showing users exactly where the sweet spot should be.

A smaller upgrade, but one that many Engage players will be thankful for, is the introduction of Uniform Guard Technology. The construction improvement should create a stronger frame and lower chances of loose edge guards, which is encouraging and a welcome addition to the Pro line.

Also featured is a new octagonal Handle and shaped butt cap and seals on the edges of handle creating a more solid connection between hand and paddle.

Engage promises “Counterbalance Technology” that lowers the balance point to increase hand speed and lower arm fatigue, and we’rehappy to report that every Pro model tested with a lower balance point than the original Pursuits and feel noticeably easier to maneuver.

Which ones' better?

Holding true to the promise of less arm fatigue and faster hands, every Pursuit Pro tested with slightly lower swingweights than the original models. We saw a slightly lower twistweight, but the addition of edge foam and faster hand speed made the lower reading non-noticeable. The notable exception for swingweight is the Pro MX 6.0 that tested the highest we have measured at 99 points, nearly 6 points above the already very high swingweight of the original MX 6.0.

In playtesting, we didn’t find the MX 6.0 to be unbearably slow, and we actually enjoyed how much work the paddle did for us on both resets and “put aways”. The 5 ¾” handle on the MX models gave us the leverage we needed to get the paddle in position, but make no mistake, this paddle is the beast of the line up.

Just like Engage’s other products, these paddles are manufactured in the USA by Engage employees and carry Engage’s generous lifetime warranty. In a sea of imported performance paddles, Engage has managed to domestically produce a competitive lineup capable of going toe to toe with anything else on the market. If you are looking for power, spin, and a company that stands behind their products, the Pursuit Pro line is one to consider.

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