Palio Legend 3.0 is the latest in the long line of stellar paddles produced by Palio. We have carefully curated this Palio Legend 3 review, after an in-depth research and trust us, this ITTF approved racket is truly a legend!
Palio Expert table tennis paddle was built along the same lines as the Palio Legend 2, and as the company officially says, “Palio Legend 3.0 sets yet another new benchmark for high-spec bats, offering unrivaled value within its price range”.
Table of Contents
Palio Legend 3.0 Specifications
Our Rating: 4.3/5
- Grip Type: Shakehand
- Price: $$
- Weight: 6 oz / 172 grams
Play Rating
- Speed: 9.0/10
- Spin: 8.5/10
- Control: 7.0/10
- Durability: 7.5/10
Materials
- Plies: All wood
- Sponge: Hard sponge
- Rubbers: Palio Hadou (replaceable)
What to Expect?
If you have experience playing with the Palio Legend 2.0 table tennis racket, then you already know what to expect from the Legend 3.0. However, it is not suitable for beginners. It is built along the same lines, except, they have made it more attacking. Let’s take a closer look at the features you get if you decide to master the sport and buy the Palio Legend 3.0.
Redesigned Handle
The Palio Legend 3.0 comes as an upgrade to the award-winning Palio Legend 2.0 table tennis racket. It hardly had any faults, but they have gone and improved it further. One of the issues reported in reviews about Legend 2.0 was with the handle.
The redesigned handle is made of hardwood and complements the fast-paced blade, in addition to, being highly comfortable to hold. It has a flared handle that sticks in your hand, no matter how much the intensity of the game is.
Wider Edge Tape
This beauty comes with a wider edge tape on its sides. We love this addition because it keeps the sponge, racket and rubbers secured allowing them to remain firmly together. Despite this addition of wider edge tape, you will not find it too hard to replace the rubbers, if necessary.
Better Case
It is considered a cliché, but buying a case is a significant factor in ensuring the longevity of the racket. With the Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis blade, you do not need to worry about buying a case, separately, as it comes in addition to the paddle. Unlike the Palio Legend 2.0, the free carrying case is much better and improved.
Maximum Power, Maximum Spin
Again, one of the critiques on the Palio Legend 2.0 was regarding the generation of power, speed, and spin. The developers of the Palio Legend 3.0 have ensured that you can generate tons of speed and spin, with ease. This is primarily because of the firmer sponge and the construction of the racket.
We noticed that the Palio Legend 3.0 has increased ability to generate lots of power, more speed and huge amounts of spin, but also offers a range of control on the shots. This makes Legend great and a superb weapon ideally made for professionals and experienced players who already have a good feeling and know how to play their shots with ultimate accuracy.
Pros
ITTF Approved Rubbers
The Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis blade comes with famous Palio Hadou rubbers. If you get used to playing table tennis with this rubber, you can play a variety of quality shots. It has the stamp of approval from the ITTF and lots of intermediate players and professionals have used it for several tournaments.
Better Tape
The rubber of the Palio Legend 2.0 was the same as this model. However, the rubber on the Palio Legend 2.0 came off fairly easily, after a little while. This was often reported by players, in particular, the ones that like to play at high intensity.
The Legend 3.0 table tennis blade is supported with better tape on its edges to keep the rubber intact and in shape that perfectly complements the fast-coming balls. This does not mean, though, that it is impossible to take off the rubber. If anything, you can take it off with a lot more ease, in case you feel like replacing the old rubber.
Better Control
Unlike Legend 2.0, the manufacturers have worked hard to improve the control rating on the Palio table tennis blade. It still does not count as an all-rounder, but this ITTF approved racket has considerably improved control when you compare it to the Legend 2.0.
This offers a new set of shots that can be played using Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis racket. You can keep your opponent guessing, and mix it up with aggressive and slower shots to enhance your skill level, and pace your game, according to your convenience.
Cons
Slightly Lighter
Some customers believe that the Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis racket is lighter than expected. The first time we played with the Palio Legend 2.0, we believed that it had the optimum weight. However, the Palio Legend 3.0 is a little lighter, made ideally to master fast-paced gameplay, but that has not gone down too well with players.
Bit Pricey
The Palio Legend 3.0 is a little more expensive. Palio expert paddles are well-respected in , however, over time, they have increased their prices. Not to say, that their products are not worth it, but most people end up purchasing from established names like Butterfly and STIGA.
Suitable for Experts
This is not a table tennis blade for beginners. It is funny, though, how the Palio Expert series cater to beginners. Makes more sense to ensure that the Legend series table tennis rackets are for the “experts” or intermediate and advanced players. It will require some time to understand the feel before you can start playing the quality shots.
Our Rating: 4.3/5
4.3 is a seriously good rating for a table tennis racket that deserves it, too. There is a lot to like about this one, especially, the fact that it is an upgrade on one of our favorite paddles of all time; the Palio Expert Legend 2.0. You can play more aggressive shots with the Legend 3.0 and they have amped up the control ratings, as well.
Some believe it does not make a lot of sense to change a winning formula. That is why, a lot of people who liked Legend 2.0, were not big fans of Legend 3.0 table tennis racket. All the facts and reviews considered, it is still a decent table tennis racket for advanced players with lots of upgrades that generate maximum power, improve playability and shot-making at a reasonable price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Palio Legend 3.0 have carbon plies?
No, the Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis rackets are made of wood layers only. They still play out quite fast.
How tacky are the rubbers on the Palio Legend 3.0?
The Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis racket is accompanied by the Palio Hadou rubbers that are characteristically fast, but also tacky enough for the generation of huge amounts of spin. They do lose tackiness, a little faster as compared to other rubbers, but the good thing is, you can easily replace them!
Is the Palio Legend 3.0 lighter than Palio Legend 2.0?
Amazon says these table tennis rackets are of the same weight but we found the Legend 3.0 to be slightly lighter in size and weight as compared to the Legend 2.0. Some other players that have both paddles have reported the difference similarly.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the Palio Legend 3.0 can be a good buy if you are looking for an affordable upgrade. There are, of course, much better options available, too. It can be easy to go for Legend 3.0 if you had a good playing experience with Palio Expert Legend 2.0 table tennis paddle.
This one is slightly lighter, much faster and you can generate lots of speed and spin with it. It has the same rubber as the Legend 2.0, and the flared handle is a bit better, too. At the end of the day, it will not be a disappointment to opt for the Palio Legend 3.0 table tennis racket.
