Franklin FS Tour Tempo 12 Featherweight – Paddle Review

Pickleball Union earns a commission on purchases made through links in this article, at no extra cost to you. Our reviews are editorially independent – brands do not see or approve content before publication.

Is it a ping pong paddle on steroids? Well, no but close… The FS Tour Featherweight paddles are simply a new very lightweight spinoff from the FS Tour line-up from Franklin Sports.

It includes two versions – the Tempo and Dynasty. Today, I am sharing my review for the Tempo 12 (12 indicating the thickness in millimeters), which is the shorter of the two versions.

If you are looking for a paddle to deliver quick maneuverability and touch for fast reaction play at the kitchen line, this could work well for you. However, after playing with it for a few weeks, it doesn’t deliver as much pop, spin and power as I like.

I rate the paddle a solid 3.75 out of 5 balls, especially given its $150 price tag. Despite this, I still enjoy playing with it and find that it serves a specific purpose for me.

By The Numbers

Length	15.9”
Width	8”
Thickness	12mm
Grip Length	5”
Grip Circumference	4.3”
Weight	7.48 oz (as tested)

Nuts And Bolts

• Polypropylene core, unibody core and frame
• High density foam injection around perimeter
• T700 carbon fiber face
• Substantial, non-slip wrapped grip
• Medium profile protective edge guard
• One color version – black with white frame/handle
• USA Pickleball-approved

Game on… The Play Testing

First Impressions

Out of the box and unwrapping the plastic from the handle, this paddle felt great! My first impression is – this is light! And it is. Secondly, the grip felt great – textured and sticky enough – but just a tad short for me.

Your first inclination is to swing it around fast like a fly swatter and it felt like an oversized ping pong paddle… agile and maneuverable.

Handle Design

I also noticed that the sweeping handle design at the end of the grip wrap, extending to the paddle face, made the handle feel a bit longer. This shape allowed me to easily adjust my grip as needed for different shots.

First Game Experience

My first game with the paddle left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I was up against a couple of bangers and felt like I had to match their power, which isn’t always the best strategy.

I wasn’t getting enough pop, but the control was definitely there. My spins were decent, but nothing jaw-dropping.

Kitchen Line Play

During my next session, I focused more on kitchen line play and defending some bangers and drives. Dinks, drops and quick near-court pick-ups were easy with this paddle. Control was great. The sweetspot was large enough as well.

Wall Drills

My next play was for wall drills to work on accuracy and backhand dinks. It worked great for this, and I really enjoyed it.

The paddle lived up to being maneuverable and quick so I could respond and change quickly from forehand and backhand.

The fast swingweight and twistweight was evident.

Outdoor Rec Play & Paddle Comparison

Additional outdoor rec play confirmed the paddle provided great control and easy swings. The spin and pop power were better than average paddles, but nothing like some other paddles with heavier weight and better grit faces like the Holbrook Mav Pro 2.0, Diadem 18K Speed Pro or Selkirk Invikta Pro Amped.

The Final Score

The paddle was fun to play with, especially in casual rec play where I want a fast swing and transition with a very lightweight paddle or when I am playing or teaching beginning to level 2 players.

For me, it offers great control and touch. But compared to other paddles in the price range or even below, it fell a bit short in spin and power.

Pickle on my friends, pickle on…