- Amazing control
- Great spin
- Versatile
- A bit head heavy
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Starvie in 2024
Starvie is famous for a few things: manufacturing their rackets in Spain, the durability of their rackets, and ending their sponsorship program in 2024. We can't know why they decided to do this, but at the end of 2023 / beginning of 2024, Bea González (the former signaturee of this racket), Coki Nieto, Lucas Bergamini, and other players announced that they would no longer be playing with Starvie rackets. I have to be honest - this slightly disappointed me as it sort of felt like the heavy-sponsoring, China-manufacturing brands would stomp out the Spanish-manufacturing brands. Or maybe it's just a shift toward boutique, premium, exclusive branding? How will this turn out? Only time will tell.
Starvie tip
Because Starvie weight ranges are so wide, we strongly recommend specifying the weight when you purchase your racket. A 385g Starvie will play very differently from a 350g version of the same model. My test model weighed 365g.
The Starvie Astrum
The Astrum is the new name for the former Astrum Eris. It fills a gap between the more power-oriented Triton and the control-oriented Metheora, closer to the Metheora. Like most of its models, Starvie offers this racket in different versions, which correspond to the different hardnesses, or densities of the foam cores:
1. Astrum Pro: the hardest with the Pro 50 EVA core
2. Astrum: the intermediate model with the Soft 30 EVA core (this model)
All else being equal, we only recommend the Astrum Pro to advanced players who know they appreciate a hard touch.
Design and craftsmanship
In the world of Spanish-made padel rackets, Starvie has garnered a reputation for quality and innovation. The Starvie Astrum showcases meticulous craftsmanship, typical of the brand. Its medium-high balance and the introduction of a double layer of 3K carbon fiber deliver stability, rigidity, and durability. It has slightly higher shoulders than a "true" round-shaped racket, similar to a Nox AT10.
On the court with the Starvie Astrum
On the court, the Starvie Astrum is a versatile companion, excelling in both backcourt and aerial play. It feels as great in the back of the court as it does in the front of the court.
In the back, its maneuverability and stable handling make it a reliable choice for players seeking consistency. Then when you get a lob bouncing high off the wall, you will feel equally in control no matter whether you decide to bajada, chiquita, or counter lob. It gave me an additional element of surprise against my opponents because I wasn't defaulting to specific shots. After all, everything felt so comfortable. It does have some weight in the tip, though, so I wouldn't recommend this to players who aren't prepared physically to handle that weight.
Note that this year the Astrum has a new wriststrap - cinching with a padded strap, which I prefer to the non-cinching one from previous years' models.
In the aerial game, its weight and reactive core shine. I again felt like all of my tools were open to me: soft viboras, hard viboras, defensive bandejas, rulos to the fence. Its above average balance was enough to give me control and not too much that I felt lacking time. I didn't have issues with the sweet spot in the aerial game, but moving to the net, I missed it a few times when I was caught surprised by a fast and/or low ball. This is the only drawback I found with this racket, it's sweet spot is just "good".
10/10 spin
"The most powerful spin technology I've seen to date."
- Manu Martin
Starvie's Full Plane Effect, the monicker for their 3D roughness system for spin, was previously the strongest roughness system. Our reviewers appreciate the racket's ability to generate spin effortlessly, giving them an edge in controlling the trajectory of the ball. Whether executing high or low-speed shots, its spin is generous.
Power and Precision
The Starvie Astrum offers a great balance between power and control. Its weight distribution and sweet spot provide adequate power for offensive shots. While it lacks the punch of more specialized power rackets, I found it to deliver a surprising amount of power. The ball came back to my side of the court several times when I didn't expect it to. Additionally, its precision is commendable, but some players who were used to lower-balanced rackets (e.g. the 2023 AT10 18K) found the tip too heady (most test models were balanced around 26.5cm).
Final Verdict
In conclusion, the Starvie Astrum is a quality Spanish-made racket somehow available at a lower price than many Chinese-made rackets. Its strength is in its versatility, stability, durability, and spin. I truly enjoyed this racket more than I expected. It's a solid choice for intermediate to advanced players seeking reliability. I bought this racket for my brother as a thank you gift for doing my taxes, and I'm seriously considering keeping it for myself and getting him a second.
Solid, versatile, and aggressive. One of my top picks for intermediate versatile or advanced control players. The double layer of 3K carbon fiber is rigid and Starvie's "Soft" EVA is more like a medium - this is definitely not a soft racket. It has a very solid feel. Test model weighed 365g and balanced at 26.7cm.
Excellently made racket for intermediate and advanced players seeking versatility. The Noene grip is super comfortable. My test model weighs 379g, which is too heavy for me.
Great Spanish-made versatile racket for intermediate and up players seeking medium-hardness and a generous sweet spot. No vibrations at all, but the handle is narrow, so plan to use an extra over grip - it's also very quiet. Test model weighs 361g and balances at 26.2cm.
This is a racket that helps you in the back of the court as much as it does in the aerial game. Medium-high balance. This year they changed it to have a double layer of 3K carbon fiber for more rigidity in the attack. Roughness is slightly more marked than the previous models. On the court, it reminds me of the 2023 AT10 18K.