You guys play off of each other so well. I got a good laugh out of your comment that being bad players was your brand. Great job keeping the podcast both light and informative.
I used to be firmly of the mindset that beginners/intermediate players should use control based paddles with less power and bigger sweet spot. But a couple of things changed my mind. 1) I sometimes use a Gearbox PPE to start out with for a game or two, and then switch to a Ruby. Afterwards, I feel super dialed in with the Ruby. Drops are a lot better and I'm more focused. Other players have experienced similar phenomena of feeling more dialed in when switching from a power paddle to a less powerful paddle. 2) James Ignatowich also mentioned that he thinks players should use the most powerful paddle they can "reasonably" handle. That's because it will force them to do things like make their swing path more compact, reduce the grip strength on the paddle, and really "seeing" the ball hit the sweet spot. Having longer swings and tightened grip are things that players can get away with when they use less powerful paddles, and over time, these habits can become harder to break...especially when the player switches over to a more powerful paddle. I'm not suggesting that beginners go out and get a Gearbox. But to me, it does make sense to start out with something more powerful and teach players from the beginning to really focus on better habits instead of having the paddle compensate.
I’m excited to see this fiberglass lineup review you’re working on Justin. I love how paddletek feels cushioned and pillow like, but I also like how 11six24 feels more crackling crisp or something. There are definite differences
I think at the lower levels you need to start with the question... Did you play tennis? Yes? Then a Hybrid or Elongated paddle. No? Then a Standard or Widebody paddle.
I volunteer at a local park to help the pro teach clinics; mostly for beginners and advanced beginners. Most of the players are over 60 .I’m a gear geek and often have 3-5 paddles in my bag. When I have a student with a really crappy paddle I’ll let them use one of mine. It’s funny to see how quickly they want to purchase something that’s better once they have had a chance to feel the difference. I’m usually handing out a square paddle with lots of forgiveness like the CBN2.
Haha wow what a great podcast...hilarious and enjoyed listening. Also...that comment about selling brand new stuff for $20 being a great way to build relationships 😂😂😂 hahahaha...I'm sure anyone and everyone will want to be your friend!
My two pet peeves: When people don't call out the full score loud and clear. I hate when people mumble the score softly, or they skip the third number. Also when people put their belongings on benches when there's limited seating so people can't sit down.
I was just about to write this. Exactly !!! It's like now, everyone needs to keep the score in their mind because this moron isn't calling out the score. If you do that, it creates situations where the score is called wrong because someone miscounted because it wasn't said before every point and that causes confusion and arguments. Call the damn score people and say it loud enough for everyone to hear.
Paddle bags on the bench bug me also … I have set them next to bench when I want to sit down. I sometimes call the score out before opponent serves. I had to do this in tennis occasionally, particularly with those that always argued about score. We play indoors, and sometimes it’s hard to hear score even when said pretty loudly.
My shoes for pickleball is head 3.5 sprints and babolat jet mach 3. The babolat have a Michelin tire soles and I counted out of 30 pro players over half wore the babolet jet mach 3. Excellent court shoes
This is my favorite PB pod - there aren’t any others that are close - when u guys slam each other, handle snob and 3.5 is why you’re recommending all these 3.5 paddles - it’s gold - keep up the great work!
Exactly … let your feet pick the shoes and any insole replacements. I wore New Balance for tennis for decades, but always replaced the stock cheap insoles. Insole search can be a long frustrating experience.
Awesome video! My pet peeve would be people responding to a great play from their opponents by saying things like "you just got lucky" or "I could have easily hit that if I wasn't being lazy".
Totally agree with J2k and J2Ti for 3.0 and 3.5. I think they are even good for 2.0, maybe not the very first couple games (because of the price) , if continue to play, you don't want to wonder which one is the problem, your skills or your paddle.
Oh … another question … for Dirty secret Justin: What can one spray on their paddle that is undetectable, doesn’t leave residue on ball, not sticky and provides sick spin? Figure a paddle engineer could help trash brothers out. The clear Rust-Oleum Anti-slip spray paint sounds like a maybe. Asking for a friend.
I've seen people test various clear spray on non-slip coatings and, while they do work, they add a ton of weight and swing weight so maybe not the best solution.
Hi, Enjoy your podcasts. Like taking the train to nerd town too. Glad to hear you are going to spend more time on the Body Helix X4 Gold Kevlar and x5. I have a X4 Gold and love it. More power than the J2K, but still easy to control. Since you asked for questions, I have one but it requires a little set up. Generally the wider the paddle the higher the twist weight. Seemingly very small differences in the width have pretty dramatic variations. It's legal to add tape of any variety to the edge of the paddle without restriction. I know you add lead tape to the sides of your paddles to increase the twist weight, but don't want to add too much because it will raise the swing weight. My question is would using a 1/8" thick (or thicker) peice of lightweight foam tape applied first to the edge with the lead added over the top. How much would the extra 1/4" virtually wider paddle's twist weight increase vs. just lead tape and no foam? Also would that allow for slightly less overall weight needed? Hope to hear an answer next week. Feel free to market the idea.😊
Well it looks like it happened already. Kiwi Labs has decided to release a paddle that is not USAP approved due to the high cost and release it at a discount. Raw carbon paddle at $49. Hope for the rec play this becomes a trend to keep prices down.
I admit this is TOTALLY unreasonable. I wish people would toss your ball back when you wave and call for it… When someone picks up another court’s ball and a) launches it into oblivion or b) stands around looking for where to throw it, I get irrationally mad 🙊
Paddle tapping is the lamest coming from tennis. At one point I came up with the paddle wave with the wife. She hits a good shot on other side of court … we just waved paddles toward each other. Think of the saved steps with remote paddle waving. Not a wave like waving goodbye … paddle tips toward each other, paddle faces toward ground, up and down wave very rapidly. 🤣 Most of the regulars I play with know not to bother trying with me. If someone persists I will wave paddle near theirs but without contact … a paddle drive-bye. But I’ve always been that guy … I fist bumped instead of handshakes long before covid. I do that tapping paddle with hand, but no way I want their hand on my paddle. Also … I have a limited grit shelf life, no way I want some hyped up tapper knocking some grit off. 😂
First there was The Blues Brothers, now comes The Trash Brothers. Brad Gilbert wrote a popular tennis book titled “Winning Ugly”. Can we expect one from you two … “Winning Trashy”. Follow up question: When trash players talk trash to each other isn’t that a circular firing squad?
Oh my gosh! I’m dying over…”I don’t have a ball machine, but I DO have a wife that will come out and feed me balls.” I hope she’s at least going to get a nice dinner or something!❤️😜😂
I just started playin and have the Friday paddle👍🤜…added some tungsten tape at 3 & 9 spots totally rocks and also have the neonic force for $89 bucks and is as good as some of those $200+ paddles
Not all players at a level are the same. Some have trash strokes and shorts, but good movement. Some have real strokes and respectable shorts, but trash legs. Game on … that senior might wield that power paddle just fine. Plot twist. I have a meme I keep on my iPhone that is an old bearded Viking. Caption: “Fight me if you wish … but remember I’m old for a reason”. Also … any heavy topspin lob is not subject to opponent whining. It’s a rule, look it up.
Love this pod. Learned a lot about pickleball and paddles. Thanks. One thing I want to ask is: do you plan to look into the Onix patent thing and share your thoughts? I think it might have big implication on the whole paddle industry...
We won't be going into any speculation or commenting on any legal proceeding in this podcast. While I agree that there certainly are implications and I, personally, am directly affected by this situation in my role as a consultant, we'll leave public comment to legal teams or brand spokespeople.
I've mostly worn Gel Res 9s, but liking the SS FF3s right now as well. I have some Court FF3s on the way now because I slide a lot and put holes in the medial sides of both the Gel Res and SS. Overall, Solution Speed FF3s are probably the best option for pickleball.
How about older players who have trouble generating a lot of power? Would you recommend more powerful paddles at the 3.5 level or is it still going to be too much power for them to control?
I believe in a different video he said 14.3 mm. However, JohnKew prefers the 12.7. 12.7 has more pop and 14.3 has more control. They say the sweetspot is also a bit bigger on the 14.3 mm.
You two are sounding a bit like prima Donna’s. Pickleball is getting the ball over the net any way you can, even if it’s 5 lobs in a row. If your opponents are winning points, then it’s effective. But agree, using the sun to screw with your opponents is a bit much. My pet peeve are people that insist pickleball must be played one way, at the kitchen, dinking. Every shot is dependent on situation. Drop/reset to get back in the point and neutralize your opponent’s attack, drive if it’s there.
You are absolutely right. We were embracing our inner complainers on this episode. 😄 And, to be clear, we were only complaining about repeated lobbing specifically in rec play. I'm with you about doing whatever is effective in competitive play.
Random question. I looked up what it takes to be a 2-3- 3.5 etc. by definition I’m a 3.0. But if I play 3.0s in better shape I get beat pretty good. I’m 50, overweight and out of shape. Working on getting in shape but still. These 20 year olds put it down even if they are technically not as good as me. Lol
Can you compare the ripple r2 and the esq c 14.3? Why would you choose esq over r2? Heard both are controllable. Just very curious especially since more r2 drops in 2 days
The R2 will be more powerful and poppy and has the potential to become hotter the more you use it. This may sound enticing but can get quite challenging to control after a certain point and may (not proven) become corrupted. The Esq c will likely be the better paddle in terms of longevity and is significantly easier to control. Both paddles are very fun but I would likely spend the $250 on the Esq-c before the ripple
Hey guys, I'm really interesting in paddles with good pocketing/dwell time, such as when you were talking about the ESQ-C. Can you recommend some more paddles that pockets the ball like the Paddletek Bantam paddles, specifically in the elongated shape?
The only real comparisons are the Bantam TKO-CX and the Pursuit Pro line of paddles. You will get a little bit of dwell time with paddles that integrate fiberglass like the 11six24 Hurache X Control +
@PickleballPursuit I did not think about the Pursuit Pro paddles. I have not played with Pro 1 models but they seem nice. Do you think both thicknesses from both Paddletek and Engage are comparable?
@@jatseng0000 I havent played with the engage very much. Only a game or two so I can't really give you too much insight on them. I just know they have that same feel as the paddleteks
The six zero BD was using a CF / Fiberglass blend over a year ago. I sure hope that is on your list. The J2H is a bit more poppy and powerful, it not necessarily better unless you are looking for that. I don’t get why the BD gets so little love while everyone is going GaGa over the newer CF/Fiberglass options…
So, what paddle option/s would you recommend for a 3.0 player who plays in a weekly league of 3.0 to 3.99s where 90% of the other players play with the Mod-ta or the 3s and doesn’t want to buy a joola but wants to be able to counter well and have some power/pop of there own that can be controlled. 😊
If you're spending most of your time blocking/countering crazy gen3 speed-ups and drives, I'd recommend something like the 11SIX24 Monarch All Court. It has a giant sweet spot, great stability, and enough pop to make them pay on counters.
@@Pickleballetc Thank you!! I’m more partial to rounded extended shapes coming from tennis but willing to try anything that could help me stay competitive. Also, what brand was that blue hat you wore in the last episode, I’m a bit of a hat fan and wanted to get one.
Friday paddles are the only one ls that are truly thermoformed from top to Butcup! Have you removed the grip from J2K or Joola Perseus? The grips are not as solid!
Speed Up, Head, and Ethos all have top notch handles. When I'm going to "main" any paddle for a while, I do a little handle surgery on it myself to make it much better than the squishy stock handle.
Justin is so right and Louis so wrong … squarish handles suck. We got his and her Prince Response Pro paddles when we (wife) transitioned from tennis. I could not believe the Prince that we all trusted and respected in tennis would go so low. Then carbon surfaces came out … I bought an XSPAK and not only square again, but hideously large. Too bad … the XSPAK was a good playing paddle. Thank goodness I found Vatic Pro soon after … good handles. Louis’s new main has a preexisting condition.
Justin are you using inserts" Looking forward to the "fiberglass" focus review. Agree with the "Rec game" chit chat being annoying.Open Play Rec "drama" is the worst.
Yes, definitely. Currently using and enjoying the Currex inserts. Before that I mainly used Superfeet Run insoles. I like the Move Game Days as well, but the fabric they use is so slippery to me so my feet slid around a bit too much for my liking. I had a partial achilles tear a while back and then I ended up getting some light PF from compensating and being tight so now I make sure to do everything to take care of my feet and use good gear that works for me.
@@Pickleballetc Achilles tear … scary. One of my tennis friends ruptured his. He came back 100% but I think he was out for a year. I never had Achilles tendonitis in tennis, but have fought it off and on in pickleball. Massage gun on calves every time before leaving house for pickleball has been like a miracle. Achilles could be very tight/sore in the morning, and after 3-4 minutes of massage totally gone. I have Fitville shoes off of Amazon, first shoes I haven’t had to replace insoles for tennis/pickleball. Just lucky … our feet must be like snowflakes … miracle when you find what makes feet happy. I couldn’t care less what they look like.
Thats why it's REC play, that's when you have FUN and flap your gums. It's not a Tournament. It's when you play a tourney you shut up. You're a real hoot then to play with 😂. Maybe golf is your game lol
I've now worn all 3 of the flagship models and like them all. Solution Speed FF3s are probably my favorite for pickleball. Gel Resolution 9s are the ones I've had the most pairs of. Court FF3s are incredibly stable and durable, but the heaviest of the 3.
Wow. Justin. Pet peeve... so hurtful (you got this, the next pod will be much better for you!). SUN LOBBERS ARE THE WORST. Played a guy the other day who even added "you seeing purple dots yet?". Other pet peeves include people that give unsolicited advice to women players. Unsolicited advice isn't great, but I can't help that notice that if there are girls on the court they get the "mansplaining" treatment at a way higher frequency. I feel so bad for them.
Yes, being rude is the worst. Pickleball is for fun. My friends and I will roast each other quite often, but that's a different thing when you know each other well and it's a 2-way street for fun. I know the type of shaming comments you're talking about and those are the people no one likes to play with.
@PickleballPursuit what is the swing weight twist rate with it set up like that? What was starting weight? I'm a self admitted pickle need. Juat trying to get an idea of how to lead up my esq. At some point, I'm prob gonna buy one of those machines to measure swing weight twist rate, lol.
Pet peeve: I will berate myself when I make stupid mistakes, I don’t need my partner to start caring at that point, “it’s gonna be okay, don’t worry, you tried, etc.”. I’m saying it to myself as a reminder not to do it again
positive feedback and encouragement works wonders between teammates in rec play. keeps your teammate from over thinking their errors, makes the game more light hearted and fun. sure there are levels to it, you dont want to hear banter on every point but i definitely disagree with Justin on saying its completely useless.
There is literally no editing. Consider this podcast unedited conversations. We know this isn't a highly produced and polished product, but that is intentional. If you want more succinct opinions on specific paddles with great editing, check out Louis's individual reviews. His editing (especially on all of the recent intros) is top notch on those videos.
I actually dislike @pickleballetc "Justin?" after his rant on generic encouragement. And him trashing 3.5s? Dude? And new meaning to geek talk with the anti-social paddle tapping. My pet peeve is long pre-serve routines like bouncing 5-6 times. And serial lobbers.
You guys play off of each other so well. I got a good laugh out of your comment that being bad players was your brand. Great job keeping the podcast both light and informative.
I used to be firmly of the mindset that beginners/intermediate players should use control based paddles with less power and bigger sweet spot.
But a couple of things changed my mind.
1) I sometimes use a Gearbox PPE to start out with for a game or two, and then switch to a Ruby. Afterwards, I feel super dialed in with the Ruby. Drops are a lot better and I'm more focused. Other players have experienced similar phenomena of feeling more dialed in when switching from a power paddle to a less powerful paddle.
2) James Ignatowich also mentioned that he thinks players should use the most powerful paddle they can "reasonably" handle. That's because it will force them to do things like make their swing path more compact, reduce the grip strength on the paddle, and really "seeing" the ball hit the sweet spot.
Having longer swings and tightened grip are things that players can get away with when they use less powerful paddles, and over time, these habits can become harder to break...especially when the player switches over to a more powerful paddle.
I'm not suggesting that beginners go out and get a Gearbox. But to me, it does make sense to start out with something more powerful and teach players from the beginning to really focus on better habits instead of having the paddle compensate.
Another great podcast! Thanks for the time and effort you give to educating… and for the shoutout. Can’t wait to get you guys the new FLIK line.
This is the one pickleball podcast I'll always watch all the way through! Keep it up!
I’m excited to see this fiberglass lineup review you’re working on Justin. I love how paddletek feels cushioned and pillow like, but I also like how 11six24 feels more crackling crisp or something. There are definite differences
I think at the lower levels you need to start with the question... Did you play tennis? Yes? Then a Hybrid or Elongated paddle. No? Then a Standard or Widebody paddle.
Yay! Another Asics fan! :) I've got from Gel-Rocket 11 thru Novak court shoes.
I volunteer at a local park to help the pro teach clinics; mostly for beginners and advanced beginners. Most of the players are over 60 .I’m a gear geek and often have 3-5 paddles in my bag. When I have a student with a really crappy paddle I’ll let them use one of mine. It’s funny to see how quickly they want to purchase something that’s better once they have had a chance to feel the difference. I’m usually handing out a square paddle with lots of forgiveness like the CBN2.
Haha wow what a great podcast...hilarious and enjoyed listening. Also...that comment about selling brand new stuff for $20 being a great way to build relationships 😂😂😂 hahahaha...I'm sure anyone and everyone will want to be your friend!
I enjoyed the podcast, but I really missed Justin doing “Nerdtown”. Have a wonderful week, Lewis and Justin.
My two pet peeves: When people don't call out the full score loud and clear. I hate when people mumble the score softly, or they skip the third number. Also when people put their belongings on benches when there's limited seating so people can't sit down.
I was just about to write this. Exactly !!! It's like now, everyone needs to keep the score in their mind because this moron isn't calling out the score. If you do that, it creates situations where the score is called wrong because someone miscounted because it wasn't said before every point and that causes confusion and arguments. Call the damn score people and say it loud enough for everyone to hear.
Paddle bags on the bench bug me also … I have set them next to bench when I want to sit down. I sometimes call the score out before opponent serves. I had to do this in tennis occasionally, particularly with those that always argued about score. We play indoors, and sometimes it’s hard to hear score even when said pretty loudly.
My shoes for pickleball is head 3.5 sprints and babolat jet mach 3. The babolat have a Michelin tire soles and I counted out of 30 pro players over half wore the babolet jet mach 3. Excellent court shoes
Wow. Love the color of Neonic Prime X.
This is my favorite PB pod - there aren’t any others that are close - when u guys slam each other, handle snob and 3.5 is why you’re recommending all these 3.5 paddles - it’s gold - keep up the great work!
I got my KiwiLabs Circuit and it is a lot of fun. Love New balance but shoes are so much a "wear what your feet like not what you like".
Exactly … let your feet pick the shoes and any insole replacements. I wore New Balance for tennis for decades, but always replaced the stock cheap insoles. Insole search can be a long frustrating experience.
Any other paddles you would compare the circuit to?
Awesome video! My pet peeve would be people responding to a great play from their opponents by saying things like "you just got lucky" or "I could have easily hit that if I wasn't being lazy".
Some people just need to protect their egos
Have the Neonic Flow, and love it!! I'm looking forward to the Neonic Swift. Pls do a review on these new Neonics!
Totally agree with J2k and J2Ti for 3.0 and 3.5. I think they are even good for 2.0, maybe not the very first couple games (because of the price) , if continue to play, you don't want to wonder which one is the problem, your skills or your paddle.
Oh … another question … for Dirty secret Justin:
What can one spray on their paddle that is undetectable, doesn’t leave residue on ball, not sticky and provides sick spin?
Figure a paddle engineer could help trash brothers out. The clear Rust-Oleum Anti-slip spray paint sounds like a maybe.
Asking for a friend.
I've seen people test various clear spray on non-slip coatings and, while they do work, they add a ton of weight and swing weight so maybe not the best solution.
@@Pickleballetc ok … I will tell my friend. 😉
@@Pickleballetc Your Neonic Swift vs your Alecto 3 … pros and cons? Both have my interest.
I’m loving my Head Revolt Pro 4.5’s and Motion Pro’s
Hi,
Enjoy your podcasts. Like taking the train to nerd town too. Glad to hear you are going to spend more time on the Body Helix X4 Gold Kevlar and x5. I have a X4 Gold and love it. More power than the J2K, but still easy to control.
Since you asked for questions, I have one but it requires a little set up.
Generally the wider the paddle the higher the twist weight. Seemingly very small differences in the width have pretty dramatic variations. It's legal to add tape of any variety to the edge of the paddle without restriction. I know you add lead tape to the sides of your paddles to increase the twist weight, but don't want to add too much because it will raise the swing weight.
My question is would using a 1/8" thick (or thicker) peice of lightweight foam tape applied first to the edge with the lead added over the top. How much would the extra 1/4" virtually wider paddle's twist weight increase vs. just lead tape and no foam? Also would that allow for slightly less overall weight needed?
Hope to hear an answer next week.
Feel free to market the idea.😊
Well it looks like it happened already. Kiwi Labs has decided to release a paddle that is not USAP approved due to the high cost and release it at a discount. Raw carbon paddle at $49. Hope for the rec play this becomes a trend to keep prices down.
I have the new ESQ 14.3 mm paddle. Good paddle. The 6.0 BD 14 and 16 are still my favs as 4.5+ player.
Just wondering why still opting for the DBD over these special paddles with fiberglass layer
I admit this is TOTALLY unreasonable. I wish people would toss your ball back when you wave and call for it…
When someone picks up another court’s ball and a) launches it into oblivion or b) stands around looking for where to throw it, I get irrationally mad 🙊
Paddle tapping is the lamest coming from tennis. At one point I came up with the paddle wave with the wife. She hits a good shot on other side of court … we just waved paddles toward each other. Think of the saved steps with remote paddle waving. Not a wave like waving goodbye … paddle tips toward each other, paddle faces toward ground, up and down wave very rapidly. 🤣
Most of the regulars I play with know not to bother trying with me. If someone persists I will wave paddle near theirs but without contact … a paddle drive-bye. But I’ve always been that guy … I fist bumped instead of handshakes long before covid.
I do that tapping paddle with hand, but no way I want their hand on my paddle. Also … I have a limited grit shelf life, no way I want some hyped up tapper knocking some grit off. 😂
I still haven't found the right shoes for pickleball.😂
Loved this one 😂👌
The Speedup paddles have great handles.
First there was The Blues Brothers, now comes The Trash Brothers. Brad Gilbert wrote a popular tennis book titled “Winning Ugly”. Can we expect one from you two … “Winning Trashy”.
Follow up question: When trash players talk trash to each other isn’t that a circular firing squad?
Oh my gosh! I’m dying over…”I don’t have a ball machine, but I DO have a wife that will come out and feed me balls.” I hope she’s at least going to get a nice dinner or something!❤️😜😂
PP, can you come out to southern california? I want to invite you to play at some nice facilities.
@@shipwreck8847 I would love to!
I want to hear more about this new 11six24 paddle. Oh well will have to wait
I just started playin and have the Friday paddle👍🤜…added some tungsten tape at 3 & 9 spots totally rocks and also have the neonic force for $89 bucks and is as good as some of those $200+ paddles
Not all players at a level are the same. Some have trash strokes and shorts, but good movement. Some have real strokes and respectable shorts, but trash legs. Game on … that senior might wield that power paddle just fine. Plot twist.
I have a meme I keep on my iPhone that is an old bearded Viking. Caption: “Fight me if you wish … but remember I’m old for a reason”.
Also … any heavy topspin lob is not subject to opponent whining. It’s a rule, look it up.
Love this pod. Learned a lot about pickleball and paddles. Thanks. One thing I want to ask is: do you plan to look into the Onix patent thing and share your thoughts? I think it might have big implication on the whole paddle industry...
We won't be going into any speculation or commenting on any legal proceeding in this podcast. While I agree that there certainly are implications and I, personally, am directly affected by this situation in my role as a consultant, we'll leave public comment to legal teams or brand spokespeople.
Which Asics does Justin main? I currently have the SS FF3 that match my orange Shapeshifter.
I've mostly worn Gel Res 9s, but liking the SS FF3s right now as well. I have some Court FF3s on the way now because I slide a lot and put holes in the medial sides of both the Gel Res and SS. Overall, Solution Speed FF3s are probably the best option for pickleball.
@@Pickleballetc I'm thinking about trying the Babolat Jet Mach 3 next, but we'll see
The people who Make an excuses after every bad shot
🎉🎉🎉 I’ll take the shoes size 10
How about older players who have trouble generating a lot of power? Would you recommend more powerful paddles at the 3.5 level or is it still going to be too much power for them to control?
You gave the J2Ti a glowing review. Curious why that's not your main?
@@davehansen1169 I’ve touched on that a ton in previous podcasts. Primarily the handle length is not as comfortable for 2 handed backhands.
12.7 or 14.3? Which are you playing?
I believe in a different video he said 14.3 mm. However, JohnKew prefers the 12.7. 12.7 has more pop and 14.3 has more control. They say the sweetspot is also a bit bigger on the 14.3 mm.
I prefer the 14.3. Still gives you plenty of power and pop but is much more forgiving and easier to control
Love Way of Wade! I use the Son of Flash for pickleball. Want to try the New Balance Wxy v5s next.
Nice! How does the outsole hold up
5 months in the forefoot is getting close to going flat. Not wore through but wore flat.
That’s pretty decent all things considered
You two are sounding a bit like prima Donna’s. Pickleball is getting the ball over the net any way you can, even if it’s 5 lobs in a row. If your opponents are winning points, then it’s effective. But agree, using the sun to screw with your opponents is a bit much. My pet peeve are people that insist pickleball must be played one way, at the kitchen, dinking. Every shot is dependent on situation. Drop/reset to get back in the point and neutralize your opponent’s attack, drive if it’s there.
You are absolutely right. We were embracing our inner complainers on this episode. 😄 And, to be clear, we were only complaining about repeated lobbing specifically in rec play. I'm with you about doing whatever is effective in competitive play.
@@Pickleballetc Our rec open play is for rent $ … I will tell everyone to chill. We didn’t know. 😉
Enjoy the video. Want to try the 11SIX24 Hurache-X Alpha 1.
Random question. I looked up what it takes to be a 2-3- 3.5 etc. by definition I’m a 3.0. But if I play 3.0s in better shape I get beat pretty good. I’m 50, overweight and out of shape. Working on getting in shape but still. These 20 year olds put it down even if they are technically not as good as me. Lol
Can you compare the ripple r2 and the esq c 14.3? Why would you choose esq over r2? Heard both are controllable. Just very curious especially since more r2 drops in 2 days
The R2 will be more powerful and poppy and has the potential to become hotter the more you use it. This may sound enticing but can get quite challenging to control after a certain point and may (not proven) become corrupted. The Esq c will likely be the better paddle in terms of longevity and is significantly easier to control. Both paddles are very fun but I would likely spend the $250 on the Esq-c before the ripple
Hey guys, I'm really interesting in paddles with good pocketing/dwell time, such as when you were talking about the ESQ-C. Can you recommend some more paddles that pockets the ball like the Paddletek Bantam paddles, specifically in the elongated shape?
The only real comparisons are the Bantam TKO-CX and the Pursuit Pro line of paddles. You will get a little bit of dwell time with paddles that integrate fiberglass like the 11six24 Hurache X Control +
@PickleballPursuit I did not think about the Pursuit Pro paddles. I have not played with Pro 1 models but they seem nice. Do you think both thicknesses from both Paddletek and Engage are comparable?
@@jatseng0000 I havent played with the engage very much. Only a game or two so I can't really give you too much insight on them. I just know they have that same feel as the paddleteks
@PickleballPursuit no problem. That's plenty helpful. Thank you so much!
The six zero BD was using a CF / Fiberglass blend over a year ago. I sure hope that is on your list. The J2H is a bit more poppy and powerful, it not necessarily better unless you are looking for that. I don’t get why the BD gets so little love while everyone is going GaGa over the newer CF/Fiberglass options…
That's a good point and the BD is a good paddle. Unfortunately I don't have one so it won't be in my comparison though.
So, what paddle option/s would you recommend for a 3.0 player who plays in a weekly league of 3.0 to 3.99s where 90% of the other players play with the Mod-ta or the 3s and doesn’t want to buy a joola but wants to be able to counter well and have some power/pop of there own that can be controlled. 😊
Mach forza 2
If you're spending most of your time blocking/countering crazy gen3 speed-ups and drives, I'd recommend something like the 11SIX24 Monarch All Court. It has a giant sweet spot, great stability, and enough pop to make them pay on counters.
@@Pickleballetc Thank you!! I’m more partial to rounded extended shapes coming from tennis but willing to try anything that could help me stay competitive. Also, what brand was that blue hat you wore in the last episode, I’m a bit of a hat fan and wanted to get one.
@@JovanniG678 It is a Cotopaxi hat. Doesn't look like they still sell that specific blue model, but they have some nice stuff.
@@Pickleballetc thank you
Tennis moaner/grunters, sun lobbers, and people who pick on poor 80 year old Susan with two hip replacements at open play are vile humans.
This 796 is not a good representative on NB tennis shoes. I only use NB and these made my feet hurt. The CT rally is great
Would you say the neonic flow prime x plays like viva gen 3?
What's your discount code for Body Helix??
Pursuit10
Friday paddles are the only one ls that are truly thermoformed from top to Butcup! Have you removed the grip from J2K or Joola Perseus?
The grips are not as solid!
Thanks for ditching the red backlight!
Confirmed, next episode will be RED
Handles matter less to Justin than he acts like because otherwise he'd use a Speed Up or Head
Speed Up, Head, and Ethos all have top notch handles. When I'm going to "main" any paddle for a while, I do a little handle surgery on it myself to make it much better than the squishy stock handle.
It's not really AI generated. It's an acryonm for pickleball vigorously makes us relax together. Although it sounds silly nevertheless
🤣
Justin is so right and Louis so wrong … squarish handles suck. We got his and her Prince Response Pro paddles when we (wife) transitioned from tennis. I could not believe the Prince that we all trusted and respected in tennis would go so low. Then carbon surfaces came out … I bought an XSPAK and not only square again, but hideously large. Too bad … the XSPAK was a good playing paddle. Thank goodness I found Vatic Pro soon after … good handles.
Louis’s new main has a preexisting condition.
Disney World Orlando? Milton?
I live close to Disney if you want to get a game in? let me know we have several courts to choose from.
Hope you made it through the storm ok
@@PickleballPursuit All good thank you
Justin are you using inserts" Looking forward to the "fiberglass" focus review. Agree with the "Rec game" chit chat being annoying.Open Play Rec "drama" is the worst.
Yes, definitely. Currently using and enjoying the Currex inserts. Before that I mainly used Superfeet Run insoles. I like the Move Game Days as well, but the fabric they use is so slippery to me so my feet slid around a bit too much for my liking.
I had a partial achilles tear a while back and then I ended up getting some light PF from compensating and being tight so now I make sure to do everything to take care of my feet and use good gear that works for me.
@@Pickleballetc I am old (70) and arthritis in my feet keeps me with inserts, diet, and good shoes.
@@Pickleballetc Achilles tear … scary. One of my tennis friends ruptured his. He came back 100% but I think he was out for a year.
I never had Achilles tendonitis in tennis, but have fought it off and on in pickleball. Massage gun on calves every time before leaving house for pickleball has been like a miracle. Achilles could be very tight/sore in the morning, and after 3-4 minutes of massage totally gone.
I have Fitville shoes off of Amazon, first shoes I haven’t had to replace insoles for tennis/pickleball. Just lucky … our feet must be like snowflakes … miracle when you find what makes feet happy. I couldn’t care less what they look like.
How come you abandoned the J3K pro!?? 😂
J2k clears
Is your lead placement still the same
Thats why it's REC play, that's when you have FUN and flap your gums. It's not a Tournament. It's when you play a tourney you shut up. You're a real hoot then to play with 😂. Maybe golf is your game lol
Are you using 12.7 or 14.3 ?
14.3
Did you say which ASIcs they were that you prefer?
I've now worn all 3 of the flagship models and like them all. Solution Speed FF3s are probably my favorite for pickleball. Gel Resolution 9s are the ones I've had the most pairs of. Court FF3s are incredibly stable and durable, but the heaviest of the 3.
Dork says what's up nerds. 😮
Wow. Justin. Pet peeve... so hurtful (you got this, the next pod will be much better for you!). SUN LOBBERS ARE THE WORST. Played a guy the other day who even added "you seeing purple dots yet?". Other pet peeves include people that give unsolicited advice to women players. Unsolicited advice isn't great, but I can't help that notice that if there are girls on the court they get the "mansplaining" treatment at a way higher frequency. I feel so bad for them.
I get secondhand embarrassment when I see a dude who sucks trying to coach a girl who is better than him
How do you know this cheapo paddle is AI designed?
Toot! Toot!
Has to be Pursuit to 4.0 Gold
How about toxic shaming? 😂 "If it wasn't for you, the net would starve!"
Yes, being rude is the worst. Pickleball is for fun. My friends and I will roast each other quite often, but that's a different thing when you know each other well and it's a 2-way street for fun. I know the type of shaming comments you're talking about and those are the people no one likes to play with.
Pursuit of 2.0 gold for sure
God damn! Take it easy…. I’m still recovering from my tournament last weekend 🤣
@PickleballPursuit lol. Is it 4 or 5 inches of tape on your esq-c. Is it 0.5 or 1gram tape?
@@MrPanthers23 it was 4.5” of 1 gram per inch! Always appreciate the good roast btw! Keep em coming
@PickleballPursuit what is the swing weight twist rate with it set up like that? What was starting weight?
I'm a self admitted pickle need. Juat trying to get an idea of how to lead up my esq. At some point, I'm prob gonna buy one of those machines to measure swing weight twist rate, lol.
@@MrPanthers23 mine is now at 111sw 7.5tw
Episode N+1
Pet peeve: I will berate myself when I make stupid mistakes, I don’t need my partner to start caring at that point, “it’s gonna be okay, don’t worry, you tried, etc.”. I’m saying it to myself as a reminder not to do it again
positive feedback and encouragement works wonders between teammates in rec play. keeps your teammate from over thinking their errors, makes the game more light hearted and fun. sure there are levels to it, you dont want to hear banter on every point but i definitely disagree with Justin on saying its completely useless.
your editing could use ALOT of work
There is literally no editing. Consider this podcast unedited conversations. We know this isn't a highly produced and polished product, but that is intentional. If you want more succinct opinions on specific paddles with great editing, check out Louis's individual reviews. His editing (especially on all of the recent intros) is top notch on those videos.
Babalot Mach 3
I actually dislike @pickleballetc "Justin?" after his rant on generic encouragement. And him trashing 3.5s? Dude? And new meaning to geek talk with the anti-social paddle tapping. My pet peeve is long pre-serve routines like bouncing 5-6 times. And serial lobbers.
If you want a wide tennis, pickleball shoe and not break the bank fitville. Nice treads .also another shoe with nice treads LEFUS 50 BUCKS