Body Helix shared these stats for any data wonks out there! X-3 Lite's swing weight is 125; twist weight is 6.03; balance is 245; and spin rate is 1920. X-3 Pro's swing weight is 132; twist weight is 6.65; balance is 246; and sprin rate is 1949.
They are both great paddles! As an advanced player with great touch, feel, and spin, the X-3 does what no other paddle for me can. I have never hit with more spin before, the angles I’ve been able to create is unreal, and lastly … I feel like I am breaking balls off of overheads. The power that can come from this core, if supplied properly, is such an incredible feeling. Pickleball feels much more effortless now. I am so excited for the future of Body Helix paddles! Great review Matthew!
Love that they’re including all the accessories - especially the weights, and wrap. Interested how effective the refresher is for the Kevlar face - hopefully a future video addressing it?
Yes, the accessories are great, especially those silicon weights. As for the eraser, I haven’t tested it out with the Kevlar blend. I believe Six Zero does NOT recommend erasers for the Ruby, which seems to be straight-up Kevlar with no Carbon Fiber blend. If you’re concerned, maybe stick with a microfiber cloth and a small amount of water, or check out Reset Paddle Cleaner. I have a link with a discount code under gear recommendations in all my videos’ descriptions. They’re a brand new compnay, and their product seems to be super solid.
Thanks for mentioning the core specs. Most reviewers don't. Core integrity and differences is as important the face material IMO. Again the % of Kevlar to CB used would be good. Great explanation of the specifics of shots and skill.
Another great content and review Matt the X3 lite and X 3 Pro per their website went down the in price is now like 25% off but they changed the colorway of the paddle I like the original colorway
The Pro is super, super powerful. The Lite would be closer to all-court, but also very powerful just by the nature of its shape and how it’s constructed.
Between the two, I think the X3-Pro is not for me. The core probably added to the weight of 8.8 oz which gives it more power but that is more that 8.1 and 8.2 I'm used to.
That’s a big question! I would say the pro is closer to the kinetic in power-albeit they’re very different paddles with a lot of different characteristics. And then the lite will be closer to apes-although I haven’t played a lot with the apes line just yet for full disclosure.
Hi Matthew, good review. How would it compare to the Six Zero Ruby at the same price point. The Ruby has great reviews but I think the Body Helix 3x Pro has more layers.. Thanks
I haven't had a chance to play with the Ruby. If I do, I'll circle back with more thoughts. However, based off advertised swing weight alone, both X-3 versions will have quite a bit more power than the Ruby as well as 6-inch handles for players that like 2-handed shots--while the Ruby only has a 5.5 in handle. It looks like the Ruby will be more on the control side compared to the X-3's. All the paddles I've played with from Body Helix are more power-oriented in general. Hope that helps! Also, promo code MATTHEWK will work with either company in case you pull the trigger! Also, unless I'm mistaken, both versions of the X-3 come in at a lower price point than the Ruby. Just FYI! Happy paddle hunting! Both options are great!
A review is in the works for the X-4, but based off paddle construction alone, the X-4 should be more control-oriented than the X-3's! Although the X-4 does come in 14mm as well, so I'll need to do some playtesting to really be able to compare.
I haven’t hit too much with the Pickleball Apes paddles just yet. I will be reviewing them, and I’ll try to circle back with more thoughts. However, the shapes are both elongated with similar construction processes. One thing to note is that the PLE is more of a blade design, while the X-3 is a more traditional elongated with aero curve. So, the X-3 would probably have a bigger sweet spot, but I would have to test to see if it’s noticeable. Also, Braydon at Pickleball Effect has the X-3 Lite listed in his database with a 125 swing weight and the PLE at 127 swing weight, so very comparable power-wise. Both are really great paddles. Hope that helps! And promo code MATTHEWK will save you some cash with either company. Just FYI!
Do you know about Braydon’s paddle database over on Pickleball Effect’s website? I would check there. He has that info for a lot of paddles. I don’t have a way to take those measurements, so I likely won’t be adding those stats to my reviews anytime soon. Hope you still found the video helpful!
The X-3 Lite is very powerful and is up there with all the other power-leaning Gen 2, thermoformed, elongated paddles out right now. Where it really differs is the addition of Kevlar to its face, which makes it a little plusher in the soft game. So, if you want a lot of power at the baseline AND a lot of pop at the kitchen (without venturing into the X-3 Pro), go with the Body Helix Pro X-2 Lite instead, which doesn’t have Kevlar and would have more pop than the X-3 Lite. As for the Hudef Viva Pro Gen 2, that one is made a little differently. I would say it’s comparable to the X-3 Lite because it has a ton of power but a softer control game because the strengthening plate inside its core keeps that paddle plush when you dink but seems to activate and make the paddle more powerful when you drive or serve. Whereas, the X-3 Lite’s added plushness comes from the Kevlar blend on the face’s surface, so there’s not as much of a learning curve with how it plays IMO. Hope that helps! All the paddles you mentioned are great, so you really shouldn’t be too stressed about which one you pick!
Body Helix shared these stats for any data wonks out there! X-3 Lite's swing weight is 125; twist weight is 6.03; balance is 245; and spin rate is 1920. X-3 Pro's swing weight is 132; twist weight is 6.65; balance is 246; and sprin rate is 1949.
A swing weight of 132 with a 6 inch handle is a wrist breaker. I think the Legacy Pro has a swing weight of 122.
@@mlee9049 that's a high swing weight for the lite as well - not the best for hand battles.
They are both great paddles! As an advanced player with great touch, feel, and spin, the X-3 does what no other paddle for me can. I have never hit with more spin before, the angles I’ve been able to create is unreal, and lastly … I feel like I am breaking balls off of overheads. The power that can come from this core, if supplied properly, is such an incredible feeling. Pickleball feels much more effortless now. I am so excited for the future of Body Helix paddles!
Great review Matthew!
Agreed 100%! Glad you're liking these paddles. Body Helix is doing some really cool stuff right now!
Love that they’re including all the accessories - especially the weights, and wrap. Interested how effective the refresher is for the Kevlar face - hopefully a future video addressing it?
Yes, the accessories are great, especially those silicon weights. As for the eraser, I haven’t tested it out with the Kevlar blend. I believe Six Zero does NOT recommend erasers for the Ruby, which seems to be straight-up Kevlar with no Carbon Fiber blend. If you’re concerned, maybe stick with a microfiber cloth and a small amount of water, or check out Reset Paddle Cleaner. I have a link with a discount code under gear recommendations in all my videos’ descriptions. They’re a brand new compnay, and their product seems to be super solid.
Thanks for mentioning the core specs. Most reviewers don't. Core integrity and differences is as important the face material IMO. Again the % of Kevlar to CB used would be good.
Great explanation of the specifics of shots and skill.
Appreciate the kind words! I hope we keep seeing interesting experimentation with cores this year! 🤞
Another great content and review Matt the X3 lite and X 3 Pro per their website went down the in price is now like 25% off but they changed the colorway of the paddle I like the original colorway
Thank you! I also prefer the original color-way, but I do like the lower price! Really fun paddles!
@@MatthewKPickleball from your experience playing with these which one is leaning towards control or power and are these paddles all court
The Pro is super, super powerful. The Lite would be closer to all-court, but also very powerful just by the nature of its shape and how it’s constructed.
Great review... thank you!
Appreciate it!
Between the two, I think the X3-Pro is not for me. The core probably added to the weight of 8.8 oz which gives it more power but that is more that 8.1 and 8.2 I'm used to.
Love LOve love these Paddles!
They are definitely special!
Informative video! How does this compare to pickleball ape and marks paddle/other kevlar paddles on the market in terms of power and spin?
That’s a big question! I would say the pro is closer to the kinetic in power-albeit they’re very different paddles with a lot of different characteristics. And then the lite will be closer to apes-although I haven’t played a lot with the apes line just yet for full disclosure.
Hi Matthew, good review. How would it compare to the Six Zero Ruby at the same price point. The Ruby has great reviews but I think the Body Helix 3x Pro has more layers.. Thanks
I haven't had a chance to play with the Ruby. If I do, I'll circle back with more thoughts. However, based off advertised swing weight alone, both X-3 versions will have quite a bit more power than the Ruby as well as 6-inch handles for players that like 2-handed shots--while the Ruby only has a 5.5 in handle. It looks like the Ruby will be more on the control side compared to the X-3's. All the paddles I've played with from Body Helix are more power-oriented in general. Hope that helps! Also, promo code MATTHEWK will work with either company in case you pull the trigger! Also, unless I'm mistaken, both versions of the X-3 come in at a lower price point than the Ruby. Just FYI! Happy paddle hunting! Both options are great!
Just saw the X-4 model. Any reviews on it coming up?
A review is in the works for the X-4, but based off paddle construction alone, the X-4 should be more control-oriented than the X-3's! Although the X-4 does come in 14mm as well, so I'll need to do some playtesting to really be able to compare.
How does the body helix c-3 lite compare to the pickleball apes pro line energy. They are both Kevlar and carbon mixed .
I haven’t hit too much with the Pickleball Apes paddles just yet. I will be reviewing them, and I’ll try to circle back with more thoughts. However, the shapes are both elongated with similar construction processes. One thing to note is that the PLE is more of a blade design, while the X-3 is a more traditional elongated with aero curve. So, the X-3 would probably have a bigger sweet spot, but I would have to test to see if it’s noticeable. Also, Braydon at Pickleball Effect has the X-3 Lite listed in his database with a 125 swing weight and the PLE at 127 swing weight, so very comparable power-wise. Both are really great paddles. Hope that helps! And promo code MATTHEWK will save you some cash with either company. Just FYI!
Twist, swing weight and rpm?
Do you know about Braydon’s paddle database over on Pickleball Effect’s website? I would check there. He has that info for a lot of paddles. I don’t have a way to take those measurements, so I likely won’t be adding those stats to my reviews anytime soon. Hope you still found the video helpful!
Body Helix sent over some stats if you're still interested. I pinned them in a comment!
Does the body helix pro lite hit as hard as the carbon 1x or diamond 6.0 or a hudef viva gen 2 paddle? What could you compare it to?
The X-3 Lite is very powerful and is up there with all the other power-leaning Gen 2, thermoformed, elongated paddles out right now. Where it really differs is the addition of Kevlar to its face, which makes it a little plusher in the soft game. So, if you want a lot of power at the baseline AND a lot of pop at the kitchen (without venturing into the X-3 Pro), go with the Body Helix Pro X-2 Lite instead, which doesn’t have Kevlar and would have more pop than the X-3 Lite. As for the Hudef Viva Pro Gen 2, that one is made a little differently. I would say it’s comparable to the X-3 Lite because it has a ton of power but a softer control game because the strengthening plate inside its core keeps that paddle plush when you dink but seems to activate and make the paddle more powerful when you drive or serve. Whereas, the X-3 Lite’s added plushness comes from the Kevlar blend on the face’s surface, so there’s not as much of a learning curve with how it plays IMO. Hope that helps! All the paddles you mentioned are great, so you really shouldn’t be too stressed about which one you pick!
Love it great review!
Really appreciate the kind words! I know it was a longer video, but there was a lot to talk about with these paddles!