Made it to the Kitchen and did find the testing methodology interesting. It also gives me even more appreciation for the effort involved in high quality paddle reviews. You, John and Brayden have set the bar. Keep up the excellent work! Also, great PSA on eye protection. Everyone should be wearing some form of eye protection.
Chris, I appreciate the compliments about my recent interview with you. I plan to make my new weekly blogs on the Hudef website unlike others on other paddle company sites. Hopefully more original, informative and entertaining for all pickleball players. I’m not only a writer, I’m a regular pb player and fellow paddle nerd. Also, thanks for posting the link to my blogs at the top of your comments section. Keep up the great work.
Most recent a ball hit a high arcing bounce in the NVZ. The player charged the net and slammed the ball, I was on the ground and lense popped out before I even realized what happened.
couple weeks ago, i teach beginners and always tell them to wear glasses, lady got popped right in the eye. She went out and got glasses before she played again.
Been playing for over two years now and play with safety/sunglasses outdoors, and last week decided to start wearing protective eyewear indoors. 5 days after starting to wear the eyewear, I was at the kitchen and took a full-force direct hit to my left eye. I don't think it would have ended up well for my eye IF I didn't have the protective eyewear. Scared the hell out of me. Everyone stopped to see if the glasses broke and if I was OK. I'll NEVER play without protective eyewear again~
Thanks for the discussion on glasses. Flinching less and being more comfortable at the net is a great reason for eye protection. I also don't want to get a serious or minor injury to my eye. I don't want an extra scratch or worse vision for the rest of my life. Good discussion on pickleballs. I see no reason to settle on a ball that breaks and warps. We gotta keep developing paddles and balls until they are all better and cheaper.
I recently bought eye protection because kitchen blocks or volleys against kitchen smashes was becoming very dangerous and scary. When there is a bad dink in doubles and the ball is set up for a kitchen smash. I had to use the paddle to block my face, and be willing to take the smash to the body. But now, with eye protection I'm more confident to block my body or legs against a kitchen smash. Safety is #1 :D Bolle from Amazone is my choice.
I have used diadem balls the past 2 winters to play, give lessons, and drill. I have yet to crack a ball. Sub 30 degrees a lot of days. Very durable and do a great job staying round. Still have the original 50 I ordered, minus 3 or 4 that have grown legs
I have a hunch that by the end of 2024 Diadem balls will rise to the top of the market - I played with one as well and nothing but normal scratches....
Got a 10mm RCF Obsidian after hearing your endorsement. It is awesome at the net and I don’t think the sweet spot is unreasonable for a 10mm paddle. Solid paddle. Been playing an Engage MX Pro and I am enjoying the 10mm a lot. You guys are doing a great job reviewing new gear!
I'm still here! I'm not a reviewer, but I am an engineer by education so I understand and appreciate the effort you are putting in. I'm currently playing with a Volair Forza Mach 1, but I"m always looking for my next paddle.
Great comments on the eyewear! So important. I was hit in the face a few times over a month span (and I like to think I have quick reflexes) so I was like, enough is enough. I tried a few different styles for indoor use and I didn't like the lenses on them. For me, the lenses tend to be bothersome. Fogging issues, or scratching issues, or sweat dripping on the lenses, or glare, or simply just having something you're looking through indoors, was annoying to me. So what I've done is pop the lenses out of a pair of wraparound rigid-framed sunglasses. All of the "lens issues" were gone. And the frames prevent the ball from striking my eye. Kind of like a catcher's mask in baseball or a collegiate hockey player cage. For outdoor use, I just use shatterproof sunglasses. Rose-tinted and non-polarized, which is supposed to be better for picking up the ball... and I've found that to be the case. For whatever reason, I don't mind looking through lenses when I'm outdoors. Something about indoor lighting and using lenses bothers me. Anyway, keep up the great work!
don’t underestimate your listeners/followers! …. I listened to the end - spin tests are interesting to anyone who teaches math or physics or both - we're always looking for applications for the content we teach! thanks for all you share!
I wear eye protection always. Deflections off your partner’s paddle edge or your own are the very dangerous for eye injuries. I’ve seen two different people get eye injuries from that. You might be able to avoid a straight on hard shot. You never see the deflection coming. Also for the fogging concerns, there are lots of options with no lenses.
I've been hit in the face several times but not in the eye. I almost always wear glasses. Also, Will made a good point about wearing a hat and it definitely helps protect your eyes. I have Oakley glasses with the Prizm Field lenses. They are non-polarized making them great for sports with a moving ball. I love them for outdoors. I wear either the GearBox yellow lens or a pair of clear Head raquetball glases for indoors (lately I prefer the clear). My problem with indoor play is the weird light and the glasses reflect it thus making it easier for me to see and protecting my eyes.
My argument for eyewear is that I couldn’t overcome my double vision any longer and I didn’t want to get drilled. Prescription required. I had the doc set the focus at about 30 feet. It’s not perfect but it was enough to allow me to stay on the court a few more years.
Regarding eye protection. A lot of people (including me) have a lot of issues with foggy and blurry glasses and therefore do not wear protection. I bought for less than $5 nice sporty glasses in Temu and REMOVED the lenses. You don't need the lenses to protect your eyes, just the frame. Obviously you need to wear full frame designs, not jus upper frame. I've been hit 4 or five times and it worked like a charm. 99% of cases the impact of a ball doesn't come straight from your opponent, but from a close bounce on your paddle or your partner's paddle. The distance to these is so close that your head doesn't have tie to avoid the impact.
The geek out corner of the Ktchn (a take on the Pckl take from last week) was great ... actually reviewing your methods confirms why we value your reviews
Made it to the kitchen and even though I’m not a camera nerd I found it very interesting. Also liked to hear how the top reviewers share info with one another. Very cool. And wow, didn’t know how much work was involved with all the stats you give us. I appreciate it! Will is right about wearing a hat. The brim of my hat has saved my head twice now! I do wear eye protection.
Not a reviewer, but obviously a nerd, because I loved the kitchen! I have been into photography and videography for decades though. I didn’t know about the frame rate issue on the iPhone, so that was quite interesting , as was the info on how you actually perform the tests. Keep up the good work gentlemen!
Hey Chris, I did get hit in the eye from a deflection. It hit my paddle and right into my eye. Hurt so bad but was good for a week until I started seeing halo lights or flashes in the corner of my eye and still see it from time to time since Halloween, Oct 31st of this year when it happened. Ever since, I been wearing goggles and people who heard of my mishap start wearing them too. I seen eye doctors 3 times and luckily they said my eye is good, no detached retina. I also know about having only 1 eye vision when I got hit in the eye by softball from a bad hop. Like you guys said, driving so bad cuz no depth perception and working on computers is as worse. So ya, protect those precious eyes as much as you can. Losing your vision from pickleball is not worth it. And by the way, some of my friends just use the frames with no lense from old pair of glasses. That works too so no issue with fogging or clarity from cheaper quality lens
Recently switched playing outdoor games to Pro S1 ball and agree it is very crack resistant in cold weather (40-50 degrees). After seeing some odd bounces I used calipers to measure the well used balls with new Pro S1s out of the box. The used balls were 1-2 mm smaller in diameter than the new balls. I did not see any balls that measured out of round. Now plan on rotating balls into my practice bag as the wear down.
Thank you so much guys for the kitchen. I legit wanted to reach out and ask about the spin test results. This helped tremendously as I am going to start reviewing this month!
Well Chris, I made it all the way through the kitchen and found it very interesting. Thanks for the teaser on the grit testing. Makes it tough for the paddle companies to stay ahead of things. They need to have an advisory committee for the companies to be proactive rather than reactive.
Chris any news on the release date for the mylar "grit sheets" that you spoke about a few months back? Just bought the CRBN Pivot. Never played w/o eye pro in 6 years. Looking forward to GAMMA's "air bender" and their ball. Heard the CHUCK has 30 holes?? About time for GAMMA to get into new tech on the paddle front. Radar guns must save you a ton of time, but pricey for sure. Totally want the State vs State idea. Cali has some talent to put up for sure.
Good stuff as usual. Keep it up. Found the kitchen stuff interesting. Eye wear has been a non-negotiable for me after playing for about 6 months. Saved me multiple times.
Thank you for the info on the process you go through to find the rpm for the paddles. To me rpm is a big deal for me considering a paddle. Thanks to your reviews I was able to find a paddle to get. Seeing how the paddles are leaning more to power, I have a feeling it be some time before I switch from my R3 Pulsar by Rhombus.
Will's Ben Johns interview made me curious about drunken goat cheese and pears...lol It's delicious! I will include it when creating charcuterrie boards. Go try it.
and about the SPIN test, the founder or one of the ambassadors of Maverix paddle with that hexagon shape head, is still waiting for you to test their paddle, especially the spin rate. Just fyi 😊
I got all the way to the framerate section (on Apple podcast) and came here to say I listed through it and found it interesting, and I'm not a reviewer. I'm a pretty big nerd, for pickleball and other things, and I enjoy seeing how nerdy people get into their thing, so I can appreciate that you got enough into the weeds to figure out that phone framerates vary. You take your craft seriously! Just happens that your craft is counting frames 😆🤓
Hi Chris & Will! Question about spin tests - I assume the spin can vary depending on the speed/power of your serve. How do you account for that variability? Plus, when Chris was 3.5 at best, I'm sure his serves were different now that he's more 3.75-ish? (2nd question... I must have missed discussion about twist weight. Can you have a segment where you break down what that is, how you test for it, and how we should take that into consideration when choosing a paddle?) Thanks guys! - Ron (Mari's husband) from Portland
For RPM I've always just used the slow motion on my Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S23 which purports to shoot slow motion in 480 FPS. The resolution isn't great but I've had no problem making out where the marker on my ball is to define 1 revolution.
Make it to the kitchen. Thanks Chris for sharing how you count RPM! I'm actually trying it with my cellphone and I wasn't happy with it. Maybe I should buy the Stalker 3😅 (don't let my wife know)
My problem and my own solution to eye-protection. The problem is that I tend to sweat significantly, especially in hot and humid conditions playing outside. So I would always get drops of sweat on the lens, which I then smudge when I wipe them off. Annoying. So my solution is a cheap pair of inexpensive sunglasses with sturdy frames, and I simply popped out the lenses. Bingo! Problem solved. The opening is too small for the ball to enter, and the frames are solid enough to prevent a major eye injury. Is it POSSIBLE for the ball to travel right into the perfect center of the opening hard enough to MAYBE still hit my eye? I suppose maybe so. But I've been hit in the face (and every story I've heard about eye injuries involves people being hit in the face) only after a ricochet off the net cord or a teammate's paddle or my own paddle, so the face shots are coming in usually at a sharp angle into the eye, not straight on.
After trying 4 different clear lense pairs I resorted to popping the lenses out too. Much better solution. Just use a pair with full frame protection and a smaller lense opening. They prevent the ball from contacting the eye.
Owl paddles got officially approved for all USAP tournaments, league and event play as of Feb 8. It was added to USAP approved paddle list on their website. Don’t sleep on these paddles. Add weighted tape to the top to add some swing weight and they play amazing. Get the OWL PXE and add a large strip of tungsten weighted tape over the top all the way down the sides to get the paddle up to 9 oz and it becomes amazing. I have an owl founders addition and it’s good but the power PXE is better. My main paddle is a Black Diamond and a double black Diamond but I might actually play better with the PXE. It’s very surprising it got full approval. Whoever is behind owl has a lot of money and pull in the pickleball world to get these paddles approved. They are wild
A cornea abrasion or detached retina are preventable injuries due to a pickleball hitting the eye. Give yourself a couple of days playing time with protective eyewear and you'll forget you are wearing them. Inexpensive versus a trip to the optometrist and not being able to play for several days, weeks or months.
I started using Bolle safety glasses with ANSI Z87 + rating for impact protection. I got hit in the head, ball ricochet off of my own paddle, hit by partner...
You talked about industry moving toward more powerful paddles in an earlier podcast. Now. When you say you get scared, I worry. In the past, I never worried about being hit and seldom flinched. That has changed dramatically with the new powerful paddles, and it has created significant changes in the game. Not sure if it is actually increasing the fun factor, which is why most us of play "competitive" pickleball. Drive POINT. Drive POINT. Drive POINT. Do they let that trend continue or create rules about power... Is anyone else seeing this, and what is your experience and your thoughts? I got a Gearbox Power because I get caught up in "I need the most powerful paddle" But sadly could not handle it and went back to my Double Black Diamond which was a great recommendation. Power is addictive
I enjoyed the podcast and the information that you and Will provided. I made it to the kitchen. I have always been using safety goggles playing pickleball that I got from my optometrist with my prescription lenses. I originally purchased the goggles to protect my eyes officiating youth soccer games, in case I got hit in the eye with a hard kicked soccer ball. I would like to watch your video interview with Collin Johns.
Took one to the eye last week. Had blurry vision and a headache. After two days of pain and a few eye doctor visits I still can barely take any sunlight hitting me without pain. Luckily my eye will be okay just some swelling. Ordered my eye protection as soon as as I could 😂
Just came here to say that I not only made it to the kitchen, but ALSO cared about the FPS convo. I’m a videographer, so I know the painstaking tedium that you endure to do the spin tests, and the challenges of filming at 240 FPS INDOORS with a shutter speed of about 500…..are REAL. 😂 What lens do you use? Something that has a f1.8 I guess?
Hahaha. Thankfully the Canon R3 handles low light quite well. We are usually filming around 6400 ISO at f2.8. We have the 28-70 and can do f/2, but shooting at 70 and f/2 blurs the ball just a bit too much during the flight path.
I hope to see future videos of you with it on to help drive adoption. I've worn them for several months and been hit in them. I'm amazed at how many people comment that they should and keep on not wearing them. I even know folks that have been hit in the eye, lost vision for some time and still don't wear them. For anyone that thinks they'll be fast enough to avoid it, try to dodge a ball off your partner's paddle when you're not expecting a shot from 6 feet away.
That's exactly what happened to me: The ball ricocheted off my partner's paddle & in an instant I was hit in my right eye, necessitating visits to my eye dr., who was also one of my racquetball partners. He said I had a badly bruised & swollen eye, something he repeated to me on my follow-up visits. He strongly stressed I wear protective eyewear. I did from that point on. Never again do I play without them. You would never dream of playing without them in racquetball. In an instant, a ball could unexpectedly hit you in pickleball that you couldn't possibly dodge. You only have ONE set of eyes. I'm not risking it again. Lesson learned!
How does the power of these new power paddles (PPE, Coretek, etc.) compare to the old delaminated Legacies or other thermos for example? I remember those being considered almost cheating level of pop/power.
Thanks for the response. Played against a delaminated Legacy the other night and it was ridiculous how much pace he'd get on every speed up. Straight up unfair, glad the Gearbox, etc. types aren't that level@@paulelkins425
I always used eye protection when I played squash. Figured it was just natural to use googles for pickel ball. Especially since a friend was hit in the face with a drive recently. Can't really see as well without my glasses for prescription googles for me.
Ooh. Throw in the Proton Series 2 with the Luxx, Air Bender, and maybe Ballista. Love to see that comparison review. I always wondered how those ball suction cups you attach to your handle affect the balance point. Yeah, I made it and am trying to visualize how you mark the balls for the spin test. The rest makes perfect sense.
I always make it to the kitchen. Today’s spin discussion was definitely interesting. I guess I am a bonafide paddle nerd and also definitely not a reviewer 😂
You might be using the wrong eyewear? Most dedicated eyewear I’ve seen is anti-fog and/or has vents. I use two different pairs in hot weather and never fog up.
I actually liked the discussion in the kitchen and appreciate your transparency in your testing methods and equipment. I watch a lot of paddle reviews and often wondered why RPM numbers varied so much. I know different technique comes into play but I did not know that camera frame rate was a variable between a cell phone and a good quality camera, but I guess it makes sense. Do you think spin results from the earlier spin measurements and older camera technology would significantly change with newer camera tech? it would be nice to see reviewers also include the equipment that was used to measure paddle stats.
I think if someone was using 120FPS and got a result over 2k, there’s a good chance that result would be lower in 240FPS. However, below 1800 RPM 120FPS should be mostly accurate enough. The 002 is actually what made me switch to 240FPS because the RPMs were getting hard to measure
X-40 is okay, but it gets soft. S1 - durable, but also get soft after a while. Vulcan - just a tad softer than dura, durable, but it will get out of round. dura - hard, fast, got wobbly, easy to break, but maybe it's better since it works until it breaks. Core - QC issues. Diadem - similar to an S1, I think. We need to think about price too.
So the s1 goes out of round but A. If you roll it in your hands it goes back into round B. You’re not getting these weird bounces when it does go out of round
IMO, Gearbox GB1 ball is good and doesn’t go out round. It will still crack after a few to several games. However, it is NOT the ball to play with in cold weather (sub 40-45°F). I bought a pack of 12 and played with it the same night, and I ended up cracking 7 of 12 plus 3 more that I had in my bag prior.
Thank you, Will for having Chris display the belt. He needs to wear it in Vegas when you guys meet with Brayden and John. 😂 Made it past the kitchen. What color sharpie do you use Chris? Show us an example of your coloring skills 😂 or are you 3/4 at best at that too?? 🤔🧐
I played against someone using an owl for the first time, and the sound definitely threw me off for a few games. After that adjustment period i seemed to not notice much. I was, however, surprised at the spin he was able to get with it.
Made it to the kitchen. Similar to Chris, now I couldn't seem to control my Gearbox Pro after playing a couple of weeks with Six Zero Infinity Black Diamond
I wonder if the upcoming grit standard and Owl approval are related - meaning changed to make the Owl legal. I do wonder if there are also financial implications to the change of grit...
The owl paddle getting approved is wild. Whoever is behind that paddle has a lot of money and pull in the pickleball world. I have the Owl founders and the Owl Power PXE paddle. They are so good that the people I play with think it’s cheating when I play with them it now with approval they can’t really talk. Add tungsten weighted tape on the top of the PXE all the way down the sides to get it closer to 9 oz and the paddle becomes really good. The dwell time on the paddle allows you to spin the ball like crazy, it has good control and the deflection seems too high to have been approved. They are wild paddles that are fun to play with.
Not a reviewer but I really appreciated the kitchen on this video! Also, as an F-35 pilot, my eyes are my livelihood. I always wear eye pro. Always.
Details regarding how you measure spin were super interesting. All reviewers should explain their methods like you do.
Made it to the Kitchen and did find the testing methodology interesting. It also gives me even more appreciation for the effort involved in high quality paddle reviews. You, John and Brayden have set the bar. Keep up the excellent work!
Also, great PSA on eye protection. Everyone should be wearing some form of eye protection.
Chris, I appreciate the compliments about my recent interview with you. I plan to make my new weekly blogs on the Hudef website unlike others on other paddle company sites. Hopefully more original, informative and entertaining for all pickleball players. I’m not only a writer, I’m a regular pb player and fellow paddle nerd. Also, thanks for posting the link to my blogs at the top of your comments section. Keep up the great work.
I've taken 3 direct and hard hits to the eye when all at the NVZ. Glasses saved me each time. Knocked my lense out once.
Most recent a ball hit a high arcing bounce in the NVZ. The player charged the net and slammed the ball, I was on the ground and lense popped out before I even realized what happened.
couple weeks ago, i teach beginners and always tell them to wear glasses, lady got popped right in the eye. She went out and got glasses before she played again.
What glasses were you wearing when the lens came out?
@Momo_8k tifosi but in fairness they were rimless on the bottom so not as rigid
Been playing for over two years now and play with safety/sunglasses outdoors, and last week decided to start wearing protective eyewear indoors. 5 days after starting to wear the eyewear, I was at the kitchen and took a full-force direct hit to my left eye. I don't think it would have ended up well for my eye IF I didn't have the protective eyewear. Scared the hell out of me. Everyone stopped to see if the glasses broke and if I was OK. I'll NEVER play without protective eyewear again~
Would love to see some content from you and Will on your drilling routines including with pros when possible. Great pod as always.
Love this suggestion! I to would be really interested.
Thanks for the discussion on glasses. Flinching less and being more comfortable at the net is a great reason for eye protection. I also don't want to get a serious or minor injury to my eye. I don't want an extra scratch or worse vision for the rest of my life.
Good discussion on pickleballs. I see no reason to settle on a ball that breaks and warps. We gotta keep developing paddles and balls until they are all better and cheaper.
I recently bought eye protection because kitchen blocks or volleys against kitchen smashes was becoming very dangerous and scary. When there is a bad dink in doubles and the ball is set up for a kitchen smash. I had to use the paddle to block my face, and be willing to take the smash to the body. But now, with eye protection I'm more confident to block my body or legs against a kitchen smash.
Safety is #1 :D
Bolle from Amazone is my choice.
Make sure that your protective eyewear meets the ASTM F 803 safety standards for racket sports.
I have used diadem balls the past 2 winters to play, give lessons, and drill. I have yet to crack a ball. Sub 30 degrees a lot of days. Very durable and do a great job staying round. Still have the original 50 I ordered, minus 3 or 4 that have grown legs
I have a hunch that by the end of 2024 Diadem balls will rise to the top of the market - I played with one as well and nothing but normal scratches....
Got a 10mm RCF Obsidian after hearing your endorsement. It is awesome at the net and I don’t think the sweet spot is unreasonable for a 10mm paddle. Solid paddle. Been playing an Engage MX Pro and I am enjoying the 10mm a lot. You guys are doing a great job reviewing new gear!
Just got hit in the eye Saturday and damaged my cornea. Will be wearing glasses from now on.
Sorry to hear :(
Dislike cause that SUCKS
I wish a ball company would make a biodegradable or have a recycle option to reduce your cost on new balls.
Check out, P3, they are recycling balls. You have to ship them to them.
I'm still here! I'm not a reviewer, but I am an engineer by education so I understand and appreciate the effort you are putting in. I'm currently playing with a Volair Forza Mach 1, but I"m always looking for my next paddle.
testing and measurement - right down an engineer's alley - I stayed too, why not ? I'll bet that Sony camera is SICK !!
Great comments on the eyewear! So important. I was hit in the face a few times over a month span (and I like to think I have quick reflexes) so I was like, enough is enough.
I tried a few different styles for indoor use and I didn't like the lenses on them. For me, the lenses tend to be bothersome. Fogging issues, or scratching issues, or sweat dripping on the lenses, or glare, or simply just having something you're looking through indoors, was annoying to me. So what I've done is pop the lenses out of a pair of wraparound rigid-framed sunglasses. All of the "lens issues" were gone. And the frames prevent the ball from striking my eye. Kind of like a catcher's mask in baseball or a collegiate hockey player cage.
For outdoor use, I just use shatterproof sunglasses. Rose-tinted and non-polarized, which is supposed to be better for picking up the ball... and I've found that to be the case. For whatever reason, I don't mind looking through lenses when I'm outdoors. Something about indoor lighting and using lenses bothers me.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
don’t underestimate your listeners/followers! …. I listened to the end - spin tests are interesting to anyone who teaches math or physics or both - we're always looking for applications for the content we teach!
thanks for all you share!
I wear eye protection always.
Deflections off your partner’s paddle edge or your own are the very dangerous for eye injuries. I’ve seen two different people get eye injuries from that. You might be able to avoid a straight on hard shot. You never see the deflection coming.
Also for the fogging concerns, there are lots of options with no lenses.
Can you share some of the options with no lenses?
I've been hit in the face several times but not in the eye. I almost always wear glasses. Also, Will made a good point about wearing a hat and it definitely helps protect your eyes. I have Oakley glasses with the Prizm Field lenses. They are non-polarized making them great for sports with a moving ball. I love them for outdoors. I wear either the GearBox yellow lens or a pair of clear Head raquetball glases for indoors (lately I prefer the clear). My problem with indoor play is the weird light and the glasses reflect it thus making it easier for me to see and protecting my eyes.
My argument for eyewear is that I couldn’t overcome my double vision any longer and I didn’t want to get drilled. Prescription required. I had the doc set the focus at about 30 feet. It’s not perfect but it was enough to allow me to stay on the court a few more years.
Regarding eye protection. A lot of people (including me) have a lot of issues with foggy and blurry glasses and therefore do not wear protection. I bought for less than $5 nice sporty glasses in Temu and REMOVED the lenses. You don't need the lenses to protect your eyes, just the frame. Obviously you need to wear full frame designs, not jus upper frame. I've been hit 4 or five times and it worked like a charm. 99% of cases the impact of a ball doesn't come straight from your opponent, but from a close bounce on your paddle or your partner's paddle. The distance to these is so close that your head doesn't have tie to avoid the impact.
Appreciate the shout out! It was great chatting with you and confirming my suspicions 👍
I’m not a reviewer but fellow paddle nerd and found the kitchen interesting 😄
Would love to hear the Collin Johns interview
Not a reviewer, nor a content creator at all, just a nerd, who enjoyed the whole RPM discussion
The geek out corner of the Ktchn (a take on the Pckl take from last week) was great ... actually reviewing your methods confirms why we value your reviews
Made it to the kitchen. Actually really cool to know how much detail and effort is behind your work.
not a reviewer, made it to the kitchen, was still awake after watching Tokyo Vice lol. Found it very interesting. Thanks!
Made it to the kitchen and even though I’m not a camera nerd I found it very interesting. Also liked to hear how the top reviewers share info with one another. Very cool. And wow, didn’t know how much work was involved with all the stats you give us. I appreciate it!
Will is right about wearing a hat. The brim of my hat has saved my head twice now! I do wear eye protection.
As you get better as a player, doesn’t your ability to generate spin improve? How can you possibly hold that variable constant?
Not a reviewer, but obviously a nerd, because I loved the kitchen! I have been into photography and videography for decades though. I didn’t know about the frame rate issue on the iPhone, so that was quite interesting , as was the info on how you actually perform the tests. Keep up the good work gentlemen!
Hey Chris, I did get hit in the eye from a deflection. It hit my paddle and right into my eye. Hurt so bad but was good for a week until I started seeing halo lights or flashes in the corner of my eye and still see it from time to time since Halloween, Oct 31st of this year when it happened. Ever since, I been wearing goggles and people who heard of my mishap start wearing them too. I seen eye doctors 3 times and luckily they said my eye is good, no detached retina. I also know about having only 1 eye vision when I got hit in the eye by softball from a bad hop. Like you guys said, driving so bad cuz no depth perception and working on computers is as worse. So ya, protect those precious eyes as much as you can. Losing your vision from pickleball is not worth it. And by the way, some of my friends just use the frames with no lense from old pair of glasses. That works too so no issue with fogging or clarity from cheaper quality lens
Recently switched playing outdoor games to Pro S1 ball and agree it is very crack resistant in cold weather (40-50 degrees). After seeing some odd bounces I used calipers to measure the well used balls with new Pro S1s out of the box. The used balls were 1-2 mm smaller in diameter than the new balls. I did not see any balls that measured out of round. Now plan on rotating balls into my practice bag as the wear down.
Thank you so much guys for the kitchen. I legit wanted to reach out and ask about the spin test results. This helped tremendously as I am going to start reviewing this month!
Well Chris, I made it all the way through the kitchen and found it very interesting. Thanks for the teaser on the grit testing. Makes it tough for the paddle companies to stay ahead of things. They need to have an advisory committee for the companies to be proactive rather than reactive.
Chris any news on the release date for the mylar "grit sheets" that you spoke about a few months back?
Just bought the CRBN Pivot. Never played w/o eye pro in 6 years.
Looking forward to GAMMA's "air bender" and their ball. Heard the CHUCK has 30 holes?? About time for GAMMA to get into new tech on the paddle front.
Radar guns must save you a ton of time, but pricey for sure. Totally want the State vs State idea. Cali has some talent to put up for sure.
Good stuff as usual. Keep it up. Found the kitchen stuff interesting.
Eye wear has been a non-negotiable for me after playing for about 6 months. Saved me multiple times.
Thank you for the info on the process you go through to find the rpm for the paddles. To me rpm is a big deal for me considering a paddle. Thanks to your reviews I was able to find a paddle to get. Seeing how the paddles are leaning more to power, I have a feeling it be some time before I switch from my R3 Pulsar by Rhombus.
My group has broken 4 S1 balls playing for a month with them in 30 and 40 degree weather. I really like them.
Count me as someone who was interested to the section at the end of your podcast about spin tests. Thank You, Dink & Dunk.... LOL
Some of us math geeks watch your channel, cool to hear how in depth the spin testing works.
FYI if you need Rx eyewear- they were really hard to get earlier but are available now $$
Anything with a lense throws off your depth perception. For faster paced games it throws off your timing.
Will's Ben Johns interview made me curious about drunken goat cheese and pears...lol It's delicious! I will include it when creating charcuterrie boards. Go try it.
Can you describe a breakthrough moment in your analysis or understanding of pickleball equipment that changed the way you evaluate products?
I have changed what paddle I use depending on the weather. The colder days make me switch to the LUX to keep things more under control.
and about the SPIN test, the founder or one of the ambassadors of Maverix paddle with that hexagon shape head, is still waiting for you to test their paddle, especially the spin rate. Just fyi 😊
I found your segment on rating spin to be super interesting and I'm just a regular player, not a rater.
Zenni has protective prescription glasses for $30-40 now.
I got all the way to the framerate section (on Apple podcast) and came here to say I listed through it and found it interesting, and I'm not a reviewer. I'm a pretty big nerd, for pickleball and other things, and I enjoy seeing how nerdy people get into their thing, so I can appreciate that you got enough into the weeds to figure out that phone framerates vary. You take your craft seriously! Just happens that your craft is counting frames 😆🤓
Hi Chris & Will! Question about spin tests - I assume the spin can vary depending on the speed/power of your serve. How do you account for that variability? Plus, when Chris was 3.5 at best, I'm sure his serves were different now that he's more 3.75-ish? (2nd question... I must have missed discussion about twist weight. Can you have a segment where you break down what that is, how you test for it, and how we should take that into consideration when choosing a paddle?) Thanks guys! - Ron (Mari's husband) from Portland
I wear eye protection just incase! I been hit under my eye a few times and it was too close for me!
For RPM I've always just used the slow motion on my Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy S23 which purports to shoot slow motion in 480 FPS. The resolution isn't great but I've had no problem making out where the marker on my ball is to define 1 revolution.
The APP in Roseville/Sacramento this March originally said they will be using the Dura 40s and then now announced will use X40s instead
Make it to the kitchen. Thanks Chris for sharing how you count RPM! I'm actually trying it with my cellphone and I wasn't happy with it. Maybe I should buy the Stalker 3😅 (don't let my wife know)
My problem and my own solution to eye-protection. The problem is that I tend to sweat significantly, especially in hot and humid conditions playing outside. So I would always get drops of sweat on the lens, which I then smudge when I wipe them off. Annoying. So my solution is a cheap pair of inexpensive sunglasses with sturdy frames, and I simply popped out the lenses. Bingo! Problem solved. The opening is too small for the ball to enter, and the frames are solid enough to prevent a major eye injury. Is it POSSIBLE for the ball to travel right into the perfect center of the opening hard enough to MAYBE still hit my eye? I suppose maybe so. But I've been hit in the face (and every story I've heard about eye injuries involves people being hit in the face) only after a ricochet off the net cord or a teammate's paddle or my own paddle, so the face shots are coming in usually at a sharp angle into the eye, not straight on.
That is what I suggest to people too, you only need frames. I would never play PB without eye protection.
After trying 4 different clear lense pairs I resorted to popping the lenses out too. Much better solution. Just use a pair with full frame protection and a smaller lense opening. They prevent the ball from contacting the eye.
I believe they make something similar for racquet ball
I made it to the kitchen!, but not sure my playing buddies will be impressed with what I learned! My head is totally spinning right now!
I had to replace a pair of Gearbox glasses after getting hit square in the eye. The best $40 investment.
I made it to the kitchen and found the nerd information very interesting. Keep the great content coming!
Will sporting that PG (Pickleball Gangsta) ❤ my dude!
Not a reviewer but love the geekiness that u talked about in the kitchen.
Owl paddles got officially approved for all USAP tournaments, league and event play as of Feb 8. It was added to USAP approved paddle list on their website. Don’t sleep on these paddles. Add weighted tape to the top to add some swing weight and they play amazing. Get the OWL PXE and add a large strip of tungsten weighted tape over the top all the way down the sides to get the paddle up to 9 oz and it becomes amazing. I have an owl founders addition and it’s good but the power PXE is better. My main paddle is a Black Diamond and a double black Diamond but I might actually play better with the PXE. It’s very surprising it got full approval. Whoever is behind owl has a lot of money and pull in the pickleball world to get these paddles approved. They are wild
Chris looks like a character from Scott Pilgrim
Not a reviewer. Made it to the end. Interesting to me, although not not sure if spin is my top priority anymore.
Bedtime! Time to listen to the last 15 minutes of this podcast! 😴😴😴😴😴🥱🥱🥱🥱😂😂😂😂 You guys are the man!❤
A cornea abrasion or detached retina are preventable injuries due to a pickleball hitting the eye. Give yourself a couple of days playing time with protective eyewear and you'll forget you are wearing them. Inexpensive versus a trip to the optometrist and not being able to play for several days, weeks or months.
I started using Bolle safety glasses with ANSI Z87 + rating for impact protection. I got hit in the head, ball ricochet off of my own paddle, hit by partner...
I own the Coretek Alpha, you can definitely drive the ball deep when you need to, but can easily lay up for a dink as well.
Get the CRBN Eye protection..they are freaking awesome.
You talked about industry moving toward more powerful paddles in an earlier podcast. Now. When you say you get scared, I worry. In the past, I never worried about being hit and seldom flinched. That has changed dramatically with the new powerful paddles, and it has created significant changes in the game. Not sure if it is actually increasing the fun factor, which is why most us of play "competitive" pickleball. Drive POINT. Drive POINT. Drive POINT. Do they let that trend continue or create rules about power... Is anyone else seeing this, and what is your experience and your thoughts? I got a Gearbox Power because I get caught up in "I need the most powerful paddle" But sadly could not handle it and went back to my Double Black Diamond which was a great recommendation. Power is addictive
Chris and Will, you're normaler than everybody! And good section on protective eyewear. Had some close calls and was thankful I wore glasses. Onwards!
I enjoyed the podcast and the information that you and Will provided. I made it to the kitchen. I have always been using safety goggles playing pickleball that I got from my optometrist with my prescription lenses. I originally purchased the goggles to protect my eyes officiating youth soccer games, in case I got hit in the eye with a hard kicked soccer ball. I would like to watch your video interview with Collin Johns.
Took one to the eye last week. Had blurry vision and a headache. After two days of pain and a few eye doctor visits I still can barely take any sunlight hitting me without pain. Luckily my eye will be okay just some swelling. Ordered my eye protection as soon as as I could 😂
I feel the same about the S1, great ball but it goes out of round so quickly
About the S1 balls, I think I heard it goes out of round but goes back to its original shape. Hmmm
So happy you talked about the Hurache just got mine and love it!!!!!!
Chris, made it to the Kitchen...enjoyed all the tech data and info. Keep up the great work.
Just came here to say that I not only made it to the kitchen, but ALSO cared about the FPS convo. I’m a videographer, so I know the painstaking tedium that you endure to do the spin tests, and the challenges of filming at 240 FPS INDOORS with a shutter speed of about 500…..are REAL. 😂 What lens do you use? Something that has a f1.8 I guess?
Omg, 1/1600 for shutter speed?!??!!
Do you use a light? Is your ISO cranked way up? Or do you not necessarily need your exposure to be perfect?
One last thing, I am NOT a paddle reviewer 😂
Hahaha. Thankfully the Canon R3 handles low light quite well. We are usually filming around 6400 ISO at f2.8. We have the 28-70 and can do f/2, but shooting at 70 and f/2 blurs the ball just a bit too much during the flight path.
I hope to see future videos of you with it on to help drive adoption. I've worn them for several months and been hit in them. I'm amazed at how many people comment that they should and keep on not wearing them. I even know folks that have been hit in the eye, lost vision for some time and still don't wear them. For anyone that thinks they'll be fast enough to avoid it, try to dodge a ball off your partner's paddle when you're not expecting a shot from 6 feet away.
That's exactly what happened to me: The ball ricocheted off my partner's paddle & in an instant I was hit in my right eye, necessitating visits to my eye dr., who was also one of my racquetball partners. He said I had a badly bruised & swollen eye, something he repeated to me on my follow-up visits. He strongly stressed I wear protective eyewear. I did from that point on. Never again do I play without them. You would never dream of playing without them in racquetball. In an instant, a ball could unexpectedly hit you in pickleball that you couldn't possibly dodge. You only have ONE set of eyes. I'm not risking it again. Lesson learned!
Made it to the kitchen!! Heard any rumors about the CRBN concept?
How does the power of these new power paddles (PPE, Coretek, etc.) compare to the old delaminated Legacies or other thermos for example? I remember those being considered almost cheating level of pop/power.
Delaminated hit much faster. The Gearbox was close to pure EVA paddles but a delaminated is way faster than even pure EVA.
Thanks for the response. Played against a delaminated Legacy the other night and it was ridiculous how much pace he'd get on every speed up. Straight up unfair, glad the Gearbox, etc. types aren't that level@@paulelkins425
I always used eye protection when I played squash. Figured it was just natural to use googles for pickel ball. Especially since a friend was hit in the face with a drive recently. Can't really see as well without my glasses for prescription googles for me.
Ooh. Throw in the Proton Series 2 with the Luxx, Air Bender, and maybe Ballista. Love to see that comparison review.
I always wondered how those ball suction cups you attach to your handle affect the balance point.
Yeah, I made it and am trying to visualize how you mark the balls for the spin test. The rest makes perfect sense.
Same as adding lead tape to the handle
You guys will 100% be playing at Sunset Park if your in Vegas
I always make it to the kitchen. Today’s spin discussion was definitely interesting. I guess I am a bonafide paddle nerd and also definitely not a reviewer 😂
Made it to the kitchen and loved the tech specs on FPS and no I'm not a content creator. Just another numbers, tech, pickleball junky. Thanks.
The problem I have with eyewear is they fog up immediately after I warm up. Constant wiping off is an annoying problem
You might be using the wrong eyewear? Most dedicated eyewear I’ve seen is anti-fog and/or has vents. I use two different pairs in hot weather and never fog up.
Depends how close it is to your forehead. Also, is it antifog?
I actually liked the discussion in the kitchen and appreciate your transparency in your testing methods and equipment. I watch a lot of paddle reviews and often wondered why RPM numbers varied so much. I know different technique comes into play but I did not know that camera frame rate was a variable between a cell phone and a good quality camera, but I guess it makes sense.
Do you think spin results from the earlier spin measurements and older camera technology would significantly change with newer camera tech? it would be nice to see reviewers also include the equipment that was used to measure paddle stats.
I think if someone was using 120FPS and got a result over 2k, there’s a good chance that result would be lower in 240FPS.
However, below 1800 RPM 120FPS should be mostly accurate enough. The 002 is actually what made me switch to 240FPS because the RPMs were getting hard to measure
X-40 is okay, but it gets soft. S1 - durable, but also get soft after a while. Vulcan - just a tad softer than dura, durable, but it will get out of round. dura - hard, fast, got wobbly, easy to break, but maybe it's better since it works until it breaks. Core - QC issues. Diadem - similar to an S1, I think. We need to think about price too.
So the s1 goes out of round but A. If you roll it in your hands it goes back into round B. You’re not getting these weird bounces when it does go out of round
IMO, Gearbox GB1 ball is good and doesn’t go out round. It will still crack after a few to several games. However, it is NOT the ball to play with in cold weather (sub 40-45°F). I bought a pack of 12 and played with it the same night, and I ended up cracking 7 of 12 plus 3 more that I had in my bag prior.
I have seen one owl paddle, lady at the club was hitting it. I was not impressed, but it was definitely quiet.
Been playing with the Pro S1 for months, never cracked one yet. I strongly doubt they’ll crack any time soon.
I’ve had the same experience using these balls consistently over the same period for up to 3 hours a day.
Thank you, Will for having Chris display the belt. He needs to wear it in Vegas when you guys meet with Brayden and John. 😂 Made it past the kitchen. What color sharpie do you use Chris? Show us an example of your coloring skills 😂 or are you 3/4 at best at that too?? 🤔🧐
The CoreTek Alpha has been approved by the USAPA!
@Pickleballstudio Chris, does the Sony ZV-1 camera can do the job for the RPM?
I played against someone using an owl for the first time, and the sound definitely threw me off for a few games. After that adjustment period i seemed to not notice much. I was, however, surprised at the spin he was able to get with it.
Made it to the kitchen. Similar to Chris, now I couldn't seem to control my Gearbox Pro after playing a couple of weeks with Six Zero Infinity Black Diamond
1:12:18 I always make it to the kitchen ... eventually. It's always worth the trip.
I wonder if the upcoming grit standard and Owl approval are related - meaning changed to make the Owl legal. I do wonder if there are also financial implications to the change of grit...
The owl paddle getting approved is wild. Whoever is behind that paddle has a lot of money and pull in the pickleball world. I have the Owl founders and the Owl Power PXE paddle. They are so good that the people I play with think it’s cheating when I play with them it now with approval they can’t really talk. Add tungsten weighted tape on the top of the PXE all the way down the sides to get it closer to 9 oz and the paddle becomes really good. The dwell time on the paddle allows you to spin the ball like crazy, it has good control and the deflection seems too high to have been approved. They are wild paddles that are fun to play with.
I'm very interested in your reviews of eyeglasses for pickleball.