It’s a huge part of his whole brand. If he is ever dishonest or goes against that, he will be massively shooting his pickleball content creation career in the foot. He’s a man of the people
I'm going to go out on a limb here. I've played with just about everything and I just tried this paddle out last night and really really liked it. I played with the Hyperion for years, then the legacy, double black diamond, and many in the middle. What I love about this paddle is the balance and how it allows me to really swing through the ball. Many of the thermoformed have such pop to them that unless it's the perfect ball, it's hard to swing through and not sail it or leave it high. I typically don't play with 14m paddles, but this one had a really good feel to it. I enjoyed playing with this much more than I thought and will purchase one today.
There is a new channel of a guy starting up his own paddle company. He said some companies actually hand polish the paddle so that it isn't out of spec. He also said some companies apply a light coating to make it smoother. He also talked about the manufacturing plant can, or might make paddles to get approved, then they cut corners and stop hand polishing the paddle to save some money.
I like that dudes videos. I think his paddle coming out in late April is the “slice” paddle by kiwi labs. Has a 20mm core while being thermoformed. Could help a lot of people who struggle w controlling thermoformed paddles. We shall see!
The pricing for these paddles has definitely gotten out of hand. Kudos to the companies releasing good paddles in the $160 and < range. I can't imagine spending >$200 on a plastic paddle that will wear out after a year of hard use.
As always, great job Chris! Please keep up the tough and honest reviews. You are a tremendous asset to the pickleball community. Your redesign is way more attractive, nice of you to give it to Zane for free. They would be crazy not to use it. 😉
Hi Chris, you mentioned SixZero Double Black Diamond and Vatic Flash 16mm, can you tell us the performance difference between these two paddles? Thanks!
SO , I haven’t heard anyone talking much at all about Jollas prometheus paddle ? Do we know if it’s a thermoformed paddle ? Does it have the same problems that Ben is trying to call out as those other paddles ? Release date ? Anything ?
I have the paddle and like it. I don’t like the price. Should be $160 imo. I also play with a Vatic Pro V7. I think this paddle is for someone who isn’t feeling ready for the different feel and power of most thermoformed paddles, but don’t want the extreme plushness and head weight of 16mm Hyperion. I think it’s great for someone coming from a 16mm traditional carbon fiber paddle ( CRBN 1 16mm for example) who wants a bit more speed and still some forgiveness (w the edge foam), wants good spin (more RPM than 14mm Hyperion) and wants a more responsive paddle than most traditional. That said, a 14mm Hyperion is prob better for most. I like small grips and so this paddle met all of my needs for play when I’m not using a thermoformed paddle. I can understand Chris’ review, especially when coming from playing with more inexpensive thermoformed paddles than not.
@@joshuapickett1234 I just went throat and up the side an inch or two. Brought the over all weight up .5 oz plenty of room to play around with. Best of luck. I will admit, the over all surface area is smaller, but i don’t think it’s a big issue but for beginners
Have you considered longevity/durability as something to value? Seems like having paddles delaminate often would make them less valuable. You keep saying manufactures are going to fix it but maybe they are cheaper because they are cheaper.
It’s not because they are built cheaper. In fact, it’s more expensive to produce a thermoformed paddle. I’m watching the updates from these companies (and durability testing the new ones) as we speak. I will have a full update when there’s convulsive data to talk about.
@@PickleballStudio Materials are not the only cost involved. What about testing? It appears that many companies went to market without enough testing. Testing costs both money and time to market...seems like many companies weren't willing to put in the time in order to take advantage of a hot market.
obviously Zane should have talked to you before he approved his final design and construction.....it's a tough, crowded market out there and if you don't stand out from the rest, you are in for a long road ahead of you
All reviews should be done with the same ball type, regardless of which one it is. It's the only way comparisons from one paddle to the next make any sense.
Do all your testing with the Dura. That way there is consistency. It is obvious that with a softer ball (aka the Franklin Marshmallow) the sweet spot will seem bigger and the power will seem lower.
Franklin is what seems to be played the most by “the people.” If this is the case, it may be more effective to test all paddles with the Franks…. The Duras are wicked fun to play with, and makes the game more dynamic, especially with gritty power paddles. But damn do they go to shit quickly…. Warped 3 out of 4 new ones today in 20 minutes, was just going through the motions with my wife and mostly around the kitchen.
I'd love to think that premium paddles in the $150-$180 range is the new normal, but something tells me this is a limited time offer. The market is currently flooded with startups / new companies all trying to grab market share. About the only thing they can do to set themselves apart is to price their product very aggressively with razor thin profit margins. My bet is, 18 months from now half these companies won't exist, and the other half will have raised the price of their premium product to somewhere around the +$200 range in order to fund scaling up their operations. All the big boys need to do is wait it out. Get 'em while you can.
As long as most manufacturing is centered overseas there will always be cheaper alternatives to the big boys. Because there are no patent protections oversees any new idea/design will be knocked off and sold as a clone. Heck some of the oversees manufactures are starting to sell direct to the consumer on Amazon. I have seen Hyperion clones for less than half the price of the real deal. Cheap paddles are here to stay for anyone willing to look outside of the big brand names.
I’m not buying the paddle but if I was in the market, I would get a Proxr over any of the ones that are delaminated m. Quality and peace of mind for 30 dollars more
The social media branding is not spaced correctly on the paddle and it looks spaced weird with the edge guard .. Honestly no matter how good the paddle was i wouldn't buy it because of that.
Your comments on the paddle’s aesthetics are hypercritical and seem to be complaining primarily for effect and image, rather than substance. If there was anything to complain about the looks, it too closely resembles Joola’s Ben Johns and Simone Jardim paddles with a trapezoidal “Z” on the bottom half instead of the triangular “J.”
Gotta calm down man. It’s just banter for me and Zane while also expressing that I think it doesn’t look good. 😂 I literally said take it as a joke with slightly more serious.
Can’t wait to review your paddle 😤😉
Dude. He kind of shitted on your paddle. I thought he’d be a little nicer lol
I can’t believe Chris didn’t take the chance to say it’s better than an adidas paddle! 😂
@@kakendrick Adidas paddles are $130 not $210 like Zanes
Pretty sure I filmed this review before the Adidas match haha. It was in the queue with my editor for a bit
@@PickleballStudio sometimes I forget that I’m not seeing these in real time. Keep up the good work!
Tough but fair, another reason we can trust PickleballStudio’s reviews as even their friendship won’t get in the way of an honest review
It’s a huge part of his whole brand. If he is ever dishonest or goes against that, he will be massively shooting his pickleball content creation career in the foot. He’s a man of the people
I'm going to go out on a limb here. I've played with just about everything and I just tried this paddle out last night and really really liked it. I played with the Hyperion for years, then the legacy, double black diamond, and many in the middle. What I love about this paddle is the balance and how it allows me to really swing through the ball. Many of the thermoformed have such pop to them that unless it's the perfect ball, it's hard to swing through and not sail it or leave it high. I typically don't play with 14m paddles, but this one had a really good feel to it. I enjoyed playing with this much more than I thought and will purchase one today.
I'll stick with my Delaminated Legacy
Bros about to actually murder someone
My Legacy Pro also delaminated and still waiting for the new ones to arrive before I send it in for a warranty replacement 😅
There is a new channel of a guy starting up his own paddle company. He said some companies actually hand polish the paddle so that it isn't out of spec. He also said some companies apply a light coating to make it smoother. He also talked about the manufacturing plant can, or might make paddles to get approved, then they cut corners and stop hand polishing the paddle to save some money.
I like that dudes videos. I think his paddle coming out in late April is the “slice” paddle by kiwi labs. Has a 20mm core while being thermoformed. Could help a lot of people who struggle w controlling thermoformed paddles. We shall see!
Love the subtle paddle tap and "why isn't this making me better than 3.5" 🤣
The pricing for these paddles has definitely gotten out of hand. Kudos to the companies releasing good paddles in the $160 and < range. I can't imagine spending >$200 on a plastic paddle that will wear out after a year of hard use.
Vatic Flash 16mm is 🔥🔥🔥 PM me for info
As always, great job Chris! Please keep up the tough and honest reviews. You are a tremendous asset to the pickleball community. Your redesign is way more attractive, nice of you to give it to Zane for free. They would be crazy not to use it. 😉
Hi Chris, you mentioned SixZero Double Black Diamond and Vatic Flash 16mm, can you tell us the performance difference between these two paddles? Thanks!
Decent friends. More like 3.5 friends at best
SO , I haven’t heard anyone talking much at all about Jollas prometheus paddle ? Do we know if it’s a thermoformed paddle ? Does it have the same problems that Ben is trying to call out as those other paddles ? Release date ? Anything ?
What paddle would you suggest for a tennis player??? Who likes to hit with spin.
Have you demoed the Vatic Flash and what are your thoughts? I had read something saying was one of your favorite paddles. Pm for info
I have the paddle and like it. I don’t like the price. Should be $160 imo. I also play with a Vatic Pro V7. I think this paddle is for someone who isn’t feeling ready for the different feel and power of most thermoformed paddles, but don’t want the extreme plushness and head weight of 16mm Hyperion. I think it’s great for someone coming from a 16mm traditional carbon fiber paddle ( CRBN 1 16mm for example) who wants a bit more speed and still some forgiveness (w the edge foam), wants good spin (more RPM than 14mm Hyperion) and wants a more responsive paddle than most traditional. That said, a 14mm Hyperion is prob better for most. I like small grips and so this paddle met all of my needs for play when I’m not using a thermoformed paddle.
I can understand Chris’ review, especially when coming from playing with more inexpensive thermoformed paddles than not.
I’ve been considering the zane paddle for all the exact reasons you mentioned. How much lead and where did you add it?
@@joshuapickett1234 I just went throat and up the side an inch or two. Brought the over all weight up .5 oz plenty of room to play around with. Best of luck. I will admit, the over all surface area is smaller, but i don’t think it’s a big issue but for beginners
It’s not unlike Zane to claim that it’s longer than it actually is.
We’ll, he must be a pretty skilled conman to have pulled the wool over the eyes of the former Miss Wisconsin, now soon-to-be Mrs. Navratil. 😁
Have you considered longevity/durability as something to value? Seems like having paddles delaminate often would make them less valuable. You keep saying manufactures are going to fix it but maybe they are cheaper because they are cheaper.
It’s not because they are built cheaper. In fact, it’s more expensive to produce a thermoformed paddle.
I’m watching the updates from these companies (and durability testing the new ones) as we speak. I will have a full update when there’s convulsive data to talk about.
@@PickleballStudio Convulsive data is the best data.
@@PickleballStudio Materials are not the only cost involved. What about testing? It appears that many companies went to market without enough testing. Testing costs both money and time to market...seems like many companies weren't willing to put in the time in order to take advantage of a hot market.
Thinking maybe have full size ProXR and Zane logos on each side would be a decent looking paddle.
Would love to see a review of the Vulcan V570 CF and FRP paddles.
Keep up the great content.
Suprised how long graphics seem to last on crbn faces, an all white face would look so cool
Chris, I play with an Electrum E 16mm and I love it! What are your thoughts on the Electrum E 13mm? And in comparison to the 16mm. Thanks!
I have an article on my website you can check out.
Great review Chris, that is exactly what I was looking for!
I think it looks alright
obviously Zane should have talked to you before he approved his final design and construction.....it's a tough, crowded market out there and if you don't stand out from the rest, you are in for a long road ahead of you
Smart move to bring in to the review which balls you used
All reviews should be done with the same ball type, regardless of which one it is. It's the only way comparisons from one paddle to the next make any sense.
The paddle design is fine if you just remove that blue ZN logo.
Good stuff.
Do all your testing with the Dura. That way there is consistency. It is obvious that with a softer ball (aka the Franklin Marshmallow) the sweet spot will seem bigger and the power will seem lower.
But, I’d argue most Rec and amateur competitors are using Franklins. I think the Franklins are a good idea for likely 80% of viewers.
Franklin is what seems to be played the most by “the people.” If this is the case, it may be more effective to test all paddles with the Franks….
The Duras are wicked fun to play with, and makes the game more dynamic, especially with gritty power paddles. But damn do they go to shit quickly…. Warped 3 out of 4 new ones today in 20 minutes, was just going through the motions with my wife and mostly around the kitchen.
I'd love to think that premium paddles in the $150-$180 range is the new normal, but something tells me this is a limited time offer. The market is currently flooded with startups / new companies all trying to grab market share. About the only thing they can do to set themselves apart is to price their product very aggressively with razor thin profit margins. My bet is, 18 months from now half these companies won't exist, and the other half will have raised the price of their premium product to somewhere around the +$200 range in order to fund scaling up their operations. All the big boys need to do is wait it out. Get 'em while you can.
I can definitely see this happening.
As long as most manufacturing is centered overseas there will always be cheaper alternatives to the big boys. Because there are no patent protections oversees any new idea/design will be knocked off and sold as a clone. Heck some of the oversees manufactures are starting to sell direct to the consumer on Amazon. I have seen Hyperion clones for less than half the price of the real deal. Cheap paddles are here to stay for anyone willing to look outside of the big brand names.
Look, we all add a half inch here and there
2:13 the jokes write themselves
What’s up guys
I’m not buying the paddle but if I was in the market, I would get a Proxr over any of the ones that are delaminated m. Quality and peace of mind for 30 dollars more
Savage
That Handle is just AVERAGE (if you know what I mean 😂)
I
Honest opinion? The blue framing of the paddle is not aesthetically pleasing. I’ll stick to my Selkirk Power Air. 😂
I actually like the blue haha. But I’m biased because my favorite color is blue.
@@PickleballStudio
Ahhh ok.. fair enough!
The blue stands out amongst other paddles in Rec open play rack. 😊
Thanks Selkirk and Joola stupid Ben’s paddle for normalizing a 200 plus dollar paddle
good call on design, the social logos are so pointless
The social media branding is not spaced correctly on the paddle and it looks spaced weird with the edge guard .. Honestly no matter how good the paddle was i wouldn't buy it because of that.
You should have killed 2 birds w/one stone and compared Zane's paddle w/John Cincola's.
Your comments on the paddle’s aesthetics are hypercritical and seem to be complaining primarily for effect and image, rather than substance. If there was anything to complain about the looks, it too closely resembles Joola’s Ben Johns and Simone Jardim paddles with a trapezoidal “Z” on the bottom half instead of the triangular “J.”
Gotta calm down man. It’s just banter for me and Zane while also expressing that I think it doesn’t look good. 😂 I literally said take it as a joke with slightly more serious.
First
i don't want a paddle with some players name on there. make clean smart looking graphics and not some kids Tshirt
Paddle looks terrible
Hope you guys are still friends 😹
Good review and right on, appreciate it. Go Big Z