Great review as usual Steven! I have been using the 3X for several months and agree with your observations. It is really one of the best all court paddles on the market. I have also recently picked up the 6-0 Ruby which I also really like. Very different than the 3X, but has a great feel and touch. Not quite the same power, which I do not necessarily need. Would be very interested to hear your perspective on the Ruby. Keep up the great work and happy New Year Steven!
Love this! Yeah the Ruby is honestly a wonderful paddle. I will be releasing a review on that soon! I have all of my footage done I just need to edit it and get it rolling :) You have great taste in paddles! Happy New Year to you too :)!!
Okay dude, you give one of the best reviews and most accurate reviews I have found on the internet and trust me I have seen tons of reviews... Thank you for your channel and your expertise.
I feel like trying the 2X but I've never had a paddle with that short of a handle before. The swingweight is so low and the twistweight high. Giving up reach however. I bet its super fast at the kitchen line though.
I used a 16mm today and felt great playing with it. I’m not a great player at all and haven’t played in a few years. Been wanting a better paddle to use other than my gearbox gx6. Hopefully I’ll be trying a gb pro soon to see how that feels but this crbn feels great.
I have one and I've been playing with it for a few weeks now :) (the Ruby) I wanted to get the 1x and 3x videos done as I think CRBN is a great company (although pricey) so look for the Ruby review coming soon!
@@lobstercrostini Seems there is a bit of quality control stuff going on with the Ruby. The one I got the face feels like literal sandpaper and I like it quite a bit. I think I might like the new Volair Mach 2 Forza a bit better though. It's really nice!
@@stspickleballBeen playing with the CRBN 3x and love it! Might want to add some overgrip soon, a bit small for my hand! Any new CRBN paddles coming in 2024 to look for? Thanks!
You can if you’re ok with overlapping. It’s tough though. If you’re in this price range and want to utilize a 2 handed backhand grab a TKO-CX from paddletek. Either the 14.3mm or the 12.7mm. You can get them on pickleball central and use my code STSPICKLEBALL to get them cheaper than the Paddletek website directly 😊
For me it’s definitely a toss up between Franklin x-40 (personal favorite) and the new Selkirk pro s1 (which I’ve tested here and there but need more time with to really say they are as durable as x-40’s) I’m a big x-40 fan. I think also with it being a bit of a softer ball you get longer hand battles and more interesting points and it’s just very durable and holds its shape well in my experience. I’ve tried just about every ball on the market also.
@@pickleballroadlesstraveled Recently I am between the Ruby and the Volair Mach 2 Forza. I love both! Also rotating in the Gearbox paddles as I am still very curious here and there about them as they have some pretty unique properties. The 3x is also in my rotation haha. I think those 4 are my go to's right now!!
I have yes I will be releasing that review very soon! :) I wanted to catch up on the CRBN's cause I have had a ton of people asking about them but now that I am caught up I will be releasing reviews for the new more hyped paddles :)
I’m currently using a 16mm SLK Evo control max. My drives are pretty good with this paddle but I feel like the sweet spot could be better. Any recommendations on going with one of CRBNS paddles or possibly a DBD?
TKO-CK 14.3 or CRBN 3X? I come from a tennis background, so I love my drives but a lot of my shots are very spin focused. I put top spin on 90% of my shots so the grit is a big factor for me. Which do you think would be the better of the two?
Love your reviews but now I'm confused on what paddle to get. I hit with spin so that is important to me. I was planning on getting the CRBN X3 but saw your review on the Ruby and don't know which one to get? What would you recommend factoring other parts of the game that are important such as sweet spot, power etc.
Well do you want more power or more control or a hybrid of the two? You can technically have both to go along with your spin. I recommend the J2K from Honolulu pickleball most these days it’s a great paddle! Check out my review on that one.
Yeah honestly it really is CRBN's best offering. I could easily take this to a tournament and feel very confident about it :) It just does everything so well!
Seems they have solved that issue for the most part. Which is nice. :) I was talking to the owner about that recently and he told me they reduced the temps on their thermoforming process and the core is much more stable now.
Mainly due to the extra mass of the extra 2mm generally speaking. 14mm has more pop so some paddles are fairly relative but that extra mass tends to give 16mm more plowthrough and more overall power :)
Yes pop would be how fast the ball comes off for a hand volley or like a hand battle at the non volley zone. Short stroke. And power would be how hot the ball comes off the face for a full stroke like a drive or a serve :)
Great review as usual Steven! I have been using the 3X for several months and agree with your observations. It is really one of the best all court paddles on the market. I have also recently picked up the 6-0 Ruby which I also really like. Very different than the 3X, but has a great feel and touch. Not quite the same power, which I do not necessarily need. Would be very interested to hear your perspective on the Ruby. Keep up the great work and happy New Year Steven!
Love this! Yeah the Ruby is honestly a wonderful paddle. I will be releasing a review on that soon! I have all of my footage done I just need to edit it and get it rolling :) You have great taste in paddles! Happy New Year to you too :)!!
@@stspickleballSo I should stick with my Ruby then? What would you say is an upgrade from a Ruby?
This paddle is a GAME CHANGER for this beginner. I got mine on Amazon Prime Day for $175 plus the Awesome bag!
Good stuff man!!
Okay dude, you give one of the best reviews and most accurate reviews I have found on the internet and trust me I have seen tons of reviews...
Thank you for your channel and your expertise.
Damn man I really appreciate that a lot. For real thank you very much. I put a lot of time and effort into my reviews so thank you!
Your videos have such a good vibe to them; the music paired with your voice and microphone quality just nail it! Great stuff
Well thank you very much my friend. That honestly means a lot to me. I appreciate it. Put a smile on my face 😊 thank you for the comment.
@@stspickleball you bet, thanks again for what you do!
Good review! Can you compare the power, pop, sweet spot and control between 3x 16mm vs Ruby 16mm? Thank you!
have you played with the crbn2x yet? if so, how does it compare to the mach 2 forza?
I feel like trying the 2X but I've never had a paddle with that short of a handle before. The swingweight is so low and the twistweight high. Giving up reach however. I bet its super fast at the kitchen line though.
Super solid paddle I’d go Mach 2 Forza though to be honest. I love that paddle!
I used a 16mm today and felt great playing with it. I’m not a great player at all and haven’t played in a few years. Been wanting a better paddle to use other than my gearbox gx6.
Hopefully I’ll be trying a gb pro soon to see how that feels but this crbn feels great.
Yeah it’s really a wonderful paddle!!
Ordering now! For those asking about the Ruby it's out of stock now, unless he already got one to review!
The Ruby is gorgeous but most people I've talked to who own it have been unimpressed
I have one and I've been playing with it for a few weeks now :) (the Ruby) I wanted to get the 1x and 3x videos done as I think CRBN is a great company (although pricey) so look for the Ruby review coming soon!
@@lobstercrostini Seems there is a bit of quality control stuff going on with the Ruby. The one I got the face feels like literal sandpaper and I like it quite a bit. I think I might like the new Volair Mach 2 Forza a bit better though. It's really nice!
@@stspickleballBeen playing with the CRBN 3x and love it! Might want to add some overgrip soon, a bit small for my hand! Any new CRBN paddles coming in 2024 to look for? Thanks!
@@maximusstrength157 maybeeeee haha can’t confirm or deny 😅 but stay on the lookout
Can u use 2 handed backhand with this paddle?
You can if you’re ok with overlapping. It’s tough though. If you’re in this price range and want to utilize a 2 handed backhand grab a TKO-CX from paddletek. Either the 14.3mm or the 12.7mm. You can get them on pickleball central and use my code STSPICKLEBALL to get them cheaper than the Paddletek website directly 😊
I would like to get your opinion on who you feel makes the best pickleball balls for outdoor use.
For me it’s definitely a toss up between Franklin x-40 (personal favorite) and the new Selkirk pro s1 (which I’ve tested here and there but need more time with to really say they are as durable as x-40’s) I’m a big x-40 fan. I think also with it being a bit of a softer ball you get longer hand battles and more interesting points and it’s just very durable and holds its shape well in my experience. I’ve tried just about every ball on the market also.
Have been using it for 7 or 8 months great paddle wish it had a lower swing weight but can’t have everything…great paddle
Haha fair enough! It is a great paddle though. And yeah a lower swing weight would be amazing but like you said we can't have it all! lol
@@stspickleball double black diamond seems to be your paddle of choice….lower swing weight?
@@pickleballroadlesstraveled Recently I am between the Ruby and the Volair Mach 2 Forza. I love both! Also rotating in the Gearbox paddles as I am still very curious here and there about them as they have some pretty unique properties. The 3x is also in my rotation haha. I think those 4 are my go to's right now!!
You test the RUBY yet??
I have yes I will be releasing that review very soon! :) I wanted to catch up on the CRBN's cause I have had a ton of people asking about them but now that I am caught up I will be releasing reviews for the new more hyped paddles :)
I’m currently using a 16mm SLK Evo control max. My drives are pretty good with this paddle but I feel like the sweet spot could be better.
Any recommendations on going with one of CRBNS paddles or possibly a DBD?
I’d go CRBN 3X and not look back you’re going to love it!!
TKO-CK 14.3 or CRBN 3X? I come from a tennis background, so I love my drives but a lot of my shots are very spin focused. I put top spin on 90% of my shots so the grit is a big factor for me.
Which do you think would be the better of the two?
Def grab a TKO-CX but I would recommend the 12.7mm for you :)
Love your reviews but now I'm confused on what paddle to get. I hit with spin so that is important to me. I was planning on getting the CRBN X3 but saw your review on the Ruby and don't know which one to get? What would you recommend factoring other parts of the game that are important such as sweet spot, power etc.
Well do you want more power or more control or a hybrid of the two? You can technically have both to go along with your spin. I recommend the J2K from Honolulu pickleball most these days it’s a great paddle! Check out my review on that one.
This is my favorite paddle. A large number of the good players where I play use this paddle too.
Yeah honestly it really is CRBN's best offering. I could easily take this to a tournament and feel very confident about it :) It just does everything so well!
I remember hearing the CRBN paddles delaminating really quickly is that still the same ?
Seems they have solved that issue for the most part. Which is nice. :) I was talking to the owner about that recently and he told me they reduced the temps on their thermoforming process and the core is much more stable now.
I’m using prism flash 16mm (my first paddle). Would this be a worthy 2nd paddle ?
Oh 100% the 3x is incredible!
What makes this better than the CRBN 1X version??
Longer face leading to a way larger sweet spot, but still has some of that CRBN power and solid spin. Much more user friendly paddle for sure.
CRBN 3x, Ruby or DBD? Mostly a banger and need control for passing shots
I’ve demo’d the Ruby and like it but literally have nothing to compare to but the target paddles me and my gf bought when we first started
J2K 100% for more control on passing shots I’d skip all 3. Or go with the 3x
@@stspickleball appreciate this! Will decide between the 3X and J2K. I’m assuming you meant the normal and not the J2K pro
Indeed
Why does 16 mm have more power than 14 mm?
Mainly due to the extra mass of the extra 2mm generally speaking. 14mm has more pop so some paddles are fairly relative but that extra mass tends to give 16mm more plowthrough and more overall power :)
Pop is? Net hand speed?
Yes pop would be how fast the ball comes off for a hand volley or like a hand battle at the non volley zone. Short stroke. And power would be how hot the ball comes off the face for a full stroke like a drive or a serve :)
Have played two weeks with mine and dont regret selling my other two paddles to pay for it .
Love it! Solid paddle for sure!
CRBN 3x and Gearbox Pro elongated are my weapons… Excellent review
Great choices tbh and thank you for the feedback and for sharing a comment. Always helpful and let's me know I'm on track :)