I enjoyed your paddle review. I have been playing with my Shapeshifter and I agree that this is an all court paddle that does everything well. I added a Hesacore grip and 6 grams of weight to both sides at the 4 and 8 position, which added more plow through and made my paddle less head heavy.
Really love your reviews, very succinct and thorough approach, Rafa. Keep up the great work, on your way to be one of the elite pickle reviewers! 🙌🥊 Would love your insight on the Shogun. Are you going to review it soon? I’m waiting to receive mine in the next batch. Thank you!
Kudos to you Raffa for support of the "small guy" paddle companies. I've purchased many paddles from them, the latest being THOMPSON PICKLEBALL. I just got mine. Give them a look. The latest approval cost hikes to try and push out the "small guy" is criminal in my view. Hoping that "Big Pickle" caps or reduces the power and raises the spin limits.
Great review! I reached out to Matt before buying my Shapeshifter to see if I could get a lower swing weight on the paddle. He sent me an 8 oz (115 sw) paddle. He was very accommodating and had the paddle at my house in 3 days. It’s the #1 paddle in my bag. I also have a J2K but the Shapeshifter just plays better for my style.
Good review, I feel like it is pretty accurate. He sent me one with a lower 113 swingweight, so my specific paddle doesn't feel sluggish in the hand. I also put 3 grams of weight at the 4 and 8 positions. A friend of mine tried it and is pre-ordering after using it for only 2 games. I would definitely recommend it if you are into hybrid all court paddles.
Another great content and review Rafa, the grip handle length per their website says 5.5 inches, Shapeshifter seems a interesting paddle w/a CCF blend, I love the orange colorway which is 🔥🔥🔥
I have the SS and it was my #1 for several weeks until I switched to J2K (1a) & Azul (1b). I also have weights at the 4 & 8 position to offset head heavy-ness. I had to switch because the swing weight was too high & made my pickleball elbow worst. 😬 Hopefully, Chorus will make a more balance weighted SS in the future & not so heavy. Thanks for the review. 👍🏼
Thanks so much for the thoughts! Yeah the J2K is one of the only paddles I would put in the same conversation as the Shapeshifter so can’t fault you for that switch!
Debating on getting the Chorus SS and have the J2k on its way… just curious if it’s worth getting the SS. My current main is the Ruby and soon will get the J2K.
Do you recommend adding weight to the paddle? Especially, in light of the high swing weight and balance point? I typically add a 3 gram strip at 4 & 8 o’clock to most of my other paddles, including my CRBN 3X which I currently play with. Also, is there any way to verify that they use Toray T700 carbon fiber in manufacturing? I understand that it is not allowed in China. It might be class T700 carbon fiber, but not necessarily the authentic Toray product. Perhaps you can address this with Matt?? Thank you, Rafa, keep up the fantastic work!! 🥊❤
Thank you so much!! I would recommend weighting the 4 & 8 due to the flared shape. I’m 99% sure Toray materials has corporate locations in China so not too sure about that claim!
I picked up the shapeshifter during the batch 2 launch and used your code. I discovered Matt and the Chorus brand during your 1 on 1 interview and it was only fitting to apply your discount code to the purchase. Can’t wait to get the paddle!
This looks like an amazing paddle, and I'd love to get one. Unfortunately, I always hesitate to buy paddles that only have 3-month warranties. I know core crushing is a lot rarer these days, but I'd hate to spend $100+ on a paddle only to have it core crush after 4 months (my last paddle core crushed almost exactly 4 months in).
Between the two the SS has more power and with some lead tape on the bottom corners it has the same stability and sweet spot size as the J2K. The J2K will give you faster hand speed and more plush ball feel. Everything else is VERY similar between them. Base your decision on which of those characteristics you want and the price of each! SS is $170 vs J2K is $135 with my code RAFA. Hope this helps!!
Totally understand this. ❤ That is honestly my least favorite part of this paddle of ours! The surface material is the most expensive on the market for us to manufacture with, and although it’s still $40 or more less than the big name companies using the surface, we know it can be a pain point at that price point. So stick with us, in the future we have planned more Shapeshifter models in a better price range using a different surface material that still plays very similar! ❤
Please explain how "Frequency 368 Hz" at 1:15" is determined, and how it affects play. Thanks for reviewing these difficult-to-find-information-about paddles.
😂😂😂 ummm yeah probably 95+% of the products you have in your home are not truly American made meaning sourced and produced start to finish in the US. A paddle purchase in not going to offset your daily norms.
The 18k cubic carbon triaxial weave was not created by Diadem. 😊 They were merely the first to market with it. 18k Cubic Carbon was created by a surface materials company who then sells it to paddle manufacturers like us, Diadem, and now others.
