Gearbox Pro Power Updated Review After 3 Months of Use 

Great evaluation. Thank you for taking the time to do such a thorough investigation.

Thank you for your time and posting. I sold mine, just couldn't get it under control.

I’m a pretty average player but you are absolutely spot on how about how it performs on good days and bad days. Definitely thinking about going to something that is a little easier to control and play on those days that are bad.

Cool update. Great to see this where appropriate for popular paddles

Chris, I enjoy all your reviews, you’re the best! I appreciated the spin numbers after three months. I have enjoyed my Pro Power from the first time I picked it up. I didn’t think I would but my soft game improved greatly with this paddle, which I thought would the problem with this paddle. So many times difficult shots are hit at me and somehow I get the paddle on it and it drops over the net. Keep up the good work!!

Chris, thanks for your analysis! Are you able to comment if the pro control models have a break in period as well. If so, does the control model also gain power at the cost of control?

Thanks for the thorough review. I was enjoying the honeymoon phase using a friends paddle, but as a streaky player I have to be careful.

Been playing with mine for about a month lead tape definitely helped the sweet spot . Also, another thing you mentioned in your initial review was how surprisingly good the spin is for a power paddle.

My thoughts on the paddle. I got my first PPE on October 19th, and by the 21st. I pointed out it needed a "break-in" period to loosen up the core. I have been playing a ton on it ever since. I agree with the inconsistency of the sweet spot being it's biggest drawback. However, you can mitigate some of this with practice. The core acts like a trampoline and this is what gives it its extra power. But, like a trampoline, you get more "bounce" in the very center. The further you go out from the middle the less bounce you get. I believe this is the "inconsistency" people experience. It is almost like the Sweet Spot has various levels of rebound. A traditional paddle has almost the same rebound anywhere in the sweet spot since the inner material doesn't flex (or rebound) like a PPE. Then, you have the outer edge which doesn't have the flexible core and this hits very differently than the core. So, a miss hit on the outer edge is extremely different with no forgiveness. All this being said, I will still continue to use it because of how it suits my game and how FUN it is to use. I am not sure I would recommend it for everyone since consistency is so important in Pickleball. I will point out one item that doesn't get mentioned much. Once you get a feel for the flex of the core, you can do a ton with shaping the ball as you hit. It almost become like hitting a tennis racquet and the dwell of the strings. I understand that strings are very different and dwell a ton more, but it gives you a small feel of this. This is nice for people coming from tennis and allows for some nice dipping 3rd shot drives. Keep up the good work Chris.

Thanks for the review. I have the Power Fusion. Do you recommend lead tape on the 4 and 8 clock position?

Regarding the crackling sound, I wouldn’t be surprised if that dense foam just started to break down and could even be related to the break in process to a degree.

I love mine and it got fast after a few days. So for me break in was no big deal. I did have to work through drop and reset consistency. However, now I find I can have soft hands and the paddle's power consistently lifts the ball for drops and resets. With my CX14 control I have to use a firmer grip and more physical energy to get the ball to carry over the net. Of course the paddle delivers max power but the real advantage is that I don't have to swing hard and can focus on clean contact and placement and let the paddle do the rest.

Chris, I so appreciate the honest review...and clearly you're not a shill for big pickle. :) I have bought almost every paddle that you espouse to like as we like the same aspects of paddles...(I am donating my three Legacy Pro's btw). Your assertion about the 'ethical' play of the PP is exactly how I was feeling.... honestly, I was afraid that if I went for a big shot and hit someone at FULL SPEED, I could truly hurt someone...and that's just not worth it. Yes, it's so fun...I like it most on putaways and counters (less on drives). So, it sits in my bag next to my new Huarache-X...thanks to you! Dude, everything you said about the paddle is true. I'm going to add at least a full ounce to this paddle...it feels great. Oddly enough, I'm in love with the now-discontinued Takeya Elite 14L...and have a few to last me for a couple of years. Love the paddle journey and appreciate your honest takes...means a lot for us paddle junkies.

I’m known as a hard hitter and I played with it for a few months now. Switched back to my old paddle a few days ago.

Can you submit some broken in paddles for testing? Very curious to see if they still pass.

Hey Chris! Love your content! Had the chance of meeting you and Issac at PPA Lakeville. I'm the guy that had a Rubiks cube you solved haha.

Hi Chris, I agree with review. My Pro Power paddle is breaking down slowly. My game is off very often, not consistent. Any way I am on hunt for new paddle. Any suggestions for new paddle that closely match with Pro Power (Gearbox)

get usapa to re-certify 'broken-in' paddles?

there was so much initial buzz about it potentially on the pro level. does anyone who follows the pros know about its pro-use? i get that pros are sponsored so they might not use it due to contracts and the fact that the pro orgs haven't done anything which leads me to think that they're not really using it anyway. lol, give me a black friday sale of $175 and id buy it for kicks! great vid. it really helps to do follow ups which track how paddles play after 6 months or so.

Mine is crackling like that after 3 months. I've played my PP elongated for about 75 hours and when I squeeze the middle it's starting to sound crunchy. My first Legacy Pro core crushed, and this sounds similar. I haven't noticed a change in power. Spin has dropped a bit. Of the dozen or so guys I've played against at 4.0+ open play at Lucky Shots that have them, every one of them is tougher to beat now than before. The change was noticeable right away. Awesome paddle.

Hi can you include the link for your protective edge tape and the weights link also. Thank you

What I learned too is people beginning to hate playing against those using them. It's not just the power but its muted and bodybag counts keep going up

I for one agree with your evaluation. Found it took a full week to rein it in, part of that may have been break-in. Some people struggle with changing tech, others embrace it as I. A little over 4 months of daily drilling followed by play it died with a strange noise on a hard shot. Gearbox replaced it no questions asked. I will continue to patronize them.

@13:43 It seems like they didnt necessarily foam everything in the paddle (the black areas i assume are areas without the foam) which gives me reason as to why people can feel like they are bending the surface towards the top of the paddle

I would agree with everything you said except I feel the resets are 23:19 harder compared to other paddles like the Dimond but I come from using the power air. Compared to that paddle the power pro is much easier at handling resets. If you have given up on using your gearbox. I would be more than honored to take one off your hands and put it to use. 😁 I am queries about your thoughts on resets and playing with the power control. I have a few bodies that didn't like the power pro for the same reason but have been playing with the control now for a few months and are loving it. Do you feel it has the same problem resetting as the pro?

The first one I had was dead. It only weighed 7.5oz the sides were squishy and it was horrible. I contacted Gearbox and they sent me a new one. The new one is great.

Played against it for the 1st time tonight, the balls comes very quick off the paddle, deceiving quick. Huge advantage. Hit hard with minimal effort, it does not sound like it is hit hard, played 2 games against a good player with this paddle, definitely an adjustment that I struggled with

Thank you for the update. I was considering buying this but don't think it would be a good fit for me

About to send mine back to TP as they offer a 30 day “demo” period with full refund. I’ve had it for 3 weeks and power is ho hum despite “break in” which honestly shouldn’t be necessary IMO. Resets for me and drops were definitely good but this doesn’t make up for its power loss and excessive price. Also the small sweet spot issue and poor twist weight make it ofttimes difficult to use against better opponents. Up front re review Chris thank you!!

I have the power and control elongated paddles and when the power one broke in I had similar issues in the slow game. The control paddles never had that issue and it being broken in hits a little bit harder now. From time to time I’ll switch to the DBD and it feels like I’m hitting in slow motion.

I’ve had 3 that went dead after a few weeks playing 4 times a week and had foam coming out the edges. Thankfully total pickleball has a generous 30 day return policy. I might get another one after we get through all this weirdness

my pro power Elongated also started the crackling crunch sound in the core April 23 2024, after receiving it Feb 14 2 months later.

Glad you addressed the "ethics" issue. Only faced it once - won't use it myself, I don't want to give these hot paddles any credibility. I'm in the feels like cheating camp.

I’d like to see you go back and review the adidas Metalbone again…after a “break in” period. It took me a couple weeks to find my groove. It’s really too bad that hasty reviews can make or break a launch and introduction of innovative tech.

just confirming i heard this right... over time you lose rpm but gain power?

Chris - great comments and insights. For me, until the QC issues are fixed, I’m not buying. Personally, a factory applied edge guard should be added. Too many defects without it. I also think it may serve to fix its other issues. For now, I’m on the sidelines waiting for the next gen of this paddle. TY

Will the *control* version get more control even after it is broken in?

I experienced this honeymoon phase. Chris, you are dead on. I couldn't figure out why I was hitting so many of my serve returns and drives out and my drops/resets were almost non existent. I have had to really hyper focus on my shots. If I am on , it's on. But when I am off , it's terrible. I don't know if I am going to try and stick it out or move on to another paddle. Thanks for the video update!

Do you have a code for Melin hats?? Love 'em!!!

Is there a difference between the Pro Power Elongated and the Pro Power Integra

Do you have a video explaining who lead tape helps with increasing the sweet spot?

I wonder if it would pass deflection after broken in. If so defection test seems to be inadequate.

Interesting comment on power's influence on our game. I'm old. I was at the birth of racquetball as the slower more strategic game of paddleball was transformed by a stringed racquet and lively ball. Initially, racquetball produced long rallies. Within a few years, the game evolved into a power game. Rallies became short. Of course, the power serve was a factor too. Many early pros believed that the power game ultimately curtailed the sport's popularity. Rec players couldn't play power. I played racquetball avidly for 45+ years. I played pickleball twice and gave away all my racquetball gear. Could a slower ball & paddle version of our game exist with the current more power version?

Is this going to be like the first Thermoformed paddle; and every other company is going to make one? Have heard rumors that Joola’s new paddle line have the same core (Magnus & Alpha)

I don’t know about break-ins but I do have the gb pro power fushion and right out of the box it felt too much power for me and I’ve used it for like only 2 weeks. I am currently using the 6.0 dbd and selkirk luxx control air invikta now and when i tried switching back to my gb pro power fushion i literally have to do very very light hits with the gb pro power fushion 😅

I'm no pickleball pro but it's pretty simple to figure out. The foam gets hard and eventually separates from the face a bit after it gets hammered with the ball and makes it a springboard.

Would you consider selling one of your 7.7 ones?

I came from cx14 and switched to the pro power 3 months ago with bi-weekly play. I still play a soft game. That said, my ability to get my drives over the net from the baseline has improved. I still love the pro power and I play against a lot of people who use it too. Generally I think this paddle is better for covering your weaknesses than it is for augmenting your strengths. That's my opinion.

It took 3 weeks to break in my GearBox Power elongated. By “break in” it’s easier to control now. It takes getting used to. For spin and control, other paddles are better for me. Like this review says, this paddle allows a smaller margin of error. Other paddles are more forgiving. This requires precision strokes. I think the main selling point for this paddle is on power serves.

Interested in why you went with your current paddle and how they compare.

Do you feel the same with the fusion or is the elongated way more different

what about the pro control elongated?

Isn't a break in period just a way to get around the testing standards by USAP?

I would like to see clear and testable "power" requirements by the USAP and matched by the tours.

I have this paddle and thought the sweet spot was pretty small. I have only had a chance to use it once in singles play. Tennis player who is just getting into PB. I wasn’t sure if it was me or it was a small sweet spot, there was a huge difference when you caught it well or a bit off. Will the break in give me a bigger sweet spot or is that what the lead tape will do? What is the lead tape taking away by increasing the sweet spot? The lead tape placement to me is a new thing.

Well not only with the Gearbox but soon with the CRBN Concept and Ronbus Ripple the power core paddles are coming. I’m a real hard hitter and I couldn’t keep the PPE in bounds. PPF was a little better. Also with the crunching if it wasn’t an issue with the paddle, Gesrbox wouldn’t be replacing. As for the “ethics” of it I get that. I personally don’t have a problem with a 70-75 year old player using it to make it more even with younger players. But if some ex college tennis player or meathead banger uses it then yeah kinda have a problem with it.

After you break it in it sounds exactly like a delaminated/core crushed paddle. I'm curious if it can pass a deflection test. The trampoline effect is pretty clear when you hit with it...

Thank you for bringing up the ethics question of this paddle. If it passes the test when new, but would fail after breaking in, and GB designed it to be this way, well then that is something to be talked about. Having played against this paddle by someone who hits hard anyway I can definitely say it is a scary paddle. People will get hurt with paddles like this on the court. If you play against someone using it it is highly advisable to wear eye protection. If this sport is going to allow paddles like this to proliferate and the game turns into people dodging bullets and rallies that consist of bang, bang done. Bang, bang, done. Well then that will suck. Maybe the sport will break off into two categories. One for people who like 2 shot rallies, and another for those who enjoy the game as intended with longer rallies consisting of drops, resets, dinking and the like. I did notice that the person at my local who played with that paddle stopped playing with it. And I know for a fact a lot of folks started to refuse to play against him (while some remained game) and I wonder if that is at least part of the reason he no longer uses it.

Hey Chris. I want to add to this video. I'm on my 4th paddle since November from Gearbox. I have had the crackling noise on every paddle so far. This usually happens in a few weeks on each one. It actually gets worse as you use it like it's breaking down. I can tell you with 100% certainty that my paddle dies when this happens. Basically, it loses all its power. It hits very dead and the tone of the paddle changes. My usually group even comments on it when this happens and says it happened again as they can hear it. One of my friends plays with the Control and has not had this happen at all. So not sure what's up here. I will say Gearbox has been awesome and replaced it every time. I have videos I send them every time this happens. I love this paddle and can't find anything like it so just keep doing warranty claim in hopes they fix it. I would love to hear from others on this as it totally makes the paddle unplayable. I just want it resolved. I play around 4 days a week, so my paddles get a lot of use.

Several folks bought them at our club when they came out. A few months later they were done with it and moved on.

Chris.... When is Thrive coming out with the Azul

Btw Chris... I finally met this Ed Ju dude u see here in my profile pic. He said why did u flake on him at the APP Sac! 😅 Was looking forward to meeting the legendary Chris Olson 😢

where i play, many of the women of smaller statue love this paddle.. they report it makes them seem so much stronger.

I've only hit 2 of these paddles my biggest take away THE seat spot is really tight if your not experienced enough to keep the ball in a smaller sweet spot your going to have issues with this paddle!

Yes, you nailed it at 2:40 . I am an aggressive player, Serve hard Spin hard, 2nd day this paddle was just wrecking and everyone around me noticed the power right away. They all wanted to play with it 1 game. I thought I was going to regret it, not looking back now.

It seems every paddle review starts with wow, this is the best/most powerful/most spin/whatever to only a few months later reviewer pick it apart. I guess that is how paddles continue to be sold. I want my Forrest Gump paddle (and as a pro (I'm not) I'll only lie a little for the cash sponsorship haha). Not saying this happens with Pickleball Studio, just saying this seems to be the trend.

This seems like a pretty clear cut case of skirting the rules. If Gearbox claims the performance is intentional after break in, I'm sure they also know (or suspect) that the paddle wouldn't be approved in its broken in form. If other paddles come about with similar characteristics, it seems logical that the testing standards ought to change and paddles should be tested again after a period of time. I've only played against one Gearbox Pro, but it was clear immediately that this person was hitting much harder than they had before, and they had come from a Selkirk Power Air so it's not like they weren't hitting hard before. To this day, that player with the Gearbox Pro is the only person I've played against where I wasn't able to dodge a shot heading unintentionally for my face.

When I got mine in late Dec. I hit my machine wiith it. I have some old off brand balls that are very hard. After 200-300 balls it really changed how it plays. Players that don't have a machine, it would take a lot of games to reach 300 hits. Floating core technology seems like the reason for the difference from paddle to paddle.I double tape the edge of my Pro Pwr E. I'm looking forward to demo the G16 that's out now. Thanks for putting this out to possibly calm the haters.

Has anyone tested a broken in one

Waiting for the battle of the reviewers...

Can you please send me the name of the paddle that you are using herach x ???

I want your camera!

I just started using my Gearbox Elongated Power Pro, two weeks ago. Should I just throw it in the trash now, after your durability review? I’m really bummed that I wasted my money. Before the Grearbox, I was using the Joola Perseus. What paddle should I use now that would check all of your boxes? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Massage gun to the face of the paddle 1900 RPM = faster break in period 😂

I have the Gearbox Pro Power and love it. I think resets are difficult with mine at this point. I’d like to know if you have played with the Cheetah that has an aramid core. In general, I want to avoid polypropylene core paddles because gluing or bonding to polypropylene is near impossible.

My advice would be to Get better by playing with and getting use to it rather than giving up on it. I bought and play with the Elongated Pro Power Pickleball paddle and I am 65 and I think it is easy to hit the balls with power, and after adding 33 grams of lead weights around the paddle, it is a power paddle and a control paddle. I love this paddle so much so that I bought another one which is brand new and someday I will set it up like the other one and use it.

Thought it was gunshots at 14:18. My ears hahaha

Are you going to do a review of all the thrive paddles soon?

I gave up on it. It was too much power for me out of the box. It definitely got more powerful after a couple weeks. I went back to the Filth for reference.

I’ve had mine since November. I feel I’m in the camp where I noticed no break-in difference. It does hit hard, no question. In fact I stopped my quest to find the best paddle for me thanks to this one. It hit on everything I wanted. Edgeless, premium, lowered noise, power friendly and low vibrations. I can’t wait for version 2

Then why not drop to control version if you think its too powerful Then? Your logic seems off

Anybody else feel that the spin isn’t particularly high? I played with someone who just couldn’t seem to generate any top spin but power was fine. Didn’t ask how long he had the paddle but after seeing how bad his drops were I decided to not buy one.

Is that a Vuori top? Link?

Have you revisited the Pro Control series? Perhaps Raph knew what he was doing when he made an inverse of these paddles, cuz it's not like they can't hit hard, too.

Having purchasing many new tech paddles, and then the manufacture changes small things, now you are out of luck on the improved model!😢 Now I’ll wait until the bugs are fixed!!!!!!

I feel this is an advanced Paddle and you have to consistently hit the ball in the sweet spot to maximize the effectiveness of it. If you don’t have that kind of ball, striking ability, this might not be the Paddle for you.

It's always a tradeoff of power vs control. I don't think tech can create the perfect paddle that maximizes both. Physics at work.

Flinching eh?? You need to review a CoreTek!!

Once raf said that thermoforming isn’t viable I was out with gearbox

What is the actual science behind a “break-in” period? Was this paddle approved using pre-broken in paddles? None of this makes any sense to me, as i can’t imagine having a paddle that changes so dramatically. It seems this only became known after its release, so it can’t be a “feature”. I still might get one, but this break in thing seems sketchy.

It took me 4 months before it broken in with hard serving

I am a 5.5 and I bought one of these but didn't really like it. Mine didn't have the power and pop that everyone said it did. There was definitely a QC issue because others do like it. My Engage Pursuit Pro was so very much better than this thing. Gearbox never answered my emails when I complained about it.

Played with it 6x times a week at 4.0 plus level and gave up

Hey Chris what’s your current gamer????

I saw a kid with the gearbox and hit an overhead and the paddle flew out of his hand and hit the ground and it snapped at the throat 😅

I owned and played with this paddle for a solid 2 months and it delaminated really badly on me. I went back to my CRBN 3x and realized how much I missed the control in my game versus the power. I will not be asking for a replacement, but a refund on the Gearbox Pro.

two of my delaminated after a few weeks of playing, gearbox replaced them both.seems like after the paddle breaks in, it.breaks with it lol

Have it but…..it’s just not good enough for the price. First paddle was super messed up so I sent it back. It took me over a month to get the 2nd paddle and it’s just okay. Some days good some days not so good. The sweet spot is really small.too small. I give this paddle 6 gummy bears out of 10

I'm looking for a hat, what brand are you wearing?

I recently switched to the Pro Control Integra. The Pro Power is too much of an animal and I can't control my shots.