The State of Pickleball Paddles 2023 Recap 

The 3.5 at best Cohost strikes again with his out of focus self. Apologies guys, I tried to tell him. 😂

Can you do a video to help people know when a paddle is worn out? Like when is the peel ply wearing down and how does it look under a microscope? Effect on spin etc.

It puts a smile on my face hearing Will talk about the head gravity tour paddle. I bought a head gravity tour LH brand new for 40 bucks and it’s been a ton fun to play with. IMO, head makes the most underrated paddles on the market.

i have used the 14mm DBD for the past 7 months and today I used the Ruby for the first time...the Ruby feels really good...the pop good, spin good control good.....I was worried the 2 mm was going to feel soft but it was identical to my 14 mm paddle...it is not a bad edition to my paddle collection

I agree with Will’s opinion on the Ruby-feels a little softer to me. And looks great too 👍🏻

Chris you having the new Gearbox re-tested is fantastic. (Almost as good as your first reporting it hits harder over an extended break in... of maybe even 30 hours.)Thanks so much for doing that and for reporting the results. It was your most used, power, elongated you had retested?

@pickleballstudio you can’t call the Ruby overhyped just because it might not have met you’re higher expectations. 2 simple reasons…a- you’re considering using it which makes it a very budget friendly alternative to the Gearbox! and… b- calling it a minor upgrade to the Double Black Diamond should not be taken lightly! How many awards has that won?! How many people have used that/or do as their go-to tournament paddle? That paddle is $180 and the Ruby is $199, respectively, so it’s literally an upgrade that costs a little bit more! It is a great paddle at the correct price point! Nothing to over hype. It is not being touted the Gearbox killer, that is yet to come! So let’s not call the Ruby over-hyped please!

My brother just sent back his CRBN (delamination and/or core crushing). It does look like CRBN is standing behind their paddles though, so kudos to them.

Congrats on all your guys’ success!

I have both Ruby and Double Black loves them both. When I go to play I swithcing every other game. I also like a lot the Gearbox Pro Elengated and the SElkirk Luxx.

You'll be happy you have a bullet proof paddle when you're standing across from me on the kitchen line. Got em

Love the vids. I know it's pretty late, but I would love to see an Electrum Pro II review.

No complaints on my Gearbox pro elongated, love it; the same with Ruby love it no complaints; the Luxx Selkirk great paddle! Nice video ❤

Biggest flop guesses: (from biggest flop to least flop) 1. Adidas Metalbone 2. Engage Pursuit Ultra 3. Gearbox Pro Series (quality control)

The podcasts are amazing, thank you both for all the hard work! Can Santa please get Will a new auto focus camera for Christmas??;);)

I like how Will still has a Warrior as his paddle in the opening

Pickleball Slam 2 is in Hollywood, Florida, February 4th and features Sharapova & McEnroe versus Graf & Agassi.

Enjoyed the podcast. I made it to the kitchen. Merry Christmas 🎄to you and your families.

I agree that paddles defintely have been slower after the delamination (core crushing) fears - I wonder if that's part of why the Gearbox line seems so much faster?

I read/watched Braydon Unsicker's review of the Ruby paddle first and then Chris's. Will have to check out Will reviews in the future.

I feel like I've got the same 2 flops in mind that Will was talking about, because I can't think of a 3rd off the top of my head. 1) Engage Ultra 2) Project 005 3) maybe Paddle Tek?

Sharapova is practicing for the next pickleballslam. Steffi Graff/Andre Agassi Sharapova/Mcenroe

Question??? Would a Hesacore grip help with wrist/elbow pain? Would you recommend one even though it won’t fit all the way up the handle? Thanks!

I'm going to have to try those nasal strips! My nasal turbinates also switch between being open/closed but I believe that's normal and called the "nasal cycle". But when both my turbinates get swollen, that's no bueno.

Made it to the kitchen in one airing. Mele Kalikimaka 🎄🏝and Happy New Year 🥳

Thanks for your work! I think it would be fun at this point to see a comparison video of old versus new paddles. Like z5 and a top selling Gen1 compared to a DBD, and Gearbox pro maybe top three best old selling. See a side by side comparison and maybe a little footage of playing one against the others. I still play with some very hard hitting z5 warriors who bang shots at high speed and assault my eardrums . Their owners love them though and don't want to change due to light weight and power. I am sure the new paddle companies would appreciate that type of review as well too

As someone coming to pickleball from tennis, my biggest frustration has been the paddles now somehow cost as much a tennis rackets, yet the surface deteriorates relatively quickly and there's no way to renew it without just buying a new paddle for $200. It's so nice that I can simply replace the strings in a tennis racket and the frame, itself, can last years.

My predictions for biggest flop: #3 Selkirk 005 - just overall mediocre but priced pretty fairly by Selkirk #2 Adidas Metalbone - disappointing but should be applauded for the attempt in innovation #1 Engage Pursuit Ultra - so bad that it was replaced which should also be applauded since Engaged listened to criticism and made a paddle better Also with Gearbox sponsoring the ppa and the pro paddle situation. We’ve seen this before; Electrum with their early CF face paddles and ProXr with the Zane paddle. Both companies sponsored the ppa, the paddles they had were controversial and the ppa didn’t ban them. I don’t see ppa banning the Gearbox paddles under any circumstance other than too many complaints.

Question!! If you were to pick a paddle for the top 4 pros in pickleball to use instead of their current contract models, what would you give them? Can be for fun or as a cool experiment!

Agree with Will here on the R1 Nova being a bit overhyped on release. I remember when I first tried it without knowing about the edge grid and just didn't see the point of the paddle, especially at that price point. For almost half the price you had the Vatic Prisms that had more control, and for a bit more power you could get the R1 Pulsar for $10 less. I didn't really appreciate the paddle until Dong released his research paper on the edge grid. Though I will say, the improvements in the R3 Nova are pretty nice.

My DBD actually delaminated after 4 months of heavy use. 4 tournaments, play multiple times a week for multiple hours at a time. It actually delaminated during a tournament I played and I could tell since my resets just suddenly didn't work and the ball flew off the paddle. The paddle also got a little bit louder. I'm still gonna keep it around tho. That paddle got me 3 medals out of the 4 tournaments, and it's a cherry blossom so it still looks really nice

Flops, Adidas Metal Bone, Pursuit Ultra, Potentially adidas adipower for price point and lack of spin. I want to say the Proxr Cincola, which he left them after they even made him a paddle. but the first two im pretty sure are in your top three list.

Thanks for a great year guys. Would making the kitchen six inches longer be good for the game?

Diggin the soft focus Will... Glamour (PB) Shots ftw

Excited to watch the Orchard finals! Any chance you both predict a surprise upset?

hey guys, in terms of feeling the differences between different paddles, how much more of a difference would a lower level player feel compared to a higher level player? me being a lower level player i feel like some paddles offer more compensation than others.

love the long episodes.

Potential question for the next pod. Not pickleball related, but I want to know what you use for podcast software, camera, microphone, lighting? Your quality is always better than most so I’m curious.

The earlier Legacy paddles had a core crushing problem that made them hit harder and more difficult for the control game. The new Gearbox Pro Power hits harder the more you play with it, but most chose the Fusion for control. Yet, it might be a game changer…OK. I understand the materials are different but seems to be the same results in both.

Question for the next pod: Unless you’re a professional reviewer (like you guys), how many paddles should you reasonably be using (or have in your bag)? You see guys switching paddles every game (or in the middle of games) and it seems like that can’t be good for your game. What are your thoughts on that?

I would think that the flops are Adidas Metabone, Engage Ultra and Franklin STK. I can't think of anything else as it is quite difficult to make a bad paddle anymore.

absolutely correct, graphics impacts choices for new players. My first paddle was the Vulcan Paddle Candy Sugar Skull bought in part because it looks so cool. Ghost Pickleball has really amazing graphics. Good graphics on good paddles are like icing on the cake like DbD's Cherry Blossom. Even the Engage Pro with the big target looks cool. The Pro's exposed polymer is so barely noticeable with their insert i would not know unless someone told me its there. I donno why they didn't just stick a piece in the Diad18K handle which is totally exposed. I bought the Engage on BF sale for $176 and that SHOULD be its regular price. Forget $333 labs beta testing invite, get the highest priced retail paddle not signed by ben johns- the Clear Ghost for $325. 2024 PB MythBusters: Episode 1: can a pickleball paddles with kevlar can stop a bullet? ). worst paddle 1)Engage Ultra , 2)adidas 3) $999 Joola Perseus because you're never going to play with it ie its unplayable, or the Head Extreme. If I'm correct please send me the perseus as a prize.

Definitely agree that the PhD paddle graphic looks like Pho!

Do you have plans to demo/test the Paddletek ALW-C 12.7? Interested in your thoughts on that paddle.

pretty sure you guys are single handedly responsible for pushing the pickleball tech, because you had numbers and meaningful comparisons to backup data, if it weren't for the spin tests, we probably would all still be playing on graphite or fiberglass!

Some ideas for future: Top 5 movements/bad habits that cause injury Drills you guys get the most from Comparing indoor to outdoor play. I wonder if playing on indoor surface, ball, temporary nets and environment negatively effects outdoor play Discuss organizing and playing in a league rather than tournaments. Are these popular and on the rise compared to open play. Related to last: Discuss the need to play with similar level players to advance. There seems to be many less 4.0 and above players than 3.0-3.5. How important is it to be able to play at a similar level in order to advance(a lot?) Estimate normal duration of paddle usefulness and signs that it is time to change or upgrade.

If kevlar has better spin potential, imagine a Gearbox Power Pro with a Kevlar face. Wonder if this is something they would look into

For the record, kevlar only stops a bullet when the fibers are in the loose state, like what’s in a bulletproof vest. Once you bond it in an epoxy or some other binder, it is crap. Equal to carbon fiber.

Flopped paddles: 1) Engage Ultra 2) Birdpickleball - Falcon Elite 3) Selkirk 005

That Luxx paddle on the shelf behind Chris is like the “is it a gold and white dress or blue and black dress” illusion. Is that paddle grey and pink? Or blue and white? 😂

Engage Ultra, Phantom Obsidium Max, and Adidas metalbone

'Atomic Habit" Great name for a paddle.

I can see 2024 paddles will have the faces with 2 different material in one paddle. One face for control/spin and other face is for power/pop.

Any info on the new Protons? They are “signing” some top players. I’m also interested in the ALW-C 12mm. LFG!!

Our paddles up north in Vancouver are core crushing left and right. From my friend group, 5 DBD, 4 Legacy Pro, 1 ghost, 1 lux, 1 B&B. We playing outdoors at 5 to 10 Celsius with franklin and the new Selkirk ball. Do you think the gearbox would hold up any better in terms of core corruption? Mine just arrived. Guess I will find out soon.

Would you please do a review of Cliff PB Vaurus. It claims a 2800 rotation. Thanks

The Friday paddles actually aren’t paint grit. They’re sandblasted. So the texture is actually built into the surface, not sprayed on top.

You talk about paddle with spray on grit from time to time. Do either of you know if there’s a spray made that could be used to refurbish the paddle once the spray on grit has warn off?

The issue of cores, any info on Selkirk new core (THIKSET) on the LUXX? Are the chamber walls thicker or?? Granted getting patents on materials and use of them is expensive and takes time which keeps us in the dark. Charging so much to re-coop $$ for R&D, marketing, Pro salaries, USA made, seems fair. Edge guards sticking to the edge foam seems to be the reason for less problems with coming loose. Exposed polymer creates a poor surface to stick to. Thanks for the update on the grit sheets. Anxiously waiting. Made it to the Kitchen.Good job on the self care. I hate my C-pap.Been threatened with bodily harm multiple times for snoring. Bring ear plugs for your roomates. Nostril spreaders are better than strips.

Did you ever have a chance to try the diadem edge 18k?

Maria Sharapova is playing in the second pickleball battle with John McEnroe and Steffie Graff and Andre Agassi

Ok, I am thinking the 3 worst were: The new Franklin, the Engage Ultra, and the new Paddletek.... I am never good at the order, but with that in mind did I pass on the right 3? B-

Our PhD Pro model will have more of D so it doesnt look like PHO hahahahaha thanks for the mention guys

Let's call out a new paddle in the market & their pricing. Proton is now in the paddle business. Before they had a release date, they were listed at $180. When they set a release date, a little over a week ago, the paddle was listed at $220. It is suppose to start shipping on 12/20 - today I was going to use a code for 20% off _ till I went to the site and it's now listed for $280. So much for prices going down

Can both of you guys give your top 3 paddle in your bag of the end of the year

1. Engage Ultra, 2. Franklin STK. 3. Tough one Vulcan 700 series??? The blue one.

I wonder if jw puts lead on the head of his paddles to get ready for the tour

what's the Carbon Concepts you speak of??

You guys should review the new Hyperion.

Besides paddles, what other gear innovations do you hope to see in the future of pickleball?

Worst paddles 1. Paddletek ALW 2. Adidas metalbone 3. Takeya. Dishonorable mention to the Onix 12mm carbon

Wilson, Head, Babolat… Those brands sooner or later are going to come in the PB world. No way a Wilson will let Joola get the majority of the market.

What is your take on old traditional paddle companies, e.g. Prolite and Onix, still producing paddles, but seem to be a generation behind in their technology? Also, there has been some noise out there that "all white" paddles will be outlawed in 2024. What do you know about this? Thanks.

Can you guys host a pickleball RU-vid influencer tournament? It would be great to see all the RU-vidrs that review paddles in a tournament!

Flops, Engage Ultra, Joola Perseus, Diadem Edge 18k

Both you and Braydon were pretty similar on Ruby.

what are these nasal strips you use to improve your breathing. i would like to try these out.

Hair style wise...did you request the 'North Korean Leader' cut?

Question for next podcast: All jokes aside, what rating would you say you two actually are? I've seen a lot of your gameplay and im genuinely curious. Thank you 🙏

How is "Reload" going to get around the rules about alterations and additions of paddles? I find it hard to believe that the current rules will allow what they plan to do...

Chris, you need to go see a sleep doctor. He can recommend you an oral advancement device (which requires a dentist to make it), which is pretty effective (more than your nasal strips). It is not as cumbersome as CPAP and it is easy to use (just wear it at night). I'm a dentist and I recommend it to my patient (through the sleep doctor prescription). It will save you on a long run!

No idea what number 3 is, but adidas metalbone at number 2, and whatever the engage was that got deleted from the market has to be number one

I think there isn't enough information yet to say Kevlar lasts longer, only time will tell!! Lets get 50 hours in and compare some Microscoping view.

What about the Ronbus Pulsar over the Nova ?

flops of the year 1. engage ultra 2. selkirk 005 3. adidas metalbone

What’s the new Selkirk labs they are alluding to ?

The way you are describing the damages to the Gearbox, it sounds like a problem with the core. In other words the thing that makes it hit so hard also makes it more likely to fail. That's what happened with the thermo cores when they first came out.

Metal bone, joola Bj Perseus and maybe energy s pro apes paddle

Electrum Stealth review coming soon?

Only thing about the Ruby is it doesn’t do anything significantly better than any other thermoformed paddle can do for a cheaper price even the DBD 16. The main selling point of the paddle is the Kevlar which still hasn’t proven to be better at anything besides softness which is a subjective to everyone which I would argue doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better or worse it’s just a trait. I don’t dislike the paddle but I’m not sold on Kevlar being better or the hype behind it

Flop of the year Engage Ultra? That was this year I think. First one that came to my mind

So glad I met Pickleball WIll in VA !!

1st biggest flop: Engage pursuit ultra 2nd biggest flop: Adidas metalbone 3rd biggest flop: labs 005

Will, maybe you need to see an Optometrists to improve your focus. This may also improve your play going into 2024. Maybe a Tulsa Optometrist will sponsor Will.

@pickleballwill Mexican Aunts and grandmas are the same 😂. So passive aggressive no filter.

For Q&A, what are some things you improved with your games in 2023 and what are you looking to improve in 2024?

The 14 tempo is 116

Have other companies copied what Vatic did with the Prism series? I havent seen any but maybe I missed it. Thank you

Having been involved in many sports through the years, and seen product development with equipment and the use of exotic materials and now technology evaluation, manufacturers dictate evolution by use of materials and advertising. They already have products 5 years in advance for the sake of profits, why would the make the best and everlasting paddle without selling every improvement and development before hand? We are in the phase of taking everything to the limit and the use of all kinds of materials, this shows with the proliferation of hundreds of new paddles and manufacturers, next phase will be a shake out of availability when profits drop.

what's up with Will's camera? last week was out of focus and today too... ha, just say the comment about he is a 3.5 camera at best... lol, funny