Hi friends!

We just wrapped up episode 99 of the podcast. We're one away from 100, and honestly, I can't believe we made it this far.

This week, Eddie and I had a lot of fun in the studio. We compared two Gen 3 honeycomb paddles back to back on the court, covered some pro roster news, and most importantly, I finally shared the preliminary ball cannon grit durability results I've been sitting on.

Let’s dive in!

In this week’s email:

PADDLE NEWS

If you know pickleball, you know Andre. He's been one of the most recognizable Proton ambassadors in the sport. Every post-game interview, every appearance, he was holding that paddle.

So when I saw him playing with the CRBN TruFoam Barrage, I did a double-take.

It's a big get for CRBN. And it's the latest in what feels like a slow roster shift away from Proton. CJ Clinger has been with Adidas for a while. Now Andre.

They still have a solid lineup: Megan Dison, Jeannie Bouchard, Auggie Ge, Travis Rettenmeier. But losing Andre feels big.

Things change fast in this sport.

The Hurache-X and Pegasus shapes for the Power 2 series from 11SIX24 finally cleared UPAA approval and went on sale last Friday.

These are the two shapes a lot of players have been waiting on. Note: these are UPAA-approved only, not USAP. For most recreational players and even competitive tournament players, that's not a dealbreaker. Just know that if you compete in USAP-sanctioned tournaments, you won’t be able to use these.

If you've seen any of my recent testing, you know the Power 2 is quietly one of the most impressive paddle series I've hit this year. More on that in the grit section below.

Save 10% with code “JOHNKEW”:

PADDLES OF THE WEEK

This week, we went head-to-head with two Gen 3 paddles: the JOOLA Kosmos V and the Gearbox GBX Power.

Both use honeycomb polypropylene cores, the same construction that's become the gold standard for feel and control. But they sit at completely different price points.

The question was whether the premium is worth it.

The GBX Power is Gearbox's new entry, $180, Gen 3 construction with their standard full molded carbon fiber handle (which is still one of the best handles in the game).

We hit the hybrid and elongated shapes back to back.

Interestingly, I actually preferred the elongated one this time. It’s interesting because I mained the hybrid GX2 Power for a good part of this year. But on the elongated, the sweet spot is more forgiving than you'd expect for how narrow it is, and the feel sits hollow-soft, more of a trampoline power delivery than a ping-pong paddle responsiveness.

The Kosmos V is $300. It's softened up noticeably from the first time I played it - moving solidly into the soft, hollow quadrant of the feel chart.

Although drives get good power, overall I’d still classify it as a top-of-all court paddle. And the grit is noticeably ‘legal’ (JOOLA and Six Zero are basically the only brands currently being held to the fire on RZ/RT compliance, while others seem to pass tests and show up gritty). I feel bad for them on that front.

Eddie and I both agreed: we prefer the Gearbox. Better feel profile for our preferences, better value, and the performance is there.

The Kosmos is a good paddle - but it's not $300 good for most people.

If you want the Gearbox GBX Power though, you’re going to have to wait a few more days - pre-orders start March 16th.

Use code “JOHNKEW” to save 10% on Gearbox

BALL CANNON TEST

A lot of paddle brands have started marketing their grit surfaces as "permanent" or "durable".

The idea being that the texture responsible for generating spin won't break down the way standard raw carbon fiber does after months or even just weeks of play.

Long-lasting grit is a major selling point. But until now, nobody had actually measured it in a controlled laboratory setting.

That's what the ball cannon is for. I built out a controlled testing protocol to get real numbers on how much spin a paddle loses after high-volume use - and which grit technologies actually deliver on the durability promise.

Fixed paddle, clamped 2 inches from the base, hit at the sweet spot (4 inches from the top). I measure RPM on a brand new paddle, then shoot it 100 times at 70 mph, clean the surface with rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth, and measure RPM again.

The control is a raw carbon fiber paddle (Vatic Saga Flash). The reason I chose to use 70 MPH/ 100 shots is that this resulted in a spin loss of over 300 RPM on the raw carbon fiber paddle, which is the threshold when most people notice a significant drop in spin.

Caveat (Important):

The initial RPMs shown here represent a controlled “best-case scenario.” Ball speed, paddle angle, impact location, humidity, and temperature were all optimized to maximize spin. Because of this, some RPM values may appear unusually high and are not necessarily achievable in normal play. Likewise, the real-world differences between paddles will likely be smaller than shown here.

What matters most is the percentage of spin loss from the beginning to the end of the test, which reflects the durability of each paddle’s surface texture.

New: 1,906 RPM
After 100 shots: 1,565 RPM
Total RPM Loss: 341 RPM (17.9%)

That's your standard carbon fiber. Pretty consistent with what I'd expect from 2-3 months of regular play (or sooner for harder hitters).

New: 2,540 RPM
After 100 shots: 2,438 RPM
Total RPM Loss: 102 RPM (4%)

That's roughly four times more durable than raw carbon. And it starts at 2,540 - which is elite spin. Even after 100 hard shots, you're still at 2,438. Very promising.

This paddle had some use on it, so the starting number was lower, but still:

New: 1,858 RPM
After 100 shots: 1,793 RPM
Total RPM Loss: 65 RPM (3.5%)

Same durability tier as the Hex Grit. Also impressive results

New: 1,719 RPM
After 100 shots: 1,648 RPM
Total RPM Loss: 71 RPM (4.1%)

Very durable. What’s curious is how low the starting RPMs are with the ball cannon, versus my arm during serves, which got around 2,100 RPM. More work is needed to understand this.

New: 1,847 RPM
After 100 shots: 1,604 RPM
Total RPM Loss: 243 RPM (13.2%)

This one surprised me. Infinigrit on the Lux 2 is noticeably less durable than the others. Somewhere between raw carbon fiber and the top performers. That said, this is an older model, and Eddie's Boomstick is coming up next in the testing queue. I wouldn't write off Infinigrit yet; they may have improved the formulation.

New: 2,900 RPM
After 100 shots: 2,771 RPM
Total RPM Loss: 129 RPM (4.5%)

I honestly couldn't believe the 2,900 reading. I shot it 20 times just to make sure I wasn't losing my mind. That is the highest number I've ever gotten on the ball cannon. And it held up beautifully - 4.5% drop puts it right in line with the other top performers.

Hex Grit (11Six24), Diamond Tough (Six Zero), and Permagrit (Spartus) are all clustered right around 3.5–4.5% spin loss after 100 high-speed shots. That's roughly four times more durable than standard raw carbon fiber. Infinigrit on the Lux 2 is lagging, but that data point needs more context before drawing conclusions.

This is still preliminary. I'm planning to do extended durability tests - tracking how many shots it takes to drop 400 RPM from baseline - to map the actual lifespan curve of each grit type.

Also, I’m currently testing Crystal Blue Endurance Grit from Honolulu and Harmony Grit from Chorus.

More to come.

KEW & A

Answer: Different paddles for different players.

If you want more control and feel like you already generate enough pace, go Coral. If you want the paddle to add some firepower, go J2CR.

The feel profiles are almost opposites: Coral is soft and dense, J2CR is hollow and stiff. Eddie and I both have a ton of time on both, and honestly, we reach for different ones depending on the day.

Answer: The Aura (not Pro) is softer and denser than the EPP Turbo line. For the Aura Pro vs MPP Turbo, they're actually pretty similar in feel, though the Aura Pro might sit right between EPP and MPP in terms of stiffness.

The carbon fiber inner frame with foam exterior gives it a really distinctive feel. And yes, hybrid and widebody shapes for the Aura are coming this month.

Side note: If the MPP can bring durable grit to a $100 paddle, that's potentially the budget paddle of the year. And it's not outside the realm of possibility.

Answer: Eddie nailed this one: the 11Six24 Vapor. The taper isn't quite as dramatic as the Agassi shape, but it's there. And you get MPP core plus Hex Grit - more durable grit as a bonus you didn't even ask for. If you need elongated, look at the Hurache-X. Not as pronounced a taper, but still there.

That's all for this week's email. I'll catch you in the next one.

 -  John

P.S. Episode 100 is coming next week. We've got something bigger planned, including a giveaway for all the paddles using durable grit. Send us your suggestions for other ideas on how we should celebrate.

If you missed this week’s podcast, check it out!