Hi friends!

We’ve got another jam-packed week. We shared first impressions on three new paddles, took a slow-motion look at ball performance, and talked through the new DUPR partnership.

Plus, we got some great questions from you that sparked a deep dive this week.

Let’s dive in!

In this week’s email:

TALES FROM THE BALL CANNON

I’ve been having a lot of fun using the high-speed camera, and this week I used it in a new way.

Instead of hitting balls into a paddle, I fired balls at a cinder block at 70 mph. This let us see how the ball itself reacts, without the paddle changing what’s happening.

The goal was simple.

The Lifetime Pro 48 stood out right away. It snapped back into a round shape very fast, almost before it even left the cinder block.

The Franklin X-40 did show a flat spot when it hit, but it eventually goes back to round, unlike some other balls that keep a flat spot for longer. That faster recovery helps explain why the X-40 usually feels more predictable during play.

Balls like the Vulcan VPro Flight flattened more, took longer to recover, and sometimes stayed a little out of shape. That flat spot can hang around long enough to create strange hops later in a game.

The Onyx Pure 2 Outdoor was another surprise. It actually measured higher than the Lifetime in springiness, but most players still don’t like it. Even though it bounces a lot, it feels dense and soft when you play with it.

There’s a lot of footage here, but the main idea is clear. Balls that return to a round shape faster tend to feel more consistent, while balls that stay flattened longer are more likely to create weird bounces.

SNEAK PEAK

We’ll cover this in detail in this week’s pod, so here’s a sneak preview…

I ran another test using a ball cannon and a high-speed camera, and it helped clear something up.

How high the ball launches is mostly about how much the paddle grips the ball.

When you brush up on the ball to add topspin, two things can happen. If the ball slides across the paddle, it gets less spin and stays lower. If the paddle grabs the ball, spin goes up and the ball launches higher. It’s a very clear connection.

Ball pocketing by itself doesn’t seem to change launch angle much. I only saw a small effect when pocketing was combined with a very grippy surface, and even then, spin mattered more.

The graphic above shows this well. One paddle launched the ball at about 16 degrees, and the other at about 22 degrees. That might not sound like a big gap, but on the court, it is.

A 6-degree difference from the baseline can mean almost two extra feet of height over the net. That’s the difference between a safe shot that clears the net and one that clips the tape. Not to mention where the ball lands on the other side of the court, and how that extra spin helps keep the ball from floating long.

Tune into the podcast this week to find out more!

GEAR GOSSIP & NEWS

We talked last week about Chris Haworth signing with Luzz and playing with a paddle that looked like a 14mm full-foam model, but the graphics did not match anything we could buy.

This week, that got confirmed. Shoutout to Brayden from the Pickleball Effect Podcast, where Chris Haworth confirmed the paddle is the Pro Blade 2. It’s a 14mm, full-foam paddle that isn’t available to the public yet, but it’s clearly approved since he’s already competing with it.

What stood out to me is his reasoning. He said he liked the Inferno and the Tornazo, but they were too much firepower for singles. In singles, you want to swing freely without worrying about balls flying long, so they went with a toned-down version in 14mm that still has pop.

Caitlyn Christian was also playing with it, and it is an elongated shape.

DUPR announced a partnership with Pickleball Vision AI, with the goal of using video analysis to complement match-results ratings.

Right now, players can already upload gameplay to PB Vision and receive a “DUPR AI rating.” I’ll be honest, it says DUPR on it now, but it looks like the same PB Vision system that’s been in place. The near-term change is that DUPR says new players will eventually be able to submit video directly through the DUPR app to get an AI-based rating powered by PB Vision.

I’ve logged about 130 games in PB Vision, and it’s become a really useful tool for me. It cuts out dead time, lets you filter by things like drives, thirds, and long rallies, and breaks performance down into areas like serve, return, offense, defense, agility, and consistency. There are limitations. The system heavily weights the serve, which can underrate strong players who use softer or more varied serves. That’s why I actually like the direction DUPR is pointing toward here. Results still matter, but how you played matters too. If they can blend both intelligently, this could be a meaningful step forward.

If you’re interested in getting a membership at PB Vision, they gave me a code (JOHNKEW) that I think provides a discount. Let me know if you try it and whether or not it gives you a discount: PB Vision

Quick clarification from last week’s discussion on Six Zero paddle face textures.

Six Zero confirmed that the amount of diamond grit has not changed between early and current production models. The weight of diamond grit applied per unit area has remained consistent across paddles like the Ruby Pro, Opal, and Coral.

What did change is the peel ply texture. Earlier runs, like the first Ruby Pro production, used a more aggressive peel ply, which made the diamond grit appear more visible and pronounced due to deeper surface peaks and valleys. Later production runs use a different peel ply texture, but with the same amount of diamond grit underneath.

Six Zero also noted that while some early prototype samples may have used higher grit density, production models have used the same optimized grit level throughout. Lab testing from UPA showed no meaningful spin difference between the rougher early texture and the updated texture.

Appreciate the clarification from Six Zero, and thanks for keeping the details accurate.

PADDLES OF THE WEEK

Chorus has a new full-foam paddle coming called the Coda, and it’s scheduled to release on February 17. Price is $175 before code, which is a strong spot in the full-foam market.

Quick note before anyone asks. This first release does not include their upcoming durable “Harmony Grip.” These are traditional peel ply for now. The Harmony Grip is still in the USAP approval process.

On the X-ray, the build is a full foam floating core. You can clearly see:

What stands out is how thin the EVA band is compared to a lot of Gen 4 floating foam builds. That allows the EP foam to run closer to the edges of the paddle. At the very perimeter, the PU expanding foam fills in the outer ring.

I like the idea of using PU foam here. It isn’t just acting as a spacer or gap filler. It’s a higher-quality foam, and in this position, it can help support the edge and influence how the paddle feels on off-center contact, rather than simply taking up space.

Now the fun part.

Eddie hit this first and basically had the full emotional journey. He didn’t care for it at first, and found it too stiff for his taste

Then he stayed with it, played for about 3 hours, added a little weight, and said it transformed into a paddle that he loved.

When I hit it after the break-in, it felt very balanced. There were no hot spots or dead spots, and the power sat in a comfortable, moderate range. By that point, it didn’t feel stiff to me at all. It comes across as a solid full-foam option for players who want touch and consistency without needing top-tier power. In terms of power, I’d place it right between the Honolulu J2NF and the new J6CR.

We both agreed on one thing. If Chorus eventually adds the Harmony Grit to this paddle, it could end up in a very strong place in the market.

The Coda launches Feb. 17 for $174.99 before code. See details here.

This one surprised both of us.

I reviewed SpeedUp back in 2023, and I remembered them for making budget thermoformed paddles with very long handles. At the time, I thought their fully molded polyurethane handle was one of the best I’d used.

Now they’re back with the Tide series. I’ve only played the elongated so far, and the shape is long and gives off 11SIX24 Vapor vibes.

All three Tide shapes are 14mm, but right now, the elongated is the only USAP-approved version.

That 45-degree carbon layer is there to help soften the natural stiffness of MPP.

Eddie’s reaction was simple. This thing kicks some ass.

It has Boomstik vibes, but it’s a little softer and has an even bassier sound. There’s good pocketing, and the sound really stands out. It has a deep, low tone that reminded us of a broken-in Inferno. We joked about it, but it really does have that broken-in Inferno sound.

The grit is aggressive. It’s the kind of surface that feels like it wants to stick to your shirt.

At first, the launch angle felt high, so it took some adjustment. Once you lock in the face angle and understand how it wants to send the ball, it becomes a problem. You just have to respect it and swing with intention.

We’re a little late on this one, and the comments have definitely reminded us.

The Aireo Cyclone has gotten attention because people compare it to the Luzz Inferno. It costs $189 before code and comes in just one version. It’s an elongated 16mm paddle with an MPPP core and an EVA band.

Eddie didn’t expect much going in. The branding is simple, the shape looks basic, and nothing about it stood out at first. Then he hit it and changed his mind right away.

Eddie’s main takeaway was that it’s a really solid all-around paddle. Nothing crazy, but it does a lot of things well.

He said it feels a little stiff, with an instant response when the ball hits the face. He also mentioned it feels like there might be fiberglass under the surface, but we did not confirm that. That was just based on feel, not on build info.

To me, it also felt very direct. When you hit the ball, you know exactly where it made contact. It doesn’t feel soft or muted.

I joked that it feels like if the Boomstik and the Inferno had a baby, but that actually fits.

Compared to the Inferno, this paddle feels stiffer and more powerful, with less of that soft, broken-in feel. It’s not the same as the Speedup Tide, but it’s in the same family of feel, just leaning more toward the Boomstik side.

If you like a stiff paddle with quick feedback, but still want some of the benefits of an MPPP core, this one is worth a look. It’s not flashy, but it’s easy to play with and surprised both of us more than we expected.

Here’s the purchase link for the Cyclone, and you can take 10% off with code JOHNKEW

GEAR OF THE WEEK

We gave Slyce sliders a big shout last year, but the downside is the install process. Tiny Allen wrench, tiny screws, and a lot of fiddling. It works, but it’s not exactly quick.

Pickle Clips are a different approach. They’re 3-gram weights that snap onto a standard 16mm edge guard. They slide on and off easily, and they stay put unless you move them on purpose. Eddie hasn’t had any fly off, and he said no movement at all during play.

They’re simple, but effective. If you like adjusting weight placement, even within a game, this is a really nice option.

One fair note. Over time, the plastic may stretch if you keep taking them on and off repeatedly. But as a quick, convenient system, it’s clever.

Also, they donate some of their profits to an organization working with incarcerated individuals and introducing them to pickleball, which I love.

Buy here, and take 10% off with code JOHNKEW.

KEW & A

After the eyewear safety video, a common question came up about the test setup. Some viewers pointed out that the ballistic gel head we used is softer than a real human head, which has a skull under the skin.

That’s a fair observation, and I agree with it.

I was careful to state that these were preliminary results, and I mostly wanted to show, in slow motion, what happens when a pickleball hits eyewear at speed. Even at around 40 miles per hour, the impact is much more serious than most people expect, and it supports the main message from the test: wearing eye protection matters.

Some companies, including Kitchen Blockers, shared that they have done testing at higher speeds using a stiffer test head. They explained that real facial features, like the brow and cheekbones, can help hold glasses in place and reduce how much the frames spread during impact.

Because of that feedback, I’m running the test again.

I ordered a new ballistic gel head that includes a skull inside, which better represents a real human head. This type of head is used in professional testing and on shows like MythBusters. The shape and structure are more realistic, with the skull positioned correctly behind the gel.

We’ll redo the eyewear testing using this setup so the results are more accurate and easier to trust.

If you have ideas for future tests or questions you want answered, let us know. We’ll keep refining the process and sharing what we learn.

That’s all for this week’s email.

I’ll catch you in the next one.

—John