Hi friends!

It’s been a little while since the last email, but we’ve got a good mix of gear and testing to go through this week.

I spent time with several new paddles, including the Pickleball Apes Joy, Selkirk’s new SLK Dauntless line, and a surprising one from Head that played much better than I expected.

We also ran another ball cannon test comparing the Franklin X-40 and the LifeTime ball to see if the LifeTime actually produces less spin.

Let’s dive in!

In this week’s email:

PADDLES OF THE WEEK

This paddle sparked one of those rare moments where Eddie and I didn’t agree at all, which usually means it’s worth a closer look.

The Pickleball Apes Joy is a budget full foam paddle, coming in around $99 after code, and there’s more going on inside it than you’d expect at that price.

The Joy uses EPP foam in the center with an EVA foam ring around the edge, and the X-ray makes that easy to see.

The EVA wraps around the paddle and tapers near the throat, while the center foam continues down into the handle. Because the core stays connected to the handle, the paddle feels more solid and direct in the hand, especially on touch shots and resets.

The core is also diced, but not with straight cuts like most foam paddles. Instead, it uses a circular, bullseye-style pattern in the center. Even with that design, the paddle does not feel soft or mushy.

It’s faint, but if you look closely, you can see the bullseye pattern.

The X-ray also shows denser areas at 3 and 9 o’clock, likely added for perimeter weighting. That extra weight helps keep the paddle stable on off-center hits and prevents it from feeling hollow.

All of this matches how the Joy plays on court. It feels firm, connected, and stiff, not plush. If you like a direct response and a paddle that feels solid through the handle, this design makes sense.

The face layup is classic Pickleball Apes:

That aramid surface is gritty and very much their signature. They were one of the first brands to lean into aramid, and they’ve stayed consistent with it.

One notable update is the S+ shape. Apes adjusted the dimensions after feedback on the original S shape, which didn’t fully use the allowed “rule of 24.” The S+ is about 6 mm wider and 3 mm shorter, giving you a bit more usable face without changing the overall character of the paddle too much.

On court, Eddie wasn’t sold. For him, the paddle felt a little harsh and not very forgiving. The power and spin were fine, but the feedback through the handle didn’t feel good, and the sweet spot didn’t stand out. Some shots felt thin, even when they went where he expected.

I expected the Joy to feel soft like most other Apes paddles, but it didn’t. It felt crisp, stiff, and very direct. I don’t mind this feel, but if you don’t like stiff paddles, this one probably isn’t for you. But I actually liked that Apes went in a firmer direction instead of releasing another plush, all-court foam paddle.

My main issue was the stock weight. It felt light, and I was contacting the ball too far out in front. Once I added perimeter weight, the paddle calmed down and became more predictable, while still keeping that firm response.

This is a polarizing paddle, and that’s not a bad thing. For players who like a stiff feel, a gritty surface, and a more connected response through the handle, especially at this price, the Joy is going to make a lot of sense.

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Selkirk is restructuring the SLK line, which is essentially their more budget-friendly performance line.

If you’re not familiar, Selkirk has their premium paddles like the Power Air and Boomstik at the top end. The SLK line sits below that in price, but it’s meant to give you similar shape philosophy and design ideas without the flagship price tag.

They’re now simplifying that lineup.

Instead of a bunch of different legacy shapes and naming conventions, they’re moving to just two shapes:

Much cleaner and easier to understand.

The Dauntless sits near the top of that SLK lineup at $180, just below the SLK ERA at $200.

So this is positioned as one of their higher-end “accessible” performance paddles, not entry-level, but not flagship Selkirk pricing either.

Although I think this release might fall a little flat as a $200 option all-court paddle, I do appreciate the shape lineup and new MOI weights.

The new low-profile MOI weighting system uses 5-gram edge weights, tucked in cleanly. That should help reduce some of the edge guard durability issues we’ve seen in the past.

The face is raw carbon fiber, but they are not pushing the grit to the edge of legality. This is not a “how much texture can we sneak through” paddle. It feels controlled and compliant.

The core is full foam, but I haven’t x-rayed it yet to see the internals. Their marketing seems to indicate a single piece of foam, so it’s possibly EPP without a surrounding EVA band, but I’ll need to confirm that with x-rays.

Now let’s break down the shapes.

Widebody Specs:

That deflection number tells you right away this is not a power paddle.

Eddie played it first and said, “This is more control than all court.” And I kind of agree. It’s forgiving. It’s stable. But you have to work for your serves.

If you like soft, controlled, forgiving paddles, this makes sense. If you’re looking for easy pop, probably not your thing.

Now the elongated.

Elongated Specs:

This one has more life than the widebody, but it’s still not a cannon. The twist weight is strong for stock. It feels stable. The overall feel is stiffer and denser than something like the Boomstick. Predictable. Linear. Not boingy.

In the end, I think diehard Selkirk fans will like this. But for $180, I think there are more appealing options out there, with more forgiveness, and some of which have new grit promising better durablility (e.g., Diamond Tough, HexGrit, Permagrit, and others coming soon). For direct competitors in the All-Court or low in the Power categories, I’d say the Spartus P1 and Six Zero Coral are excellent choices with durable grit.

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I’ll be honest, I went into this one with very low expectations.

You see that glitter on the face and your first reaction is, what is going on here? In the sun it’s flashing everywhere. It’s bold. It’s different. I was ready to not like it.

And then I hit with it.

The core setup is actually pretty interesting. It’s not just a simple build. You’ve got:

So there’s a lot going on inside.

Here are the measured specs:

That 63 deflection tells you right away this isn’t a power paddle. You’re not getting free pop here.

But what surprised me was how intuitive it felt. After a few shots, it just made sense. The ball came off clean. It was predictable. It wasn’t jumpy.

Spin is solid for peel ply. Nothing extreme. Power is moderate.

But the sweet spot felt good, and the response was linear. I didn’t feel like I had to baby it, and I didn’t feel like it was going to launch on me.

I ended up playing more games with it than I planned to.

It’s not winning any category like “most powerful” or “most spin,” but it just plays well. And that matters. A strong advanced player could absolutely compete with it, and at the same time, it’s accessible enough that an improving player wouldn’t feel overwhelmed by it.

That was the real surprise.

Link to Paddle (take 15% off at checkout with code JOHNKEW)

This is a 14mm paddle that we’ve been seeing the Luzz pros using for singles, reportedly built with a foam core.

Measured specs:

That deflection number suggests more power.

Thin paddles like this typically appeal to singles players who want speed and direct feedback. It feels stiff and dense in the hand. I need more court time before giving a full evaluation.

BALL CANNON TEST

Another common claim I hear is that the LifeTime ball doesn’t spin as much as balls like the Franklin X40.

To test that, I used the ball cannon again and compared:

Same paddle. Same setup. Same contact.

The result surprised a lot of people.

Both balls produced essentially the same RPM.

So if the spin is the same, why does the LifeTime ball feel like it spins less?

The answer appears to be ball flight, not spin.

The LifeTime ball has smaller holes, which reduces air drag. With less drag, the ball doesn’t dip as much, even when the spin rate is similar. That shallower flight path makes it look and feel like there’s less spin, especially on serves and drives.

In other words, the spin is there, but the ball doesn’t drop as aggressively. That difference in dip is likely what players are reacting to when they say the LifeTime ball “doesn’t spin as much.”

LATEST GEAR GOSSIP

I’ve been rotating between the Selkirk Court Strike 2.0 and the Court Strike Pro 2.0, and the differences between the two are pretty clear once you spend time in them.

Both versions use Selkirk’s 4-way grip outsole, and the durability upgrade is obvious. I’m not seeing much wear yet, even with regular play, which makes the six-month outsole warranty feel realistic. That warranty applies to both the regular and the Pro, which matters if you’re hard on shoes.

The regular Court Strike 2.0 is clearly built for comfort and everyday play. The updated 3-layer cushioning system makes it feel softer and lighter underfoot, and the break-in period is almost nonexistent. I can wear these straight onto the court and feel good moving side to side. The midsole improves stability without locking my foot down too much, which I like.

The Court Strike Pro 2.0 is aimed more at competitive players who want extra support. You get the same outsole and wear-zone protection, but the big difference is the TPU shank in the midsole. That adds torsional stability and better shock absorption, especially when you’re pushing hard laterally. The tradeoff is that it takes longer to break in, and it feels more structured right away.

Between the two, Eddie keeps leaning toward the regular version because he likes being able to get low and move freely without feeling restricted. I’m comfortable in both, but the slightly wider fit of the 2.0 works better for him than it does for my narrower foot.

For reference, Eddie keeps putting these right alongside the Babolat Jet Mach Pickleball, which tells you where they land in terms of speed and mobility. They’re not overly stiff, not clunky, and they don’t feel like tanks on your feet.

I’ve been running Blumaka insoles in mine, which add support but also cause some squeaking with the Court Strikes. Eddie sticks with the stock insoles and has no complaints. He also likes using lock laces on other shoes to get even pressure across the foot, which would pair well here, too.

Right now, the Court Strike 2.0 lineup feels dialed. Whether you want the lighter, more comfortable everyday shoe or the Pro version with added stability, both are backed by the same six-month outsole warranty, and both feel like real upgrades from the previous version.

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DEEP DIVE

This is one of those moments where the data finally lines up with what I’m seeing on court.

I’ve been doing most of my spin testing with a ball cannon and a high-speed camera. The goal is simple: remove my arm from the equation. Every test uses the same ball speed, the same paddle angle, and the same contact point. The only thing that changes is the paddle itself.

Once I started doing that, a clear pattern showed up.

At first, the difference looks small. When I measure it, launch angles range from about 16 degrees on the low end to just over 22 degrees on the high end. On paper, that doesn’t sound like much.

But when you model it, the difference becomes obvious.

I ran a flight model using a 55 mph topspin drive from the baseline, factoring in real launch angles, spin rates, air drag, and lift from topspin. When you compare two paddles that are separated by about six degrees of launch angle, the result is striking.

That small angle change creates about 21 inches of extra net clearance.

That’s the difference between a ball that safely clears the net and one that clips the tape.

The high-speed footage explains why this happens.

On lower-spin paddles, the ball slides across the face before it starts to rotate. Because the paddle doesn’t grab the ball right away, the launch angle stays low and the ball never really lifts.

On higher-spin paddles, the ball grabs almost immediately. There’s very little slide, spin builds faster, and the ball launches higher as soon as it leaves the face.

That leads to the main takeaway.

Launch angle is driven mostly by how much the paddle face grips the ball, not just how long the ball stays on the paddle. If the face doesn’t grab, the ball slides, spin stays low, and launch angle drops. If the face grabs quickly, spin increases and the launch angle rises with it.

Once you see this happen in real time, launch angle stops feeling mysterious. It becomes something you can predict just by watching how the ball leaves the paddle face.