Let's Talk Paddles...

We’ve received a lot of new paddles in the last couple of months — mainly Gen 4s — with an ever-growing emphasis on long-lasting grit. Let's review what's new and exciting paddles still to come this fall.

Ronbus Quanta Pro

The king of Gen 4 value has finally gotten an upgrade with the new Ronbus Quanta Pro. There’s no denying it, the original Quanta represented fantastic value, but it also had its fair share of issues: it was hollow and powerful, but had a small sweet spot and an inconsistent feel off the paddle face.

Ronbus have reworked the Gen 4 foam core to make the Quanta Pro feel more dense, more responsive and significantly more forgiving on off-centre hits. It’s also a little bit heavier than the original Quanta, so it won’t require the same amount of customization to be stable enough to use at a high level.

The star of the show, however, is the new NanoBond Surface Technology. This is another long-lasting grit material that should help to improve the Quanta Pro’s spin duration when compared to the original Quanta.

Thrive Ignite Arc & Elongated

Earlier this year, the Thrive Ignite became a very popular all-court paddle, but for the longest time, it wasn’t available in an elongated shape.

Now we’ve got two. The Ignite Elongated is a classic square-top elongated paddle, while the Ignite Arc has a similar silhouette to the Joola Hyperion. This gives players the choice between better stability and power on the Elongated and quicker hand speed on the Arc.

Beyond these new shapes, though, the Ignite core design is fantastic, blending exceptional control with very good pop and power. It’s one of the first paddles I would recommend to players looking for control who also aren’t willing to sacrifice a competitive edge in the power and spin game.

 

Vatic Pro V-Sol Tour

If you like the stiff and hollow feel of a Boomstik but don’t want to splash the cash, the new V-Sol Tour could be a great option for you. It’s powerful, responsive and forgiving, and it features Vatic Pro’s new Evergrit, which should help spin last longer than it does on the Pro and Power models.

This is one I can’t wait to spend more time on court with, as it represents fantastic value for money, and Vatic has already proven that they know how to make a more budget-oriented Gen 4.

 

RPM Q2

While the V-Sol Tour is significantly cheaper than the Boomstik, it certainly doesn’t match it in terms of top-end playability. The Q2, on the other hand, does, and just so happens to come in at $110 cheaper.

Of course, it isn’t just a replica of the Boomstik; there are small nuances in playability between the two paddles, but it’s certainly not worse by any stretch of the imagination. The Q2 has a slightly longer dwell time and higher trampoline effect but doesn’t quite match the Boomstik’s massive sweet spot and exceptional pop.

It’s tough to choose between the two, but if you like the Boomstik and just wish it had a slightly softer feel, the Q2 performs just as well and will give you exactly what you’re looking for.

SixZero Boulder Opal

While the SixZero Black Opal certainly wasn’t for everybody, players that liked it absolutely swore by it. It has one of the most unique feel and power profiles of any paddle, so SixZero built on that platform to develop the Boulder Opal.

The Boulder Opal tones power down ever so slightly in exchange for a plusher response off the paddle face, better control, and a more forgiving sweet spot. It still feels like a Black Opal, but if you want a slightly more tame take on that paddle, this is the perfect option for you.

Enhance Duo

The Enhance Duo surprised me in the best possible way. I don’t tend to appreciate the playability of denser control paddles, but this one changed my mind.

The Duo is firm, chalky, and doesn’t have a particularly pronounced spring effect, which makes it very easy to control, but it still adds enough power to be competitive at the highest level.

What truly elevates the Duo to the top tier of pickleball paddles is its spin. It gives you some of the most intuitive spin modulation thanks to that chalky, grabby feel in the core. I have rarely felt so comfortable hitting spin from any area in any situation on the court.

Give this paddle a shot if you like excellent control paddles: you won’t be disappointed.

 

An All-Time Great Gen 3

RPM Friction Pro V2

RPM has come out with a second version of their ultra-popular Friction model, and while Gen 3s have certainly taken a back seat to Gen 4s this year, this paddle should not be underestimated.

The new RPM Friction Pro V2 is probably the best Gen 3 I’ve ever played with, giving you exceptional feel, spin, and massive power potential. Of course, like with any Gen 3, it’s not as forgiving or user-friendly as the best Gen 4s, but you already know the story with that.

Those of you who like Gen 3s appreciate their more nuanced feel, and Friction Pro V2 is the cream of the crop in this category right now.

What’s Coming?

We’ve got even more paddles coming this fall with perhaps my most anticipated release: the Bread & Butter Loco 2. Doug and the crew at Bread & Butter hit a home run with the Loco last year, so they decided to keep the same winning core formula and add Space Dust Grit to the top sheet for more durable spin. A Loco with better spin durability? Yes please!

 

Enhance is also releasing an updated version of their Turbo, a paddle that took the pickleball world by storm thanks to its elite playability and wallet-friendly price tag. Like Bread & Butter, the Turbo Armogrit update utilizes a new long-lasting grit material.

The RPM Jade is also coming this month, and it features a similar core construction to the Q2 but with MPP foam instead of EPP. On top of that, RPM have added SICmatrix Surface Grit, again, improving the paddle’s spin durability. I can’t wait to get my hands on this one; RPM has never disappointed me with a paddle.

Finally, we have a new paddle coming in from Pickleball Apes, the Zen S+. This is supposed to be a power paddle that doesn’t sacrifice touch and forgivingness, and I’m curious to see how PB Apes does with this one because they’ve fallen behind the curve in the last year or so.

The Bag to End All Bags

While these aren’t paddles, Selkirk’s new line of pickleball bags cannot be ignored and could be a godsend to many players. The 35L and 25L bags compartmentalize every piece of your equipment, making it extremely organized and easy to find. The Pro Line 2.0 Duffle isn’t quite as tech-forward, but like any duffle, it will certainly do the trick.

I hope this article can help to clarify what is admittedly a very busy time for paddle releases and new arrivals to the store. If you would like to demo any of these paddles, you can come visit us in-store, or if you’d like to buy them, you can go online.