00:00 - 00:04
paddle releases don't ever really stop
00:02 - 00:05
these days but we are going to take a
00:04 - 00:07
little break from the reviewing to
00:05 - 00:09
reflect on everything that's come out
00:07 - 00:11
this year for our year-end pickle ball
00:15 - 00:20
Awards hey everybody it's Luca from
00:17 - 00:22
rinson Runners strap in for a fun ride
00:20 - 00:24
it might get a little controversial I'm
00:22 - 00:25
ready for the heat so please don't
00:24 - 00:27
hesitate to let me know in the comment
00:25 - 00:28
section if you think I'm dead wrong
00:27 - 00:30
about something I'm going to set some
00:28 - 00:31
criteria here in a second because there
00:30 - 00:33
are some important things you need to
00:31 - 00:35
keep in mind while watching this video
00:33 - 00:37
but before we get into any of that let
00:35 - 00:39
me remind you as usual that any of the
00:37 - 00:40
paddles we talk about on this channel
00:39 - 00:43
you can check out on our website rackets
00:40 - 00:43
andr runners.com
01:00 - 01:03
I'm about to say for one we have to
01:02 - 01:05
carry the paddle I know this kind of
01:03 - 01:07
goes without saying but we don't carry
01:05 - 01:09
every paddle in the world and I can only
01:07 - 01:12
talk about the ones we have two to be
01:09 - 01:14
eligible for a 2024 paddle award the
01:12 - 01:18
paddle must have come into the store in
01:14 - 01:19
2024 not necessarily released in 2024
01:18 - 01:21
but I can't have already talked about it
01:19 - 01:22
last year there are a couple of
01:21 - 01:24
important paddles that we tested last
01:22 - 01:25
year that could definitely be in the
01:24 - 01:27
running for these Awards but there's so
01:25 - 01:29
many paddles nowadays that I kind of had
01:27 - 01:31
to narrow down the list somehow and that
01:29 - 01:33
seemed pretty logical to me finally I do
01:31 - 01:35
just want to remind you that while I do
01:33 - 01:38
try to be as objective as possible in my
01:35 - 01:40
videos especially ones like this there
01:38 - 01:41
is bound to be a bit of personal bias so
01:40 - 01:43
just keep that in mind but anyways we're
01:41 - 01:45
going to hand out a lot of awards today
01:43 - 01:47
the best power paddle best control
01:45 - 01:49
paddle best spin paddle the most
01:47 - 01:51
well-rounded paddle the best value and
01:49 - 01:53
of course we'll finish up with the best
01:51 - 01:55
overall paddle of the year without
01:53 - 01:57
further Ado let's talk about the best
01:55 - 01:59
power paddle I think we can all agree
01:57 - 02:01
that 2024 has been the year of the power
01:59 - 02:03
paddle but I think we can also agree
02:01 - 02:05
that it hasn't always been smooth
02:03 - 02:07
sailing especially with foam paddles
02:05 - 02:09
company started experimenting with foam
02:07 - 02:11
as a core material because foam adds a
02:09 - 02:14
unique spring effect onto the ball which
02:11 - 02:16
exponentially amplifies power the first
02:14 - 02:18
foam paddle I tested was the gearbox Pro
02:16 - 02:19
Power elongated which I know technically
02:18 - 02:21
came out last year but we didn't get it
02:19 - 02:23
until January but anyways I was
02:21 - 02:25
completely blown away by that paddles
02:23 - 02:27
power it was really unlike anything I'd
02:25 - 02:29
ever tried before other paddles seem to
02:27 - 02:31
soak up the ball's energy during dwell
02:29 - 02:33
time even other powerful paddles but the
02:31 - 02:35
gearboxes added energy onto the ball
02:33 - 02:37
later on in the year gearbox released
02:35 - 02:39
their Pro ultimate power which is also
02:37 - 02:41
extremely powerful but just a little
02:39 - 02:43
more controlled with its thicker core
02:41 - 02:45
then the Gen 3 yolas came out and with
02:43 - 02:47
them started the most controversial
02:45 - 02:50
event in pickle ball history the paddles
02:47 - 02:52
were initially approved by us APA but
02:50 - 02:54
then eventually delisted for being too
02:52 - 02:56
powerful which opened up a Pandora's box
02:54 - 02:58
of issues thousands of customers were
02:56 - 03:00
left with paddles they couldn't use in
02:58 - 03:02
sanction tournaments luckily Yola took
03:00 - 03:03
them back and started working on paddles
03:02 - 03:05
that were actually legal a few months
03:03 - 03:08
later they released their Pro Edition
03:05 - 03:10
mod Tas and then eventually the Yola 3s
03:08 - 03:12
series now I've tested both and I can
03:10 - 03:14
promise you they are virtually identical
03:12 - 03:16
to the Gen 3s that were Dlisted so long
03:14 - 03:18
story short super bizarre situation but
03:16 - 03:20
you can now sort of buy a legal foam
03:18 - 03:23
paddle from Yola so I'm considering both
03:20 - 03:25
the mod ta and the 3s series eligible
03:23 - 03:27
for this one we also have to throw paddl
03:25 - 03:30
into the mix with their very powerful
03:27 - 03:32
alw and TKO lines these don't have foam
03:30 - 03:34
in them but also add a really strong
03:32 - 03:36
amount of pop and power onto the ball
03:34 - 03:38
although not quite as much as foam
03:36 - 03:40
paddles so in terms of hyper powerful
03:38 - 03:41
paddles you've got the paddl techs yolas
03:40 - 03:43
and gearboxes all of which would have
03:41 - 03:45
been worthy winners but none of them are
03:43 - 03:47
taking home this award that's going to
03:45 - 03:49
the rhombus Ripple now part of me really
03:47 - 03:51
didn't want to give this to the Ripple
03:49 - 03:53
because it's also going through its own
03:51 - 03:55
bit of controversy right now but I can't
03:53 - 03:57
pretend like the Ripple I tested back in
03:55 - 03:58
September doesn't exist the power on
03:57 - 04:01
that paddle was similar to the yolas and
03:58 - 04:03
gearboxes maybe actually a touch lower
04:01 - 04:05
but its control and spin were a clear
04:03 - 04:07
Notch ahead of those making its overall
04:05 - 04:09
performance significantly better really
04:07 - 04:10
this should have been the easiest award
04:09 - 04:12
to hand out this year but now it seems
04:10 - 04:14
like rhombus are calling the one I
04:12 - 04:15
tested the beta and they're changing the
04:14 - 04:18
full release version that's supposed to
04:15 - 04:19
come out on December 6th and as of today
04:18 - 04:21
they've actually delayed that one even
04:19 - 04:23
further I haven't actually tested the
04:21 - 04:24
new one but from all the rumors I've
04:23 - 04:27
heard it does sound like that one is
04:24 - 04:29
unfortunately going to play different so
04:27 - 04:30
this may not apply to the new one still
04:29 - 04:33
what rombus show they could do with the
04:30 - 04:34
beta Ripple is beyond impressive for me
04:33 - 04:36
I said it in the review that it was the
04:34 - 04:38
coolest paddle I'd ever tested and I
04:36 - 04:39
maintained that so it's the best power
04:38 - 04:42
paddle of the year and if you can get
04:39 - 04:43
your hands on one I highly recommend it
04:42 - 04:45
we do have quite a few of them left and
04:43 - 04:47
just for your own peace of mind if you
04:45 - 04:49
do have to warranty a beta Ripple
04:47 - 04:50
rhombus has said they'll cover it with
04:49 - 04:52
the full release version when it does
04:50 - 04:53
come out now we're going to move on to
04:52 - 04:56
the other side of the pickle ball
04:53 - 04:57
playability Spectrum with control
04:56 - 05:00
control paddles made a bit of a comeback
04:57 - 05:02
this year after a pretty dry 20 3 with
05:00 - 05:04
all the stiff thermoform paddles we got
05:02 - 05:06
last year that comeback really started
05:04 - 05:08
with the introduction of Kevlar as a top
05:06 - 05:10
sheet material Kevlar provides a more
05:08 - 05:12
flexible feel on contact than carbon
05:10 - 05:14
especially on soft shots which increases
05:12 - 05:16
dwell time and therefore control we saw
05:14 - 05:18
a ton of Kevlar paddles come into the
05:16 - 05:22
store this year like the 60 Ruby the
05:18 - 05:23
Honolulu pickle ball j2k and j3k and the
05:22 - 05:25
bread and butter fat boy they became an
05:23 - 05:27
instant hit because of their Dynamic
05:25 - 05:29
playability especially their soft game
05:27 - 05:30
performance and what eventually happened
05:29 - 05:32
is that companies who weren't using
05:30 - 05:34
Kevlar had to figure out other ways to
05:32 - 05:36
soften up their thermoform paddles brand
05:34 - 05:38
started creating unique core
05:36 - 05:40
constructions and carbon layups to
05:38 - 05:42
increase that dwell time one of my
05:40 - 05:44
personal favorites is Rhombus is carbon
05:42 - 05:46
grid technology that we first saw
05:44 - 05:48
introduced on the novas last year on
05:46 - 05:50
those paddles they only use that grid
05:48 - 05:52
pattern on the edges this year they
05:50 - 05:54
released the Pulsar fxs that feature the
05:52 - 05:57
carbon grid all over the face which made
05:54 - 05:59
them truly Elite soft control paddles
05:57 - 06:01
selk also finally up their game with a
05:59 - 06:02
raw carbon thermoform paddle first
06:01 - 06:05
releasing the Vanguard controls which
06:02 - 06:06
were good but not quite as soft as some
06:05 - 06:08
of the industry-leading softer
06:06 - 06:10
thermoform paddles like the Pulsar FX as
06:08 - 06:12
I just mentioned they built off of those
06:10 - 06:15
and released the Vanguard Pro Invicta
06:12 - 06:17
and epic which feature a uniquely woven
06:15 - 06:19
carbon top sheet with four layers of
06:17 - 06:21
carbon and those are much softer than
06:19 - 06:22
the Vanguard controls while also being a
06:21 - 06:24
level above in spin and power one
06:22 - 06:27
company took control to the next level
06:24 - 06:29
though pickle ball Apes they decided to
06:27 - 06:31
combine a Kevlar top sheet with a softer
06:29 - 06:33
cor designed to create the ultimate
06:31 - 06:35
control paddle and suffice to say they
06:33 - 06:37
succeeded their pulse paddles are some
06:35 - 06:38
of the softest therof formed Kevlar
06:37 - 06:40
paddles that you can find and they also
06:38 - 06:42
have really large forgiving sweet spots
06:40 - 06:44
and muted feels which makes their
06:42 - 06:47
control profile even better the pulse e
06:44 - 06:49
and pulse s are Elite control paddles
06:47 - 06:51
but the pulse V is going to take the
06:49 - 06:53
award for the best control paddle of
06:51 - 06:55
2024 it's a widebody paddle so it has an
06:53 - 06:57
even bigger Sweet Spot which makes it
06:55 - 06:59
even more forgiving in the control game
06:57 - 07:01
if you need that now this award is
06:59 - 07:02
probably the most subjective of all the
07:01 - 07:05
ones I'm giving out today just because I
07:02 - 07:07
do think muted and a big sweet spot are
07:05 - 07:09
generally better for control but not
07:07 - 07:10
Everyone likes that personally I prefer
07:09 - 07:12
something with a bit more connection to
07:10 - 07:14
the ball but I think the pulse V is the
07:12 - 07:16
control paddle that will work for the
07:14 - 07:17
most amount of people which is why I
07:16 - 07:19
have it coming in first place here I
07:17 - 07:20
also want to say that there are some
07:19 - 07:22
paddles that came out this year that are
07:20 - 07:24
a little bit softer and more forgiving
07:22 - 07:26
than this one like the bread and butter
07:24 - 07:28
fat boy but the pulse V is still Elite
07:26 - 07:30
for control while being significantly
07:28 - 07:31
more well-rounded than those paddles and
07:30 - 07:33
I think that's an important thing in
07:31 - 07:35
pickle ball nowadays in a perfect world
07:33 - 07:37
I'd give the best spin paddle of the
07:35 - 07:39
Year award to the rhombus Ripple because
07:37 - 07:40
if you watched our review I describe it
07:39 - 07:42
as the paddle that gives you the most
07:40 - 07:44
control over the amount of spin you put
07:42 - 07:46
on the ball not only is it extremely
07:44 - 07:48
spin friendly but spin modulation is
07:46 - 07:49
very high because you never lose the
07:48 - 07:51
ball in the paddle face which is a
07:49 - 07:53
little different to the sensation I get
07:51 - 07:55
on other foam paddles the problem is it
07:53 - 07:57
sounds like the beta's spin profile may
07:55 - 07:59
be what changes the most with the full
07:57 - 08:01
release so the beta is fantastic but I
07:59 - 08:03
am going to give this award to another
08:01 - 08:05
paddle this year the reality is every
08:03 - 08:07
foam paddle is top tier for spin because
08:05 - 08:09
it doesn't just help to amplify power it
08:07 - 08:11
also creates this very responsive
08:09 - 08:13
backboard for spin generation kind of
08:11 - 08:15
like strings in a tennis racket so we go
08:13 - 08:17
back to the foam paddles that were in
08:15 - 08:18
the running for the power Awards the
08:17 - 08:21
gearbox Pro Powers ultimates and
08:18 - 08:23
controls the Yola mod Tas and then the
08:21 - 08:26
Yola 3s paddles like I said they're all
08:23 - 08:28
top tier but for me the Yola Hyperion 3s
08:26 - 08:30
stands out as the best amongst all of
08:28 - 08:32
them for a couple of reasons a major one
08:30 - 08:34
being they're just more readily
08:32 - 08:36
available than the limited mod Tas the
08:34 - 08:38
other thing to factor in is the Hyperion
08:36 - 08:41
shape the persus the mods and even the
08:38 - 08:43
gearbox paddles all have that Standard
08:41 - 08:45
elongated design the Hyperion is shaped
08:43 - 08:47
more aerodynamically so it can be swung
08:45 - 08:49
quicker to generate spin of course this
08:47 - 08:51
is a really small difference and some of
08:49 - 08:52
you may actually feel like the standard
08:51 - 08:54
paddles generate more spin because they
08:52 - 08:56
provide a tiny bit more leverage over
08:54 - 08:58
the ball but I find that the Boost and
08:56 - 09:00
paddle speed is just a little bit better
08:58 - 09:02
in the spin game especially for spin
09:00 - 09:04
variety I also have to say I've always
09:02 - 09:06
found Yola's propulsion cord to be a
09:04 - 09:08
little more effective than gearboxes at
09:06 - 09:10
transferring spin into the ball which is
09:08 - 09:11
another reason I've got the Hyperion 3s
09:10 - 09:13
ahead of those but yeah an incredible
09:11 - 09:15
year for Spin and pickle ball these foam
09:13 - 09:17
paddles are a notch ahead of standard
09:15 - 09:19
paddles in terms of spin generation but
09:17 - 09:21
those also saw a huge boost especially
09:19 - 09:23
Kevlar paddles so basically brands are
09:21 - 09:24
just pushing spin to the next level
09:23 - 09:26
which is awesome this is a category I
09:24 - 09:28
didn't give an award to last year but
09:26 - 09:30
with the sheer amount of amazing all
09:28 - 09:32
Court paddles that came out this year we
09:30 - 09:34
have to address it in fact this might be
09:32 - 09:36
the most prestigious Award of the bunch
09:34 - 09:38
well-rounded playability goes hand
09:36 - 09:40
inhand with what I said in the control
09:38 - 09:43
section A lot of the R&D this year was
09:40 - 09:45
aimed at improving control on therof
09:43 - 09:47
form paddles Kevlar the unique core
09:45 - 09:49
constructions and the carbon layups have
09:47 - 09:51
all accomplished this but for me Kevlar
09:49 - 09:53
is the best at improving control while
09:51 - 09:55
still maintaining top tier power and
09:53 - 09:57
spin which is the key for all court
09:55 - 09:59
playability so I am going to have a
09:57 - 10:01
Kevlar paddle win this award but I also
09:59 - 10:02
want to talk about paddle shape here
10:01 - 10:04
because it is so important when
10:02 - 10:06
discussing well-rounded playability
10:04 - 10:08
elongated paddles provide more leverage
10:06 - 10:10
for power Spin and stability while
10:08 - 10:12
standard paddles are shorter and wider
10:10 - 10:14
so they're more maneuverable forgiving
10:12 - 10:16
and controlled hybrid paddles lie
10:14 - 10:18
somewhere in between the two basically
10:16 - 10:19
providing The Best of Both Worlds you
10:18 - 10:21
probably get where I'm going with this
10:19 - 10:23
hybrid paddles are perfect if you're
10:21 - 10:25
looking for well-rounded playability so
10:23 - 10:27
add two and two together cavlar plus
10:25 - 10:29
hybrid there were a few very good cavlar
10:27 - 10:32
hybrid paddles that came into the store
10:29 - 10:34
for this year most notably the 60 Ruby
10:32 - 10:36
and Honolulu pickle ball j2k they are
10:34 - 10:39
admittedly very similar but they do have
10:36 - 10:40
a slightly different shape the J 2k's
10:39 - 10:42
bottom portion of the paddle face comes
10:40 - 10:44
down a little bit lower and it's a
10:42 - 10:46
little wider which makes The Sweet Spot
10:44 - 10:48
bigger and therefore more forgiving it's
10:46 - 10:50
a very minimal difference but to me it's
10:48 - 10:52
exactly the tiebreaker I need to say
10:50 - 10:54
that the j2k is that little bit more
10:52 - 10:56
well-rounded than the Ruby it's just a
10:54 - 10:58
little easier to use and accessible to a
10:56 - 11:00
wider player base but both are obviously
10:58 - 11:02
fantastic all Court paddles there's
11:00 - 11:05
really no area where the j2k isn't
11:02 - 11:07
excellent spin is top tier control is
11:05 - 11:09
fantastic especially if you appreciate
11:07 - 11:10
good feel and power is never going to be
11:09 - 11:12
as high as foam paddles but it's up
11:10 - 11:14
there with the best of the rest with all
11:12 - 11:16
the technological developments in recent
11:14 - 11:18
years it's pretty logical that after the
11:16 - 11:20
initial R&D investment certain companies
11:18 - 11:22
would be able to produce paddles with
11:20 - 11:24
high quality technology at a much
11:22 - 11:26
cheaper price we saw a ton of good value
11:24 - 11:28
paddles this year but one has stood out
11:26 - 11:30
to me as a clear Notch ahead of the rest
11:28 - 11:32
the neonic flow this isn't a paddle I've
11:30 - 11:34
individually reviewed on this channel
11:32 - 11:37
and I probably won't at this point but
11:34 - 11:39
for $180 Canadian dollars I know it's
11:37 - 11:42
not cheap but its playability is
11:39 - 11:44
fantastic it's a Tor t700 raw carbon
11:42 - 11:45
thermoform paddle and most of the
11:44 - 11:48
paddles with similar tech specs are
11:45 - 11:50
coming in well over that $200 price
11:48 - 11:52
point the flow is a proper high quality
11:50 - 11:54
thermoform paddle too it's got that
11:52 - 11:56
premium rigid feel with a ton of Spin
11:54 - 11:58
and really good power but unlike the
11:56 - 12:00
original Gen 2 thermoform paddles that
11:58 - 12:02
were really all out power and not much
12:00 - 12:04
else the control is really solid here
12:02 - 12:06
it's not as soft as Kevlar paddles or
12:04 - 12:08
those Dynamic paddles I keep referring
12:06 - 12:09
to but you can definitely feel a little
12:08 - 12:11
more dwell time here than on something
12:09 - 12:13
like the carbon power paddles for
12:11 - 12:14
example that also makes it perform a
12:13 - 12:16
little better in the spin game because
12:14 - 12:18
you can use that extra dwell time to
12:16 - 12:20
grab and shape the ball I also love this
12:18 - 12:22
shape it's the same length as paddles
12:20 - 12:23
like the j2k and the Ruby but it's
12:22 - 12:25
actually a little bit whipper because
12:23 - 12:27
this face doesn't come down as low or
12:25 - 12:28
flare out as much that helps with spin
12:27 - 12:30
although it does make The Sweet Spot a
12:28 - 12:32
little bit smaller too I really can't
12:30 - 12:34
think of a better paddle under $200 at
12:32 - 12:36
least if we're talking retail prices
12:34 - 12:38
although I have to say I think the flow
12:36 - 12:40
is fantastic without even talking about
12:38 - 12:42
the price but anyways now let's move on
12:40 - 12:44
to the best overall paddle of 2024 again
12:42 - 12:45
because of all the controversy
12:44 - 12:47
surrounding it I really didn't want to
12:45 - 12:49
give it to this paddle but honestly I've
12:47 - 12:52
never played with anything this good the
12:49 - 12:54
best paddle of 2024 is the rhombus
12:52 - 12:55
Ripple beta I was so taken aback by this
12:54 - 12:57
paddle performance when I first tested
12:55 - 12:59
it because it was really beyond what I
12:57 - 13:01
had imagined was possible and it's more
12:59 - 13:03
than just its obscene power and spin
13:01 - 13:04
potential coming from a tennis
13:03 - 13:06
background I've been looking for a
13:04 - 13:08
paddle that allows me to manipulate a
13:06 - 13:10
pickle ball in the same way that I can
13:08 - 13:12
at tennis ball and up until I tested the
13:10 - 13:14
Ripple no paddle was nearly as
13:12 - 13:15
responsive as a racket at some point you
13:14 - 13:17
tell yourself okay well they're
13:15 - 13:18
different sports you're just never going
13:17 - 13:20
to get that same feeling in pickle ball
13:18 - 13:22
and adopt your Technique accordingly but
13:20 - 13:24
then I played with this paddle and
13:22 - 13:25
that's exactly what they accomplished I
13:24 - 13:28
was hitting so much more Spin and power
13:25 - 13:30
but I also had a significantly better
13:28 - 13:32
feel for the ball even compared to other
13:30 - 13:34
foam paddles that gave me a level of
13:32 - 13:36
consistency and confidence that made the
13:34 - 13:38
high power so easy to control now it's
13:36 - 13:40
not without its flaws while I do think
13:38 - 13:42
that feel is incredible it does take
13:40 - 13:43
quite a bit of skill to master it and if
13:42 - 13:45
you don't feel confident with this
13:43 - 13:46
paddle it's going to be way too powerful
13:45 - 13:48
because of the phone for those of you
13:46 - 13:50
who can control it though it's a highly
13:48 - 13:52
addictive paddle that also performs the
13:50 - 13:54
part which is why it's easily the best
13:52 - 13:56
paddle I tested this year time will tell
13:54 - 13:58
as to whether the full release is as
13:56 - 14:00
good as the beta it obviously has some
13:58 - 14:02
very big choose to fill but even if it's
14:00 - 14:04
90% as good it would still be clear
14:02 - 14:06
winner for paddle of the Year for me I
14:04 - 14:07
also know that given this paddle paddle
14:06 - 14:09
of the year is may be a little bit
14:07 - 14:12
controversial but it's legal it's
14:09 - 14:13
available at the store so I got to do it
14:12 - 14:15
but if I am going to give it to a paddle
14:13 - 14:17
that doesn't have all this controversy
14:15 - 14:18
surrounding it so basically not a foam
14:17 - 14:20
paddle I'll give it to the Honolulu
14:18 - 14:22
pickle ball j2k I already said enough
14:20 - 14:24
good things about it but it's one of
14:22 - 14:26
those paddles that's so well-rounded it
14:24 - 14:27
can pretty much be used by any type of
14:26 - 14:29
player at any level I was very close to
14:27 - 14:31
switching to it actually but foam
14:29 - 14:33
literally just hits different so I have
14:31 - 14:35
to go with one of those that's going to
14:33 - 14:37
wrap up the paddle awards for 2024 it's
14:35 - 14:39
been another crazy year hopefully we
14:37 - 14:41
have fewer controversies in 2025 but I
14:39 - 14:42
also want them to keep pushing the
14:41 - 14:44
needle so I guess that kind of comes
14:42 - 14:45
with the territory with that said that
14:44 - 14:47
is going to be the end of this video
14:45 - 14:49
thank you so much for watching and
14:47 - 14:50
remember that if you want to demo any of
14:49 - 14:52
the paddles I talked about here today
14:50 - 14:54
you can come visit us in store or if you
14:52 - 14:58
want to buy them you can go online at
14:54 - 14:58
rackets andr runners.com
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