In KewCast Episode 99, John Kew and Eddie take a deep dive into one of the biggest questions in pickleball paddle technology:

Do “durable” grit surfaces actually last longer?

Using a ball cannon, high-speed camera, and controlled spin testing, John runs a durability experiment comparing modern permanent grit technologies against traditional raw carbon fiber surfaces.

Paddles tested include:

• 11SIX24 Hex Grit

• Six Zero Diamond Tough Grit

• Spartus PermaGrit

• Selkirk InfiniGrit

• Raw Carbon Fiber (control)

Each paddle was tested brand new, then struck 100 times at ~70 mph before measuring spin loss.

The results reveal major differences in spin durability, with some surfaces losing 4× less spin than traditional carbon fiber.

We also cover:

• New Gearbox GBX Power Gen-3 paddle

• JOOLA Cosmos vs Gearbox GBX Power comparison

• Paddle feel profiles and power differences

• Upcoming paddle shapes from Friday Pickleball

• Q&A on Coral vs J2CR and foam paddle alternatives

If you’re wondering how long modern paddle surfaces really last, this episode reveals the first lab-style durability data.

Chapters

0:00 Episode intro

3:52 Latest News/ Gear Gossip - Andrei Daescu now with CRBN

5:50 11SIX24 Power 2 Hurache-X and Pegasus shapes UPA-A approved

7:14 Paddles of the Week: JOOLA Pro V vs. Gearbox GBX Power

20:31 Tales from the Ball Cannon: Testing Durable Grits

40:57 Kew & A: Coral Hybrid vs. J2CR for power and control— which would you pick?

42:44 Friday Aura vs. Enhance EPP Turbo—and will the Aura Pro get hybrid or widebody versions?

45:27 My Agassi Pro 14mm core crushed—what full-foam paddle with a similar shape should I try?

Products Discussed (includes affiliate links):

🔹11SIX24 Power 2 Series – save 10% with code JOHNKEW: https://11six24.com/?sca_ref=5460250.6fDhFP0v1v

🔹Friday Aura Pro – save 10% with code JOHNKEW: https://www.fridaypickle.com/JOHNKEW

🔹Gearbox – save 10% with code JOHNKEW: https://bit.ly/48vIn2p

🔹JOOLA Kosmos Pro V: https://www.joola.com/?bg_ref=SGHmrvEFDJ

🔹Selkirk – digital gift cards with code INF-JOHNKEW: https://www.selkirk.com?sca_ref=6285388.NM89wCbFwv

🔹Six Zero – save 10% with code JOHNKEW: https://www.sixzeropickleball.com?sca_ref=3538395.LI0TTTs35q

🔹Spartus P1 – save 10% with code JOHNKEW: https://gospartus.com/johnwilliams

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