In this episode, John and Eddie discuss the latest pro player paddle sightings, affordable options for Gen-3 and all-foam paddles, and we dive into why pickleball balls are lagging behind in performance.

Website: Latest Pro Paddle Sightings: https://www.johnkewpickleball.com/top-pro-paddles

Poll: People's Choice Pro Rankings: https://www.johnkewpickleball.com/latest-poll

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:45 Update on John's foot injury

5:11 Latest News/Gear Gossip: New webpage lists top pros and what paddle they’ve been most recently spotted with

6:32 Fed Stakstrud Playing With Signature Paddle

9:07 Latest poll: People’s Choice Pro rankings

13:18 Pickleball TV App Subscription – Worth It?

20:14 Paddles of the Week: Friday Fever

26:40 Honolulu J2NF Series

40:40 Gear Deep Dive: Why are balls still so bad?

42:30 Should pro tours use different ball for summer versus winter (hot vs. cold)?

45:17 Does the number of holes in the ball matter?

45:50 Are balls with seams bad?

50:18 Comparing power level of Franklin X-40, Vulcan V-Pro Flight, and Lifetime balls

52:00 Why do pickleball balls even have holes, and are more holes better?

1:02:22 What would the best-performing ball look like?

1:05:46 Kew & A: My wife prefers playing with other men; should I be concerned?

In this episode, John and Eddie discuss the surge in counterfeit paddles, how paddle testing at amateur tournaments is coming, and discuss initial impressions of the newest paddles, including Honolulu J2H+, Apes Harmony, and GRUVN All-Foam.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:13 John injured his foot

3:08 Latest News/ Gear Gossip: Quang Duong playing with Holbrook Arma at PPA Atlanta

5:03 Catherine P. and Rachael R. both playing with Selkirk SLK Era

5:52 Lifetime Ball used at PPA Atlanta - Pro Impressions

8:01 Vulcan ball out at PPA events; negotiations with 3 other companies

11:01 New website for ultra-technical pickleball analysis

15:22 Paddles of the Week: Honolulu J2H+

18:44 Pickleball Apes Harmony series

23:38 GRUVN All-Foam Paddles

30:26 Counterfeit Paddles Are Becoming Problematic

41:28 Paddle testing at amateur tournaments is coming: Go-No-Go machine

51:38 Tales from the Ball Cannon: how does KewCOR correlate to radar gun results?

59:24 Kew & A: Given John's drumming background, is Eddie also a fan of Tool?

1:02:41 What would be the ideal jobs for John & Eddie outside of pickleball?

In this episode, John and Eddie discuss the new Ripple V2, Holbrook Arma, new Volair offerings, and answer some viewer questions.

0:00 Introduction

2:16 Latest News/ Gear Gossip: John's experience at US Open

7:20 Selkirk HQ Tour

19:55 Quong Duong's new paddle (Sypik)

21:42 Jay Devilliers playing with JOOLA paddle

23:06 Paddles of the Week: New Volair Paddles

34:32 Holbrook Arma

48:12 Ronbus Ripple V2

1:09:31 Selkirk Era

1:12:38 Kew & A: Have you ever tested ball rebound speed/power with the cannon?

1:15:09 How noticeable are firepower differences for paddles that are middle-of-the-pack versus top-end?

1:20:42 How did John and Eddie meet? What's the origin story?

In this episode, John and Eddie discuss our favorite foam core paddles, give our initial impressions of the Franklin C46 Dynasty and Tempo shapes, discuss USAP's counter lawsuit against JOOLA, and cover more Tales from the Ball Cannon.

Chapters:

0:00 Preview of Show

1:46 Latest News: USAP Counter Lawsuit against JOOLA

9:00 Paddles of the Week: Our favorite foam core paddles

26:03 Franklin C45 Tempo and Dynasty Shapes

37:09 Gear of the Week: Wringer Shorts

40:14 Tales from the Ball Cannon - CT scan reveals why GRUVN CRUZN-16HD failed PBCoR

44:33 What does PBCoR actually measure? Power?

53:09 Kew & A: Based on your testing to date, what is the location of the maximum PBCoR on a paddle face?

In this episode, John & Eddie take a look at the new Adidas and Wilson paddles, and dive into new PBCoR results for 50 paddles.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:26 Latest News: Follow-Up on Break-In Regulations

10:00 Paddles of the Week: Selkirk Luxx II

15:28 Thompson Uni (Updated Handle)

20:34 Wilson Vesper paddles

28:50 Adidas Metalbone

37:13 Tales from the Ball Cannon - 50 Paddles Ranked by KEWCoR

1:09:59 Gear of the Week: Head Motion Pro BOA pickleball shoes

1:14:29 Kew & A: How far are we from the ceiling for paddle technology?

1:18:44 How much does grip/handle circumference play a part in performance?

In this episode, John and Eddie discuss the impacts of tariffs on paddle prices, explore new paddle break-in regulations, and as always, talk about our experience hitting new paddles.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:50 Latest News/Gear Gossip

4:03 Recap of Austin Trip: Adidas paddle event; Creator battle

14:23 Thoughts on Anna Leigh-Waters and Catherine Split Up

19:17 New Pickleball Central Discount System

21:41 Will Tariffs Blow Up Paddle Prices?

36:02 Paddles of the Week: Diadem BluCore

48:55 Bread & Butter Filth - New Shapes

51:35 Vatic Saga 14mm

55:55 Deep Dive: Paddle Break-In Regulation

1:18:28 Kew & A: Can I get to a 4.5 level without a drive?

In this episode, John and Eddie finalize their paddle tier list, John gives several updates on his ball cannon/ PBCoR setup, and we discuss how the sweet spot of the paddle is more complicated than you think.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:27 Latest News: John & Eddie heading to Austin for Adidas paddle launch

3:16 Paddle Tier List - Final Week

1:12:25 Tales from the Ball Cannon: Correction in PBCoR formula to offset swing weight

1:18:24 Deep Dive: Is Sweet Spot Mechanical or Subjective?

1:24:32 CNN Article on "Torpedo Bats" - Implications for Pickleball Paddles

In this episode, John and Eddie explore Head Heavy, Equal Balance, and Head Light weight customization across three paddle shapes: elongated, hybrid, and widebody. The results surprised us.

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:18 Latest News: RacquetX conference in Miami

21:05 Paddles of the Week: Helios Apollo

27:13 Paddle Deep Dive: Does Balance Point Matter?

51:46 Pickleball Mindset: Key Takeaways

1:06:38 Kew & A: Key takeaway from Pickleball Mindset: Enjoy the process; pre-acceptance

1:07:08 Would a 17 x 10-inch paddle ruin the game?

1:11:21 What's the swing weight and twist weight for the Slapp SHO?

1:12:25 Is the Slapp Sho suitable for beginners?

1:13:01 Tales from the Ball Cannon: Brief Update

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

3:44 Latest News: Babolat Code now 20%

5:35 John's experience at Texas Open: Men's 4.5 results

13:45 John's commentating experience

23:47 Paddles of the Week: Engage Pursuit Pro 1 Innovation

34:09 Engage Pursuit Pro 1 Hybrid & Widebody Shapes

38::24 Chorus Prelude Paddles

40:57 Shapeshifter 6K

43:39 Chorus Nightstriker

44:19 Chorus Fire Furia

48:23 Slapp Sho Paddle

53:21 Gear of the Week: Gearbox Socks

54:23 Bodhi Dry Grips

56:26 Yobow Back Pak +

1:02:20 Book Club: Pickleball Mindset

1:09:36 Kew & A: I’m new to pickleball but a highly competitive person. Do you feel it’s best to start with a control paddle and learn and get better before upgrading? Or learn with a power paddle and learn to control the power as you get better?

1:14:07 What's your "one arrow in the quiver" - the paddle that will be the deciding factor against your opponents?

1:18:04 I've been playing with the Spartus Olympus. Should I pull the trigger on the JOOLA Perseus IV 14mm?

1:20:03 What makes paddles have different launch angles, and can you manipulate launch angle with modifications?

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

5:48 Latest News: PPA Recap

9:36 Paddles of the Week: Gearbox GX2

17:08 Gearbox GX2 vs. Gearbox Ultimate vs. Apes Pulse

28:02 Tales from the Ball Cannon: How does the Franklin hole-less ball compare to the Franklin X0=-40 with holes?

38:21 Gear of the Week: Babolat Jet Mach Pickleball Shoes

44:17 Kew & A: Can John's basement rig measure dwell time?

47:12 Comment on the Spartus Apex having two filled cells on one side and three on the other?

49:27 Thoughts on Pro Spin device?

52:35 What are your top most plush elongated power paddles?

56:35 Mixed doubles partner is very picky - been playing with Selkirk Vanguard Epic 2.0 for two years; wants more power, but doesn't like the feel of raw carbon fiber