I agree with David, I bought the J2k based on the hype and I ply horrible with that paddle. I never understood why people said it had a huge sweet spot, because to me the sweet spot was terrible. Your explanation makes so much sense of why it never worked out for me. To me the J2k is an ok paddle, but never met my expectations. My mains are the Olympus and paddletek’’’’’’’’’’s
Love how you guys are cranking through the paddles. Feels like all the “big” reviewers are stuck in the mud maybe focusing too much on their production values.
We both don’t have production backgrounds but of course always looking to improve anywhere we can. My focus is always on giving information and making it fun.
according to Matt, in reference to shapeshifter and supercourt, "both are considered all court to us! Supercourt would lean more towards the power side of all court"
Oh my God! I love all the reviewers, but I really just fell more in love with David for being bold and questioning that the J2K might be slightly overrated. Forgive me because it’s awesome and amazing and I like the J2ti even better for the little more touch and yes, it has an amazing sweet spot. However, in today’s game for upper level play, I just don’t see it holding its own and I don’t see upper level players using it much. The pop is fine, but it’s like the power and the plow through if you’re trying to have great form and keep compact strokes, it’s not enough And the feel off the J2k isn’t anything earth shattering in terms of touch.
Also agree, but for different reasons. Power and Pop are not my issue with the J2 series. I get why lots of people like the J2 series shape, but like David I prefer the original hybrid shapes. The J2 series feels like a "hybrid, hybrid" to me ... plays somewhat between a standard wide body shape and the original hybrids, the balance point feels lower down the face which makes the swing pattern quite different. To each his/her own.
Yes! There’s way too many reviewers out there that won’t say a bad thing about any paddles. My guess is they want to keep making money by people using their codes. I already loved following these guys and they keep getting better.
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleball Riight...that's why you even admitted that you "haven't played with the J2K in a long time". Funny, a month ago it was your "main", along with your other paddle that "you haven't played with in a long time, the Olympus". Dude, keep on shilling.
The vatic pro bag is honestly the best bag for the money on the market. MASSIVE amounts of space, a couple smaller pockets and a shoe compartment. Unfortunately, the shoe compartment takes up the space of the main compartment, so it's a bit annoying if you're carrying a bunch of paddles, and you have to shift it all around as you turn your bag sideways and every which way to jam the shoes in and then squeeze the paddles in where it's tight fit from the handle to the head of the paddle thereafter.
I've commented before regarding the Supercourt and Invader. But with all these paddles coming out, within similar pricing, I'm having a hard decision. I can develop power myself easily and am ready for more power. Between the Supercourt, Vapor power and J2k+, what would be your replacement for the Invader. And like I've mentioned before I love the Invader but would love more power to go along with the control. So need something that might become the new main!
Supercourt HX is the easiest to control for me with the least power of the 3. J2K+ we still don’t know if it will get approved or not but it has about the same power level as the Vapor Power. I think the Valor Power would be the best blend of everything for you.
@AllDriveNoDropPickleball that's kind of my thought. The Supercourt would be, although more power, a little more like my Invader. I mean maybe I'll just get both, i love the look of the Supercourt and is just a more powerful Invader, and then if I want more power, I can use the Vapor. But keep the Invader in my bag because it's freaking cool looking as hell!
Central Ohio here. I used the J2K for 6 months and now using the J2TI. I've only seen 2 other J2Ks. Main paddles seen, SLK, Selkirk, Joolah, Paddletek, and a lot more Z5s than you'd think. A handful of 6.0 paddles also, and Friday paddles are starting to make a push..
NYC's top paddles (from my perspective): Joola MOD TA-15, Selkirk Luxx and Amped, Six Zero Ruby, then a mixture of Engage, Ronbus, 11Six24, and tons of Vatic Prism Flashes and the new Saga
great points/reminders on "twist weight" and "sweet spot" and how vendors can game that, if the only point the buyer goes by is "twist weight" - thank you and appreciate that.
Vibration isn’t a word that comes to mind with my Avoura. It is crisp, but definitely doesn’t have the feel of other thin paddles I’ve tried. One guy said it feels more like a tennis racket than any other paddle he’s tried.
Vibration typically occurs from a small sweet-spot. A large sweet-spot from a feel perspective is the lack of shock and vibration. We are frequently told how players feel less vibration due to the big sweet-spot and high TW, but certainly every player feels different feels with paddles.
1:07:28 The Selkirk Vanguard Pro uses 4 sheets of 12K raw CF sheets with that cube design, too. The Labs Project 006 it was based on used a different type of 12K rcf.
1:10:00 Too true, I literally played in a Selkirk-sponsored tournament in Houston over the weekend and they neither checked nor cared what paddles we were using. The leagues I've participated in didn't care either and there were a couple of people playing with the delisted Joola Gen 3 paddles.
All I see in my area (Indy, IN) are Selkirk, CRBN, and Joola probably b/c of the sponsorship with the club. Seeing more Holbrook, Friday for budget players, few Shoguns.... I'm the fun one with the Honolulu stuff lol
another great content and podcast gentlemen, In my league I played in, I alot of Selkirks and Paddletek's paddles, and not a J2K paddle except me lol I play in the St Louis area
@AllDriveNoDropPickleball yes sir J2K represent, I'm pretty excited about the Ripples R1 finally being released, but will it be a MOD TA-15 2.0 lol, but does the R1 hits harder than the MOD TA-15?
Hey, I saw that you reviewed the NxtHen Valor Pro a little while back. In terms of power how high would you say it goes? Compared to the Azul or MarkOne?
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleballthank you so much! Are there any other Titanium/Kevlar power paddles that'd you recommend similar to these? (Not a big Honolulu fan)
I spoke to Steve Dawson in Fort Lauderdale about the Avoura Rhapsody 13. He said the core is from the same factory that Paddletek uses in their current Bantam series (TKO, ESQ, ALW).
Regarding Honolulu Pickleball, it doesn’t make sense to go from a wide body to a hybrid when the hybrid’s sweet spot is low on the paddle and the end of the paddle isn’t so good. The reason you go to a hybrid is because you wanna hit with a longer paddle and still have fast hands, but if the sweet spot is not set up, right, what good is that?
Best comments I’ve seen so far on the J2k+. Excellent impressions review. It sounds like you might prefer the J2k+ over the Vapor Power, which is the other paddle I’m considering. Is that correct?
That is a tough one, I think the Vapor Power is easier to control for me and I like that it has no break in period. The drives I can generate with the J2K+ are nasty though.
Ripple..... Connect Members sale was simply selling the production units that don't have the PBCOR 0.43 stamp. They will be legal through May 1, 2026. I believe as soon as the new batch of production units come in with the official PBCOR stamp, those will be released to the general public and will be legal beyond May 1, 2026. I would expect the drop to be Jan 31, or Feb 07. Depending on customs. He generally schedules the drop for the Friday after the units arrive in the warehouse.
David mirrored my thoughts about the J2K. The paddle essentially copied the Ruby with fatter hips that increase the twist weight number. Twist weight does not equal sweet spot size. You can have a paddle not twist on off center shots but still not return the full potential of power/spin to the ball. This combined with the power of Chris Olson’s initial praise highly overrated this paddle. Is it a solid paddle? Absolutely. But the best paddle by many reviewers of 2024? A bit of a stretch for a standard Kevlar thermoformed Gen2 paddle.
QD dropped his paddle just as fast as he dropped his mixed parter during the Masters. Julian Arnold beat him in singles and made sure he got the message
With launch date so close, idk why CRBN isn't lifting the embargo. With how confident they seem about the TF you'd think they'd want all the hype and attention they can get to generate orders.
I think anyone expecting the Trufoam to be more than a solid all court paddle are going to be disappointed. Hit with a Genesis 1 last week and it's lightweight and solid with good control at the kitchen for dinks and volleys, excellent but not exceptional spin, but it's definitely not a power paddle. Doesn't play like a typical foam core paddle and has good feedback/feel. At $280 though, I don't think it's a good value proposition for what it offers but hey I don't think CRBN 1X/2X/3X paddles are worth $230 either. Reminds me of the much more affordable Apes Pulse paddles.
11SIX24 Power paddles, $169.99. $160 after discount. 11SIX24 new All Courts $149.99. $140 after discount. (Not yet USAP approved as of posting time) What about REV Zeus Pickleball Paddle? $134.10 after discount. That should be best performance for value for power paddle.
The Zeus guys is 150 before code and it is a hot deal for a power paddle. There’s a bunch of people in my playgroup that have opted for it as of power paddle very light and fast and it’s got a jump free horseshoe Peninsula ship shaped floating core and a hybrid shape.
re: Flik weights and Slyce caps I'm begging players to realize how easy it is to just unwrap your stock grip, apply some 1/4" or 1/2" lead tape or tungsten (wrap it around the buttcap and/or put it along the sides of the handle), and then put your stock grip back on. This costs you maybe $1, $1.50 per paddle and adds negligible thickness to your grip size. I just don't understand paying $10 for a copper coin with a command strip on it or $25 for a Slyce.
Tickle my Pickle has a sleeper build 💪
David ain’t no sheeple … Tickle is where overhype goes to die 👏
I agree with David, I bought the J2k based on the hype and I ply horrible with that paddle. I never understood why people said it had a huge sweet spot, because to me the sweet spot was terrible. Your explanation makes so much sense of why it never worked out for me. To me the J2k is an ok paddle, but never met my expectations. My mains are the Olympus and paddletek’’’’’’’’’’s
More hot takes coming from Tickle!
No apostrophe in the word “paddleteks”.
Throwing in the mini paddle randomly for the Franklin play doh demo - love it- great pod!
I do what I can 🤣
I agree with David, J2k is good but people just overhyped twist weight to a certain point.
Love how you guys are cranking through the paddles. Feels like all the “big” reviewers are stuck in the mud maybe focusing too much on their production values.
We both don’t have production backgrounds but of course always looking to improve anywhere we can. My focus is always on giving information and making it fun.
Great podcast, thanks for sharing!
according to Matt, in reference to shapeshifter and supercourt, "both are considered all court to us! Supercourt would lean more towards the power side of all court"
Oh my God! I love all the reviewers, but I really just fell more in love with David for being bold and questioning that the J2K might be slightly overrated. Forgive me because it’s awesome and amazing and I like the J2ti even better for the little more touch and yes, it has an amazing sweet spot. However, in today’s game for upper level play, I just don’t see it holding its own and I don’t see upper level players using it much. The pop is fine, but it’s like the power and the plow through if you’re trying to have great form and keep compact strokes, it’s not enough And the feel off the J2k isn’t anything earth shattering in terms of touch.
I love it too. Not afraid to go against the grain!
Also agree, but for different reasons. Power and Pop are not my issue with the J2 series. I get why lots of people like the J2 series shape, but like David I prefer the original hybrid shapes. The J2 series feels like a "hybrid, hybrid" to me ... plays somewhat between a standard wide body shape and the original hybrids, the balance point feels lower down the face which makes the swing pattern quite different. To each his/her own.
Yes! There’s way too many reviewers out there that won’t say a bad thing about any paddles. My guess is they want to keep making money by people using their codes. I already loved following these guys and they keep getting better.
@ We will not hold back on our thoughts that is for sure
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleball Riight...that's why you even admitted that you "haven't played with the J2K in a long time". Funny, a month ago it was your "main", along with your other paddle that "you haven't played with in a long time, the Olympus". Dude, keep on shilling.
The vatic pro bag is honestly the best bag for the money on the market. MASSIVE amounts of space, a couple smaller pockets and a shoe compartment. Unfortunately, the shoe compartment takes up the space of the main compartment, so it's a bit annoying if you're carrying a bunch of paddles, and you have to shift it all around as you turn your bag sideways and every which way to jam the shoes in and then squeeze the paddles in where it's tight fit from the handle to the head of the paddle thereafter.
I've commented before regarding the Supercourt and Invader. But with all these paddles coming out, within similar pricing, I'm having a hard decision. I can develop power myself easily and am ready for more power.
Between the Supercourt, Vapor power and J2k+, what would be your replacement for the Invader. And like I've mentioned before I love the Invader but would love more power to go along with the control. So need something that might become the new main!
Supercourt HX is the easiest to control for me with the least power of the 3.
J2K+ we still don’t know if it will get approved or not but it has about the same power level as the Vapor Power.
I think the Valor Power would be the best blend of everything for you.
@AllDriveNoDropPickleball that's kind of my thought. The Supercourt would be, although more power, a little more like my Invader. I mean maybe I'll just get both, i love the look of the Supercourt and is just a more powerful Invader, and then if I want more power, I can use the Vapor. But keep the Invader in my bag because it's freaking cool looking as hell!
Central Ohio here. I used the J2K for 6 months and now using the J2TI. I've only seen 2 other J2Ks. Main paddles seen, SLK, Selkirk, Joolah, Paddletek, and a lot more Z5s than you'd think. A handful of 6.0 paddles also, and Friday paddles are starting to make a push..
Thank you Quentin! Those selkirks and joolas are everywhere
NYC's top paddles (from my perspective): Joola MOD TA-15, Selkirk Luxx and Amped, Six Zero Ruby, then a mixture of Engage, Ronbus, 11Six24, and tons of Vatic Prism Flashes and the new Saga
Joola Mod is probably the national paddle right now haha. Thank you for the response
great points/reminders on "twist weight" and "sweet spot" and how vendors can game that, if the only point the buyer goes by is "twist weight" - thank you and appreciate that.
What the pickle has returned!!
Back by popular demand
Vibration isn’t a word that comes to mind with my Avoura. It is crisp, but definitely doesn’t have the feel of other thin paddles I’ve tried. One guy said it feels more like a tennis racket than any other paddle he’s tried.
Vibration typically occurs from a small sweet-spot. A large sweet-spot from a feel perspective is the lack of shock and vibration. We are frequently told how players feel less vibration due to the big sweet-spot and high TW, but certainly every player feels different feels with paddles.
1:07:28 The Selkirk Vanguard Pro uses 4 sheets of 12K raw CF sheets with that cube design, too. The Labs Project 006 it was based on used a different type of 12K rcf.
1:10:00 Too true, I literally played in a Selkirk-sponsored tournament in Houston over the weekend and they neither checked nor cared what paddles we were using. The leagues I've participated in didn't care either and there were a couple of people playing with the delisted Joola Gen 3 paddles.
All I see in my area (Indy, IN) are Selkirk, CRBN, and Joola probably b/c of the sponsorship with the club. Seeing more Holbrook, Friday for budget players, few Shoguns.... I'm the fun one with the Honolulu stuff lol
Good you are getting some different paddles in your area. Selkirk and Joola dominate the club scenes, at least in the pro shops.
excited for the upcoming Forward Ranger backpack
another great content and podcast gentlemen, In my league I played in, I alot of Selkirks and Paddletek's paddles, and not a J2K paddle except me lol I play in the St Louis area
Represent that J2K no matter the haters 🤣
Thank you a lot of Selkirk and Paddleteks here as well
@AllDriveNoDropPickleball yes sir J2K represent, I'm pretty excited about the Ripples R1 finally being released, but will it be a MOD TA-15 2.0 lol, but does the R1 hits harder than the MOD TA-15?
@ haven’t tried the new model yet, I will report soon
I like the Super Court SX a lot, and yes the putaways hit hard esp if you add weight
I feel your Detroit pain. I’m
Hurting with you!!!
I am fully recovered now, next year is the year!
Hey, I saw that you reviewed the NxtHen Valor Pro a little while back. In terms of power how high would you say it goes? Compared to the Azul or MarkOne?
More power than both and slightly less pop than the Azul but more than the Mark One.
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleballthank you so much! Are there any other Titanium/Kevlar power paddles that'd you recommend similar to these? (Not a big Honolulu fan)
I spoke to Steve Dawson in Fort Lauderdale about the Avoura Rhapsody 13. He said the core is from the same factory that Paddletek uses in their current Bantam series (TKO, ESQ, ALW).
It wasn’t as poppy as the ALW or ESQ 12.7. It could be the gel that makes it a little softer with the bigger sweet spot
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleballAgree 100%. It felt more boardy than plush like ESQ and TKO. I hit the 13mm.
Regarding Honolulu Pickleball, it doesn’t make sense to go from a wide body to a hybrid when the hybrid’s sweet spot is low on the paddle and the end of the paddle isn’t so good. The reason you go to a hybrid is because you wanna hit with a longer paddle and still have fast hands, but if the sweet spot is not set up, right, what good is that?
True
100% agree. The sweet spot on the J2 series is too low and the effective handle length is too short. I'm glad to know it's not just me.
When does the J2k+ release?!
Preorders are live on the site now!
Looking forward to detailed review of the CRBN & production Ripple
We know about the construction... but how does the J2K+ performance wise differ from the J2KPro?
It is significantly more powerful and poppier than the J2K pro with a bigger sweet spot
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleball really? Ok…i have the pro need to order the +…thanks for the 411
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleball Nice. Should how would you rank the entire J2 line up (6-10 models) in terms of power/pop and overall performance.
Enjoy the podcast. A lot of new paddles have come out recently.
Best comments I’ve seen so far on the J2k+. Excellent impressions review.
It sounds like you might prefer the J2k+ over the Vapor Power, which is the other paddle I’m considering. Is that correct?
That is a tough one, I think the Vapor Power is easier to control for me and I like that it has no break in period. The drives I can generate with the J2K+ are nasty though.
Thanks. Please consider doing a comparison in the future. Both paddles are likely to be wildly popular.
@ Yeah, I will be doing some type of power paddle video soon after everything is out to compare
Ripple.....
Connect Members sale was simply selling the production units that don't have the PBCOR 0.43 stamp. They will be legal through May 1, 2026. I believe as soon as the new batch of production units come in with the official PBCOR stamp, those will be released to the general public and will be legal beyond May 1, 2026. I would expect the drop to be Jan 31, or Feb 07. Depending on customs. He generally schedules the drop for the Friday after the units arrive in the warehouse.
I’ve seen 1 j2k and 1 j2ti. One mod. Everyone seems to love Selkirk around here in upstate SC. I’ve seen a few 6.0s. A few bread and butters.
Thank you for the report!
@ I also see a lot of the Ben John Joola but I could not tell you which model they are.
Wait you are 6’4? Sheesh 🤣
David mirrored my thoughts about the J2K. The paddle essentially copied the Ruby with fatter hips that increase the twist weight number. Twist weight does not equal sweet spot size. You can have a paddle not twist on off center shots but still not return the full potential of power/spin to the ball. This combined with the power of Chris Olson’s initial praise highly overrated this paddle. Is it a solid paddle? Absolutely. But the best paddle by many reviewers of 2024? A bit of a stretch for a standard Kevlar thermoformed Gen2 paddle.
Great podcast. Did you add some weight to the Avoura?
I didn’t settle on anything yet
QD dropped his paddle just as fast as he dropped his mixed parter during the Masters. Julian Arnold beat him in singles and made sure he got the message
HTTR!!
@David: New mic is really muffled :(
When will the Neonic titanium paddle be released?
It is released u cant go to their website for some reason. You have to google it.
It might just be a limited release right now, no guarantee for an official release
Hope they come out with a J3ti+
How’s the control on the j2k compared to the j2k +?
I also have an Olympus , how would you say the control compares to the Olympus ? That being the j2k +
Control is going to be better for most with the J2K because of how fast the ball comes of the paddle and the power of the J2K+
Olympus is easier to control because of how much power the J2K+ is putting out
Thank you very much 🙏🏼
Can you please find out and tell me which Chinese company has an approved paddle that’s like the bird falcon elite!? You mentioned it in the video!
Xceler8 Paddles
@ thank you!
With launch date so close, idk why CRBN isn't lifting the embargo. With how confident they seem about the TF you'd think they'd want all the hype and attention they can get to generate orders.
Not sure either, I am always in favor of letting the information flow but of course that helps us content creators.
I think anyone expecting the Trufoam to be more than a solid all court paddle are going to be disappointed. Hit with a Genesis 1 last week and it's lightweight and solid with good control at the kitchen for dinks and volleys, excellent but not exceptional spin, but it's definitely not a power paddle. Doesn't play like a typical foam core paddle and has good feedback/feel. At $280 though, I don't think it's a good value proposition for what it offers but hey I don't think CRBN 1X/2X/3X paddles are worth $230 either. Reminds me of the much more affordable Apes Pulse paddles.
Thanks for tricking me into buying a J2K. It is as dead as my feelings for it.
We all have different preferences, I played a tournaments with the J2K and won so I really do enjoy it
Another note on the all court line, they seem to be heavy. Pegasus all court at 115 is kind of disappointing
Interesting, I will have to check mine out. I have liked some higher sw widebodys
Where is the discount code for planker?
Try DMVPBALL. David is the one working with them.
Oh! Unfortunately it’s not working! Thanks for the response
@ I will ask him
@ any updates
@ try dmvpball again just tried it and it worked
That Planker paddle page is full of typos and words broken in the wrong places. Still tempted though.
I just ordered one through PayPal just in case and got a confirmation email from Paddleshop
11SIX24 Power paddles, $169.99. $160 after discount.
11SIX24 new All Courts $149.99. $140 after discount. (Not yet USAP approved as of posting time)
What about REV Zeus Pickleball Paddle? $134.10 after discount. That should be best performance for value for power paddle.
I have not been able to get in contact with them but definitely want to try it
@@AllDriveNoDropPickleballsame I reached out but haven't heard back 😢
Proton Flamingo?
Soon hopefully, still haven’t got one
The Zeus guys is 150 before code and it is a hot deal for a power paddle. There’s a bunch of people in my playgroup that have opted for it as of power paddle very light and fast and it’s got a jump free horseshoe Peninsula ship shaped floating core and a hybrid shape.
Yeah, I need to try that one out for sure
Ronbus Ripple has waited too long.
Tickle Truth and All Suck-Up No Suck
Hmm you could have done better with that
@ I bet you laughed. Read it again😜
re: Flik weights and Slyce caps
I'm begging players to realize how easy it is to just unwrap your stock grip, apply some 1/4" or 1/2" lead tape or tungsten (wrap it around the buttcap and/or put it along the sides of the handle), and then put your stock grip back on.
This costs you maybe $1, $1.50 per paddle and adds negligible thickness to your grip size. I just don't understand paying $10 for a copper coin with a command strip on it or $25 for a Slyce.
Good point, I do a mix of all 3 but by far the cheapest way is using tungsten or lead.
why the beer...bad look. If you have to drink for a podcast, you need to stop drinking! @alldrivenodroppickleball
We are both adults, I think it is ok if we have a beer while recording. We aren’t making anyone drink.