Hudef Just Dropped a Bomb on the Paddle Market

What’s up, guys? I’m back! Sorry for the few weeks off…between the US Open and some other projects being worked on, I couldn’t keep up with the newsletter. There’s a lot of paddle news to catch up on.

The Ultimate Guide to Using Lead Tape

• Watch here

Today I released my video on how to use lead tape on your Pickleball paddle. This is a topic that can easily overwhelm people and I break it down with everything you need to know. What lead tape to buy, thickness, size, what paddle it should be for, how to apply electrical tape, what the benefits are, where to place it, and much more.

If you’ve never tried lead tape on your paddle, now is the time to give it a shot.

Along with the video I’ve released a downloadable cheatsheet to help remind you of various lead tape setups and their differences.

Engage Pursuit Ultra First Thoughts

Engage has been quiet for a long time. When the Ultra was announced, the marketing was quite vague. It wasn’t clear if it was thermoformed (It isn’t) and the rest of the marketing claims seemed to be a lot of fluff.

Well, after receiving the paddle…it might be worse than I thought. I took out the Ultra EX 6.0 and the Ultra MX for some play sessions, and they play VERY similar to the originals. The new ones are a bit less poppy and better balanced. That’s pretty much it.

Spin is worse or identical despite their new texture that feels noticeably grittier. I got 1309 RPM on the Ultra MX and 1331 on the EX Ultra 6.0. For $260, I think this might be the overpriced upgrade I’ve seen to date. There is nothing about this upgrade that should be $40 more. Adding “Ultra” to the name is a big stretch, unless it stands for “Ultra overpriced”.

It’s hard to say all of this because I actually LOVE how Engage paddles feel off the face. The Pursuit line has one of the most satisfying “pop” feels off the face that I’ve ever hit. But when they have: exposed polymer in the handle, lackluster spin, questionable build quality, and virtually no change for $40 more, it’s a really tough sell. The primary thing Engage has going for them is the lifetime warranty.

The regular Pursuit was already too expensive at $220, so for $260…I just don’t know who should buy this. I think almost everyone would be better off buying the regular Pursuit over the Ultra.

Hudef Viva Pro

You know what isn’t over priced though? The new Hudef Viva Pro.

Specs:

• Price: $99 (Code PBSTUDIO brings it to $85)

• Shape: Elongated

• Thickness: 16mm & 14mm

• Face: T700 raw carbon fiber

• Handle length: 5.5”

• Grip size: 4.25 (16mm) 4.125 (14mm)

• Weight: 7.8-8.3oz

• Core: Polymer

• Swing weight: 117 (14mm) 120 (16mm)

• Spin: 1776 (14mm) 1772 (16mm)

• Thermoformed

• Foam injected

• Warranty: Limited lifetime

Looking at that spec sheet, you might be looking at the best value paddle on the market. Really, I shouldn’t even say “best value” because it’s a darn good paddle period.

I’m working on a first look/review video right now, so I’ll keep my thoughts brief.

The new Hudefs don’t hit nearly as hard as the other thermoformed paddles, so if you were hoping that this would completely replace a CRBN1X, I’m sad to say it probably won’t. These are much more plush. The 16mm is the equivalent power of a gen 1 raw carbon fiber paddle. The 14mm is pretty close to matching a 16mm thermoformed paddle, but the face doesn’t feel as stiff.

I loved playing with the 14mm, I thought it was really fun. Despite the spin not being as high on paper as the other paddles, there was no point in time where I felt it was lacking.

Assuming no big flaw comes up with the Hudef, this will become my go to recommendation for anyone looking to upgrade from a basic paddle (Heck, for $85 people might as well start with it!), or if you just want a really good paddle for a cheap price, this is it.

I think if you already have a gen 1 raw carbon fiber paddle, don’t rush out to buy these. Power isn’t that different, and neither is spin.

The main benefits would be: The thermoformed design (less prone to snapping at the throat), lifetime warranty, incredible price.

🚨 Upcoming paddles

These are some new thermoformed paddles that should be coming to market soon.

• Ronbus R3 Pulsar & R1 Pulsar (Should be shipping soon)

  • Pickleball Will has been testing the R3 Pulsar and he loves it

  • I’ve had one of my testers (who has broken many thermoformed paddles) beta testing the R3 Pulsar for over a month and it has not delaminated yet. Good sign.

  • R3 is a CRBN1X shape, R1 is a Hyperion shape.

  • Discount code PBSTUDIO will save $20

  

  Bread & Butter Filth

• Bread & Butter Filth 

  • Shipping May 15th

  • I’ve only gotten to hit this briefly, but it seems to be very similar to a CRBN1X at a cheaper price. More testing is needed to confirm.

  • My brother has been using the paddle for the last month and enjoys it a lot

  • Discount code PBSTUDIO will save 10%

• Electrum Model E Elite

  • Launching May 1st (I will have a first look video live on this day)

  • It is a much stiffer and harder hitting Electrum Model E. I only got to hit it for one session. I should have my own soon.

  • This will be the only thermoformed paddle will this shape/handle length at the moment.

  • Discount code PBSTUDIO will save 10%

• Legacy Pro S

  • Launches May 15th

  • I have not gotten to test this yet.

  • It is a standard shaped version (rather than elongated) of the original Legacy Pro.

  • Discount code PBSTUDIO will save 10%

💰 Discount codes

If you ever want to stay up to date on my latest discount codes, check out this page in my spreadsheet.

On that same note, JustPaddles was kind enough to offer my viewers a 10% discount link that works on (almost) all brands on their website. The current exclusions are Joola, Selkirk, Babolat, and Gearbox.

🔥 News worth reading

• Jack Sock will be playing all 3 events at PPA NC.

• Paddle testing fail at the last PPA tournament

🎙️ Latest podcast

If you missed it, Will is back and we catch up on our trip from the US Open!