Franklin SportsPro Pickleball Paddles - Signature Series Pro Pickleball Paddle with MaxGrit Surface - USA Pickleball (USAPA) Approved Tournament Pickleball Paddles - 13mm + 16mm Polypropylene Cores

Perfect pickleball paddle

Franklin pickleball paddles are great! This is a 16mm size paddle which is thicker than my Franklin 13mm paddle and I love both. With the 16mm paddle my shots have more power and it’s very lightweight which makes my reaction shots faster to return. I’m a comparison shopper and this paddle has been a great find and the price was the icing on the cake!

This is the paddle that world # 1 Ben Johns used to win over 50 PPA titles with.In reviewing the Franklin Sports Signature series 16 mm paddle, I looked at the weight, shape, handle, and surface. I then did a bounce test, followed by play testing.Weight - The Franklin Sports Signature series 16 mm paddle weighed 8.18 ounces. This put this paddle toward the top of the mid weight range. Keep in mind that Ben and many other top players ad lead tape to their paddles to increase the weight.Shape - The Franklin Sports Signature series 16 mm paddle uses a slightly longer and thinner shape. This gives players slightly more reach and power, but is a little less forgiving. Although there are some paddles as thick as 20mm, a thickness of 16mm is at the higher end on the thickness range.Handles - I measured the handle around 5.5 inches, which is longer than most and can help with a two handed backhand.. The thickness is also a couple mm more than the 13 mm version of this paddle.Surface - Substantial grit. This paddle has a reputation for the grit wearing off in a number of weeks if you play frequently. Surface texture is not the only factor for spin production, but it definitely can help.Bounce test - You can tell a lot about a paddle with the bounce test. Watch the bounce, feel the vibration, hear the pitch. The bounce test showed this paddle to be medium springy and medium/hard hardness.Sweet Spot - Medium/large size.Play test - This paddle played above average. I wont switch to it as my primary. However, I feel that I could definitely play at a high level with this paddle, as the spin and control are both above average. This is not a high powered paddle. Which is fine, since Pickleball is more about control than power.Conclusion - You can look at this paddle in two ways:1) Is it a good paddle for the money? I think this is a big YES. Most high end paddles cost between $150 and $250, so this is a great value at $100.2) Is this a good paddle for high level play? Well I think Ben Johns showed it is certainly possible to win at the highest level with this paddle. There are however a couple caveats. Since Ben was a Franklin sponsored player, he could have several new free paddles for each tournament. This meant he never had to deal with the issue of the grit quickly wearing off. During the last 2 years we have seen an explosion of high spin paddle arrive on the pickleball scene. Many of these are substantially spinnier than the Franklin Sports Signature series 16 mm paddle even when new. Also you should note that Ben's current sponsor Joola could have designed any paddle for Ben, and Ben chose to go with a more modern carbon high spin technology. Which is the trend for top level players.(Who am I? I am a IPTPA certified pickleball instructor since 2020. I currently have a number of high end top quality tournament paddles in my bag, and have had the opportunity to play test dozens more.)

great paddle

Love this paddle, I gave it to a friend and upgraded mine

Great for beginners or intermediate players. I liked the thicker option because it’s more stable. Has lasted me almost a year, would recommend if you play often to invest in a good paddle to help your game

Great paddle! I feel like it’s the middle of the road for intermediate players! We definitely notice a difference in our play!

This is a great paddle for the price. My son really likes this pickle ball paddle and uses it a lot. He is happy with this purchase and would buy this product again. For him it's not too heavy and not to lite to play with.