Posted inGuts and Glory Announcements|Comments Off on Use Your Social Media Accounts To Receive Discounts on MSV and WeissCANNON String Purchases.
This may be our shortest blog entry to date. We are offering tennis players of all ages and skill levels discounts on tennis strings we distribute. You have spent time building a your loyal social following and we suspect a good percentage of your followers are also tennis players. Why not leverage it for discounts on some of the top performing tennis strings in the market today?
Here’s how it works:
Reach out to us directly to let us know which product or products you are interested in purchasing. Give us a link to your social media accounts as well as the approximate number of followers.
Agree to post about your experience(s) with our product(s).
We will review and offer you a discount.
After first purchase we will review your related posts. For next purchase we will revise discount based on number and quality of posts.
The new bird Falcon Elite pickleball paddle has been released and this long time pickleball lover, retailer and reviewer found the performance to soar above expectations. Let’s dig in!
First, while a pickleball retailer, we have no affiliation whatsoever with Bird Pickleball or Grip 6. Our chosen pickleball equipment partner is Ronbus. We proudly carry their line of paddles in our store and resell them to our pickleball customers. Ronbus pushes the edge of technology and is a solid brand in the traditional pickleball market. That said…
The innovative design of the falcon elite certainly piqued our curiosity. Once it was USA Pickleball approved, we ordered ours at a one time introductory price that is no longer available. Today the paddle retails for $229.00 but a $20 coupon is currently offered when you login to their website if this is your first purchase with Bird Pickleball.
Bird Pickleball is a newcomer to the pickleball world. They are the passion project of a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah called Grip 6. The paddles use components proudly acquired/sourced from 12 different industries in 12 different US states. The paddles are designed, engineered and completely assembled in Utah. Bird Pickleball is a USA based company handcrafting each paddle they produce. Notably they are using the highest grade T-700 carbon fiber for the surface and subsurfaces of the paddle. Each side of the paddle consists of 4 layers of this high end carbon fiber using a proprietary lay up process developed by a partner in Ogden, Utah. Like many paddles they make use of a polymer honeycomb core, but unlike any paddle manufacturer we know of, they provide a LIFETIME warranty. You read that correctly. They believe in their materials, craftsmanship and manufacturing so much that they are standing behind the paddle for a lifetime. If you thought the shape was a little bit nutty, the warranty is full tilt nuts and we LOVE it!!!
Several years ago I was suffering from tennis elbow and purchased a PBZ paddle. This was the original “cutting board” style paddle, though PBZ and Bird both much prefer to refer to them as “ergonomic”. I tried and tried to love the PBZ, but found it restrictive in too many ways for my game for it to become a full-time “go-to” paddle. Most of the restrictive challenges were based on the position of the grip which was not angled like the falcon elite. I think my previous experience with the PBZ is important to note with this review. It is important because I spent many weeks getting used to hitting with this style paddle. I was able to adjust to the falcon elite relatively quickly, which may or may not be the case for those who do not have previous experience with a paddle in this genre.
The packaging the paddle arrives in is high quality and first class. Inside, awaits a quality constructed paddle that is visually impressive. Removing from the box, the paddle surface is noticeably grippy. Nice texture. The handle is a little chonky. In exploring the grip, I found they created and installed a custom piece that has ridges for fingers. Underside of grip is unfinished polymer, something they will want to address in future production upgrades.
My first experience with it on the court was a drilling session with a friend who is a higher level player. I admit that I took my beloved Ronbus R1.16 with me because I wasn’t sure what type of control I might find and needed to be ready to switch out and hit with the new paddle another day. We started with dinking drills, speed ups, blocks, resets. I was surprised by the ease at which I adapted. I was dinking easier and with more consistency than my current paddle of choice. More importantly I was getting dinks deeper and at the feet of my practice partner with good consistency. Control in these areas of play was a solid 8/10 straight out of the box for me. My forehand blocks and volleys, which were a huge weakness with the PBZ paddle, were surprisingly decent. Would rate them at 6.5/10. They still need more work, much of it footwork. We then went into drills where we were dropping from various court positions and blocking from the mid court. Drops are definitely a strength of this paddle, at least for me. I’ll give them a solid 8.5/10 with a bullet because I know they are only going to get better with time in the saddle. We concluded our nearly 2 hour drilling session with serves, return of serve and groundstrokes. These were definitely a step behind the other shots we hit. I immediately knew they were going to need more work. In general I would rate each of these just 4/10. I was not missing, but had not yet figured out how to direct the ball with precision and lack of depth was also an issue.
Three days later I went to open play at a local park. I had not worked on any of the weaknesses, I just wanted to get a feel for the paddle in the context of games in public setting facing a variety of opponents. I got lucky as I was able to have a good warm up with a gentleman who knew how to warm up. Everything from practice session remained the same. Net play, especially blocks and dinks were strengths, although my drops were off a little from the initial session, but still solid enough for open play. I was not able to figure out, on the fly, the best way to serve. I defaulted to a backhand serve which has always been consistent for me and was able to get them in reliably with average depth and speed. Certainly not a strength. Returns of serve still lacked depth. Groundstrokes still lacked precision, especially when attempting to thread the needle up the line. Overheads, were something I had not practiced and I learned they also need work. I still have yet to attempt a lob with it, but will add that to my list of shots to practice. However, in spite of the learning curve and my hesitancy to push these shots in that setting, this paddle is fun to play with. It is easy to play with. I’m enjoying it immensely. It causes people to look at you quizzically. You can hear chatter from those watching and wondering about the paddle, which can be a good test for your mental game to just tune it out and focus on the point. I ended up playing 7 games, winning 5. The most satisfying was an 11-2 dismantling of a guy who was making fun of the paddle before the game started and proclaiming he would never use such a thing. After barely 15 minutes he was the 3rd victim of the day for the Falcon Elite.
This morning I got up early and took a bucket of balls to the courts. My goal was to work on serves forehands and backhands. After the first bucket I was liking the results I was getting with a drop serve so I focused primarily on those. I worked on hitting with depth, speed and spin. I found for power serves, keeping head down and rotating hips and following through was essential. I was able to get these consistently deep. I also worked on high arching serves. Not as consistent with these, but it will just be a matter of getting out and drilling them. I attempted a few different side spins, but ultimately decided to just focus on bread and butter basics first. I may revisit fancier serves that jump around a bit down the road. I should note spin is solid. Not as excessive as the surface roughness might indicate, but definitely more than adequate. Close enough to my Ronbus to be perfectly satisfying.
Next up were forehands and backhands. Like serving, keeping head down was key for me especially on the forehand. I was able to hit enough to get more comfortable with this stroke. I was hitting with decent pace and directional control was finally established on that side. I still need to get a partner and generate the same success with balls coming at me with various spins and paces as this session was just a drop and hit session with no partner. The backhand side is what surprised me. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think I would be able to hit a two handed backhand with this style paddle. Yet, that is EXACTLY what was working best for me in this practice session. It was the last thing I practiced and it was the outcome that excited me the most! Obviously I need to test it against real enemy fire, but the potential has put a huge grin upon my face. Thus far, that is the biggest surprise…one I still can’t fully comprehend.
With not even a week of ownership and very little play racked up with this paddle, I am excited to say that I plan to commit to this paddle for the next month. My plan is to work on weaknesses and see if it can supplant my Ronbus as paddle of choice for match play. Why? The reason is simple. It is FUN to play with. I enjoy the way it it plays. It makes the most important facets of pickleball seem relatively easy. I want to give it a chance…a fair chance. I like it infinitely more than the PBZ…it’s just more comfortable and not as awkward. That said, I don’t think it will ever have the power of thermoformed paddles, at least not in my hands. Overall this paddle is much more than some sort of oddity. It is definitely not a joke. It plays well and has potential to be solid in all areas of play. Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve, but I think with proper motivation it has the potential to become a solid “go-to” paddle for those willing to put in the work. Be watching this space for follow up blog entries on this unique pickleball paddle offering from Bird Pickleball.
It’s been one month since I began hitting with the Ronbus R1. After having played with the Gearbox CX14e for the past two years, I was not at all sure what to expect. I had not played with a polypropylene honeycomb core for over 4 years. I have never experienced a Torray T700 carbon fiber face nor the various technologies Ronbus has baked into their economy paddle. How would an “economy” paddle measure up against a premium paddle costing 2x as much? Honestly, I was uncertain.
After a month of on court action, I have been pleasantly surprised. This little gem is the best overall paddle I have ever had the privilege of using. My playing style is definitely not “alpha” as I strive for reliability and consistency vs power and dominant putaways. I can easily cover my area of the court, but don’t ask me to take over and cover 60%+…that’s not my game. My current level of play is somewhere between 3.5 and 4.0 due to injury related mobility issues. When healthy, I am competitive at the 4.0+ level. I play doubles almost exclusively.
What I LOVE: The soft game – – dinks, resets and drops — are smooth and consistent. At 16mm wide, this is the thickest paddle I have ever used and I freely admit, I like the feel. Balls come off the paddle face with more pace than the Gearbox, yet not uncontrollable by any stretch of the imagination. The spin is incredibly easy to access. The surface really grips the ball nicely and this leads to remarkable control.
Biggest Surprise: The power! Holy crap. On demand power is not something I had with Gearbox. If I want to rip a return (tennis player here!) I can get significant pace and drop it in with the easily accessed spin. Same is true with my serve. I can generate more speed with less effort. While this paddle is not known for being powerful, the power is definitely much more than adequate. I found overheads to have much more authority and put away shots have become more effective/dangerous when wielding this paddle at the kitchen line.
The Bad: The grip shape and size. I admit, for the first several sessions the grip was a huge distraction. I was moving from a nicely rounded Gearbox grip at approx 4″ with overgrip to a grip size that had some flat areas (not as round) and was measuring over 4 3/8″ with overwrap. I hated the grip during first session. I was constantly aware of it and it felt awkward to me. As I continued to play, I gradually became less aware of the grip and after 3 weeks, I can’t say I notice it as being awkward any longer. It seems it is something to which I have been able to adjust. Not a showstopper. That said, Ronbus has revised the grip. I have not yet seen or hit with revised grip, but going forward the extreme awkwardness if coming from different handle shape should be lessened.
Other than an overgrip, I have been playing with the paddle stock. As an experienced racquet and paddle technician, I am quite proficient with adding weighted tape to adjust paddles. This paddle has a balance that is less head heavy than most and really does not need additional power or stability. For me, it plays near perfect at stock. It is the only paddle I have ever used without adding weighted tape…except for my brief fling with the Paddleboardz PBZ.
As of this writing many are discovering the joys and playing advantages of the Ronbus R1. It is currently sold out and on backorder. We hope to replenish our stock by some point in May 2023. At a retail value of $120 it is a tremendous value. When available on sale for $100, it is an absolute steal of a deal. Look to your friends at Guts and Glory Tennis if you want one for outstanding pricing.
Guts and Glory Tennis and Audacious Pickleball, (the pickleball arm of our business), is delighted to announce that after a thorough deep dive into the current state of the pickleball paddle manufacturers, we will be partnering with Ronbus Pickleball. This partnership will prove to be the most exciting and smartest way forward to helping our customers navigate the rapidly changing paddle technology landscape. We are proud to be the exclusive Ronbus retailer for NE Georgia. We are offering paddle demos as well as paddles available for purchase directly via our Sugar Hill, GA location. We will also be selling them online through the Guts and Glory Tennis website. After initial introductory pricing we plan to offer coupon code discounts for customers wanting to support our family business by purchasing from afar.
As stated in our previous blog entry, the pickleball paddle industry is undergoing tremendous transformation. In a nutshell, there are a barrage of new companies coming on board. They are working directly with overseas manufacturers and bringing in paddles featuring updated and upgraded technology. For the most part, the paddles are high quality and the companies are distinguishing themselves via branding, marketing and pricing. However, the reality is the paddles are coming from the same factories and using common forms of technology.
Basically anyone can approach a factory and purchase product samples. They can then choose a base model and make tweaks to things like length of handle, surface texture and type, graphics, shape and voila!, they have created their own paddle to market and sell to the pickleball world.
There is another level of interaction with the overseas manufacturers that involves more in depth customizations where brands can further distinguish themselves. This is where some of the newer companies with engineers on staff can create some features that are unique to their brand. However, they are doing so in conjunction with the factory. The factory owns the technology. The brand may have an exclusivity agreement with the factory on the technology for a set period of time (6 months/a year/etc) but then the factory can and will make it available to all customers. So today’s exclusive innovations for Brand A will, in a matter of time, be available to all brands who wish to bring it to their customer base.
The only way that paddle innovations can remain proprietary is when the Brand files for a patent on the technology BEFORE taking it to the factory for manufacturing. There are very few patented technologies in pickleball. The vast majority can be widely used and shared. Thus there are solid options being made available from multiple brands, not just the big brands that have been in the game for many years.
Ronbus Pickleball was established in 2022. Yes, they are new. But they stand out because they are powered by an energetic retired former Motorola engineer with a background in tennis and a passion for pickleball. The owner brought to market the current cornerstone paddles leading with the Ronbus R series. (Yes, it was named by an engineer so no clever name like Eagle Fang.) R1.16 refers to the first option in the Ronbus R series and .16 refers to the fact that it has a width of 16mm. They have 3 models all with the same naming convention, R2.16, R3.16. Naming should get more interesting with future models.
This series of paddles were designed and engineered as a joint project between the Ronbus owner and factory where it was produced. The technology came together in a way that created a paddle that is incredibly versatile. It is rated as one of the top spin producing paddles on the market today, generating a spin rate in excess of 2100 rpm. It offers superior control from all areas of the court and plenty of power on command. It is an all around paddle for players who appreciate playing a game with nuances, power and variety. The Ronbus owner set the price point at just $120 and has approved resellers to discount it if they choose. As a result this paddle has been widely available for as low as $99. It is a highly technical paddle that is available at a great price. Arguably the best price to performance ratio in pickleball. It easily matches/surpasses the performance of paddles from bigger brands coming in at $200+
Recently a professional picklball player teamed up with a newcomer looking to enter the paddle industry. As per the comments above, they have essentially taken the exact technologies used in the Ronbus R series paddles, gave them a head cover, some different graphics, an optional thinner core and called it their own. Because it is used and promoted by a highly ranked professional player who uses it on the PPA Tour, it sells for $160 – $180. Same great paddle just marketed differently and at a higher price. Ronbus created the model. Ronbus was first. The factory then made it available to another company who is benefitting from the engineering expertise at Ronbus. (All is fair in the pickleball technology wars!) This is a pattern we can expect to see repeated as new tweaks to design are found to be popular. It is not a question of “if it will be copied?” but really “when it will be copied?”
So, as of the writing of this blog, Ronbus has a value priced/high performing paddle line in production. It is a clear winner! It is a product we can be proud to make available to our customers. Compared to the majority of paddles being used in our area, this represents a huge upgrade at a price point that is more than reasonable. It is, in our opinion, the best value in pickleball today.
The owner/chief engineer of Ronbus is not sitting on those laurels and certainly is not satisfied. While he is proud of his current lineup, his goal is much greater. He is aiming to CHANGE PICKLEBALL. Truth told, he has a vision with the potential to revolutionize paddle technology and we want to be working with him when his vision becomes a reality…and we are confident it will. He has already patented a core for a paddle that will be unlike anything currently being used. The patent will mean the technology will be owned by Ronbus and will be exclusive to Ronbus. No other paddle companies will be able to get and use this technology without licensing or violating the patent. The question at this point is how will it perform and will it meet paddle standards for approval by the governing body of pickleball?
Ronbus has a prototype version of the core currently available to the public, though it is not approved for tournament play. (We currently do not have plans to carry this paddle since it is not officially approved and is a prototype. We can special order it if our customers are interested.) The core is primarily constructed of injected EVA foam vs the traditional polypropylene honeycomb core that is the basis of a huge majority of paddles today, including the Ronbus R series. The advantages the core will provide are easy access to power and also a balance of control. It is projected to be a power paddle with control. It will also be more comfortable than any paddle on the market today. In addition the sound will be significantly dampened which can help alleviate one of the biggest problems pickleball facilities face–too much noise which can be disturbing to neighbors. Also, the material will not break down at the same rate as current cores resulting in paddle performance lasting significantly longer than today’s technology.
The vision and engineering background of the owner/founder of Ronbus is different. It stands out. It makes Ronbus different than the flood of new companies entering the marketplace. This does not mean the other new companies are not producing interesting paddles. In fact, they are. However, by limitations of materials being used, they are unlikely to be evolutionary whereas Ronbus has that potential with their vision of the future and patents to support that vision.
Ronbus is not currently a big name in pickleball. I would bet the majority of the readers of this blog have never heard of them. However, we love their current R series and are confident that their owner/founder will use his engineering talents to continue creating great playing products whether his patented technology ends up being approved/sanctioned for official tournament use or not.
We are proud to have decided to go all in with Ronbus Pickleball and we invite you to join Team Ronbus with us. We believe they are the most intelligent choice in terms of investing in pickleball equipment that players of all levels, from beginners to professionals, can make. Visit us. Make use of our demo program. Support our family business by choosing to make your Ronbus purchases through us. If you find better pricing just reach out and we will attempt to match or beat whatever you find. We believe Ronbus technology will help you to develop your game and play better pickleball.
This post is written from the perspective of a paddle reseller who has been involved with peddling paddles since 2016.
When we began reselling pickleball paddles, we decided we wanted to work exclusively with one company. Why? Because we wanted to build a relationship and because our research showed technology at the highest level did not vary significantly from company to company. The biggest difference at that point in time was in the shape of the paddle, more so than the construction. So we happily hopped on board with Engage Pickleball. A family owned company, based in USA.
State of the art paddles were retailing for prices ranging from $70 – $85. The construction was a honeycomb core, and most companies were now favoring polypropylene (we will refer to as “poly” in this blog entry going forward) construction over aluminum or Nomex. The paddle shape/form was literally cut out of the poly honeycomb. (The entire paddle including handle.) Then some type of form was added to build up the handle, usually balsa wood, and a laminate surface, usually constructed of a fiberglass blend of materials, was glued onto both sides. The paddles had graphics added and then a protective bumper strip was glued on followed by wrapping the handle with a synthetic grip. Voila! You had a pickleball paddle. State of the art. These paddles literally could be produced as a small home based operation in a garage or basement. In fact, that is how many started.
As the popularity of the sport increased, we saw a prolific growth in the number of companies producing pickleball paddles. I have no idea how many, but I believe it safe to assume there are 100s of paddle models being produced. Why so many? Well, for one reason, the construction, as described above, was not overly complex and could be produced in a home-based or small business setting fairly easily.
While the rapidly increasing number of new brands fought it out to distinguish themselves from the crowd, the major brands were also going on a marketing and pricing offensive. Pickleball continued explosive growth, tournaments increased and prize money was introduced. A grassroots effort to broadcast tournaments via live internet feeds helped feed the popularity of the sport and the top players became more and more well known and recognized. Paddle companies were quick to latch on to the top players and offer sponsorships for those players to use their brand of paddle. This added costs and the top manufacturers, acting as one, quickly raised prices. Note, cost of raw materials was not much different, but the cost of marketing and sponsorships and adding incentives for resellers to help with product sales and promotion did increase the costs. Add to this the paddle construction was prone to premature breakage where the manufacturer was replacing them at a very high rate and the costs of running a paddle company were indeed increasing.
In terms of technology, paddle companies used a variety of methods to create a surface that would allow for the greatest access to spin. The standards for maximum spin are closely monitored by USA Pickleball and most companies needed paddles to fall within standards before launching to public, otherwise paddle would not be classified as legal and would not bear the USA Pickleball seal of approval. For the most part, all approved paddles were near the top of the threshhold and spin was largely similar. (Note that some textured surfaces and especially when grit was used, did not have much longevity as the texture did not prove to be durable.) Technology was tweaked but performance differences were relatively minor. Paddle companies increased the width of paddles, (made them thicker…generally from approx 14mm to 16mm), in part to add durability and reduce the dreaded paddle handle snapping issue. They painted the surface laminate composites darker colors so visually it was not as easy to see the dead spots forming as honeycomb cores were breaking down. ProKennex made use of unique technology that included dampening material, but the biggest change in technology went to Gearbox. This was a company previously in the racquetball space. They burst onto the scene with a patented full carbon fiber paddle including the core. This was the first MAJOR innovation since the move away from wooden paddles to synthetic materials. To this day it is the only core, with the exception of old wooden paddles that nobody uses any longer, that is not honeycomb based.
Gearbox paddles stood out. While all honeycomb core based paddles were essentially a disposable commodity that would need to be replaced at a rate similar to tennis shoes, the Gearbox paddles were constructed to last. The handles did not snap, there was no edge guard to come loose and the core materials did not wear out and go dead. We went all in! We brought them in because in our opinion the option of selling paddles that did not have warranty issues was the way we wanted to go. We were now proudly offering the most technologically advanced paddles on the market for our customers. Gearbox pricing was, at the time, similar or lower than the disposable paddles at a price point of approximately $140 in 2018.
Meanwhile prices continued to increase and the top of the line honeycomb core poly paddles were were hitting prices of greater than $200 with some even going into $300 (with clever marketing…Selkirk) Gearbox raised prices to $200. At this point, for my customers I was skeptical about sales. I did however believe in the product and knew it offered a long term value that other paddles could simply not match, so I hung in with Gearbox and did not really pay attention to paddle technology, just watched lots of new brands entering the marketplace as a disinterested sideline observer because they were just a theme and variation on the current mainstream paddle design.
Carbon fiber surfaces started coming on strong as more and more manufacturers started offering these as options. Both advanced players and professionals embraced the control and spin. Many years back, Pro Lite introduced a carbon fiber surface. At the time Simone Jardim used and endorsed it. That was the first carbon fiber surface I can recall. Getting back to more recent usage, Electrum charged onto the scene with a carbon fiber surface that attracted a lot of attention and was one of the first to propel the movement toward this material. Advantages included great touch and feel along with excellent spin potential and great control in the soft game and with resets. Still, the raw materials could be sourced and manufactured by many of the long time/most recognized brands and created using their existing manufacturing facilities and paddle construction methods.
Along with the new carbon fiber surfaces was yet another increase in pricing. Many of the newly introduced carbon fiber faced paddles were mostly hovering around $200+. In 2022, Ben Johns was followed by a slew of professional players all jumping to raw carbon fiber surfaces. Ben and many were going with a newcomer to pickleball, Joola. Interestingly these paddles were manufactured in China vs. USA where most of the paddles professionals were using were still being made. At about this time something new and very interesting was happening. Smaller companies were popping up and were working with Chinese factories to import paddles rather than producing paddles in house. Note: The Joola paddles suffered tremendously from durability issues with many reports of handles snapping, edge guards coming loose etc…it was not a good look for a company who, powered by endorsement deals with Ben Johns and a stable of other pros, was rapidly gaining market share.
In early 2023, Gearbox announced a new version of their 14mm carbon fiber core paddles at $250.00 To us, this signals a price increase where we can no longer comfortably sell to our customer base. Even though Gearbox paddles will last significantly longer than any paddle currently being manufactured, the price point has moved it from a “no – brainer” to something that is restrictive.
So we began a deeper dive into the paddle manufacturing industry and what we found was surprising to us. Currently the industry is undergoing a radical transformation…a paradigm shift. The current brands that dominate the game, the brands that are essentially homemade, have competition. Competition from factories who are able to produce paddles that are more technologically advanced and in the right scenario can be made available at the same or lower price point than current composite faced, honeycomb core paddles made in the USA. Everything is about to change. The professionals want these paddles as they offer performance advantages and advanced and recreational players will be following suit. Suddenly the traditional names will find themselves needing to innovate to create paddles that are equivalent or better or risk losing their competitive customer base. They can drop back and sell to those entering the game, but pricing will need to drop. In my opinion, they are in a position that will force them to reevaluate and decide how to compete or risk going out of business.
Today the hottest technology is coming out of China. It is making use of raw carbon fiber for the face. The current preferred is T700 which can be manufactured with various textures via a heat compress. These textures meet legal requirements and help produce more spin than any previous technology and more importantly this texture lasts significantly longer than other methods of creating paddle texture. The production of the heated compress for the surface is not the only technology that is hard to replicate in a basement. Manufacturers are also creating a carbon structure around the paddle to increase stability and durability. Some manufacturers call this 360 degree molded carbon fiber and others refer to it as carbon fused edge technology. They are also making use of foam that is injected into the edges of the paddle for added dampening and feel. Using cold and heated molds and injecting foam is again something that requires equipment that most current small manufacturers do not have access to. This molding process combined with extending the face into the handle creates a unibody construction that is significantly more durable that other honeycomb core paddles. (Note: Core in these paddles remains the same, polypropelene honeycomb)
Paddles incorporating this technology are the current state of the art. Suddenly a carbon fiber surface that was previously offering spectacular control, is now paired with a construction process that creates a significant increase in both power and spin. The performance these paddles deliver is next level and though very early, it is easy to see that pickleball players of all levels will be flocking to this new technology.
The cost is one of the main variables. Some manufacturers are coming in along with the current industry norms. Around $220.00. However, this is where it gets interesting. Virtually anyone can reach out to one of the few Chinese factories producing these paddles and for a reasonable investment, create their own paddle line. We are seeing enterprising pickleball players teaming up with engineers and working with these factories to produce their own version of this technology. Since these are lean and mean start ups, with virtually no staff, and no sponsorships to pay out, some are positioning themselves as disruptors. The price point to produce is reasonable (approx $30 – $40 per paddle) They are setting retail pricing at a point where they can make a profit and also be significantly less expensive than other manufacturers who are offering either similar technology or technology that is clearly not as advanced. They then run all phases of the business and sell direct to public. With a price point that is well below $200 and the grassroots internet reviews and an army of ambassadors promoting the paddles, they will undoubtedly find an audience and traditional paddle manufacturers should be concerned because suddenly with the introduction of Chinese manufactured paddles, the paradigm is shifting and dramatically so.
We intend to bring in and recommend several of these new paddles. We will work with companies who are making informed manufacturing decisions and offer something we consider to be outstanding. We are already in contact with four that we like and will likely bring 1 or more of them in and make them available to our local pickleball players.
In fact, just yesterday we signed on with Six Zero Pickleball out of Australia. We are fans of their Diamond and Double Diamond (power and control) paddles. The company is run by an engineer who is on top of current design elements and in fact is a leader. We are impressed with their level of customer service as well as the products they are bringing to market. As a testament to their success, they have sold out of their inventory and are currently taking pre-orders for an April shipment. We do not yet have them in shop, but they are one we are excited about partnering with. We love the slightly unique shape/design they have chosen. You can save 10% by using our discount code when ordering from them online. Just use “GUTS&GLORY10” This is the first of at least 3 outstanding up and coming industry disruptors that we plan to work with in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned for more! (Note: The Double Diamond makes use of a raw carbon fiber surface while the Diamond is a raw fiberglass based surface which is different than carbon fiber…still plays great and with quite a lot of power…did not want to be misleading in any way)
Two plus years ago we waxed poetic about the Pro Stringer Claws. At the time we found them to be innovative in that they were the only flying clamps on the market with the ability to clamp off strings in frames without pinching them or leaving the string bed askew. Were they perfect? Well, not […]
Times are changing. Paradigms are shifting. The way consumers and businesses interact are much different in 2022 than they were just 5 years ago. A dedicated family run business such as ours, must adapt to stay current and relevant. We aren’t satisfied with simply being “revelant”, so “industry leading” is what we are aiming to […]
Starting February 20, 2021 we are delighted to announce we will become an official Prince Tennis Dealer…YOUR OFFICIAL PRINCE DEALER! How did this happen? What does this mean? Read on… For the past several years, Prince Tennis has been in a tailspin. Spiraling downward since the introduction of the port design frames when nearly their […]
Through the years I have gone from stringing at high tensions (mid to upper 60’s) gradually dropping to accommodate the optimal performance of poly based strings. My current preferred tension is in the low 40’s, (40 – 44)…depending upon playing conditions. I tested mid to upper 30’s but could not really seem to dial things […]
Attention Stringers and Tennis Enthusiasts… May we have your attention please? A brand new, highly innovative product has hit the tennis marketplace. We believe this product offers the potential to change the way you go about stringing; making it easier, more pleasurable and more precise than ever before. Introducing the Pro Stringer Claws! Nowadays, it […]
Guts and Glory Tennis is a leader in optimizing your equipment to enhance your game. We combine extensive knowledge of our MSV and WeissCANNON string offerings with information about your preferred racquet frame and style of play to design a personal setup that will help you #PlayBetterTennis. If you are not currently using our strings, […]
In 2011 a brash and bold new stringing upstart thrust itself upon the US stringing market. The strings represented the very best work of John Elliot, who is known in the profession as the “Father of Polyester Strings” At the time, Mr. Elliot had a hand in developing a huge number of poly and copoly […]
