ONIX Praxis Paddle Review

INTRODUCTION

I recently received an ONIX Praxis 16 mm paddle for testing.

The first thing I did—something I do with every paddle I test—was put it on the scale.

7.8 ounces.

My immediate reaction was that, at that weight, the Praxis probably wasn’t going to have much power.

I was wrong.

This paddle has plenty of power.

That surprised me enough that I started looking more closely at the technology behind the Praxis and, specifically, its foam core.

ONIX calls the material Endurafoam, its proprietary solid-foam core technology. According to ONIX, Endurafoam is designed to provide greater durability, stability, and consistency while avoiding some of the core-breakdown issues associated with traditional polypropylene honeycomb paddles.

Endurafoam appears to be an evolution of ONIX’s Cryo Foam technology, combining a solid EPP foam core with a cold-press manufacturing process.

Of course, manufacturers can call their technology whatever they want. What matters to me is how the paddle actually plays.

And the Praxis plays differently from many of the other foam-core paddles I’ve tested.

One of the first things I noticed was the sound.

Many solid-foam paddles produce a distinctive muted “boop” when the ball comes off the face. The Praxis doesn’t. It produces something much closer to the familiar “crack” of a traditional paddle.

My guess is that this is related to the stiffness and construction of the Endurafoam core. Whatever the reason, players who want the advantages of a foam-core paddle but don’t particularly like the muted sound of some foam paddles may find this interesting.

More importantly, the Praxis manages to combine something I wasn’t expecting:

Low weight, excellent touch, and considerable power.

SPECIFICATIONS

Paddle Length: 16.5 inches
Face Width: 7.5 inches
Handle Length: 5.4 inches
Grip Circumference: 4.125 inches
Listed Weight: 7.75–8.25 oz.
Weight of My Test Paddle: 7.8 oz.
Face: Raw Carbon Fiber
Core: Endurafoam
Shape: Elongated
Edge Guard: Yes

PERFORMANCE

So, how does it actually play?

Dinking, Resets, and Third-Shot Drops

The Praxis performed extremely well on touch shots.

Given the amount of power the paddle produces, I initially wondered whether that power would make dinks, resets, and third-shot drops more difficult.

It doesn’t.

The paddle has a predictable response off the face, and I had no difficulty taking pace off the ball when I needed to. Resets were controlled, dinks were easy to place, and third-shot drops felt natural.

In this area, the Praxis performs as well as many premium paddles I’ve tested.

That balance between power and control is one of its strongest characteristics.

Power

This was the biggest surprise.

At 7.8 ounces, and with the 16 mm version rather than the thinner 13 mm model, I wasn’t expecting the Praxis to be particularly powerful.

It is.

There’s no need to manufacture power with an exaggerated swing. The paddle supplies plenty on its own.

Drives come off the face quickly, counters have considerable pace, and there is more than enough put-away power for advanced play.

What I particularly like is that the power doesn’t make the paddle feel uncontrollable. Some power paddles almost demand that you constantly dial things back. I didn’t get that sensation with the Praxis.

You can hit hard when you want to, but you can still play the soft game.

For me, that’s much more useful than simply making a paddle as powerful as possible.

Spin

Spin is another area where the Praxis excels.

The raw carbon-fiber face lets me generate considerable topspin. On drives, I can hit relatively low, hard shots that dive toward the court and then kick forward after the bounce.

I have also been experimenting with using more topspin on higher-trajectory shots, particularly serves, and the Praxis handles that very well.

Players who rely heavily on topspin should feel comfortable with this paddle almost immediately.

Sweet Spot and Feel

The Praxis has a generous and responsive sweet spot, particularly considering that this is an elongated paddle.

Solid contact feels very good, but more importantly, the paddle remains relatively forgiving when contact moves away from the center of the face.

That’s important because a paddle’s sweet spot isn’t just about how good perfect contact feels. What interests me more is what happens when you don’t hit the ball perfectly.

The Praxis remains predictable on those shots.

Stability

The Praxis is also remarkably stable for such a lightweight paddle.

That’s particularly noticeable during fast exchanges at the kitchen line. During firefights, counters, and defensive resets, the paddle doesn’t feel as though it is getting pushed around.

That combination of 7.8-ounce weight and good stability is impressive.

It also makes the Praxis very maneuverable at the net. I can get the paddle into position quickly without giving up the stability I want when the pace increases.

THE SOUND IS WORTH MENTIONING

Because I’ve tested a number of foam-core paddles, I think the sound of the Praxis deserves its own mention.

If you’ve played with several solid-foam paddles, you probably know the sound I’m talking about. Many have a noticeably muted boop or thud.

The Praxis doesn’t sound like that.

It sounds much more like a conventional paddle.

I don’t consider sound alone a reason to buy—or not buy—a paddle, but it does tell me that not all foam-core paddles behave the same way.

We’re reaching the point where simply describing a paddle as “foam core” doesn’t tell us very much. Different foam materials, densities, construction methods, face materials, and manufacturing processes can produce dramatically different results.

The Praxis is a good example.

PRICE

This may be one of the most impressive things about the Praxis.

The retail price is $149.99.

That’s significant.

We’re now seeing premium foam-core power paddles selling for $250, $300, and in some cases considerably more.

At $149.99, the Praxis gives you a raw-carbon-fiber face, solid-foam core, excellent spin, considerable power, good control, and an elongated shape from an established pickleball manufacturer.

That makes the Praxis not only a very good paddle, but also a compelling value.

A paddle doesn’t become better simply because it costs $300.

The question should always be: What am I getting for my money?

With the Praxis, the answer is quite a lot.

BOTTOM LINE

Foam-core paddle technology is evolving quickly, and manufacturers are taking very different approaches to it.

ONIX has done something particularly interesting with the Praxis.

Instead of simply creating another heavy foam-core power paddle, it has produced a paddle that weighed only 7.8 ounces in my test sample yet still delivered considerably more power than I expected.

More importantly, ONIX hasn’t sacrificed the soft game to get that power.

The Praxis gives me:

Excellent control on dinks, resets, and drops
Considerable power
Very good topspin
A forgiving sweet spot
Good stability during fast exchanges
Excellent maneuverability
A more traditional paddle sound than many foam-core designs
A price of only $149.99

That’s an impressive combination.

If you’re looking for maximum raw power regardless of weight, there are other foam paddles that may produce more. But if you’re looking for a lightweight, maneuverable paddle that provides legitimate power without sacrificing touch and control, the Praxis deserves serious consideration.

And at $149.99, it becomes even easier to recommend.

I highly recommend the ONIX Praxis.

To purchase the paddle, follow this link: https://www.onixpickleball.com/CRYO for a 15% discount.

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