I have been playing with Diadem Icon paddles for about 6 months now and they are my favorites. When I had the chance to try the Warrior paddle, I went for it. Below are the specifications of the Warrior minus all the hype.
The Warrior Carbon Fiber Paddle by Diadem is the first to utilize a 19mm (0.748″) thick core, making it the thickest pickleball paddle on the market. It features a special 3-layered honeycomb utilizing hard-hitting Nomex in the center with a layer of vibration-dampening polypropylene on either side. The Warrior Pickleball Paddle weighs an average of 8.5 oz., has a 5″ long handle and is 16.4″ overall in length.
Note that I had never played with an elongated paddle in the past and was always suspicious of them, but no longer. Here is what I can say about the Warrior.
It has great feel for dinking – very soft. I can’t say that I am a better dinker now, but at least the paddle makes me feel that I am, and that is important.
For unknown reasons, my backhand is more accurate. Perhaps that is the result of the elongated paddle.
I have been practicing the drop serve and love it. I can take the ball about 4 inches off the surface and generate a lot of side spin with the Warrior, more than with other paddles. I can also get the ball deep with spin on it, whereas with other paddles my serve is a little shorter than I would like it to be. Maybe I’m just getting better at it, or maybe it is the Warrior paddle itself.
The big difference, in my opinion, is that there is less vibration with the Warrior than with other paddles.
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