Review of the NEW Carbon ProDrive

INTRODUCTION

I have received a pre-release ProDrive “Drive” Carbon.

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This, like other ProDrive paddles, is a heavy paddle and, in my opinion, should only be used by experienced players. At first, I was concerned about the weight, but that turned out not to be a problem. These are the drills I went through with the paddle, comparing it with other paddles I have:

  • Dink straight on and cross court
  • Windshield wiper dinking
  • Volleying
  • Windshield wiper volleying
  • Dink, drive, block
  • Transition zone
  • Slinky
  • Third shot drop, medium drive, hard drive

Here are the results:

  • Dinking – because of the weight of the paddle, it does most of the work for you. That’s a good thing because you are less likely to pop the ball up.
  • Windshield wiper dinking – you have to be careful not to overdrive the ball while you are moving.
  • Volleying – great at volleying because, again, the paddle does a lot of the work for you.
  • Dink, drive, block – if you get this paddle, this is a MUST drill.
  • Transition zone – another great drill for this paddle. If you are at the net, you can tee off on the ball. If you are the recipient of the drive, you can drop the ball back over the net without much effort.
  • Slinky – combines dinking, third shot drop and drive.
  • Third shot drop, medium drive, hard drive – this drill lets you know exactly how hard you can drive the ball and if, in fact, you can dial it down.

SPECIFICATIONS

Here are the specs on the paddle:

  • CORE: PP honeycomb + KEVLAR honeycomb + PP honeycomb. Polypropylene (PP) honeycomb cores are a strong but flexible lightweight material that provides optimal mechanical performance in composite sandwich structures. Kevlar as a middle layer provides strength and prolongs the honeycomb core.
  • WEIGHT: 8.8 +-.25OZ
  • LENGTH: 16.4 inches
  • WIDTH: 7.6 INCHES
  • THICKNESS: 19MM – same as the Diadem Warrior
  • SURFACE: Toray T700 raw carbon fiber
  • HANDLE LENGTH: 5.3 inches
  • GRIP SIZE: 4 1/8 inches

RECOMMENDATION:

If you are a seasoned player who wants a bit more power and control out of a paddle, this could be the paddle for you!

Remember: if, after reading this review, you are interested in saving 10% on a purchase, go to this link: https://www.prodrivepickleball.com/discount/Heavy10