I appreciate that very much you’re very welcome my friend!

My man Don!!! Thanks man! 😊😊

Crazy power right? Super solid construction for the price too very durable. Glad you like it!!

Does it have good spin also?

Oh yeah solid!

Heck yeah man I’m glad you enjoyed it 😊😊

Thank you 🙏 😊

My pleasure! Thank you for the kind comment and taking the time to share this 😊

Sounds good man! Let me know your thoughts when you try it!

Ordered my Hudef Viva Pro 2 yesterday while on vacation in Puerto vallarta. Our 2 week winter vacation ends tomorrow, and I'm excited to get home and pit my Vatic Pro V7 16mm against my new Viva pro2. Thanks again for your paddle reviews. Salud!

@@robbyd1140 Damn you're living the life!! Let me know your thoughts when you try it. Get ready for some insane power :)

I bought the Viva pro Gen 2 one month ago and immediately noticed that the face was getting marked up and not coming completely clean after erasing and wiping with damp cloth and dry cloth still showed marks way too soon. Today I'm at the courts and was cleaning the paddle and noticed the edge guard was loose so I started checking all around the edge guard and discovered several areas where it was loose. I do not abuse this paddle in fact the edge was covered in edge tape and I have an over grip on the handle. The tape is still brand new with hardly any scuffs. So it was not from me playing with the paddle unless the ball can make the edge come loose. Very disappointed with the durability and quality of the paddle, but I have loved the way it has played. Hopefully they will come through with the refund. Now looking for a paddle that is equivalent, but better quality.

Yes it’s a fully thermoformed gen 2 paddle with no exposed polymer on the grip. Totally solid and premium through and through. I’m honestly extremely impressed with what they’ve done here.

@@stspickleballdo you put a lead tape on the viva pro gen2 or do you recommend?

@@novubrown2780 I personally don’t think it needs it but that is up to you! It has so much power and stability to begin with 😊

That is very true actually I have a Ghost and it is very powerful. I agree with you on this.

The ruby is such a beautiful paddle!

Yeah Vatic Prism was overhyped in my opinion. The Viva Pro Gen 2 is where it’s at! I’m super happy you’re happy with the paddle. Always a good feeling when my reviews help someone like this. Thank you for taking the time to share!! ☺️☺️

Thanks man!!

I would get the BALLR Heat. Top tier spin and solid power at a really solid price. Check out my video on it! The giveaway already happened so you can disregard that portion of it 😊

I will yes I’ve been playing with them for a while now I like to make sure I have a good feel on where paddles are placed ranking wise before posting a full review. They wouldn’t make it onto a top 5 power list but they are very solid all court paddles for sure! I’ll have it out in the next couple weeks 😊

I’d go with the Ruby if you don’t want to give up power but want a paddle better than the pulsar.

BD is for sure stiffer off the face. If you’re looking for a new paddle what don’t you like about the DBD that you’d want your new paddle to have?

Thank you very much!!

Honestly I have no idea but I definitely hear you. I just always want to be the go to source for any new info and I want to make sure you have the info to work with. 😊

You're gonna love it. It's going to have WAY more power haha.

Fair enough! I will say I wasn’t as much of a fan of the 14mm although it has higher spin. Love the 16mm. Thank you for taking the time to follow up. I really enjoyed this. If there’s anything I can do to help you out let me know!

@@stspickleball Find me some (legal) grit I can spray on the Selkirk Epic Power Air... LOL!

@@stspickleball Went with the 14mm because I figured it might be closer in feel to the Power Air It feels very different...plush, big, heavier But as mentioned, going to give it an extended play test as control / forgiveness of the Power Air not at all stellar, especially at the net

@@oilerlord6513 😂😂😂 love it. Definitely add some lead tape the the Forza. 1-2 strips of 5inch lead tape about 2inches below the bottom curve so about 2.5-3” of the tape come up the side and it feels WAY better

@@oilerlord6513 fair enough definitely try some lead tape even though you say it’s already heavier it really opens it up and helps create some nice lag for drives and helps with stability and linearity in movement while dinking

I will very soon!

@@stspickleball awesome, I value your input and will buy based on your top 5

Sounds good my friend thank you so much!

I’d pick the viva pro gen 2 all day honestly. Filth is solid but it’s more of a marketing and aesthetically pleasing paddle. Viva pro gen 2 is all about performance and quality for the price. No contest.

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lcqKlLmYlrqYpIU.htmlsi=vUPeFD2ScSmt3K-6

I already have that video up! Go check it out 😊

@@stspickleball 4:47

@@alexandriamercer5588 ?

Yes that is the buzz and I’ve heard all about it. No issues on my end. Best bet would be to hope and pray 😂 or cancel the order until it’s all sorted out. We are thinking the 50% of people reporting it being less powerful than they imagined to either be due to the more muted feel / perception issues OR the fact that Gearbox had to manufacture way more of these than any paddle ever before and there are actual QC issues, which if that’s actually the case the best bet would be to wait until it’s sorted and get a proper paddle. Still have to see how it all plays out.

too late for me ,,,my GB Power Pro EL is on its way...praying its good@@stspickleball

How did it turn out?

UPDATE: So I received my new GB Pro Power Elongated yesterday took the clear protective wrapping off the grip, and put it on my very accurate Hario gram coffee scale that I check weighed( 200g brass check weight) it was 223 G which is 7.866 Oz. It was in perfect condition Quality control wise, and I took it to the indoor courts and hit around with it, took a lesson on 3rd shot drop technique and placement with the local pro with it and then hit some singles with it. All bone stock. It did not feel in any way over powering, it was nice and quiet, swung well, and seemed to have a decent sweet spot. No alarm bells went off with it in my hand, the spin was nice and quick as well. The soft touch seemed to be there too. I have GB protective edge tape and lead weights as well as an GB overwrap coming tomorrow so I will apply the overwrap, and protective tip tape but hold off on the lead. So far a very nice paddle . BUT now the nagging thing in my head....is it an mis marked control paddle( I doubt it) but it doesn't seem to be a ripper like everyone talked it up to be and then some said they think they got a control paddle instead of the power...seems a tall order to mis-label a paddle.... IDK without trying multiple ones.

@@86309 yes this is the consensus everyone is saying. That they are way softer than the paddles us reviewers got. Great paddle still but more control oriented in feel. Extremely odd to say the least. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this and write this up. Will you been keeping it?

It really is. Spending much more on any paddle is kind of silly.

1,000,000%

100% man. If I hadn’t been sent those Gearbox paddles and I wasn’t a paddle reviewer I would have a hard time stomaching $275 for a paddle. It’s a great paddle, but that’s a big chunk of change. I was talking to my dad on the phone this morning about all of it and he said he wouldn’t either 😂

Then what’s the price point to shop at if you’re planning to replace 2-3x / year?

@@dudebro4361 well that entirely depends on your personal budget and what you value out of your game.

$150

I haven’t done the swing weight and twist weight measurements yet on the amethyst but the overall weight is 8.3oz 😊

It should be closer to 8.5 I must have gotten a lighter one

So is the new texture applied to the black Diamond power? I know the power and the amethyst are a fiberglass face so just wondering if it’s just on those paddles.

@@zmaust15 for now it’s just on those paddles and also the new Ruby which is probably my personal favorite of the entire bunch. Awesome paddle!!!

@@stspickleball I’m really surprised the Ruby isn’t sold out yet

I made my purchase off those rpm numbers and recommendations. I thought maybe it was just me but after watching this I can say I definitely feel a little slighted by them making the swap and not making that information public.

Very fair. The original grit is still top tier regardless, but your comment and your feelings are totally valid!

Fair take

Did they update grit on the DBD too??

@@scottfrancis13 no info on that yet 😊

The Black Diamond. That was my mistake. Shooting footage for the videos takes a lot of time and energy and I am always thinking about shots and lighting etc etc. I’m sorry for the confusion. But yes the Black Diamond not the DBD.

Very high tbh. But I haven’t listed it cause it’s one of the worst paddles for delamination and I am all about saving people’s hard earned money.

@@stspickleball Thanks, which means Legacy Pro is more powerful and poppy of them all? Because I am actually looking for the most powerful and poppy 16mm paddle. I do owned the Hudef viva pro gen 2 and used your code after watching your review and thank you very much. Its now my main paddle.

@@novubrown2780 😂 you mean when it’s delaminated? And no it would be like third or fourth if it didn’t have issues I wouldn’t want people spending their money on haha.

@@stspickleball the good one not delaminated LP

Yes third or fourth likely non delaminated 😊

Spartus Ballista is a control oriented paddle. It’s very soft off the face and not power oriented at all 😊

I would assume so but I cannot confirm. I can confirm that about the Black Diamond and Amethyst though 😊

The Proline would be a good bit down the list. It has a nice cushy feel off the face. It’s not nearly as firm as these power specific paddles. It’s more of an all court paddle for sure. Probably close to 8-9 if it was a top 10 paddle list.

Thanks, appreciate your information.

@@SPWhiteShark heck yeah! Love talking paddles!

Great paddles! Some of which have more pop than power in my experience but solid power oriented paddles indeed! And with Legacies really bad delamination and core crushing issues I just don’t want people spending their hard earned money on something that won’t last.

@@stspickleball touche. All very fair points.

The problems with the Legacy pro were only in the first production run and have been fixed long ago. I would put the Legacy Pro up against anything out there for power and spin. @@stspickleball

Fairly true! Still a few issues but not as bad! Spin is still only around 1800+ which is solid! But we are seeing a lot of paddles in the 2000+ range now. Still a solid paddle nonetheless.

Legacy pro is powerful but has known delaminating issues and core crushing issues and also has mediocre spin in comparison to what is available now. I can’t recommend anyone spend their hard earned money on a paddle with known issues like this 😊 but! Thanks for the comment I appreciate it very much!

I had a Legacy Pro delaminate after 9 months of play (warranty only covers 6 months), they offered me a 20% discount on a new one. No thanks, horrible short term policy for a paddle known to fail.

Not really a power paddle but a solid paddle!

Mach 1 Forza would be #6 but it’s all very close. Mach 1 Forza is one of my all time favorite paddles though. It’s definitely getting a top 5 for the Top 5 paddles of the year, but in my testing isn’t quite as powerful as these are. Which keep in mind isn’t a bad thing. It does everything extremely well and out performs everything on this list from a spin and a control standpoint. It’s one of the best all court paddles available.

Yes indeed 😊