Diadem BluCore Edge
Hey guys, Diadem is releasing their first tournament approved Gen 4 power paddle, the Blue Core Edge 18K. But how does it compared to the other foam power paddles on the market? Let's take a look.
What You're Getting
All right, so the BluCore Edge is going to come in two different shapes, the elongated Pro and the Hybrid with both having 14 and 16 mm variants and 5.7 in handles for all models.
For the construction, these are going to use their EPP BluCore foam again, but this time it will have a few changes. If you look at the image on the screen, you'll see that it does have dual layers of edge in that diving board style, as well as foam inserts at the bottom corners, similar to what Joola did with their Pro IV models.
As for the face layers, it is going to use 18K carbon fiber, which is different from the common T700 carbon fiber we see in most paddles.
The Numbers
And before we get into how this plays, let's list out the swing weight and twist weight metrics for all four models we tested.
Hybrid 14MM: SW 113 TW 6.41
Hybrid 16MM: SW 117 TW 6.80
Pro 14: SW 115 TW 6.04
Pro 16: SW 117 TW 6.24
The metrics for the Hybrid lean a bit higher. So, it's actually surprising to see the Hybrid 16 to match the Pro 16 and swing weight. But other than that, nothing too crazy about these numbers as we do see higher twist weight numbers on the hybrids versus the elongated, which is expected. And these numbers overall are in the average range.
How It Plays
Moving on, let's talk about the playability across the whole lineup. These are the stiffest feeling Gen 4 paddles I've hit. The feel is very similar to a stiffer Gen-2 thermoformed paddle with how light and stiff they feel. For initial impressions, there wasn't much dwell time or ball pocketing that you see on other Gen 4 paddles, and instead you get a crisper and lighter feedback. I felt this most on the hybrids, actually, where I found the Elongated Pro to have a slightly more flex and a more pleasant feedback.
To be honest, I was not a fan of the feel of any of these paddles when I first hit them because of the stiffness, but after about a week, you do feel the face soften up a bit more, where I found it to play much nicer. I also needed to adjust more to the feel because it's been a while since I've played with the Gen-2 thermo, so I wasn't used to the light crisp feedback anymore.
Weight Setup
In terms of weight setups for the Pro models, I went with tuning tape at the 9 and three positions with 3 g on each side for the 16 and six g on each side for the 14. For the hybrid, I did the same amount of weight but just at the 10 and two positions instead since I like the higher balance on that shape.
With weight and after break-in, the paddle did feel a lot better in my opinion. But even so, I still find these to overall be stiffer compared to all the other Gen 4s.
The Verdict
The BluCore Edge is what I would describe as the exact opposite of the CRBN TruFoam Waves. Now, I don't see this as a bad thing. In fact, it's actually good that Diadem has introduced some variety into the Gen 4 market by offering a paddle with a much different feel profile compared to the existing Gen 4 paddles.
I would describe the BluCore Edge as a Gen2-feeling paddle with higher power. It's got more pop thin power, especially on the thinner 14mm variants. And for overall firepower, I would put these in the same realm as the Sword and Shield J6 NFs.
Lastly, for the spin, the 18K surface has shown to give high levels of spin in previous paddles that also utilize it, and the BluCore Edge is no exception here. I found no complaints with the spin generation on this paddle and found it to be top tier.
My Recommendations
Now, for my recommendations of the four different models, my favorite of the bunch was the Pro 16MM because I found it to pocket the ball the best and had the least stiff feel, but I do think that the thinner 14MM Pro and hybrids are going to be the more unique ones. Those models have more flexibility with customization, and they lean more into have a high pop with their stiffer feel, making them stand out more against the Gen 4 power market.
Final Thoughts
The BluCore Edge series isn't for everyone. Not everyone will enjoy the stiffer Gen-2 feel it brings, but I can see there still being a market for it. I still think this is a very solid paddle series from Diadem and one of their best releases. While it may not appeal to everyone, those that do enjoy stiffer feeling paddles will enjoy this one.
All right, I hope you guys enjoyed this review! Catch you guys in the next one.
