Pop N Pink First Impressions
Video Link: https://youtu.be/4Hywspjw-Og
Hey guys, today we’re taking a first look at the Pop N Pink paddle from Pickle Poppers. Pickle Poppers is a brand from South Korea and previously they've made catalogue thermoformed paddles but with the Pop N Pink they've come out with a foam paddle. It uses an MPP foam core surrounded by TPE foam for the construction and it's a paddle meant for smaller people with smaller hands that want something lighter. The Pop N Pink is a widebody with a 16mm core, 15.59 inch length, 7.74 inch width, 5.26 inch handle and the handle circumference is thinner than most at 4 inches. Typically we see most paddles have 4.25 inches as the average circumference so the 4 inches the Pop N Pink uses is definitely targeted for people with smaller hands. For the metrics it has a low swingweight of 96 and a twistweight of 6.65. Both numbers are on the lower end compared to other standard shapes which is to be expected because of the smaller than average dimensions. The twistweight is still in a decent range where it's comparable against hybrid paddles but the swingweight is well below average. Typically widebodies I have seen are in that 105-110 range so being 10-15 points lower is a big deal here. But let's talk about how this paddle plays.
As expected, this is a very light and fast paddle and the firepower is lower than most foam options. My play testers and I decided to use this paddle how it's intended and opted against adding any perimeter weighting. While the lower stock weight makes the Pop N Pink very flexible for weight customization, since its intention is to appeal to players wanting a lighter paddle, we decided not to add any weight on the edges. But even in stock form, this is surprisingly solid. I would classify it in the lower all court category but maneuverability wise it is top tier and one of the fastest paddles I've used. The sweet spot is okay, I'd say it's a little below average compared to other foam paddles but that's to be expected with the light stock weight, while the feel of the paddle I thought is pretty nice. It does have the lighter ball feel on contact but it's not hollow feeling or overly stiff. The Pop N Pink actually reminded me a lot of the Franklin C45 Tempo paddle which also has similar light metrics with lower firepower. It's basically the C45 Tempo without the stiff and hollow feedback but with a more solid foam feel and a thinner handle circumference. Overall this is a surprisingly solid foam option for people that really want to customize, or players that want a lighter paddle like kids or people who don't go to the gym. It's available for preorder right now and retails for 169.99 but you can use code DMVPBALL to save off your order.
https://www.pickle-poppers.com?sca_ref=9531924.wml9zOPy9kM
