Weekly Update Episode 27
Hey guys we're going to be reviving the weekly update series just so there's a bit more flexibility on the type of content and paddle talk we can do on the channel. Today we'll be taking a look at how illegal paddles compare against modern power options, the Head Radical TriFlex Core, and comparing the Duo and Turbo hybrid paddles. Let's get into it
So for the first topic, we're taking a look at some of the paddles that were deemed illegal for tournament play by USAP. These are paddles that came out a little while back but now that modern paddles have gotten more powerful, I wanted to take a look and see how they stack up against today's firepower standards.
The two we did for this playtest were the Vatic Pro Oni and the Ronbus Ripple. For fun we also tried a full EVA foam paddle that was never declared approved. As a benchmark for modern firepower we are using the elongated Selkirk Boomstik to see how these illegal paddles stack up against it as it is one of the most powerful approved paddles on the market right now.
Let's start off with the Vatic Pro Oni. It was meant to be an affordable Gen 3 style paddle from Vatic but was ultimately delisted by USAP because of durability concerns. Like all Gen 3 paddles, there is a break in period with the Oni and in the case here the foam expands and compromises the polymer core. Back when I first used the Oni, I found it to be a powerful paddle for its time. After a break in period it wasn't a stiff feeling paddle but you could feel the ball sink a bit into the face before launching off, giving it a plusher feedback than most Gen 3s. Compared to the Boomstik, the Oni actually doesn't hit as hard. The Boomstik comes out ahead in both pop and power while for the feel, the Boomstik has a solid and fuller feel compared to the Oni which is lighter and softer feeling. In today's market the Oni would still be classified as a mid range power paddle but I do see the concern with the paddle potentially breaking in even more and getting more powerful. In the state mine's in now, it's comparable to the V-Sol Pro I have for firepower but I do think the V-Sol Pro does have better performance because the sweetspot is more forgiving compared to the Oni.
Next up, let's talk about the infamous Ronbus Ripple. This was a paddle Ronbus had been working on for a while, back when honeycomb thermoformed paddles were all the craze, Ronbus wanted to experiment and create a power foam core paddle that was approved for tournament play. After a long time and several prototypes, they finally got an approved version that was then delisted by USAP after some drama. Eventually Ronbus did come out with another legal version in the Ripple V2 which is still on the market but the one we're going to talk about is the original approved Ripples. Back when it was released, this was a scary paddle with top tier levels of power and pop and I was very curious to see how it compares.
Even in today's market, the Ripple is still terrifying. Because the pop off the face is so high, power is effortless and the speed at the kitchen line is devastating. Since this is a thinner 14mm paddle, I did have some weight on the sides to bump the stability up and this gave it high power on drives as well but I found the scariest part of the paddle to still be shots at the kitchen line. Speedups and counters shoot the ball fast in firefights and I felt like I had a step up in power compared to other power paddles on the market. Still in 2026, this is a dangerous paddle and I'm honestly glad it's not approved for tournament play and don’t think the pop levels of a paddle should be this high.
Lastly let's talk about pure eva foam paddles. I only hit these really briefly but these things still hit much harder than even the Ripple. They've got a lower sound in pitch so it's a bit deceptive at how fast the ball travels but you can really launch the ball from one end to the court to the other without the velocity dying down at all. With power this high, it's a good thing there's no plans to approve something like this because they really are dangerous paddles.
But overall for these paddles I tested out, I personally am glad the Ripple and EVA foam paddles are still illegal because the fire power is still higher compared to today’s standards and I don’t want them to raise the power ceiling any higher. However for the Oni, yes I do think there are durability concerns but I don’t think the break in of the paddle makes it any worse than a core crushed Gen 3 paddle so that’s one I don’t quite agree with.
Moving on let's talk about paddles with the Head TriFlex. This is going to be a bit of a late look since I only just now received this paddle but it's got some interesting construction combining a polypropylene core with EPP and EVA foam which make up the TriFlex core putting it kind of in between of a Gen 3 and Gen 4 paddle. For the surface it uses carbon fiber but doesn't utilize peel ply on the top for added texture while the core is 15mm. It comes in 2 different shapes, an elongated and a widebody but the one I received was only the widebody
To be honest, this paddle is not very good. Oftentimes when I give critical reviews on the channel, it's usually because a paddle isn't worth the price but with the TriFlex Core, this paddle isn't worth the price and also does not have good performance. Let's start with the surface. The lack of peel ply is noticeable here. Spin generation is below average compared to the textured paddles of today's market but what I noticed the most is how I couldn't really grab the ball on my shots. When contacting the ball, there was this sensation of the surface very quickly brushing over the ball because of the lack of texture giving any friction to grab it. I felt this affect the launch angle of shots and made me put several balls into the net because I was used to the texture and spin letting me grab the ball a bit more over the net. For the feel of the paddle, it's actually a bit unique when you do hit the sweet spot of the paddle. The mix of materials inside gives this pocketing and trampoline like sensation when contacting the ball but it's only in one area of the paddle and when you hit off center even a little bit, you get a dead feedback where the ball dies off. I would compare the sweet spot here to be even worse than the Black Opal from Six Zero.
As for the power, when you do get the sweet spot this is on the mid to lower end of the all court category.
While the TriFlex does use unique construction and I do applaud Head for trying something new, unfortunately at $199 this isn't a paddle I would recommend due to its lackluster performance in today's market.
The last topic we'll cover is a comparison between the two Hybrid foam paddles from Enhance, the Duo and the Turbo. Both of these are going with the extra long 6.5 inch handle and smaller paddle face for the shape but Enhance has done some construction changes so the stability is still pretty solid with the Turbo having metrics of 113 and 6.65, while the Duo has metrics of 114 and 7.05. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of this shape but it does have some advantages over the classic hybrids we see. The longer handle does give you more aggression because you get more leverage on wristy shots like flicks and drives so one of my interns actually really enjoys this shape for his aggressive playstyle and he mains the Hybrid EPP Turbo. The downside is that it's not a great defensive paddle because the bottom areas of the paddle aren't as forgiving.
Compared to other hybrids with similar shapes like the Srikel Durafoam, Enhance does make the bottom areas pretty solid as both paddles do have higher twistweight metrics than you would think. It does make the paddle a little bottom heavy towards the bottom of the paddle face so stability is higher than you would think but still the lack of the paddle face in that area still made it tough for me though again this is still a personal preference. It’s actually the exact opposite of the J2 shape from Honolulu which has a short handle but more paddle surface area. While the Enhance paddles lean more towards offense, the J2 is the stable defensive counterpart.
As for the difference between the Duo and Turbo, I personally enjoy the Duo more as it's the more unique paddle on the market. The Turbo has that classic hollow EPP foam feel that other paddles also have like the V-Sol Pro and Locos while the Duo has a denser and more muted feedback. The Turbo is going to be more familiar for players and at $100 I think it's a fantastic option for people wanting a longer handle EPP paddle but I will say it's less unique compared to the Duo. The Duo is still a power paddle like the Turbo but it's a slight step down in both pop and power. Its main defining characteristic is the ball feel which isn't as hollow feeling as other power paddles and its more muted feedback allows for better control over the Turbo.
Between the two I personally prefer the Duo hybrid even though it has the higher price point because it stands out more in the market but the Turbo is the one I think more people will find familiar and enjoy.
All right, that's it for this weekly update episode. Hope you guys enjoyed it and I will catch you all next week.
Enhance Code: DMVPBALL https://bit.ly/4ac3Sa3
