JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm Pickleball Paddle

Ben Johns has won everything pickleball can give him, and the Hyperion CFS 16mm is the paddle that built his early career. Even though the 14mm thinner version is what most pros now use for power, the 16mm sits in a sweet spot for UK club players who want spin and control without the harshness of a thinner paddle.

The Carbon Friction Surface is the headline feature and it deserves the attention. Topspin on a third-shot drop drops noticeably more than off a smooth fibreglass face, and rolls at the kitchen line bite into the ball in a way that just is not available at this price point from most other brands. The Reactive Honeycomb polymer core is on the softer side of polymer paddles, which gives you a longer dwell time and better touch on dinks and resets.

The elongated 16.5 inch shape extends your reach by about an inch over a standard, which matters more than people realise on a stretch volley. The trade-off is a smaller, more concentrated sweet spot — mishit it on the throat and you will feel it.

Ideal player is the 3.5-4.0 DUPR player who is past their first paddle and ready to commit to a real signature stick. Wrong owner is the absolute beginner who has not yet got reliable contact — you will outgrow the JOOLA in two years, but you should not buy it on day one.

UK availability through Total Pickleball and Pickleball Nation routinely puts it £75-100, often with a free cover.