Cheater Paddles or the Future of Pickleball?

Love them or hate them, Joola has been — and continues to be — one of the top paddle manufacturers in pickleball.
Quick disclaimer: This blog is not sponsored by Joola, nor is it intended to promote or bash them. For context, I served as a Diadem rep for a while and am currently considering becoming a CRBN rep. However, I’m still unsure about CRBN's TruFoam tech, mainly because it’s only offered in a 14mm version — and I’ve always preferred thicker paddles.
Unfortunately, my recent injury has prevented me from playtesting it. Outside of those connections, I’m not sponsored by any brand. Honestly, I find it hard to be loyal to any company, especially with how quickly the market and technology are evolving.
What’s hot today could be old news in six months.

That being said, Joola seems to be one brand that really divides people.
When the Joola Gen 3 line first launched, it was met with massive hype — and just as much scrutiny. I’ll admit it: the first time I played against someone using a Gen 3, I thought, "I need one of these ASAP." My paddle at the time simply couldn't match the power. My opponent was playing at an entirely different speed.

But before I could pull the trigger and buy one, reports started surfacing online about core crushing issues, and shortly after, USAP announced a ban.
Then came the MOD-TA model — which caught my interest — but since I was never a fan of the Perseus shape, I didn’t look into it much.
Next came the 3S, which was a great paddle but unfortunately wasn't USAP-approved.

The fascinating part is how polarizing Joola has become.
Some players don’t care much about the politics and happily used the 3S (which was UPA-A approved) or quickly picked up the new Pro IV. Others act like using a Joola paddle is the moral equivalent of doping — creating an environment where if you play with one, you're made to feel like a terrible person.

Which brings me to my bigger question:
With new "power" paddles entering the market — like the 11Six24 Power Series, Apes Pulse, and Gearbox’s expanded line — is Joola really that different anymore?
It feels like almost every company is shifting toward foam-injected paddles.
So is it still fair to single out Joola and label them as "cheaters"? Or has the game just evolved — and we all need to evolve with it?

It seems clear that foam-injected paddles are where the industry is heading.
Oddly enough, a few years back, Diadem actually tried to push the boundaries with their Vice paddle, which utilized an EVA foam core. They made some pretty bold claims at the time — saying it was "five years ahead of its time" and would "change the game forever."

But there was a catch: the Diadem Vice was never USAP-approved, and Diadem never even claimed they were going to seek approval. They labeled it a "concept paddle."

Now, looking back, it's ironic.

At the time, the idea of a foam-injected paddle seemed ridiculous — yet now, it’s becoming the norm across the sport.
Maybe Diadem really was five years ahead... 

Currently, the only true 100% foam-core paddles on the market are the CRBN TruFoam and the Selkirk Labs 008.

But based on the feedback I’ve seen and read, it doesn’t seem like this concept is completely pushing the envelope in terms of maximizing power.
Instead, the main advantage seems to be aimed more at paddle longevity — since a full foam core theoretically won't degrade or break down the same way traditional honeycomb cores do.

Again, this brings me back to my main point:
It feels like every major manufacturer trying to stay relevant is racing to create their own variation of what Joola started with Gen 3 technology — or Gen 4, in the case of CRBN and Selkirk.

So is it just somebody who plays with a new Gearbox to call a Joola paddle a "Cheater" paddle? Or it this simply where the sport is going. This brings me to my next question. Can you survive in high level play without a Gen 3 paddle? Obviously we have heard the hype around how "Dinking is dyeing" which is a concept for another blog post that I don't completely agree with but understand the purpose behind it. In a word where people are becoming much more prone to speeding up off the bounce and attacking from the transition zone does a player need a paddle that can match the power of their opponents in order to compete? I think the answer to that question could be debated for awhile and does come down to the player holding the paddle. 

So, is it really fair for someone swinging a brand-new Gearbox to call a Joola paddle a "cheater" paddle?
Or is this simply the direction the sport is heading?

That brings me to my next question:
Can you survive in high-level play without a Gen 3 paddle?

Obviously, we've all heard the buzz about how "dinking is dying" — a concept I’ll save for another blog post (because while I don’t completely agree with it, I do understand where it’s coming from).
In a world where players are more aggressive than ever — speeding up off the bounce, attacking from the transition zone — does a player need a paddle that can match their opponents' power just to compete?

I think the answer to that could be debated for a long time.
Ultimately, it still comes down to the player holding the paddle.
Technique, timing, court awareness — these things can't be manufactured, no matter how advanced the paddle is. 

But here’s an even more interesting question:
If you took two players of the exact same skill level, and gave one a Gen 1/2 paddle and the other a Gen 3,
does the player with the Gen 1/2 even stand a chance?

That's the debate that’s really at the heart of all this.
Is the difference in technology enough to tilt the balance, or can raw fundamentals still win out?
I don’t know if there’s a definitive answer — but it’s the kind of question players, coaches, and manufacturers are going to be wrestling with more and more as paddle technology continues to evolve.

At the end of the day, it's an exciting — and somewhat crazy — time to be a pickleball player.

We're at a crossroads between tradition and innovation, between refining old techniques and embracing new technologies.

To me, it's not as much about referring to paddles as "cheater" paddles as it is understanding that the game, like any sport, will continue to evolve.

Will a Gen 3 paddle make a difference? Absolutely.

But will it ever beat out smart decision-making, fast hands, and accurate shot placement?

Not a chance.

Maybe the real advantage isn't so much what's in your hand — it's being open to adapting, adjusting, and learning how to thrive in a sport changing faster than ever before.

So I'll leave you with this:

Is it the paddle that wins the point?

Or the player who figures out how to win, regardless of what they have in their hand?