Having not yet celebrated its first anniversary, Chorus is rapidly growing their paddle offering. The introduction of their Shapeshifter series on 12.14.24 is their second paddle series drop in less than a month. Chorus expanded their Shapeshifter line by introducing two new paddle shapes and updating the head design of the original hybrid shape.
They reduced the swingweight of their hybrid shape and kept the swingweights down on their elongated and widebody options too, while managing to keep the twistweights and stability of the paddles in check. They also reduced the price from the original shapeshifter from $189.99 to $174.99. All these changes were welcome from my point of view.
If you find my review helpful and decide to pick up one of the paddles you can use my code PBEFFECT on their website for 10% off and I get a small commission to help support my review efforts. Chorus did send me these paddles for free but no money was exchanged and no promise was made for a review. These thoughts are my own and as with all my reviews I am as unbiased as possible and explain the pros and cons of the paddle through my play testing experience and the data I collect.
For this review I’ll talk about the technology they used, the general performance of the series, and then I’ll break down the performance nuances for each shape.
(Get 10% off with the discount code PBEFFECT on Chorus’ website)
Table of Contents
Chorus Shapeshifter Series Technology
Chorus popularized what is now called the activation layer. Here’s how it works: Carbon fiber and fiberglass are the two most popular facing layer materials. Carbon fiber adds control and feel because it’s very stiff, while fiberglass adds power because it’s more flexible. Chorus put two carbon fiber facing layers on top of a fiberglass layer. This way, you interact with the carbon fiber layers on softer shots like dinks and resets, but activate the fiberglass on big swings when the ball sinks further into the face to add power. This gives the paddle a higher power and lower pop profile that is becoming increasingly desirable in control style paddles.
In addition to the clever face layup, these paddles are thermoformed though Chorus used a denser foam around the perimeter than in their original Shapeshifter paddle to increase stability. Despite this, the paddles remain very light in terms of static weight and swing weight, achieving a balance of forgiveness and lightness that is not common in paddles.
Finally, the paddles top carbon fiber facing layer is made of 18k cubic carbon fiber which grabs the ball very well. More info on that in the next section. I think more brands need to use this as the top layer vs T700 carbon fiber.
Shapeshifter Series Performance Review
Power & Pop: These paddles would have been considered all-court style paddles a year ago, but I now see them as more aggressive-style control paddles. They feel and play like a control paddle but have a little extra power when you attack, thanks to their fiberglass activation layer. You do notice a jump in ball speed with this activation layer on big swings, but it’s not huge power so don’t expect to be wowed by it though it is there. I noticed the activation layer kick in the most on serves and high volleys, which is when I lay into the ball the most. I got a little of it on returns and drives, but not as much as I expected. Then again, I don’t often swing for the fences on those shots either. Other times I noticed the activation layer kicking in some was when defending drives. When there was some pace on the ball and I punched it back, you could get the ball back on them pretty quick. I didn’t notice it much on counters, though. With the ball moving relatively slower on a speed-up and my counterstrokes being shorter, I didn’t get much pop off the paddle. It behaved like a control paddle in those scenarios. The paddles are very light, though, so I never felt like I was behind the ball on counters or in hand battles; however, don’t expect super-strong counter speed with the activation layer.
While the activation layer does give you more ball speed when swinging bigger, it wasn’t enough to bring it out of the control category when you consider the paddle as a whole.
Control & Feel: The paddles have a light, classic, more plush feel to them. It felt like home when you hit them. They immediately feel familiar. The control is there. I could control these well and felt like they absorbed pace as well as many other control oriented paddles. They felt and behaved like a control paddle when you were hitting thirds, dinking and resets. The fiberglass layer didn’t interfere with those shots and it didn’t give the paddles a harsh or stiff feeling like it can if it’s closer to the top layer.
Maneuverability: This is one of the areas these paddles stood out. The swingweights on these are low for their respective shapes but not so low that they are unplayable. There is room to customize the weight with some tungsten tape, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.
Forgiveness/Sweet Spot: The paddles played remarkably forgiving for how light their static and swingweights were. While not the most forgiving paddles on the market, they might be the most forgiving/lighter weight combo paddles you’ll find. They did a good job there.
Spin: Three years ago, spin was a major factor in the purchase decision of a paddle because some had good spin while others didn’t. Nowadays, nearly all paddles have good spin rates, and it’s not easy to stand out there. Well, the Shapeshifter paddles stand out here. My spin tests on these were very good, and you notice it on the court too. There is just a little extra dip and slice on your shots. You can even access a little more spin when you’re dinking and adding topspin, which not all paddles are good at.
(Get 10% off with the discount code PBEFFECT on Chorus’ website)
Individual Shapeshifter Paddle Reviews
The series is offered in three shapes: an elongated, hybrid, and widebody. I love having shape options and like the options they give. It covers all the bases well. I wish every brand followed this same formula. These are also unique head designs to Chorus. I haven’t seen these exact options elsewhere, so I imagine they had custom molds made. Each head design has a slight taper to it but is otherwise generally square.
Shapeshifter EX Review
- Static Weight: 7.9 oz avg
- Swingweight: 115 (medium)
- Twistweight: 6.2 (average)
- Spin RPMs: 2104 (very high)
- Length x Width: 16.5″ x 7.5″ (elongated)
- Face: CCF with 18k carbon top sheet
- Grip Circumference: 4.25″
- Handle Length: 5.6″
- Core: 16mm small cell polymer honeycomb
- Special Features: Foam edge, thermoformed
- Paddle Type: Aggressive control
- Price: $174.99 ($158 with code PBEFFECT)
- Warranty: 120 day warranty – learn more
(Get 10% off with the discount code PBEFFECT on Chorus’ website)
The EX is their elongated shape. This was my personal favorite of the series. I liked its combination of maneuverability and reach paired with the good control. I found that having some extra reach without losing much maneuverability enabled me to create offense in other ways than overpowering people while still being able to control the pace of play. Like taking more dink volleys, looking for balls I can stretch to and attack, and then using the extra leverage of the paddle to generate more power when needed. I did add some tungsten on the bottom corners to true it up but it still felt maneuverable and I didn’t feel like I was lacking in hand speed. Of the three shapes this one offered the most power on serves and put aways and had the biggest gap in power vs pop.
Shapeshifter HX Review
- Static Weight: 7.9 oz avg
- Swingweight: 114 (medium)
- Twistweight: 6.2 (average)
- Spin RPMs: 2071 (very high)
- Length x Width: 16.2″ x 7.75″ (hybrid)
- Face: CCF with 18k carbon top sheet
- Grip Circumference: 4.25″
- Handle Length: 5.6″
- Core: 16mm small cell polymer honeycomb
- Special Features: Foam edge, thermoformed
- Paddle Type: Aggressive control
- Price: $174.99 ($158 with code PBEFFECT)
- Warranty: 120 day warranty – learn more
(Get 10% off with the discount code PBEFFECT on Chorus’ website)
The HX is their hybrid shape. This is a new head design compared to their original Shapeshifter. I think it’s an upgrade. This new design is more square, which makes the paddle more stable—something the paddle needs since it has a lower static weight. While the paddle is nimble and more maneuverable than many other hybrid designs, it does sacrifice some forgiveness for that. I thought this paddle and the EX played very similarly, and it was easy to transition between the two. The HX was a little more forgiving and had a touch less power, but they otherwise played very similarly, and picking between the two comes down to whether you want the extra reach of the EX or the little extra stability of the HX.
Shapeshifter SX Review
- Static Weight: 7.9 oz avg
- Swingweight: 107 (very low)
- Twistweight: 6.7 (high)
- Spin RPMs: 2063 (very high)
- Length x Width: 15.8″ x 8.2″ (widebody)
- Face: CCF with 18k carbon top sheet
- Grip Circumference: 4.25″
- Handle Length: 5.6″
- Core: 16mm small cell polymer honeycomb
- Special Features: Foam edge, thermoformed
- Paddle Type: Aggressive control
- Price: $174.99 ($158 with code PBEFFECT)
- Warranty: 120 day warranty – learn more
(Get 10% off with the discount code PBEFFECT on Chorus’ website)
This is their widebody option. For some reason, this one played differently from the other two. I call the other two aggressive-style control paddles, but I would consider this one a true control paddle. I didn’t get the power from the activation layer the same way I did with the HX and EX models. The light static weight, light swingweight, and wider shape all combined to make it very control-oriented. If Chorus wanted to keep the same identity for the series with this paddle, then they should have bumped the weight up a bit and given it an extra layer of fiberglass or something to give it more offense. Because the activation layer didn’t come through as well on this shape, it doesn’t stand out to me as much and falls into the ranks of the many other control-oriented widebody paddles out there.
Paddle Comparisons
The paddles that comes to mind that plays most similarly to this series is the Vatic Pro Saga series which also have a higher power and lower pop paddle profile. However, the Saga series offers more power and is heavier in comparison to the Shapeshifter series.
If you like the idea of the high power for offense and lower pop for control then the Saga series does that better. However, the Saga series is on the heavier side so if you have a preference for lighter paddles then the Shapeshifter series is the way to go.
My Recommendation
I thought the EX and HX were the best and most unique options in the lineup and will recommend them to players when they fit. The SX though fell in with the many other control style widebody paddles out there to me so I won’t recommend that one as often since there are cheaper option you could go with that perform similarly like a Spartus Apollo or something.
As pickleball continue to evolves and the demands from paddles increase, these are a nice fit in the control space. Pure control style paddles just aren’t enough sometimes to finish points so it’s nice to have access to power when you need it like these do. Then the spin on these is stupid good so that adds to their offensive ability as well to create in ways you can’t with a super poppy paddle. Lastly, they are lightweight and maneuverable which is a nice draw for many players though the lighter nature does take some of the forgiveness away.
(Get 10% off with the discount code PBEFFECT on Chorus’ website)
Braydon competes at the 5.0 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and would play more if time allowed it.
Paddle Terms Glossary
We’ve categorized paddles into three categories. Control, All-Court, and Power. Paddle categories are determined by Braydon after he hits or reviews the paddle.
- Control paddles offer a softer feel and better absorbs pace off the ball but doesn’t give you as much power.
- All-Court paddles give you a blend of power and control and does well at everything though it doesn’t excel at anything.
- Power paddles often have a firmer feel and will return more power but are harder to control.
A paddle’s weight represents the inherent mass of the paddle as measured on a scale. However, relying solely on this static weight measurement can be misleading when assessing the true perceived heaviness of the paddle. Even if two paddles both clock in at 8 oz, their actual heft in your hand can markedly differ due to variations in weight distribution within the paddle. This is why the static weight should be considered with the swingweight of the paddle. See the definition of swingweight below.
The weight value listed in the database corresponds to the paddle’s weight that I used to gather the swingweight and twistweight measurement. It’s possible that if your paddle has a different static weight than then the swingweight and twistweight may be slightly different.
There are three primary shapes a paddle can have which consists of the length and width of the paddle. These three shapes are:
- Elongated: The dimensions for an elongated paddle are 16.5″ x 7.5″.
- Standard: A standard shaped paddle has dimensions of 16″ x 8″.
- Hybrid: A hybrid shaped paddle falls somewhere in between the standard and elongated shapes, with approximate dimensions of 16.25″ x 7.5″-7.7″.
Then there are two less common shapes you’ll see. These are:
- Extra-Elongated: This shape is 17″ x 7″
- Widebody: This any paddle shorter than 16″ long.
When considering the advantages and trade-offs of paddle shapes, it’s important to understand the characteristics of each shape.
- Elongated Paddle: An elongated paddle offers increased reach, spin, and power. However, this additional reach comes at the expense of forgiveness, particularly from side-to-side.
- Standard Paddle: In contrast, a standard-shaped paddle provides less reach and a little less power & spin but offers greater overall forgiveness. This means that while you may not have the same extended reach as an elongated paddle, you gain better control and stability.
- Hybrid Paddle: The hybrid shape serves as a middle ground between the elongated and standard shapes. It provides a balance between reach and forgiveness, offering players a versatile option that combines aspects of both shapes.
It’s interesting to note that advanced players often prefer elongated shapes. On the other hand, players at lower skill levels typically opt for the extra forgiveness offered by standard shaped paddles.
Ultimately, the choice of paddle shape depends on an individual’s playing style, preferences, and skill level. Whether your focus is on reach or forgiveness, understanding the unique benefits and trade-offs of each shape can assist you in selecting the paddle that best suits your game.
Swingweight is a measure of the paddle’s resistance to swinging about the end of the handle. The higher the swingweight number the heavier it will feel in your hands. A higher swingweight has more power but is harder to swing, lower swingweight is easier to swing but has less power. Sometimes a faster swing with a lower swingweight can make up for power lost in swingweight. The price paid for that is greater impact shock. Stock swingweights will vary between 100 – 140.
Twistweight is the resistance to rotating around the long axis through the middle of the paddle from butt to tip. The higher the twistweight the more resistance the paddle has to rotating on off center hits. This measurement is closely related to the amount of forgiveness or the size of the sweet spot of the paddle. A higher twistweight indicates a bigger sweet spot. Twistweight numbers range from 5 – 8.
Measuring the revolutions per minute (RPMs) off of a serve you get a number that shows the spin potential of a paddle. Using these RPM measurements I’ve created five buckets that a paddle will fall into indicating its overall spin potential. The five buckets are:
1900 or Higher = Very High
1700 – 1900 = High
1500 – 1700 = Medium
1300 – 1500 = Low
1300 or less = Very Low
You can tell a big difference in the amount of spin a paddle generates when you compare a Very High paddle to a low paddle. But the gains from Medium to High to Very High are marginal. We’ve found that having at least a medium rating is often enough if you’re looking for a good spin paddle. However, if you’re a big hitter then you will benefit more from a high spin paddle to help you keep the ball in play more often.
The power level of a paddle is shown in miles per hour (MPH) after taking ten measurements with a speed gun of hitting a serve as hard as I can. This measurement gives you an idea of how hard you can hit the ball when given the chance to take a full swing. So shots like serves, drives and overheads. The higher the MPH reading the more power you can generate with the paddle.
I also show the percentile ranking of the measurement to give you an idea of how it stacks up against the rest of the paddles in my database.
The pop level of a paddle is shown in miles per hour (MPH) after taking the average of ten speed gun measurements of hitting a punch volley as hard as I can. This measurement gives you an idea of how hard you can hit the ball on shorter swings and gives you an idea of how quickly a ball comes off the face when you apply less force on the ball. So shots volleys, dinks, counters, and resets are all affected by the pop measurement. The higher the pop measurement the stronger your counters will be but it takes more skill to keep the ball from floating or popping up on you when resetting a hard hit ball or when dinking.
I also show the percentile ranking of the measurement to give you an idea of how it stacks up against the rest of the paddles in my database.
The term “forgiveness” pertains to both the size of the sweet spot and the stability of the paddle. A paddle that is more forgiving offers a larger sweet spot, greater stability, and yields more power when hitting off-center shots. On the other hand, a less forgiving paddle has a smaller sweet spot and does not provide as much power when hitting off-center shots.
While there seems to be only benefits of more forgiving paddles, less forgiving paddles are often more maneuverable and is easier to generate more paddle speed.
