Introducing more power to paddles has been the name of the game lately and Gearbox is following suit with the introduction of their CX14 Ultimate Power series. The original CX14 series was and is still very popular, however, they are very control oriented so the Ultimate Power versions are meant to fill a gap for those looking for more offensive ability.
To get more power they added weight around the head to make it a half an ounce heavier at 8.5oz and did some pretty cool engineering with a feature they are calling Power Band Technology. They essentially disconnected the facing layer from the core around the edge of the paddle which gives the paddles more of a trampoline effect than it had before to make the ball bounce off with more power.
Here are some of the questions I had going into this review:
- What’s the difference in power between the original CX14s, the Ultimate Power CX14s, and other power paddles?
- Did they improve the sweet spot size since that was a big complaint of the original series?
- 8.5oz seems heavy, but is it really a problem?
- How does the Ultimate Power Series compare to the popular thermoformed paddles from CRBN and Six Zero?
I’ll answer these questions as well as share my general thoughts about the performance. The Ultimate Power series is sticking with the same two shapes of the CX14H and CX14E. The H is the standard shape and the E is the elongated shape. For this review, I played with the Gearbox CX14H Ultimate Power.
After drilling and playing with the paddle for over two weeks, here’s my review of its performance.
Table of Contents
Performance Summary
The CX14H Ultimate Power is a welcome update to their original series. I can’t think of a situation where I would recommend the original CX14 series over the Ultimate Power series. The paddle has more power while maintaining the same soft feel, it still moves easily in the air despite the extra weight, and the spin is up there with the best of them. It feels more substantial and stable compared to the original series which is great, but they still aren’t the most forgiving paddles out there which is its one major drawback.
The CX14H Ultimate Power does offer more power than the original series but it wasn’t enough to put it in the power category alongside true power paddles like the Prokennex Black Ace or the Selkirk Power Air series. So I’m putting this one in the all-court category. More info on the power of these paddles in the Performance Details section below.
Gearbox CX14H
- Weight: 8.5 oz
- Swing weight: Average
- Length: 15 5/8″
- Width: 8″
- Face: 3K Woven Carbon Fiber
- Grip Circumference: 3 5/8” or 3 15/16” (octagonal)
- Handle Length: 5 5/8″
- Core: SST Carbon Fiber
- Price: $249.99
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| Pros |
|---|
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More power than the original series |
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The 8.5oz weight didn’t feel too heavy, still maneuverable |
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Felt more sturdy and stable than originals |
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Excellent spin, up there with the best |
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Extra power didn’t sacrifice softer feel |
| Cons |
|---|
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Improved sweet spot from original but still just okay |
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Twists easier in hands compared to 16mm paddles |
Performance Details
Power and Attacking
The first thing I wanted to know when I got this paddle was how much power it really had. To find out, I took out my speed gun and measured the average speed of how hard I could serve the ball with the CX14H original, CX14H Ultimate Power, and the Selkirk Power Air Epic. Here were the results.
- CX14H original: 42.6 mph avg speed
- CX14H Ultimate Power: 44.6 mph avg speed
- Selkirk Power Air Epic: 47.2 mph avg speed
There is a jump in power from the original to the Ultimate Power but not enough power to consider it a true power paddle like the Selkirk Power Air Epic. This is why I’m categorizing the paddle as an all-court paddle and not a power paddle.
The extra power is noticeable and makes a big difference when serving, driving, and putting away balls. You don’t have to swing as big to get some pop which helps increase consistency too. It’s enough power to keep you dangerous but not so much that it makes it harder to control like true power paddles.
Soft Game and Defense
This area of the paddle is what surprised me the most and is what gives this paddle a competitive advantage over other paddles with a similar amount of power.
The difference in power and control paddles from other brands is usually just a variation in core thickness. A thicker 16mm core for control and a thinner 13mm core for power. A thinner core does give a paddle more power but it comes at the cost of a smaller sweet spot and a very different feel that is firmer and harder to control. These Gearboxes are different.
Gearbox’s CX14H Ultimate Power and the original CX14H both have the same thickness of 14mm. Gearbox didn’t change the thickness to add more power, they invented the Power Band Technology instead. As a result, you get more power but it still has the same feel as the original series. It’s great. Even though you get a power boost, it still has the same soft, plush feel that’s easier to connect with and control compared to other paddles with a similar level of power.
My soft game didn’t suffer when I changed between the original CX14H and the Ultimate Power version. I was very happy with how my soft game performed overall. I quickly was hitting good thirds, my dinks stayed low, my blocks didn’t pop up, and I could absorb pace off the ball when I needed to. I do want to add that I am a higher level player, but I do think that lower level players would be able to control this paddle better than other paddles with similar power.
The only downside to my soft game and defense was the size of the sweet spot that I talk about in more detail below.
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The Sweet Spot
One of the gripes I had with the original CX14 paddles was their smaller sweet spot and its tendency to twist easily in your hands. The Ultimate Power versions are better in this area but they still aren’t at the top of the charts. I’d say the sweet spot went from below average to average. They are similar in size compared to the Selkirk Power Air paddles if you’ve ever hit one of those.
For me, I didn’t see a ton of drawbacks of the average sized sweet spot though it is noticeably smaller compared to high quality, thicker core or thermoformed paddles. I did occasionally hit a ball into the net that probably would have stayed in play with a more forgiving paddle, but it wasn’t often. However, if you’re a lower level player then the size of the sweet spot starts to become a bigger issue because at that level of play the amount of shots not making contact close to the center of the paddle is higher so this paddle would cause more errors for lower level paddle than a higher level player.
Additionally, if it was a windy day, this paddle was harder to play with because you don’t find the middle of the paddle as often on windy days. I wanted to throw that in there in case you play a lot in a windy area.
The Weight
The original CX14 paddles weighed 8.0oz and had a very low swing weight which made them feel even lighter. They required lead tape for optimal performance because the swing weight was too light for most people, including me. 8.0oz seems to be a good weight in general with the proper swing weight so I thought that Gearbox might keep that same weight but distribute it more towards the head so as to improve the balance and increase the swing weight. However, instead of simply redistributing the weight they added a half ounce to make it 8.5oz. They did this by adding more material around the edges of the paddle. 8.5oz is a weight that looks intimidatingly heavy on paper for most people so I was interested in how the weight felt.
The CX14H Ultimate power certainly feels heavier and the swing weight did increase compared to the originals. However, it doesn’t feel as heavy as you think 8.5oz should. The extra weight only did good things for it in my opinion. The paddle feels more substantial and the extra swing weight is a welcome addition. It didn’t feel too heavy and it still cut through the air nicely thanks to its edgeless design and thinner core. Despite the heavier weight I would still say it moves faster and is more maneuverable than most 16mm paddles, even if they are a few ounces lighter. If the 8.5oz weight seemed like too much to you when you first saw it then you don’t have to worry about that anymore because it’s not an issue.
Durability
This is always a topic you have to talk about with specific Gearbox paddles like their CX14 collection. Because their SST Core is made primarily of carbon fiber and not polymer (which is just a plastic) they are more durable. Polymer core paddles break down and form dead spots after 3 months to a year depending on how much you play and how hard you hit. However, the CX14 paddles will last much longer. It’s not uncommon for players to keep their Gearbox paddle for a couple of years or longer before getting a new one. And the only reason they get a new one is because Gearbox has advanced their paddle technology. This is one of the big benefits of Gearbox paddles. Of all the paddles out there commanding higher prices for their paddles, Gearbox is the most justified since their paddles last longer.
Comparison to Thermoformed Paddles
Thermoformed paddles from brands like CRBN and Six Zero are very popular right now so I wanted to compare the CX14H Ultimate Power to these.
Players like thermoformed paddles because of the extra power, spin, and forgiveness they give to a paddle. However, they have a stiff feel. Their stiffer feel combined with the extra pop make them harder to control. The CX14H Ultimate Power offers a little less power in comparison but the spin is on the same level. The biggest difference between the two is the feel and the size of the sweet spot. Thermoformed paddles are more forgiving while the Ultimate Power paddles have a softer feel that is easier to control. Picking between the two comes down to what you need more help with.
Other Player Comments
My Recommendation
I liked this paddle and think it’s a nice upgrade from the original version. I can’t think of a scenario where I would recommend the original CX14s over the Ultimate Power versions.
If you’re coming from a pure control paddle and are looking for more power but don’t want to give up the softer feel of your control paddle then this is an option you should consider. It’s one of the easier paddles to control in the all-court category.
If you’re coming from a pure power paddle then you’ll notice a drop off in power though you might like the reduction in power if you tend to hit your power paddle long or can’t dink well with it.
The one real downside to these is their average sweet spot. The sweet spot is manageable for intermediate to higher level players but I think lower level players would benefit more from a bigger sweet spot.
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.
Is this the right paddle for you?
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