If you liked the feel and playability of Gen 3 paddles but wished for more comfort and consistency, the GX2 Power could be your next go-to. Gearbox’s latest release blends high-end firepower with a level of dwell time and pocketing I’ve never seen in the power category. Available in both Hybrid and Elongated shapes, it brings a unique mix of comfort, feedback, and bigger offense. This blend puts it up there with the best power paddles you can get right now and makes it one of my personal favorites.
Thanks to Gearbox for sending me these paddles to test. However, this article isn’t sponsored, and no review was promised, allowing me to maintain full editorial freedom and focus on helping you make informed decisions. If you choose to buy using my discount code PBEFFECT, I do earn a small commission, which helps support my ongoing paddle reviews.
Looking for the right paddle to fit your game? Take our paddle fitting quiz for three recommendations that will match your style of play.
Both the Hybrid and Elongated versions of the GX2 Power retail for $279.99 ($252 with code PBEFFECT). They’re built with a raw carbon face using a peel-ply texture, paired with Gearbox’s signature SST Core, which uses vertically-aligned carbon tubes rather than a traditional polymer or foam core. That unique structure gives the GX2 its distinct dwell-heavy feel.
When analyzing the x-ray I took of the paddle above, you can see the SST or carbon rib structure I’m describing in action. Additionally you can see some internal weighting added on the bottom corners and in the handle.
Also for the first time, Gearbox has moved away from its edgeless roots and added a traditional edge guard to one of its premium paddles. This improves twistweight and overall stability, offering more forgiveness than prior Gearbox models which I was glad to see.
Many Gen 3 power paddles gain pop or spring as they break in, but they don’t do so at the same rate or level across paddles, making them inconsistent. Many eventually core crush. The GX2 Power takes a different approach. Its carbon fiber core is more resistant to break-in drift and continual change. However, I did experience a short break in period during the beginning where the paddle softened just a touch and got a little more powerful but then leveled off and has been the same since. That makes it a strong option for players who want their paddle to feel the same every time they step on court.
I also checked Reddit for long-term feedback on the Control model, and a few users said the handle could crack if dropped. Others, like me, noticed a slight softening with use.
Gen 4-style paddles are becoming popular for many of the same reasons I’m drawn to the Gearbox Power: improved feel with strong power, better core durability, and no continual break-in period. They just approach it differently.
Yes, Gearbox has been refining their SST core for a while, and while I’ve always appreciated the tech, previous Gearbox paddles didn’t perform on court as well overall. This time around, performance matches the tech. These paddles check all the boxes.
Gearbox has patented their technology to protect their intellectual property. In short, no one can copy them.
Gearbox GX2 Power
The Hybrid offers better maneuverability and forgiveness, while the Elongated adds reach and a bit more power due to the bump in swingweight. Neither felt like it needed tungsten tape, which is unusual for a paddle in this weight class. There’s room for customization if you want it.
One of the most notable traits from these paddles are the high launch angle and exceptional dwell time. The ball sits on the face much longer than you’d expect from a power paddle. That pocketing helps when attacking low balls, rolling from awkward stances, or stretching for tough volleys. You can swing confidently without needing to manually lift the ball as much.
That said, the high launch angle can work against you. Baseline drives can be harder to keep low, and close-range attacks may arc higher than expected. This gives opponents more time to counter if you don’t adjust. For example, hitting a fourth shot as your opponents move in might float more than you’d like. It’s not too poppy. It just naturally wants to launch higher. You’ll need to tweak your swing path slightly, especially on topspin shots. For me, if I met the ball out in front of me a little more than normal then I could keep the ball down on those shots and utilize the natural lift of the paddle.
When dinking, slicing, or using other spin types, the launch angle didn’t affect things as much.
Power shows up when you lean into your swing. It’s not Flick F1 level, but it’s in the same zip code as the JOOLA Pro IV, and stronger than paddles like the J2NF Honolulu. In my paddle testing, the GX2s rank in the low 90th percentiles for power and high 70s to low 80s for pop across my database of 300-plus paddles. That’s a great profile. High-end power for finishing points and above-average pop at the net, though the pop is more restrained than some comparable power paddles.
Thanks to its controlled pop and unique feel (more on that next), my drops, and especially my resets, were solid. I could keep the ball down when blocking drives and felt more comfortable keeping shots soft and in the kitchen from all areas compared to something like the JOOLA Pro IV.
However, any topspin shot required more adjustment. It was easier to float flicks and roll volleys than it is with lower-launch paddles. That’s nearly every other paddle.
Defensively, it’s a sleeper weapon. The face has enough pop to redirect pace without a full swing. I could reset counters and block from stretched positions with surprising consistency.
This is still a power paddle, and it takes some skill to manage. I wouldn’t recommend it for players who already pop balls up more than they’d like.
Impact feel is on the softer side not too dissimilar from full foam paddles though it’s slightly hollow, reminiscent of gen 3 paddles, compared to full foam paddles. It’s slightly hollow feel isn’t a bad thing though. It actually gives you more feedback and connection than many of the more muted foam-core models. There’s a natural, low-vibration comfort here that’s easy on the arm without feeling dead.
The sweet spot was excellent for both models, relative to their shapes. It wasn’t oversized, but I didn’t have any complaints. The paddle’s weight and balance do allow for tungsten tape if you want to boost stability and expand the sweet spot without making it too heavy.
Spin performance was solid on aggressive swings, especially drives and serves. However, I didn’t get the same level of grip on softer shots like dinks. You need to hit through the ball to unlock its spin potential. The face is relatively smooth, which may explain why spin doesn’t show up as much on finesse shots. On big swings, the core gets activated and helps spin the ball. That’s why you get better RPMs in that scenario.
Maneuverability was excellent on the Hybrid. Even with a 113 swingweight, I didn’t feel the need to add weight for plow-through. That’s something I often do with paddles in this range. The balance is dialed in, and hand speed at the net is easy to maintain.
The Elongated felt as expected: average hand speed for its 118 swingweight. Not especially fast or slow. Right in the middle for an elongated build.
This paddle sits on the top half of paddles in power category in terms of total firepower alongside the JOOLA Pro IV, Body Helix Flick F1, and Selkirk Labs Boomstick. Compared to those:
If you liked Gen 3-style power paddle output but didn’t love the feel or wanted more control, this could be the paddle you’ve been waiting for.
Price-wise, the GX2 Power sits at the high end, but I do think the build quality and unique play characteristics help justify the cost. It truly plays unlike anything else on the market right now. Gearbox also offers discount codes, which helps take the edge off, especially when top competitors like Selkirk and JOOLA rarely offer any.
If you’re looking for more affordable options with strong firepower, the Body Helix Flick F1 is a solid pick at $190. Another is the Honolulu J2NF at $195, though it doesn’t pack quite as much punch as the GX2 Power.
Use code PBEFFECT for 10% off.
The Gearbox GX2 Power stands out as one of the most well-rounded power paddles available. It offers impressive dwell time, a consistent feel, and refined offensive performance without the usual harshness found in high-powered builds. With both Hybrid and Elongated options, it fits a range of playing styles.
Who This Paddle Is For:
Use code PBEFFECT for 10% off.
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.
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.
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.
Looking for the right paddle to fit your game? Take our paddle fitting quiz for three recommendations that will match your style of play.
