Quick Stats
| Technical Specifications | |
|---|---|
|
Weight |
8.4 oz (head heavy) |
|
Length x Width |
16.5″ x 7.5″ |
|
Thickness |
16mm |
|
Facing Material |
Carbon Friction Surface |
|
Handle Length |
5.5″ |
|
Handle Circumference |
4.25″ |
Hello Joola! Wow, that’s how you make an entrance. Not only did Joola sign Ben Johns, but they dropped over 10 paddles and introduced a couple of new paddle technologies that no other brand is using.
Joola’s contract with Ben Johns comes with a new Ben Johns signature paddle, of course. Ben’s new paddle is called the Hyperion CFS 16. It’s one of three paddles in Ben’s Hyperion series. I was never a big fan of Ben’s paddle he had with Franklin, but this one is a different story. This paddle is truly differentiated from the market and will suit a wider variety of players than his Franklin paddle did.
After drilling and playing over 30 games with Ben John’s Hyperion CFS 16, here’s my review of its performance.
Performance Summary
| Pros |
|---|
|
A very stable and plush feel that gives you good control |
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Good spin rating (1500+ RPMs) |
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Extended handle for extra maneuverability and two handed shots |
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It has some extra bounce off the face that gives more power than you’d expect |
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The highest combo of power and control in a paddle that I’ve experienced |
|
Very forgiving for an elongated paddle |
| Cons |
|---|
|
It’s a heavy paddle that feels even heavier because of the extra weight in the head |
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The heavier design makes it difficult to accelerate through backhand volleys |
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White grip gets dirty easily |
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It’s one of the more expensive paddles out there |
I’m categorizing it as an all-court paddle that leans towards the power side. It had a unique feel to it that I thought felt similar to a Selkirk Vanguard paddle but it was a little bouncier and the ball came off heavier. I really liked its feel, it felt like quality when you hit it. Although it had that bounce off the face I was still very in tune with it. My soft game didn’t come immediately but once I adjusted to the extra pop I felt in control and was confident in my ability to manage the pace of play with it. Which is something you can’t say for too many paddles that offer this much power.
One of my favorite things about the paddle was its handle. Sounds weird, right? You’ll see what I’m talking about when you hold one. Joola developed a technology they are calling a Carbon Forged Handle. More on the tech below, but one of the benefits it gives Joola is the ability to control the shape of the handle and it felt so good. I wish every brand would do the same thing.
The paddle is on the heavier side at 8.4 oz and is head heavy which made it feel even heavier than its actual weight. I prefer head heavy paddles but this was too much for me. It made it difficult to accelerate through the ball at times, especially with one-handed back hand volleys. However, if you do a lot two-handed backhand shots then the weight won’t bother you as much.
The bottom line: The Hyperion CFS 16 is an all-court paddle that leans towards the power side. I loved how it felt and its surprising pop gave you plenty of power. However, its extra head heavy design had drawbacks.
Is this the right paddle for you?
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Shop JOOLAOther Player Comments
Paddle Design and Technology
There is more to write about in this section compared to most paddles since Joola introduced a couple of new technologies that I want to spend some time on.
Carbon Forged Handle
Joola is the first company to design something like this. Normally a polymer core paddle has the core extended through the handle and then they have a couple of wooden inserts they put on top of the polymer handle that they then wrap a grip over. However, Joola stopped the polymer at the throat of the paddle and connected a carbon handle to the throat. It’s a little tricky to explain so I have this image showing you what the paddle looks like without the grip tape.
This does a couple of things. 1) It allows Joola to have complete control of the shape of the handle. Other thick core paddles have big awkward handles, but this one feels like a handle should feel. 2) It adds some flex to the throat of the paddle which increases the power the paddle can produce. This is part of the reason this paddle has more bounce to it compared to other thick core carbon fiber paddles.
Hyper-Foam Edgewall
This is another new paddle technology that Joola introduced. They injected foam around the perimeter of the head. This is supposed to help increase the sweet spot and improve stability. The paddle performed well in both of those areas so it must have worked. This is also part of the reason the paddle is so head heavy.
Carbon Friction Surface (CFS)
You’ll see Joola tossing around a few acronyms for the facing material they use for each paddle. The CFS facing is a carbon fiber facing that is lightly textured. The texture is built into the facing material which means it will last longer. It looks and feels a lot like an Engage Pursuit paddle.
Reactive Core
Joola used two different cores in their paddles. They have their Reactive and Responsive cores. Reactive cores are using smaller honeycomb cells that give you more power and solid feel. Their Responsive core has bigger honeycomb cells which should translate to a softer, less powerful paddle. The 16 in the CFS 16 name of the paddle represents the thickness which is 16 mm. Thicker cores offer more touch and forgiveness than thinner cores.
The Shape
It is an elongated shape that is 16.5” long and 7.5” wide. This is coupled with a 5.5” handle. The 5.5” handle is on the extreme side of longer handles. The longer handle makes two handed shots more comfortable but it also eats into the playable surface area of the paddle and makes the head smaller. The top of the paddle is slightly curved. That’s supposed to help with aerodynamics but I’d be surprised if it really did anything, but it certainly looks cool.
Attacking
I categorized the Hyperion CFS 16 as an all-court paddle, but it leans towards the power side. It has some jump off the face plus its long handle and extra weight add some power when you can take a big swing.
There is a little hot spot with it. If you hit it in the middle of the sweet spot it jumps more than the rest of the paddle. There is always going to be a disparity between the sweet spot and edges of the paddle but this one was more noticeable. That being said, the paddle is still forgiving around the edges but you can tell when you miss the middle.
The extra jump was great for counters and punch volleys. I could also generate good speed on my serves and drives, so I like that. However, with the handle being so long and the paddle being as head heavy as it is, it was difficult to whip through the ball when I got a higher ball to my backhand. That ultimately led to less power and less control of those shots. I’ve drilled and played over 30 games with the paddle and haven’t gotten any better in that area. The heavier weight also made it harder to get ahead of the ball when countering. Although it had the pop I want for counter punches I found myself hitting them higher more often because I was a hair late getting to the ball.
The paddle had good spin which helped in all areas of my game. The surface hasn’t worn down at all yet either and I don’t anticipate it will wear out any time soon.
Soft Game and Defense
I normally have a harder time controlling bouncier paddles but I didn’t feel that way with this one. There was an adjustment period but once I got a feel for it I didn’t lose my touch and I actually really liked how it felt. Despite the bouncier face I could control the pace of play well and could slow the ball down when I needed to.
At first my dinks were a little fluffier and higher but I was able to dial it in and it felt very comfortable and in control when dinking over time. The paddle is stable and forgiving which helped make dinking easier as well. There were several times where I miss hit a dink or a block and was surprised to see the ball go over the net.
I don’t really have any complaints about how the paddle performed with the soft game. I liked how it played in this area.
Who Would Like This Paddle?
This is a top-tier all-court paddle. It has the power you need to finish points and put pressure on your opponents when you attack. It had a surprisingly good control and feel despite the bouncy face. I also loved its forgiveness and stability. The one major drawback was its extra head heavy design. This made it harder to accelerate through backhand shots and made it more difficult to stay ahead of the ball when countering speedups. Additionally, if you like to customize the weight of your paddle with lead tape, then that won’t work out well with this paddle since it is so heavy to start with.
If you are someone who wants a forgiving control paddle but needs some more power and length, then the Joola CFS 16 should be a paddle you consider. It’s extra head heavy design might make some people think twice about getting it but if weight is not an issue for you then you need to try this paddle out. If you play a lot of two-handed backhand shots then the weight won’t bother you as much.
Is this the right paddle for you?
Get 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT directly from JOOLA's website.
Shop JOOLABraydon competes at the 4.5 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.
