JOOLA was teasing the pickleball world with their new Perseus paddle series for months before it was released. The long wait made the release of the paddle one of the more anticipated new paddles since Selkirk’s Power Air series. Ben Johns, the number one men’s player in the world, has been playing with the Perseus 16mm for quite some time and now every single JOOLA pro player I’ve seen is now using some variation of the new Perseus or Scorpeus series. The Perseus and Scorpeus paddles are built the same but the Perseus is elongated while the Scorpeus has a standard shape. Both shapes come in two thickness options, a 16mm and a 14mm.
For this review I played with the 16mm and 14mm of the elongated Persues models. After drilling and playing with the paddles for over two weeks, here’s my review of their performance.
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The 16mm Perseus paddle surprisingly offers excellent control despite its thermoformed design, which is typically associated with adding power to paddles. JOOLA has managed to achieve a soft, crisp feel with this paddle, setting it apart from other thermoformed paddles that tend to feel stiff. The combination of its pleasant touch, lighter weight, and low swingweight results in a fast and agile paddle, particularly considering its elongated shape. If you’re familiar with JOOLA’s Vision 16mm, you can think of the Perseus paddle as an upgraded version of it. One drawback of the paddle is that it is less forgiving compared to other 16mm thermoformed paddles, but this can be mitigated by adding some lead tape to the bottom two corners, which provides greater forgiveness without significantly affecting the swingweight.
The 14mm Perseus hits noticeably harder than the 16mm version and is better suited for higher-level players who like thinner paddles with more power but still want a pleasant feel. However, I think other thicker, 16mm thermoformed paddles like the CRBN 1X or Vatic Pro V7 offer similar power but with more forgiveness for less advanced players.
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| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The best thermoformed control paddle to date | Not as forgiving as other thermoformed paddles |
| Good spin (around 1780 RPMs) | A little lower spin rating compared to other thermoformed paddles |
| Doesn’t have as stiff of feel compared to other thermoformed paddles | Thin grip wrap |
| Lighter static weight | You’re paying a premium for the brand name |
| Very light swingweight for an elongated thermoformed paddle | — |
| Easily customizable with lead tape | — |
| More power than past generation control paddles | — |
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| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good power | Smaller sweet spot than the Perseus 16mm |
| Softer feel compared to other 14mm thermoformed paddles | Harder to control compared to the Perseus 16mm |
| Good spin (around 1800 RPMs) | Thin grip size of 4.125” |
| Still maneuverable with higher swingweight | Thin grip wrap |
| Doesn’t feel flimsy like other light, 14mm paddles | You’re paying a premium for the brand name |
I hit the 16mm side by side with a lot of other thermoformed paddles and non thermoformed paddles and decided to categorize it as a control paddle. It has a livelier, more crisp feel compared to non thermoformed paddles but it’s the softest thermoformed paddle I’ve played so far and doesn’t hit as hard as I’ve come to expect from thermoformed paddles.
The Perseus 16mm is the most control-oriented thermoformed paddle I’ve played with so far and I believe it sets the bar for the next generation of control paddles. It provides the same level of control that past-generation control paddles offered, but with a slight improvement in offensive options with its increased spin and added power, making it one of the more versatile control options out there.
The paddle is unique not only for its good control, but also for its lighter swingweight and static weight. While thermoformed paddles require additional materials like foam injection and carbon fiber around the edge, this results in added weight. Remarkably, JOOLA has managed to keep the weight of the Perseus paddle to a minimum, making it the lightest swingweight among the thermoformed paddles I’ve measured. This feather-like quality enhances the paddle’s maneuverability, speed, and responsiveness, an experience that I haven’t found in any other elongated thermoformed paddles. This feature alone will make the paddle worth $250 for some players who prioritize lighter weight and want the latest paddle technology.
Another benefit of the lightweight is that you can customize the balance and weight of the paddle with lead tape without the paddle getting too heavy which is what Ben Johns does. I have a section about that below.
Unlike other thermoformed paddles launched this year, the Perseus 16mm paddle does not possess the extra stability and forgiveness that’s become a hallmark for thermoformed paddles. This affects the overall sweet spot size, which feels more average-sized instead of oversized. While the sweet spot isn’t terrible, it feels smaller compared to the oversized sweet spots of other thermoformed paddles in the market. However, personally, I didn’t feel an issue with the average-sized sweet spot hindering my play, but if you need an oversized sweet spot, the Perseus paddle may not be the best option for you.
I’m going to keep this section brief because the Perseus 14mm plays similar to the 16mm except for a few differences. It feels denser, hits a little harder and has a tighter sweet spot. But it maintained that softer feel compared to other 14mm thermoformed paddles I’ve tried from Vatic Pro and Six Zero. Interestingly it has a higher swingweight than the 16mm version which was actually nice in this case. Normally 14mm paddles get pushed around a little but the higher swingweight helped the paddle carry through the ball well and you could really rip drives and put away balls. I’m not sure whether to categorize it as an all-court paddle or a power paddle but it’s somewhere in there.
In my experience, the smaller sweet spot of the 14mm Perseus paddle hindered my gameplay. It requires catching the ball in the center of the paddle when defending drives or speed-ups; otherwise, you’re more likely to dump the ball into the net. Nonetheless, several of JOOLA’s professional players choose to play with the 14mm over the 16mm for the additional power it provides. However, for everyday players, Vatic Pro or CRBN’s 16mm thermoformed paddles deliver similar power while being more forgiving and easier to play with. Therefore, I recommend considering these options over the 14mm Perseus in most cases.
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Ben Johns released a video showing how he set up his paddle that you can watch above. I was curious how his set up changed the numbers of the paddle so I mimicked his set up and ran the numbers for weight, swingweight, twistweight, and the balance point. Here’s what I got.
Ben adds a lot of weight to his paddle. Much more than the average player does. Despite all the extra weight the paddle had a relatively small increase in swingweight. Its swingweight is still lower than most other elongated thermoformed paddles that weight closer to 8.2oz. The twistweight, however, got a big jump which makes the paddle much more forgiving and stable. Then the balance point moved down and closer to your hands which makes the paddle easier to control.
If you like to customize your paddle with lead tape it’s much better starting with a lighter paddle. You can always add weight but you can’t take weight away. This is a benefit of the Perseus the other thermoformed paddles don’t have.
At $199.95, you are paying extra for the name, but I do think the 16mm, in particular, has some unique qualities like its lighter swingweight and better control that you won’t find in other thermoformed paddles that will make it worth the money for some players. If you’re looking for the benefits of a thermoformed paddle but in a more control focused and lighter design, then this is a good option. I see this paddle as a standard for new generation control oriented paddles that offer more offensive options than what control paddles of the past could offer. But if you’re looking for bigger power then I’d recommend other thermoformed paddles.
The 14mm was fun to play, but I do think it’s more of an advanced paddle that should be reserved for higher-level players looking for a strong hitting paddle with a pleasant feel to it and don’t mind the smaller sweet spot. However, I think other 16mm thermos like the CRBN 1X or the Vatic Pro V7 give you good power too and are more forgiving and easier to play with than the Perseus 14mm, which I would recommend over the Perseus 14mm for most players.
If you think JOOLA has the right paddle for you, you can pick one up for 10% off JOOLA’s website with code 10EFFECT.
Looking for the right paddle to fit your game? Take our paddle fitting quiz for three recommendations that will match your style of play.
