Pickleball Magazine 1-1 | Page 34

PRODUCT REVIEW (more control/touch). Like other core materials, polymer performance will be most dictated by weight and face material/surface treatment. Aramid/Nomex core paddles have a nice combination of power, control and feel. Nomex is DuPont’s trademark and is an aramid fiber paper coated with phenolic resin (think paper honeycomb coated in liquid fiberglass). This was the first honeycomb material used to build pickleball paddles. Depending on surface face material, these paddles can often be combined with graphite, creating good control paddles, or fiberglass face materials creating great pop. They feel nice when you hit the ball; however, by the nature of the material, they can eventually break down and develop dead spots. Roughly one-third of the best-selling paddles have nomex/aramid cores, another one-third are aluminum, and one-third are polypropylene (or polymer based), graphite, wood, or something else. SURFACE MATERIAL (SKIN OR FACE) The surface of the paddle is most commonly made of fiber v