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