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PickleballCentral Expert's Corner:
Club Player's Review of the Paddletek Horizon PolyCore Composite Paddle
Pickleball Central worked with The Space Coast Pickleball Club to conduct extensive field testing of the Horizon Pickleball Paddle from Paddletek. They had 4.5 rated tournament player Dan Reillo put the paddle through the paces in some very spirited play. Here is his review:
One might say that, at 17” (the peak length approved for tournaments by the USAPA), the Horizon paddle by Paddletek is the next big thing. The length of the paddle is not the "norm" in the market, but it is a favorable attribute as it assists with hard-to-reach balls. But that is the least of its benefits. The elongated head helps pickleballers have a more natural ground stroke without having to bend down as much. The perks on dinks and drop shots are similar. It allows the player to scoop the ball more naturally without having to do the dreadful short paddle deep squat to get under the ball. Some of the hardest shots to return are the balls hit close to one’s feet while on the approach to the net; the extra length of the paddle will allow the player to reach more of those shots before the ball bounces, thus getting rid of some of the "I should've let it bounce" statements. Similarly, it will do the same with hard-to-reach dinks. Pickleballers will also be able to return more shots before they bounce in the kitchen and turn more of the opponents’ dinks into hard volley shots. Essentially, it makes the kitchen a little bit smaller.
The Horizon's sweet spot is hard to miss, as it is elongated like the paddle. On easy-to-reach shots, players can hit the ball the same way they did with their shorter paddles. The broad sweet spot allows pickleballers to retain the same level of finesse and control of shorter paddles. The Horizon's elongated sweet spot retains the precision of shorter paddles and adds the power and reach of a longer paddle.
My Horizon sample was a very manageable weight of 7.4 oz. The handle is short for a larger strike zone and thick enough to absorb shock and provide control of the wrist. The honeycomb and texture of the paddle provided great control and placement of the ball.
In closing, I am a control player that prefers lighter paddles that provide soft and controlled shots. I thought I was going to hate this paddle, but I didn't. It did not take any control away from my game, which is the most important quality for me and it added some reach to my shots. I am truly impressed.
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Decent quality