Power. Control. Spin.
Normally, you’re only allowed to pick two of those when it comes to a pickleball paddle.
With the new Power FX, JOOLA is now making a rather confident claim: Why not have it all?
Alright then. We didn't just hit the paddle against the wall a few times in the shop. We packed it up and took it directly to where a test gets truly interesting: to the RTA2000 in Farnham, England.
And then came the first shot.
A serve.
Winner.
A quick look at the paddle.
Seriously? Did I just hit that?
A few more balls. A few more serves. Drives. Dinks. Returns.
And it became clear quite quickly:
Damn. This thing is really good.
A power paddle that doesn’t play like a board
With the name Power FX, the direction JOOLA is aiming for should be quite clear.
And yes: it has power.
When you accelerate, it really packs a punch. Serves can be played aggressively, drives have plenty of pull, and you definitely don't have to pray for the ball to fly faster on overheads.
But this is exactly where the surprise comes in.
The paddle still does not feel uncontrolled.
Especially with many highly offensive paddles, you pay for the extra speed with a fairly nervous feel at the net. We had that problem surprisingly little with the Power FX.
Dinks, blocks, and resets work significantly better than you might expect from a paddle with this name.
Power? Yes.
Control? Also yes.
This is starting to get suspicious.
This grip is rough. Really rough.
Editor's note - hehe - similar to the Bread & Butter Loco 16 and the Selkirk OMNI
Even just running your hand over the surface, you notice something:
To us, the grip of the Power FX definitely feels rougher than any other JOOLA paddle we’ve had in our hands so far.
And on the court, this impression is confirmed.
Topspin drives bite hard, you can generate plenty of rotation on slices, and you notice very quickly on serves that the surface really grabs the ball.
Of course, this isn't a lab measurement. But based purely on the tactile impression, the surface of the Power FX is, for us, currently the most aggressive JOOLA surface.
What’s exciting about this, in turn, is the combination:
Power, control, and spin go together unusually well here.
Normally, a paddle has a fairly clear weakness somewhere. During our test, we had to go looking for one with the Power FX.
In direct comparison to the JOOLA Agassi Pro V 14mm
As a personal reference, the JOOLA Agassi Pro V 14mm is particularly interesting to me, as I play with this paddle frequently.
And although both paddles look very similar on the data sheet at times, they feel surprisingly different in the hand.
With the Power FX, the handle is the first thing you notice.
According to the data sheet, both the Power FX and the Agassi Pro V have a grip circumference of 10.5 cm. Nevertheless, the Power FX handle feels slightly more voluminous and angular to me.
That is fundamentally a matter of taste and not a big problem for me. Anyone who prefers a rounder or slightly slimmer handle can influence this relatively easily with a different grip or a suitable overgrip.
What was more noticeable to me was the weight and, above all, the balance.
The Power FX is about 3 grams lighter than my Agassi Pro V 14mm, and I actually noticed those few grams.
The Agassi feels slightly more head-heavy to me, while the Power FX feels faster and more agile during the swing.
Three grams sound like practically nothing on paper.
On the court?
Yes. You can feel them.
Especially during fast hand changes at the net and when accelerating the paddle head, the Power FX feels pleasantly nimble as a result.
JOOLA’s first all-foam paddle
The Power FX is also an important step for JOOLA, as it is the brand’s first all-foam paddle.
Instead of the classic construction found in many pickleball paddles, JOOLA consistently relies on foam here.
And regardless of how interested you are in paddle technology, you notice one thing above all else on the court.
The paddle feels solid.
The sweet spot is pleasantly stable, the feedback is direct, and the paddle conveys a great deal of confidence. That makes a difference, especially when you are playing faster.
And, above all, it does one thing:
It’s fun. A lot of fun.
And all that for 159 CHF?
This is where the story becomes almost a bit absurd.
Because the JOOLA Power FX costs 159 CHF from us.
For a paddle with this performance, the new all-foam construction, and this total package, we honestly would have expected a significantly higher price.
Power? ✅
Control? ✅
Spin? ✅
159 CHF?
… seriously?
The problem: It’s practically gone already
Now comes the less pleasant part.
The paddle is currently no longer regularly available.
The supplier, JOOLA Europe, states that new Power FX paddles are expected to be available again in December.
Let’s see what happens by then.
Until then, a rather Swiss principle applies here:
“The early bird gets the worm.”
We currently still have one Power FX in stock.
After that, it’s all over for the time being.
Our verdict on the JOOLA Power FX
We started the test quite skeptically.
A JOOLA paddle with real power, good control, and strong spin all at once?
Sounds a bit like a marketing department.
After the weekend at the RTA2000 in Farnham, however, we have to say:
Yes. That actually works.
The Power FX is fast, stable, surprisingly controlled, and has a surface that feels rougher and more aggressive to us than previous JOOLA paddles.
In direct comparison to my frequently played Agassi Pro V 14mm, it also feels slightly lighter and more agile, whereas the Agassi brings more weight toward the paddle head for me.
The somewhat more angular and perceptibly thicker handle of the Power FX is a matter of taste. But that can be easily adjusted with your choice of grip.
The rest?
It really convinced me.
Is it the perfect paddle for everyone?
Of course not.
But anyone who likes to play offensively, doesn't want to pray during every dink, and is looking for a modern all-foam paddle with a lot of spin and a strong price-performance ratio, should definitely have the JOOLA Power FX on their radar.
Our test, at any rate, ended quite clearly:
I didn't really want to put it down anymore.
Get your JOOLA Power FX for 159 CHF while we still have one in stock.
