Episode #119
Spin Doesn’t Fade Slowly. It Crashes Early | KewCast 119
Spin durability may not work the way we’ve been measuring it. Spin doesn’t necessarily fade gradually. On some paddle surfaces, it crashes early, then levels off. For this test, I doubled my normal wear protocol to 200 impacts and added checkpoints every 50 hits to see the actual shape of the spin-loss curve. The results were striking. Selkirk’s Infinigrit on the OMNI suffered 63% of its total 200-hit spin loss in the first 50 impacts. Raw carbon fiber on the Loco was even more front-loaded at 76%. Note that this result is not unique to the Loco - most raw carbon fiber paddles I've tested have performed similarly. Then there’s 11SIX24’s HexGrit on the Pegasus Jelly Bean 2. No crash at all. RPM actually increased 3.4% over 200 impacts. There are some important caveats. The OMNI’s ball cannon-impacted area was too small for my human spin test, so I used my well-worn Boomstik, at roughly 50 games, as a real-world proxy. It showed 12% spin loss, although the readings were noisier than I’d like. For HexGrit, my Ultré with 72 logged games is down just 4% from new. Two very different tests, accelerated wear and real-world play, pointing toward the same durability story. KewCast 119 also covers: ●11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2: the first pickleball paddle built with EMA foam, what that material actually is, and how it’s made. ●Thrive Ignite Pro: why the Elongated and Elongated Arc feel noticeably hollower than the original Hybrid, despite all three sharing the same full-foam core. ●Gear Gossip: a recap of MLP Orlando, including a case for the best point in the format’s history, and your Q&A on hybrid shapes, ball compression, launch angle, twist weight, and the Coral Pro grit debate. So next time you assume a paddle’s spin fades gradually, remember: for most surfaces, the damage is already done by hit 50. → Explore the paddle database, comparison lab, and x-ray lab: https://www.johnkewpickleball.com/ → Best point ever played in pickleball? https://youtu.be/xqif5SdIIaU?si=yNNtdHwj6IotBjA-&t=3541 Chapters/ TImestamps: 0:00 Preview: What's in KewCast 119 1:38 Paddles of the Week: 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 15:49 Paddles of the Week: Thrive Ignite Elongated and Elongated Arc 25:36 Tales from the Ball Cannon: Mapping the Spin Loss Curve (Extending Accelerated Wear) 27:52 Spin Life of Selkirk Infinigrit 37:00 Spin life of Bread & Butter Loco 38:43 Spin Life of 11SIX24 Hex Grit 46:13 Latest News/ Gear Gossip: MLP Orlando Delivers - Best Point Ever Played in Pickleball History? 52:37 If you had to choose a pro pickleballer to babysit your child, who would it be? 54:54 Kew & A: If the most popular paddle on your website is best at nothing but weak at none, does that also apply to paddle shape? 1:00:39 I'm praying you cover the Coral Pro Rainbow grit controversy somewhere in this episode (grit is different from Coral Pro Black) 1:03:10 What about ball compression instead of paddle pocketing? Could the ball flattening against the face create more friction, giving the paddle more opportunity to “catch” the ball and generate spin? 1:05:00 If a soft grip reduces rebound in tennis, why doesn’t a loosely clamped pickleball paddle do the same in cannon testing? 1:10:29 Why do thinner paddles seem to have a lower launch angle than thicker paddles? Products Mentioned Every product named in the episode, with its current discount code. Verify each link resolves correctly before publishing. ● 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 — $160 with code JOHNKEW, launches 8/21: https://11six24.com./collections/frontpage?by=series&value=jelly-bean-2?sca_ref=5460250.6fDhFP0v1v ● Thrive Ignite Pro Hybrid — $198 with code JOHNKEW: https://tinyurl.com/y4h8w745 ● Thrive Ignite Pro Elongated — $198 with code JOHNKEW: https://tinyurl.com/38w57jzh ● Thrive Ignite Pro Elongated Arc — $198 with code JOHNKEW: https://tinyurl.com/yycbkwxw ● Bread & Butter Loco Hybrid — $179.10 with code JOHNKEW: https://breadbutterpickleballco.sjv.io/0GAxPR ● Selkirk OMNI — $300 with code INF-JOHNKEW: https://tinyu
