Talking about paddles and watching reviews is a completely wrong way to learn how the paddle plays and if it fits to your playing style and level. The only one way which will answer all your questions about paddle is grubbing the paddle in your hands and try it. Nobody should care about what is inside of the paddle or what technology or materials are used, as soon as a paddle plays and feels great, and you like the appearance of the paddle. Even the warranty of the paddle goes second.I had never been trusting and will not be to any review, especially when they are talking about paddles on a molecular or microscopic level or discussing technology used which do not make paddles better, but only sucking your money and forcing you to buy new paddles again and again, even if you don't have to, because you like your old paddle and how it plays.
The pickleball paddle is a very simple product to build, of course if you have your hands grown from the right place. You only need a good quality core made by an American company (not Chinese), like the Plascore company, MI (whom I trust), with the skins are factory built already. The rest is only you, your knowledge of physics, geometry, theory of propagation of physical waves in solids etc, which is very helpful in designing an efficient shape of the paddle. But, even without all this knowledge, your paddle will be playable, if you don't do weird things in the design of the paddle.
Building a pickleball paddle doesn't need any thermoforming, foam injection, or other expensive technology and processes. It's all are marketing tricks of "Big"and other "american" companies to suck you money up. And the retirees, who just started playing or intermediate players, buy this and are willing to pay such a crazy price, driving prices higher and higher. That is why you see now that almost all 2.0-3.5 level people play with $150, $220, $250, $280 and even $330 paddles instead of practicing more to improve their skills with cheaper paddles. Because they were told that these paddles itself will improve their game the next morning after they have bought them from hundreds of "American" companies, who sell chinese paddles, made almost all in the same place, while they have never done any handcrafted prototype of the paddle on their own. Because it's easy. Just register your company, contact the Chinese manufacturer, pick up a few shapes from hundreds they have for you to offer, the rest will be done by a Chinese company, including USAPA approval. At the end, it is all you, not the paddle. Good players can play with any paddle, but when you have developed your skills, a good paddle will give you more freedom in your game, and you will be concentrating more on strategy and moving instead of putting much effort into how to hit the ball.
Making paddles is still my hobby not a business and I sell my paddles just to cover my expense.
In short, while other big companies are making money, I'm making paddles.
So, if you want to try my paddles, go to my website, pick up the one you like, buy it and try it for a few days. If you don't like it, or it doesn't suit you playing stile, send it back for a full refund. That's it.
Val Drachev
