Hudef Viva Pro Gen 3: The BEST Elongated Kevlar Paddle

[@swiftraider759]

I've been anticipating this review for some time..good review. The Viva Pro Gen 2 seems to have plenty of power and then great touch and control in the kitchen. A buddy let me try the Viva Pro Gen 3 and they are different paddles. The same exact drives I hit on the Gen 2 did not translate on the Gen 3. The Gen 3 had me hitting more shots in the net. This is probably due to the more plush and dwell time with the Kevlar weave. The control also not as good on the 3 compared to the Gen 2 for me. Oddly enough I prefer the Gen 2. The discount code is so tempting...But..please let me know you're thoughts on the Honolulu J7k Pro vs. the Viva Pro Gen 2 or 3...that's the paddle I have my eye on for power and pop. My secondary paddle I'm also looking at for fire fights in the kitchen with great swing weight, pop. control and enough put away power is as follows..Hurachi Control Kevlar.. Mark one X..J2k..J3k or Jk3 Pro that have not come out yet...which would you recommend.for out of these? Also any ideas if you will be reviewing any of these and the J7k Pro? Thanks for the awesome reviews.

[@stspickleball]

For me I like the Viva Pro Gen 3 better than any of the other flat top edge elongated style Kevlar paddles. But I still think the J2K is just hard to beat. Love that paddle. If you want more power I’d go Gen 3, if you want more control I’d go J2K. And that’s interesting when I did MPH testing with a speed gun the Gen 2 was hitting harder than the Gen 3.

[@123BV8]

Paddletek ALW 12.7

[@stspickleball]

@@123BV8 great paddle

[@tobysam-sc1ki]

Honestly, the pattern and color of the racket, very comment section

[@stspickleball]

Super aesthetically pleasing indeed

[@PanamaLou-zk3xe]

Steven, great article as always. Thanks for the super 30 % discount. I had the Viva Pro Gen 2 and sold it. Wanted to please ask, if you could also do an article on the New Gherkin Pickleball Paddles that use Silicone on the paddle edges. Just bought the Phantom because of the $ 50 off sale. Wanted your expert opinion. By the way, great interview with Matthew Schwartz. Mr. Willy Wonka. Very insightful. Also, I just bought my 75th paddle, so I consider myself officially a fellow paddle geek. Saludos from Panama and keep up the great work Sir.

[@stspickleball]

Dang 75 paddles you’re up there with me and the other reviewers that’s incredible! I’ll look into the Gherkins 😊🙏🙏

[@northkitsappickleball]

Great review and thanks for clearing up the gen 3 info on this one. I am hoping you might consider reviewing the Bread & Butter Shogun as I just got it and would love to hear a review from you about it. Thanks! 👍

[@stspickleball]

Yes it’s coming very soon!

[@mrmantoes1527]

I’m switching from high school tennis to pickleball, would this be a good first paddle? I’ve used some of my friends and need my own now. I used a racket on the heater end which I heard this is the same but for pickleball. Would this be ok and with the shape? I’m also looking to spend under $120 which it is with a coupon

[@stspickleball]

Yes! This would actually be a wonderful paddle for you I think you'll love it! Especially coming from a tennis background.

[@austindickenson8168]

I am really interested in getting this paddle, especially with your awesome discount however i bought a Friday Challenger paddle, the "better" one. Do you know much about these paddles and if so do you think its worth it to get the viva pro g3 instead/ in addition to it?

[@stspickleball]

Friday paddles aren’t the best in my experience. Had a friend’s break during play the other day which was crazy. I do like the Hudef Gen 3! 😊

[@kevinespina3289]

I use a vatic prism v7. I love its price at 100$ and its elongated shape but am looking for something with more power & pop. are there any paddles youd recommend thats in the 100$ range? Im currently looking between the Hudef viva pro gen2 and Neonic force since they are both basically 100. Which would you recommend?

[@stspickleball]

I would just grab the Hudef Viva Pro Gen 3 honestly. Solid power, 100% kevlar, and a great price.

[@MauricioRSFit]

Hey, Stephen - how has the spin potential held up over time? Thanks.

[@stspickleball]

It’s done very well! Better than expected for the price I’m impressed.

[@groot3371]

I really enjoyed your paddle review and very informative. Thank you.

[@stspickleball]

You’re very welcome thank you for the good vibes and the comment 😊

[@dillykimchi]

How does this compare against the hurache control +? People are also calling that a great elongated paddle

[@stspickleball]

Hurache is solid! Softer and more plush off the face. A bit less spin. And generally more control oriented than the Hudef 😊

[@lucaspeng641]

New to the channel and loving your vids! Would u recommend the hudef viva pro gen 3 or the ballr heat for someone with a tennis background? Thanks!

[@stspickleball]

Hmmm. I’d say the viva pro gen 3. Newer tech and a great price I think you’ll love it tbh!!

[@lucaspeng641]

@@stspickleball thanks so much!!

[@tanpen15]

*J7K and J7K Pro have entered the chat*

[@swiftraider759]

They entered about 2 hours ago...lol

[@stspickleball]

Hahaha I love this comment. Made me laugh. You’re awesome.

[@pablogalvz]

Love my J2K

[@stspickleball]

10/10 paddle

[@MattyRut2922]

30%! Wow you really won them over. Does it work on all their paddles or just that specific one?

[@stspickleball]

Just this specific paddle I believe. Yeah I’m always working hard to get my viewers the best deal possible. That’s why I worked with pickleball central for the Paddletek paddles because Paddletek doesn’t do discounts so I got pickleball central to setup a 10% off for us 😊😊

[@flip110119]

Crazy discount!! Thank you for the discount and great review!

[@stspickleball]

You’re welcome 😉

[@braxfl7462]

struggling between this and the b&b filth for my next paddle? or maybe even the crbn 3x. I've narrowed it down too those 3. All 3 seem too be a more power oriented all court, with the flat top shape I like. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[@stspickleball]

Honestly just save the money and grab the Hudef, not too much difference in play between the three :)

[@stspickleball]

And the Hudef has higher spin than both of those paddles :)

[@prestonjones6461]

I have been playing with the Neonic Force per your review, and I really like it. I have had it for half a year and looking to change paddles. I have it narrowed down to either another Neonic or the Viva Pro Gen 3. I know its been awhile since you reviewed the Neonic but what would you recommend.? I have played with the Gen 2 and I liked it but felt it didnt have the pop the neonic had nor did it have as large of a sweet spot IMO. However I could effortless move between the 2 paddles .

[@stspickleball]

I would definitely recommend the Viva Pro Gen 3 or the J2K I love both of those paddles so much.

[@prestonjones6461]

@@stspickleball Thank you.

[@TylerDelCotto]

Hey STS! when can we get together and I could maybe try one of your new paddleteks? You said you might have one for sale? I never grabbed your number to contact you! Let me know. Thanks

[@stspickleball]

Send me an email! Stspickleball.com

[@TylerDelCotto]

@@stspickleball sent a little name number email question on the website! Thanks

[@Syndrome88]

What about against 11six64 16/14k which are more similar to this

[@stspickleball]

Do you mean 11six24 16/14mm? Or

[@robertbenjamin5230]

As usual another great informative post. I have been playing with the MARK Pickleball kinetic for a couple of months now and I feel like it is the best paddle for me right now. Curious about the new Hurache control plus. I think I might have substituted that paddle for the Spartus Apollo in your comparisons as they’re probably more similar, certainly in shape. That may be nitpicking from one paddle nerd to another. Ha. Keep up the great work, thanks.

[@stspickleball]

Nice I’m glad you like the kinetic I love that paddle. Really can’t go wrong with any of these new paddles, the tech is all pretty consistent nowadays 😊😊

[@juansantiago1441]

Whats your opinion on the Hudef gen 3 vs BB Shogun?

[@stspickleball]

Shogun is a solid paddle. I don't find myself grabbing it to play with over my other options but I do like it and I LOVE the design. If you're looking for something all court and value aesthetics then the Shogun is a great pick.

[@CharleneBarker552]

Great review. How is this compare to Swice Swift Pro?

[@stspickleball]

Quite a bit better in practice

[@ArianaWilson-]

Thanks for your video. This is my favorite Kevlar paddle!

[@stspickleball]

You’re welcome! Yeah it’s a great one for sure!

[@PollySmith_469]

Awesome video. Nice discount. I want to buy another one.

[@stspickleball]

Go for it!

[@iantercero5380]

I hope the gen 3 doesn’t get banned like joola…..

[@stspickleball]

It won't I explain why in the beginning :) It's not a "gen 3" like theirs is.

[@TracyAnderson-df6ry]

Love your video, and of course love my new favorite Hudef viva pro gen 3.

[@stspickleball]

Great choice 😊

[@DianSusiana98]

Great video!I love Hudef viva pro gen3!!!

[@stspickleball]

It’s a solid paddle for sure

[@TomFowler-ht5nu]

I bought a Viva Pro Gen 2, and… I don’t love it, honestly. After 8-10 sessions with it, I can’t seem to get it consistently dialed in. More popups and shots that travel a little deeper than I wanted. Plus, it feels a little slow at the line (I’ve seen its SW listed as high as 128). With this one having a lower SW and the plushness of added Kevlar, do you think it would be a better choice than the Gen 2 (which I’ll probably sell)?

[@stspickleball]

Honestly if you’re popping up balls and sending balls out consistently I’d recommend a paddle with more control. I’d say a Honolulu J2K if you want Kevlar or a Volair Mach 2 Forza 16mm would be huge for your game.

[@tomfowlerwrites919]

@@stspickleballThanks. Hoping to get a J2K soon. I think I prefer the hybrid shape overall.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah same tbh 😊

[@mbshark33024]

Looks a lot like the Mark One with a squared off top

[@stspickleball]

I agree 😊

[@VapingJulianFiverr]

Sadly, your code doesn’t work on the Canadian Hudef website, and the paddle is twice the price there compared to the US website with your code :(

[@stspickleball]

I just sent a message to them to see why

[@stspickleball]

They just got back to me. Apparently the code can only be used in the US. They have a separate distributor that handles Canada.

[@VapingJulianFiverr]

Thanks. I reached out to them too, and they offered me a 10% code. Still a lot more expensive than the US website. I might still get it, but it’s so annoying knowing I am paying 20% more for the same paddle

[@stspickleball]

Yeah that's fair tbh that is definitely annoying

[@BenjaminAdamsVu]

Great review as always, i'll test it out soonest, nice discount too!!!

[@stspickleball]

Thank you! 🙏

[@TCW1977]

I love it. So fun to play with.

[@stspickleball]

Great paddle indeed ☺️

[@RC-tm8jo]

Great review as always. Your drives look solid from both sides in this video. For my two-handed backhand, I think I'm going to try that left hand index finger on the face of the paddle like you do. I think that might help me keep the paddle face more stable at contact as I have developed a bad habit of rolling over my backhand and contact hasn't been as solid lately with my backhand.

[@stspickleball]

Oh yeah!! The finger helps a ton. Tbh I saw ALW did that when I was first wrapping my head around it and said eff it I’m gonna just use her setup and never looked back. Also thank you for the good vibes and the feedback! 😊😊

[@RC-tm8jo]

Thanks for the advice. There are a few good pickleball paddle reviewers on KZbin, but I like your reviews the best and I would put your reviews at the very top above the rest.

[@stspickleball]

Dang wow thank you so much I really appreciate that!!

[@jeffreyvelez5727]

TRYING TO DECIDE FROM J2K, J2K PRO OR VIVA PRO GEN 3...... IN YOUR OPINION WHICH DO YOU PREFER?

[@stspickleball]

J2K is my top pick for most people. I would go J2K pro if you want crazy power (in my opinion it's hard to control, and the Viva Pro Gen 3 if you want power but controllable power. J2K is all court leaning a touch toward control, and I think it's the perfect paddle for most people right now. :)

[@jeffreyvelez5727]

@@stspickleball APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK YOU PUT IN........LOVE THE PADDLE REVIEWS. .......THANKS FOR THE INFO

[@CharleneBarker552]

@@jeffreyvelez5727 Do you think kevlar material provides a great feel and more control? I think the J2K Pro is the best for control and power due to its tightly woven design!

[@stspickleball]

I do indeed! And I agree the J2K and J2K pro are crazy solid paddles especially for the price!

[@AlaricBishop1993]

I love that it is solid in the hands.

[@stspickleball]

Definitely has a premium feel. Not cheap at all.

[@ernest4483]

awesome review and content just started playing pickleball this year, I came from a tennis background I use alot of topspin both forehand and backhand/1-handed slices and volleys, it seems the hudef Viva Pro Gen 3 will probably suit my playing style and you did the review on the Neonic Force I'm torn between the two, by the way continuing on making great content and reviews btw I'm a new subscriber

[@stspickleball]

Thanks so much!! I’d grab the Hudef Gen 3! That way you can also see what Kevlar feels like and you won’t wonder if you should have gone Kevlar 😊 I think it will work out really well for you!

[@ernest4483]

btw thank you for the recommendation have a blessed and safe week

[@stspickleball]

You’re very welcome and you too!

[@ernest4483]

​​@@stspickleballjust purchased the Gen3 & used your discount STS30, can't wait to play with, should I modify the Gen3 by adding lead tape ? and again Thank you for the recommendation and again have a blessed, positive, productive and safe week

[@stspickleball]

That is up to you! If you like a bit more weight I’d throw 2 5” strips of 1g/in lead tape starting 1” out from the grip going up the throat into the sides of the paddle! I like that setup for my hybrid / elongated paddles 😊

[@ToJoMayer]

Wow. Great review.

[@stspickleball]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NPD2024]

You have no split step when waiting for your ball machine drives. Prior to your opponent hitting the ball you should be split stepping in preparation for returning the shot.

[@stspickleball]

Yeah you’re right! I do that in play but was being lazy there. I’ll make sure I split step from now on in my practice 😊