KewCast Episode 45 - Side-by-Side Comparison: CRBN TruFoam vs. Franklin C45

[@miq2240]

Would love to see a Head 2 head Ripple vs Vapor Power. I think both will be super popular this year

[@jimg6178]

Son is a CRBN rep and got his TF today, went to hit it this pm and its a level up on the power from (the power series we use) but the feel with dinks and resets are also excellent. His drives have another level of shape and dip. Its gonna be a real winner of a paddle.

[@ColinD0mo]

I second this!! Played with my TF G1 last night and it was epic

[@DINKDEPT]

This is awesome to hear. Im curious how durable these "gen4" paddles will be.

[@PickleballRevolution]

I can attest to the new CRBN TF. Dropping balls on drives over the net with ease and placing 3rds in the corners of the Kitchen much easier now as well. Very sweet paddle. This Ripple scares me. Wonder if it will break in and get too hot and or delisted!

[@ryrysinger]

John, thank you for everything you do

[@ryrysinger]

And you too Eddie lol

[@EddieK-PB]

@@ryrysingeralways the bridesmaid…!!! lol😂

[@dsalsedo]

This is hands down the best pickleball podcast! Honestly, I can’t believe you don’t have 40K subscribers already-you deserve it. John, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the Apes Pulse V stacks up against the CRBN TruFoam widebody when it comes to power, pop, sweet spot, and overall performance. Keep up the amazing work. Next "paddle battle" suggestion: Apes Pulse V vs. CRBN TruFoam widebody.

[@georgejoseph2601]

It’s because there arent 40k people playing pickleball

[@sully7582]

I second this. Currently maining a V

[@davidallott5826]

@@georgejoseph2601 correct... its closer to 40 million

[@MysticOsprey]

Hi John, agree with the ask Pulse vs. TruFoam. Cheers to your informative pods.

[@budgettech5526]

​@@davidallott5826as of 2023 it was 48 million people in the US alone and growing.

[@ChorusPickleball]

Just to clarify, all Fires are indeed relisted! You can use them in sanctioned tournaments. We are still working closely with USAP to understand what’s next.

[@sbinsdca]

How'd you fix them so quickly?

[@fjg8340]

Thanks, loving my SX!!!

[@HM-gm1kn]

kirkland sparkling water sponsor? holy crap we made it boys

[@JJPickleball]

The boys are back!

[@SpankdoggPickleball]

Would love to see the Ripple vs TruFoam vs C45 vs Flamingo.

[@DINKDEPT]

Ripple seems like it will be on a different level.

[@Orangepie86]

C45 is much different from the others. 106 swing weight and 7.6 ounces. Ripple, TruFoam, and Flaming are comparable power paddles with higher twist weight and swing weights

[@BradShonk-s3h]

Love the podcast Paddle showdown Neonic Prime Flare x Vs Paddletek ESQ Please Keep creating amazing podcasts.

[@randomuser8562]

Yes

[@DroidX1337]

ESQ more pop power, less control smaller sweet spot. Flare prime X less power, more control, crazy grit so lots of spin. Larger sweet spot. Same amount of pop. Flare prime X I like better. Though the power of the ESQ was fun.

[@fjg8340]

​@@DroidX1337 agreed, the FPX i saw had crazy grit

[@BradShonk-s3h]

@@DroidX1337 I've been demoing the ESQ 12.7 mm for 2 plus weeks I've added a ton of tungsten tape. I love the maneuverability of the paddle, power, pop, and spin. I would've bought it already except for shots that hit dead on the top of the paddle. For $126 I might buy the Neonic Prime Flare X.

[@kamanhalim]

Chorus Fires paddle all now back on the approved list

[@HardyHarz]

Eddie, I use the same lens - it’s Oakley Prizm low light. It has a VERY SLIGHT purple/pink hue. The NFL players use the same tint in their shields when they play under lights. Given that it’s purple, it’s the opposite color to yellow, so that color pops where the other colors get pushed away a bit. If you like it, try the Prizm “grey” in sunlight, the affect is much more dramatic. With Oakleys, you can pop the lenses in and out pretty easily. I like the Radar style frame with the one blade-style lens personally, I find there’s less obstruction from the frame, so it doesn’t block my peripheral view.

[@EddieK-PB]

So far, really loving the oakley low light for indoor play. The ball does seem to pop. That combined with my new scleral lens has me playing better then ever! -Eddie

[@RTJ-PB]

John - super excited about your new PB Cor setup - one metric I would love to see in the future is longitudinal spin testing - in hours - my thought would be, for paddles you deem excellent or worthy, put in hours of play, 40, 80, 120 etc and measure the spin rate at post 40, 80, 120 and see how spin changes over time. I know this would be a tremendous undertaking and my thought would be to give the paddles to folks (possibly heavy hitters) and have them log the hours of use. This would be amazing when looking at the paddle database, say, here is paddle x, out of box spin is this and spin numbers after “h” hours of use - we could then also start to develop a sense of how quickly various surfaces break down in terms of spin. The 40,80,120 hours were just examples - I’m sure you would have a better gut feeling on what hours to set as the measurement points. Thanks for all you do - this pod rocks!

[@Kdw_03]

Hey John, I’m currently using a Colin John’s scopeus 3s (per your recommendation) can you give me a quick breakdown of how the ripple and the crbn trufoam compares to that paddle?

[@tylerbeninati6815]

Your videos and testing are great. I appreciate the data base you’re building. I would love to see you review the Holbrook metallic aero 16mm

[@jeremiahmiller4640]

R1 with some added weight is going to be banging!

[@buffalufacus]

Interesting thoughts on the J2+. Preordered mine today. Thought the Ti might be more to my liking this time, but after these comments, I might still be a 2k line user. Couldn't get the regular Ti to perform how I want it to, so I stuck with the 2k (and now the Invader ... such a fun paddle...)

[@9DeezzDinkDrop]

I’d love to see a head to head between the Monarch All Court vs the new Pegasus All Court from 11SIX24

[@bigoz1971]

Great episode I think the New Pegasus all court would be a good matchup against the new saga wide body.

[@loganjarrard6271]

Paddle tournament. But play head to head both with the same paddle to 6. Then both switch to a different paddle and play head to head. Then chose the best paddle to advance to the next round based on how you liked it. Tournament bracket format.

[@RTJ-PB]

Love the pod as always boys - for the new R1 Ripple - I’m thinking of adding a Flick weight 9g or 15g and adding 3 grams of lead at both 4 and 8 to shore up the twist weight. Can you offer your thoughts on this proposed setup and/or let me know if you would suggest a different setup? Thanks for all you do!

[@kenneysseeamerica5750]

It would be interesting to see the point spread between something like the Paddletek Bantam and the new Ripple.

[@86309]

didnt you guys like playing the R2 better than the R1 originally? Im mailing the Pulse V right now, no additional weight and LOVE it, If I buy the R1 do you think it will be anything like the V? Thank you!

[@seanmccoy4366]

Thanks for your reviews. The Ronbus Ripple R1 14 you discussed, is that the Connect, pro, or executive?

[@davehardy7765]

Have you ever watched "Stuff Made Here". Puzzle solver, basketball shooter etc. Inventive engineering at its best.

[@EddieK-PB]

Great channel indeed!

[@jimmcmillan2940]

Battle truefoam vs ripple would be awesome

[@humphreythehamster4929]

Thanks for another great episode. Any updates on the website redesign?

[@SW1]

The Franklin carbon fibre sheet angles and whatnot sound like DW Drums' VLT/VLX tech!

[@andresdavila4500]

I am having a similar issue with the Shogun, I don’t feel confident driving the ball, but all the rest of my game is on point, I can’t seem to figure the power/spin convo on drives 22:30

[@kimleith1378]

OM has a new design that I'm cuious about.

[@bigoz1971]

Hey Eddie I have heard you mention how much you like the body helix x5 a couple times would you say it plays more like the monarch all court or a Mach 2 forza

[@we-will-see-sunday]

all i can say is thank god for cheap nomex core paddles!!! cheap, powerful and last forever

[@Eric-Denton]

Any chance yall could share Eddie's actual "handle" in the episode info? I see people "responding" AS him but not sure that IS him 😅 Any more info on the "Sclera" (spelling?) contact lenses? Also the Oakley's sound awesome...

[@EricAlexis-l8z]

Hi John...can you please clarify the CRBN #2 tru foam spin numbers? Here you state 2300 -2400 rpm... in your tru foam review you state 2000 rpm for said paddle...and in your data base you also state 2000 rpm... thanks for the clarification....

[@johnkewpickleball]

@@EricAlexis-l8z The database is correct: 2,280 for TFG1, 2,338 for TFG2, and 2,368 for TFG3

[@kimleith1378]

Hoping the new Selkirk foam cores are legit. The FLIXs are real lookers, like the PB core dodge. Do they feel like the OM EVO?

[@chaseprovencio2571]

Power paddle can definitely be plush. It would most likely have an aggressive rebound in order to produce power/pop.

[@DINKDEPT]

Plush is the opposite of power/pop.

[@JacobNorthrup121]

@@DINKDEPT plush is the opposite of pop, but you can have a dynamic, plushy power paddle

[@leeharris2120]

Great as always! Any reviews of Versix Vector upcoming?

[@survivalismsg]

So does all the paddles in the approved list needs to do pbcor certification from now on?

[@RamonRamon609]

When will these be on the site? Is the spreadsheet really from 11/24?

[@DouglasDun-p5u]

How does the J2K+ compare to the J2K Pro since they are both slightly more powerful than the original J2K? Is it just a dwell-time feel? Are the power levels about the?

[@DarkTundraS-x5l]

Great episode. Any chance there is an update on the giveaway? I haven't received my paddle yet!

[@reidburrell9768]

Is the J2TI+ more powerful than the original J2K? Are they both more powerful than both the original 2? Also any idea as to how long the TI surfaces will hold up? My J2K only lasted around 6 months.

[@MikeHopkins-e3y]

Would you setup the J2K+ the same as the original J2K?

[@AlexisPennella]

Do you know the release date for the Saga Bloom?

[@RTJ-PB]

Head to head - Flamingo vs upcoming Joola Gen 4 - book it

[@johnsanchez2589]

Doesn’t 2400-2500 potentially go past the 2100 that UPA-A is supposedly setting. Of course their testing procedures are unknown so your 2500 might be only 2000 depending on the their testing procedures.

[@scottschaus4619]

How are the handles on the recent and upcoming paddles: the C45, TruFoam, Proton Flamingo, PB Apes Pulse series, 11six24 power? Thanks!

[@pickleballnic]

Can you please recommend some good 14mm Hybrid paddles with high dwell times and if possible, small cell sizes?? Thx.

[@khpickleball]

Hey, maybe I missed it but were the swing weight numbers given for the CRBN?

[@randomuser8562]

What other glasses do you recommend maybe under $150??

[@vincebrown9046]

What about Invader vs Jk2 or the plus models 🤔

[@gregheisz4203]

For those questioning break in power change. Ronbus engineering is doing extensive break testing. The hit paddles over 100 mph thousands of times and are supplying break in reports.

[@yummybong148]

As a pulsar lover who give a Fk anymore this paddle has been flop after flop I’m sick of hearing about it. I’d buy a pulsar again before whatever this garbage is they won’t shut up about.

[@sbinsdca]

​@@yummybong148 have you tried a beta ripple? It's a really good paddle and the final production model with the pbcor stamp is very similar to the final beta with the edge guard fix.

[@parky6031]

What happened to the crbn interview?

[@BobMeitz]

The Apes Pusle V warrenty doesn't cover play below 40 degrees F. I often play below 40 degrees F. I've not seen this before. Thoughts?

[@johnkewpickleball]

Interesting - I hadn't heard of this. I can ask them about it. Is it on their website?

[@BobMeitz]

@@johnkewpickleball Yes. Check out their refund policy. I like the paddle, but i'm concerned why this is in their policy. Haven't seen it before.

[@jonathanbernard3122]

I’ve used mine under 40 F with no apparent issues. I wouldn’t worry about it. I suspect very cold weather isn’t very good for paddles in general.

[@vincebrown9046]

Have you reviewed the Invader yet? I don't think I have heard you talk about it.

[@leviforeofficial9559]

Are the ripple r1 beta models tournament legal?

[@kabob21]

Yes, both the R1 and R2 betas are on the approval list

[@Andyofsuh]

Hey John and Eddie.. Would you say in terms of power TKO > Vapor Power > Pulse S? I am looking or something between the pulse S and TKO in power / control. My broken in Pulse isnt that powerful definitely feels more all court

[@JaxxCrash]

Yeah I returned my pulse V because even after opening up it never felt like it got much power and looking for something like pulse v but more power

[@Andyofsuh]

Hmm john says its power below bantam in this but at bantam lvl in the interview with cbrn.. wonder what it is then

[@johnkewpickleball]

The CRBN TruFoams have slightly lower firepower than the Bantam ESC-C and ALW-C varieties

[@Andyofsuh]

⁠​⁠@@johnkewpickleballthanks! That is helpful i think thats the perfect spot for me. Slightly less pop too? More controllable im assuming

[@stevecrawford333]

crbn tf feels like a joola 3s with gen 1 control. its wild

[@5541matt]

Have you played with one?

[@anthonybustos2204]

I love hearing this I have the 3s 14mm and I like it but this trufoam looks sick how much have you played with the trufoam? how does it compare to the 3s

[@stevecrawford333]

alot of experience, it feels like the 3s without balls sailing, the biggest thing is that it wont core crush like the other foamies

[@mikerashid02]

Any release date on the J2K+?

[@edwardmiller9062]

I think I have to disagree with James prediction as I don't think he's considering that sweet spot between elongated and square bodied will also become closer together with technology. Once everything becomes similar I believe a hybrid or elongated edgeless paddle will become the standard and square bodied will become a preference for those that might not need the extra reach, or have a playstyle that allows then to get more use out of the extra width (they hit the ball in more of a ping pong style rolling the ball across the width of the paddle instead of the length).

[@woodywoodpecker3643]

Ripple vs all new comers. C45, CRBN TRUE, all other new paddles

[@garretthawthorne7897]

Review the ROBUST RED paddle

[@larrytucker8779]

When is the ripple are releasing? Been waiting to buy.

[@johnkewpickleball]

January 31

[@Reck1025]

1/31

[@John-cs1cj]

@@johnkewpickleballwill you be doing a review of the newest ripple before the release? That would be great for those of us thinking about purchasing it. Thanks!!

[@KaLee-gc7oq]

Do you have any recommendation for eye protection that fits over regular eyeglasses?

[@EddieK-PB]

I don't think that's a viable solution. Better to invest in either contacts + sports glasses that have some wrap, or some quality RX sports glasses. -Eddie

[@l.b.roemer2483]

How do we find the interview you mentioned with the owners of CRBN?

[@johnkewpickleball]

It's going up today...

[@clintroberts1]

When are you going to add all these to your database? Hurry up! :)

[@therealad4342]

No time stamps 😢

[@johnkewpickleball]

The time stamps are there, in the description

[@JaxxCrash]

Its a shame the crbn paddles have such short handles or id be so excited over the new trufoam paddles.

[@mattmershon3542]

How many paddle companies are there currently? How many paddle company’s do you think they will be at the end of 2025? Could be a good contest question! Winner gets a delisted paddle!

[@douglasmurdoch7247]

The plural of “company” is “companies” rather than “company’s”.

[@MelissaHarwin]

I am waiting for the r2 ronbus. Anyone else?

[@Foxx_Choco]

John, you said you’re maining the vapor power. Any thoughts on the Vapor power vs Pegasus power? Would love to hear your thoughts on this!

[@Coach_A22]

I am not finding my Ripple R1.14 production models any more powerful than my R1.14 Beta. I highly recommend a switch to this paddle from any other paddle that is considered a power paddle that will be banned mid 2025. The Ripple has a high launch angle, great control, is exceptionally poppy, and is much easier to control hands battles than with a Mod 15-TA or Gearbox PPE. I have used my production models for over 50hrs and they have broken in, but are not noticeably hotter than the first hour I used them. The production models are heavier, have a higher TW, and SW, than the Betas. My stats using a Briffidi: Beta R.1.14 - Stock weight 7.7, SW 114, TW 5.57; Production R1.14 - Stock weight 8.1/8.2, SW 128/126, TW 6.06/5.65. The production model's higher weight and SW might be why it is reported to hit harder. The Ripple shapes the ball super well on drives, imparts exceptional spin on volley flicks and shaped topspin dinks. The ball goes where intended unlike Mod, PPE, ESQ, TKO-CX, and ProXR Protohype, which sometimes have a hot spot that launches the ball. Doubt I will need to find another paddle. Finally, the production Ripple R1.14 passed APP pro testing whereas the Ripple Beta R1.14 did not.

[@AlKu-kq9iz]

Is the one coming out on 1/31 exactly like the beta?

[@Coach_A22]

@@AlKu-kq9izNo.

[@texasrobinluo]

Oakley Low light Prizm

[@teefish23]

Great pod as pretty much is always the case, however the opening intro clip.......makes me feel as though my kids are little again and it Teletubbies time. Shiver me timbers

[@zachhigginson]

None of these paddles compare to the GOAT PADDLE POWER STEALTH 🐐🙊 Spin, Power, and Control is unmatched

[@JimmySampson-w1f]

Gearbox hyper vs CRBN

[@OrganicHealer]

peel ply = grit/spin gone in 30 days

[@BennyBedTime]

Kinda awkward how many variations they have with the ripple. Like which one am I buying ☠️☠️☠️

[@metal_bloo]

Instead of having pickleball bluebook your should have a live running branding on the bottom left of your video appear and scroll with the sponsor's name and a message during the pod. Would bring more attention to it

[@steve-94951]

insane that the chorus fire would fail pb cor while the ronbus ripple would pass ... whatever testing is being done at usap is a total joke if that's the result

[@kabob21]

PBCoR is basically testing deflection/pop, not power. If the Ripple’s face is softer than the Chorus Fire (it is) then it’ll have a lower PBCoR.

[@dicksonl.5512]

The original Ripple hits almost exsctly like the Mod! How will it stay legal?

[@thewayofthemountains2450]

Do you have any numbers on the CRBN Trufoam? You say it is a "heavier" paddle, do you have a static weight, swingweight and twist weight number on these?

[@thehiddenfamily]

Can’t talk about it yet

[@iugradmark]

Guys love the show. Is it possible for Eddie to share the lense he bought for low light play?

[@BlGSac]

There is zero way the Ronbus Ripple passes PBCoR, guy at my local club is an ambassador. The Ripple hits as hard if not more to the MODs, ProKennex and GB Pro Power. Ban the Ripple man.

[@Bob_DaBuilder-i3x]

Power and pop are different. Ripple might hit harder with force, but the deflection is lower.

[@kabob21]

@@Bob_DaBuilder-i3x Bingo

[@stroshow5]

It did pass the PBCor test

[@kateepotts23]

This podcast seemed off in some areas. Was painful to watch at times. Eddie you fold you're arms and had a grim face when discussing Honolulu paddles & CRBN. You smiled the most at the end of podcast. Suprising when you said you felt great Eddie. John, you saved this episode. Love the paddle battle idea! Ripple vs Vapor. Curious about the Pulse X release X vs Pulse V.

[@kpeg328]

Did we watch the same podcast!? The proper form is actually fold “your” arms. But besides that I have to disagree - I love the balance between John & Eddie. Eddie is really genuine and gives his honest input on products and topics. Idk about you, but I really value that! There are so many other people who hype up products for the sake of it. That’s why I love John, and especially Eddie, they give unbiased input. Also, I think it’s okay for people to cross their (notice proper form) arms from time to time 😉

[@EddieK-PB]

@@kpeg328 👍 really appreciate the kind words! In my defense, the studio was freezing on that day, so I was huddled up to stay warm! Take care!

[@kateepotts23]

It looked like something was wrong! I'm glad it was that. I really like you. It came off strange.

[@kateepotts23]

Thanks for the sarcastic reply and for correcting me. Eddie wrote back and said he was cold that day. I really like Eddie, I knew something was up! You guys should pay more attention to these things and find out instead of making a rude comment to me! I'm a regular that loves the podcast.

[@kpeg328]

@@kateepotts23 (says the woman who makes the initial rude comment). There’s enough trolls on the internet; I think we can all try to be better, and nicer to one another. Negativity only invites more negativity.