Ronbus Ripple vs Joola Mod TA-15, What is a Sweet Spot, Tournament Update

[@alexandercochran806]

Thanks for grabbing onto my sweet spot suggestion for Nerdtown. Good job! Appreciate it.

[@LoudBrownCloud]

What a Nerd Town, loved it!

[@MattyRut2922]

Good luck at the tournament! You guys just sold a TON of Ripples.

[@kateepotts23]

Hi Louis & Justin, I think you're going to come out as winners in both 4.0 & 3.5. You're 3.5 may have some trash plays & it will be a closer tournament to get your medals 🏅 Good Luck. Also Great pod cast! ❤

[@RTJ-PB]

The ripple delayed again - well, brilliant for the game of PB - we don’t need another year of seeing tourney courts filled with tomfoolery paddles and a few paddleteks. I do feel bad for Dong and wonder what the f&@! Is wrong with USAP… The way we arrived at this point is shockingly bad but it is the point we needed to get to. BEST Part of this is Louis putting on his big girl panties and actually busting out the radar gun is what made this all possible - great work Lou!!

[@stymeron]

Looking forward to the CRBN review

[@BenjaminAndersonPickleball]

Great thoughts on sweetspot. Maybe we need to separate out stability from sweetspot just like we separated out pop from power.

[@MattyRut2922]

If I was playing in 3.5 tournament and the guys that just won 4.0 were in my pool I would be PISSED. Good thing there is little chance of that this weekend.

[@PickleballPursuit]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Pickleballetc]

Haha too true. I'm actually 3.4 and Louis is 3.8 so I think that us playing 3.5 bracket shouldn't upset anyone.

[@cardinals5516]

Justin, thanks for the great sweet spot explanation. Good luck to you both at the tournament!

[@PBAnt1416]

Peg Power is Colin John’s new signature paddle

[@ernest4483]

Another great content and podcast gentlemen, Ripple geez aka MOD TA-15 2.0 lol and It passed the PBCor lol

[@sauravdas6436]

47:18, you wouldn't have been slipped up in Inglorious Basterds

[@PickleballPursuit]

Exceptional reference

[@65atBestPB]

Tournament prediction: - no sweet spots hit - shit steps instead of split steps - only medal coming home is Slyce coins 😉

[@BradShonk-s3h]

Double gold medal 🥇🥇 Let's GO! Ya'll are crushing the podcasts New main Nerdtown Keep up the awesome work! Huge fan! ✨

[@65atBestPB]

I don’t think a 26g wiffle twists the paddle … I have many edge guard hits to prove it. 😁

[@DroidX1337]

I weighted my Flare prime X 3 grams on top and sides and love it

[@johnclikeman5041]

Looking forward to the sweet spot heat maps! If you can quantify something like, "square inches of paddle face where energy return is >70% as much as in the sweet spot," that would probably be my favorite one-number metric for evaluating a paddle. On a related note, I wonder if paddle reviewers could start calculating actual sweet spot locations and listing those the same way as they now list balance points. I do this with my own paddles just by bouncing a ball on the paddle face and moving it around until i find the one spot that feels best. I've found for standard shapes the sweet spot is about 12 inches from the end of the handle, while for tapered hybrids and extended shapes it's about 13in (interestingly almost no difference between those two shapes). That speaks to how hard it might be to dial in a new paddle if you are used to a different shape.

[@Pickleballetc]

The sweet spot is almost always 25% of the total paddle length down from the top. So, you're exactly right with the 12" number on a 16" standard paddle. That's a rough number, but it's pretty close.

[@johnclikeman5041]

@Pickleballetc 25% is a good rule of thumb, but it's more complicated than this. Mathematically, the sweet spot is located at the center of percussion, which is calculated based on the swing weight, static weight, and balance point. The formula is q=I/(M*R), where I is the swing weight, M is the static weight in kg, and R is the distance between the axis of rotation and the balance point. Then q is the distance between the axis of rotation and the center of percussion. This has pretty significant effects of the playing characteristics of a paddle. For example, adding a 10g weight to the end of your paddle affects both the static weight and balance point, with the net effect of moving the sweet spot about 1cm closer to the tip of your paddle than it was before.

[@RTJ-PB]

Silver in the 3.5; bronze in the 4.0 - y’all been working hard - no hands on hips this time!

[@jasonwalker1959]

Justin, totally agree with your thoughts on the FPX. I won the paddle from you guys but only recently got the weight distribution correct. Love it now. I have similar amount of weight as you but I have it even a bit higher up because I think the tip of that paddle is it's only "dead" spot

[@laypatel7617]

Any chance youre going to make a video about Proton Project Flamingo?

[@Ternary5]

Woah. You said the episode number with authority!

[@wafarris]

Thanks, guys. This is turning into my favorite pickleball related podcast.

[@LoudBrownCloud]

Good luck in the tourney dudes! I hope that you medal in both.

[@jetjaguar5198]

U sayin “Ur going to build a “Sweat Spot” machine” made me spit out my water😂😂😂😂

[@pistolpete023]

When you add a lot of weight to decrease the balance point, keep in mind that it will also shift the sweet spot (aka center of percussion) lower.

[@zachcarmichael699]

20:47 I mean, sunsetting will be happening every year from now. It's because USAP will be making yearly changes based on player feedback. That said, if there's a 0.42 PBCoR next year, I'm sure there will be a 0.42 Ripple that's legal until May 2027, etc.

[@tabithataylor56]

Where is the wine?

[@HowieB-isMe3885]

My pulse V is 3 months old and is playing great.

[@EdwinBrennanPB]

How often are you playing?

[@HowieB-isMe3885]

@ 3 or 4 times a week. 2 hrs each time.

[@EdwinBrennanPB]

Ah okay. I put a ton of hours into mine. Two months long is pretty average for a gen 3 paddle

[@DroidX1337]

New week new main is my favorite segment. Paddles is life. Rocking the flare prime X myself. End of the month who knows? Trufoam,ripple or 11six24 power?!

[@sakvarelidze75]

Just get the Ripple and enjoy it guys! It's a fully legal paddle that plays incredible 🙌

[@mr.mr.3301]

If grant is created by peel ply, what causes some to be more worse than the other. Also, since it’s epoxy essentially, or some epoxy more durable than others.

[@CyberSonic157]

Really random question, but I've always wondered if it damages the paddle surface when scratching the face with finger nails or when rubbing the ball on the face. Or is it negligible wear and tear?

[@mr.mr.3301]

Does cleaning your paddle with an eraser hurt the grit? I’ve seen that it doesn’t but logically it would. It’s adding friction to an epoxy surface.

[@kabob21]

No, the rubber is so soft it gets chewed up as you use it taking the dirt and debris with it.

[@Masterdebator881]

A wet wash cloth does the job, immediately dry.

[@JimmySampson-w1f]

Is that neonic plush or stiff?

[@SirajCJ1993]

I was seriously considering buying the J2K+ but when I went on the website it said the refresh program isn’t available for customers outside the US, what a bummer!

[@honsolodinks]

a healthy Justin carries the team valiantly in 4.0 bracket, surviving group play into the playoffs. After some hard fought battles and odd stacking tactics the fellas lose. Louis have a heart to heart with his paddle and finally gives in to the pull and gravity, sweet spot of the Pegasus, meme of James tweet about wide body, the team goes undefeated in 3.5 play and then ends up in 3rd place bc Htown got some hungry pickleballers with eyes on the prize

[@azcrapsshooters5432]

My main is the Invader as well. Love the paddle. But looking to add to the arsenal with more power. Supercourt is too much like the Invader. So I'm between the new J2TI+/J2K+ and the Vapor Power, thoughts? By the way if you know anyone at Bohdi, tell them to get their pro grips stocked! I've been wanting a neon green for the invader and it's been out of stock forever!

[@Ternary5]

4.0 bracket you end up near or at the bottom, and 3.5 you will be tired and realize you could have done better if you had not worn yourselves out, you place in the middle to lower half of the 3.5 :). Hope you prove me wrong and win them both!

[@craigmorford2825]

Q&A. With the foam cores coming out, how does that foam differ from the foam that has been used in Gen 3 paddles or edge foam. Does Padle use the same foam?

[@kabob21]

Different companies are using different foam. The CRBN Trufoam uses a denser foam than the Selkirk Project 008 for example. Won’t know for a little while which has greater durability.

[@mr.mr.3301]

Is tennis elbow, helped by having softer paddles or thicker grips? I’ve noticed elbow does not bother me near as bad playing with my j2ti over my j2k. They don’t feel that much different when hitting them, but by the end of the game, I can tell a difference.

[@kabob21]

Reducing vibrations helps which is the benefit of softer feeling paddles. You should actively rehab your tendinitis though. I use a Theraband Flexbar

[@mr.mr.3301]

@ I bought one and use it at my desk. It has helped.

[@wafarris]

I went from the J2k to the Pulse V which has much less vibrations (one of its selling points). I was skeptical and it might be a coincidence but my tennis elbow issues are gone after a few weeks with the Pulse series paddle. I have been battling tennis elbow for at least a year and thicker handles do help too. I put a hesacore grip with an overgrip on top on the J2K and it helped but it did not go away completly. No hesacore on the Pulse V yet.

[@mr.mr.3301]

@ ok. So it’s not just in my head. Lol

[@youlookgoodiwillnotlie8448]

The fact that Mod getting banned just proves how insane these paddles are. But the Ronbus dodged a bullet😂

[@BilboTrailSlug]

best pickleball pod around! Good job y'all!

[@donkeyhunter007]

wheres sneak peak??

[@therealad4342]

Curious what the break in period on the ripple is? Side note- I’ve played the paddletek tko-c 12.7 since release and loved the paddle but after switching to the ripple it was immediately so much easier to hit. It’s such a good paddle.

[@pistolpete023]

I don't think these foam core paddles have a break in period. The foam is already broken in. The paddles with honeycomb pp core need to be broken in.

[@DavidVanlierop]

Okay someone help me on this.. on a couple databases the pop was higher on the new crbn than the ripple. That’s measured in volley mph. But literally everyone says the ripple has MUCH higher pop.

[@MJDGator]

My favorite part of using my Ripple is resetting from the transition area.

[@86309]

are you being sarcastic? Or are you like a 5.0?

[@Dy1pickel]

@@86309definitely being sarcastic. He is saying he just slams everything

[@PartezCroeso-g9m]

Are you referring to the pulse series APES?

[@PickleballPursuit]

Yes

[@johnw323]

FYI looks like the Ripple is being delayed again.

[@jetjaguar5198]

Re: Tournament…4.0 u’ll medal top 3…..3.5 u’ll get to the gold meadal round….someone will ask to measure ur paddles and it will be too long due to a slice cap/flick weight combo makin ur paddle too long givin u a “dq”

[@stymeron]

Bronze in 4.0, no medal in the 3.5!

[@86309]

How do you guys feel about actually playing with the Ripple, how hard is the pop to control ? yes it hits really hard, fine. what about the rest of the game are your resets hurting, dinks floating up, defensive scrambles out the back of the fence?

[@Pickleballetc]

Very hard to play defensively with. Dinking is actually fine, but if a ball is hit hard at you, good luck resetting it. Why reset anyway though with this paddle, just point the paddle at them and counter from anywhere. They either move fast enough or get hit. Only joking, but really it's not easy to play defense/soft with.

[@86309]

@@Pickleballetc thanks, thats what I needed to hear.

[@MJDGator]

I have the R2 and resets are a dream from transition for me. I will say that I reset with my paddle out front so it stays low over the net. 🤷‍♂️

[@9DeezzDinkDrop]

Not sure if you noticed, but FlickWeight came out with a tungsten version as well at 22g at $22 for 1, so it is more than twice as expensive 🤦

[@PickleballPursuit]

That’s understandable tbh. Tungsten products usually cost more

[@kabob21]

@@PickleballPursuit The whole advantage of tungsten was that it’s nontoxic unlike lead but the regular Flicks are made out of copper. What am I missing here? Why go with tungsten Flicks?

[@wafarris]

Tungsten is denser than copper and therefore, will weigh more for a given size

[@paulelkins425]

I predict a 4th place in 4.0 and 2nd in 3.5. Great to see you're sticking with your familiar paddles. This will provide the best chance to play consistently and minimize the dreaded UEs. Awesome to hear Justin is playing fully healthy now! It's such a bummer dealing with nagging injuries holding you back! Despite my predictions I'm fully rooting for two Golds! Let's GO!

[@paulelkins425]

After hearing your comments about the intent of the PBCoR test vs the reality we need a deep dive NerdTown discussion of why/how the PBCoR test is failing us!

[@BA-PBXC]

Spin. Reviewers test usable power instead of raw power. GB PPE & the Mod have more raw power.. but you can't dip them hard enough to keep the ball in. I would love to see Raw Power (overheads) vs functional power (drives kept in-bounds) in paddle stats.

[@kabob21]

@@BA-PBXC What are you talking about, the Mod has a ton of spin from high dwell. It fails PBCoR because of high pop, not power.

[@LoudBrownCloud]

Nice deal from HPC, buy 2 paddles, get 1 Free!

[@DannyBPlays]

Ripple NEEDS to stay off the market, it's way too powerful

[@CoreTekPB]

Check out the new procedure for spin. Beat Chris Olson he hasn't even discussed it.

[@Ternary5]

If it wasn’t moneyball you might have been fine. But since it is, good luck!

[@Dy1pickel]

Ripple shows pb core test is broken. Rumors already exists that release is delayed and that usapa will revoke the certification 🤷‍♂️

[@bobdoe4689]

I predict top 16th in both 4.0 and 3.5

[@timm4629]

Having a paddle only last 3 months after spending 150+ is CRAZY! Refresh is an excuse for poor engineering.

[@EdwinBrennanPB]

You had to finger my paddle. I could have been happy and uninformed 😂

[@jpmaldonado400]

4.0 eliminated in round robin and 3.5 silver but good luck

[@TheDeavsJourney]

Where is the sweet spot 😂

[@ender133]

Refresh is interesting buy 2 get 1 free. So 300 for like 9 months of advanced play....30/mo

[@49pickles]

Do you have to return the old ones?

[@kolbybixler7574]

3.5 silver, 4.0 top 8 but lose first round

[@9DeezzDinkDrop]

I think you guys are going to fall just short of a medal at 4.0 and get bronze at 3.5.

[@92SMIF]

Anyone complaining about paddles being too hot needs to put some protective glasses on and stop complaining - It's a plastic ball. I was a lacrosse goalie and that ball actually hurt like hell. I don't think it makes a big difference or is "bad for the game" to have power paddles. If someone has strong fundamentals, they will drive the ball hard with most paddles. You ever see Jack Sock rip a ball with a Luxx? That paddle is a pillow.

[@kabob21]

I agree w you but iirc Jack Sock actually played with the Power Air and not the Luxx despite that being his “signature paddle”. There’s also a Jack Sock signature Amped Pro Air.

[@92SMIF]

@ he was using the luxx for a little while. I saw him bouncing around between all those you mentioned.

[@wafarris]

There is some level at which it is bad for the game. Human reaction time is limited. Otherwise, let's just make tennis racquets legal to use in pickleball. It is no different for other sports like baseball and golf. I hope testing improves and an appropriate power level is eventually set. I wear protective glasses and I am not worried about getting hit by the ball. My problem with ultra-power level paddles like the MOD and the Ripple is the effect on the game.

[@92SMIF]

@@wafarris what level do you play at? I truthfully don’t think any of the big power paddles are that much of a game changer. When I play with 5.0+ players they hit hard as hell with anything. The other thing to consider is that 9/10 people using them play worse with them, just like the guys in the podcast said. Just step to the side or abuse their lack of short game.

[@wafarris]

@@92SMIF I typically play with 3.5s but sometimes a large group that has some low 4.0s that have a bunch of Mods in it. If people have the skill and athletic ability to "hit hard as hell with anything" that is fine with me. They earned it and are out of my league. Personally, I am playing with a J2K until very recently and now a Pulse V wide-body. I have no intention of playing with any of the ultra power paddles. It isn't happening in my regular group but I don't like the idea of an arms race with $300 paddles that wear out in far less than a year. I also think it will ruin the pro game eventually if the power level is not regulated.

[@LoudBrownCloud]

Wife swap for mixed, lol.

[@BrownKoat4ever]

For people who don't like the idea of the Ripple or MOD being out there don't enter any Tournament that allows these paddles and Directors will stop letting people play with them sooner if their pocket books get effected.

[@kabob21]

Lmao that’s pretty naive thinking. These paddles are USAP approved, tournaments aren’t going to ban them. Otherwise what’s the point of following USAP guidelines at all.

[@49pickles]

The speed testing just shows how biased USAP is.

[@EsraBetul-q8r]

I think you should talk about Tioncore

[@BerrinFeyza]

We're about to witness a massive pump in alts, bag some $TNC