Here's the review from Pickleball Central's 5.0 Rated In-House Teaching Pro:
"This is an awesome paddle! It's one of those paddles that feels right as soon as you pick it up. Some paddles take some time to understand how it will react with certain types of shots, but this one I felt confident with immediately. It has a fantastic sweet spot, extending from the center of the face all the way out to the edge guard. In terms of playability, the paddle has great touch, and amazing ball control. It also allows you to generate a lot of power. While some paddles these days seem to be designed for either touch or power, this one is a great blend of both. I think this is perfect high-performance all around paddle for men, women, or athletic juniors. The grip is sized appropriate for women and juniors (at 4 1/8"), but you can easily add an overgrip to size it up for people with larger hands. Great value for money - a pro-player's paddle for under $100.
"An interview with ProLite President Neil Friedenberg about the new CRUSH PowerSpin
PBC: What type of player are you trying to serve with the CRUSH PowerSpin?
Neil: The CRUSH is geared toward a player who values relative proportion in the important aspects of their paddle - balance, power, touch, spin - versus dominance of a particular aspect. This one has plenty of all four.
PBC: What prompted you to develop the CRUSH Paddle?
Neil: The Magnum shape has been our most popular shape and top performer for many years. It's always been Nomex and graphite so we felt compelled to utilize popular materials such as polymer and fiberglass to appeal to a different style of player using this highly preferred shape.
PBC: There are over 100 models of paddles in the marketplace, what makes the CRUSH PowerSpin Paddle truly unique?
Neil: A couple of things. First, the new process for applying graphics to the face has allowed us to enhance ball spin capabilities without exceeding USAPA specs - we've named this new surface SPINtac(TM). Next, we opted to create three different designs incorporating stylish colored grips rather than different colors of the same design. All three skew toward a younger (mindset) player with a little bit of attitude included.
PBC: The visual design and colors of the new CRUSH models are striking. Are you trying to appeal to a specific type of player with the graphic design of the paddle?
Neil: PROLITE recognized the homogenous look of paddles several years ago. Because of the large surface area we have to work with versus other sports like tennis and racquetball, we feel an obligation to create a way for players to express themselves - break out - stand out. It may not improve the performance of the equipment but maybe it lends a little something to the player ego. After all, we're playing a sport and athletes enjoy distinction. You'll notice that in all of our paddle graphics.
PBC: The CRUSH uses a similar shape as your extremely popular Magnum paddle. For players who are used to playing with the Magnum, what kind of differences would the players notice if they pick-up the CRUSH and use it?
Neil: Players will notice a difference. Because the CRUSH is made of 1/2 inch polymer core, it's thicker. It's also Green Zone approved for quiet communities where the Magnum's Nomex/graphite combination is not.
PBC: You've suggested that this paddle will appeal to players of all types, especially 3.5 and above players looking for a great paddle. We had our in-house Teaching Pro (Peter Hudachko - A top medal winning 5.0 men's player) hit with the paddle and he was really impressed with it's ball control and shot making power. As a teaching pro, he also felt like it would work great for all player types including athletic Juniors Players and Women seeking a higher-end paddle. Why do you think that is?
Neil: It has the Magnum's smaller grip size (which can always be over-wrapped to increase ), it's lightweight and edgy looking. And because of the balance I mentioned prior, it should help younger players develop a solid, well-rounded game. Those same characteristics are what we also hear women players say they are seeking in a paddle. Our graphic designers had women customers in mind when they created the holographic look of the Snow design, and they envisioned younger (or young at heart) players when designing the Skate and Surf designs.
PBC: You chose a polymer core with a fiberglass face. Is there anything about that combination of materials that you think a player should know about?
Neil: Polymer core is a quiet, strong, durable choice. It holds up and adds absorption contributing to touch. It made perfect sense. The new SPINtac fiberglass surface is cutting edge and to our knowledge, has not been used before on paddles. In combination, we think this creates a paddle with a truly unique blend of power, control, touch, and quiet.
PBC: Neil, thank you for taking the time to talk about your new paddle with us.
