JOOLA's Secret Weapon: New Pro IV Paddles with "TFP" Tech Promise Game-Changing Performance

What's the Score?

JOOLA has launched the rest of its highly anticipated Pro IV series pickleball paddles, including the Magnus, Scorpeus, and Hyperion, now available at Pickleball Central. These new paddles join the previously released Perseus Pro IV and Agassi/Graf Pro models, completing a lineup designed in collaboration with top pros like Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Simone Jardim, and Tyson McGuffin, as well as tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. The key innovation in the Pro IV series is the "TFP" (Tech Flex Power) construction, featuring an added section of high-density foam in the bottom corners/throat area, which promises enhanced stability, an expanded sweet spot, increased flex, forgiveness, feel, power, dwell time, and spin.

Hit it deeper!

The JOOLA Pro IV series represents a significant evolution in their pickleball paddle technology, building upon the foundation of the 3S paddles released in the summer of 2024. The entire Pro IV line, including the Perseus Pro IV, Agassi/Graf Pro, Magnus, Scorpeus, and Hyperion, was developed in conjunction with some of the biggest names in pickleball and tennis. This collaborative design process ensures that the paddles cater to the performance needs of both professional and amateur players.

The most significant innovation across the Pro IV series is the introduction of "TFP" (Tech Flex Power). According to Austin Kim, JOOLA's Product Manager, this construction involves an added section of high-density foam inside the bottom corners or throat area of the paddle. This seemingly small change has several key performance benefits:

• Increased Stability: The added weight in the lower section contributes to overall paddle stability, especially on off-centre hits.
• Expanded Sweet Spot: The extra weight and modified internal structure help to enlarge the paddle's sweet spot, providing more consistent and powerful contact.
• Enhanced Flex: The added foam narrows the honeycomb channel leading from the handle to the head, allowing the paddle to flex more during impact.
• Improved Forgiveness and Feel: The increased flex contributes to a more forgiving paddle, reducing the impact of mishits, while also enhancing the overall feel for the ball.
• Increased Power and Dwell Time: The flexing action allows for greater energy transfer to the ball, resulting in more power. It also increases dwell time, the amount of time the ball stays on the paddle face, which is crucial for spin generation.
• Enhanced Spin: The combination of increased dwell time and the Carbon Friction Surface on all Pro IV paddles leads to greater potential for spin on serves, drives, and cuts.

Beyond the "TFP" technology, the Pro IV line is now USAP and UPA certified, making them legal for play in all sanctioned tournaments. This is a step up from the 3S paddles, which were only UPA-certified initially. JOOLA will also release a dual-certified version of the 3S paddles later in the spring. Each Pro IV paddle is available in both 14mm and 16mm thickness options, catering to different playing styles. Thinner 14mm paddles offer more pop and manoeuvrability at the net, while thicker 16mm paddles provide greater power on serves and drives from the baseline and more put-away power on overheads.

The Pro IV series includes distinct paddle shapes, each with its own performance characteristics:

JOOLA Perseus Pro IV (Ben Johns): Known for good power on serves and third-shot drives, with squared top corners for stability, but has a smaller sweet spot and higher swing weight.

JOOLA Scorpeus Pro IV (Anna Bright & Collin Johns): Offers a good balance of power and control with a larger sweet spot and high manoeuvrability due to its wider face and lower swing weight, but less power than other shapes.

JOOLA Magnus Pro IV (Tyson McGuffin): Features an elongated surface for more reach and power, with a larger sweet spot, but a shorter handle impacting two-handed backhands and less manoeuvrability.

JOOLA Hyperion Pro IV: Combines a curved top edge for manoeuvrability and whip with an elongated shape for reach, but has a slightly smaller hitting area at the top and less power than the Perseus.

JOOLA Agassi Pro/Graf Pro: Features a unique elongated shape geared towards former tennis players, with a sweet spot positioned for maximum power on groundstrokes and overheads, but is less manoeuvrable at the net and offers less control.

The World Pickleball Verdict

JOOLA's Pro IV series, with its innovative "TFP" technology and collaboration with top athletes, represents a significant step forward in pickleball paddle design. The focus on enhancing stability, expanding the sweet spot, and improving feel and power directly addresses key performance factors for players at all levels. The availability of different paddle shapes and thicknesses allows players to choose equipment tailored to their specific playing styles. Furthermore, the dual USAP and UPA certification ensures that these high-performance paddles are legal for all sanctioned tournaments. The initial positive reception ("Spoiler alert: They're very good") suggests that JOOLA has successfully delivered on its promise of game-changing performance.