Save 10% on all products by becoming a premium member
1-844-373-9998 (toll free)
Fast delivery
Easy returns

GEARBOX: A GAME CHANGER!

  • Posted on
  • By Carl Lemelin
  • 0
GEARBOX: A GAME CHANGER!

The innovative ideas that Gearbox brings to the paddle industry make it a player to watch during this unprecedented boom in pickleball manufacturing.

 

In our last blog post in the spring of 2024, we introduced you to Gearbox saying that it was coming soon to Pickleball Town. Well, it’s heeeere…

This Californian manufacturer has created quite a buzz since it entered the pickleball arena. Where does all the commotion come from? It’s all in the name.

In mechanics, “gears” are meant to keep churning, much like the minds behind Gearbox paddle designs. And you can say that Gearbox wants its engineers to think out of the “box” when conceiving their paddle lines.

At Pickleball Town, we love hearing about such companies. We are constantly on the look out for new trends in this sport that is in full bloom. New paddle design ideas just keep coming out of every corner of the world as the sport’s evolution is in full overdrive as we speak!

Here is a reminder of how we introduced you to Gearbox and its revolutionary technology last spring.

 

Click on the subtitle for detailed information on each series and/or to make a purchase.

AN INTRODUCTION TO GEARBOX

Gearbox is a California-based company that, like most pickleball manufacturers, got its start in other racquet sports. Like it was with racquetball, squash and paddleball, Gearbox is at the very cutting-edge of pickleball paddle technology and prides itself on thinking out of the box.

So, what is their latest contribution to pickleball? Its SST Core technology!

The SST Core represents a clear departure from the commonly used honeycomb pattern cores in most high-end paddles on the market today. Instead, Gearbox has introduced the Power Matrix and Control Pro technologies to their Pro and CX Series cores.

The Power Matrix and Control Pro consist of a flexible under face (FlexPlay), a shock dampening contour (Smart Dampen), and – here comes the kicker – its secret weapon, the Precision Core Technology.

Precision Core is an elongated rectangular pod-based grid that serves as the paddle core’s skeleton. Where honeycomb cores react as a solid entity on contact with the ball, the Precision Core functions using individual rectangular pods. Each pod works independently from one another when impacted to absorb shock and transfer energy directly to the ball.

According to credible online reviews, this makes Gearbox’s Pro Series paddles the hottest hitting racquets currently available. The Precision Core’s pod design ensures a larger sweet spot than the traditional honeycomb core, and the fact that each pod reacts independently also provides much better forgiveness on off-center hits, conserving much of the intended power and precision of the player’s stroke.

Now that you understand what makes Gearbox different from the competition, let’s get into their array of paddle series.

 

G AND G2 SERIES

Despite what you may think, Gearbox does offer value series, with paddles that range between $139.99 and $199.99 in price. These 2 entry-level lines allow beginners to intermediate players to benefit from some of Gearbox’s ingenuity.

The G2 Series paddles are made of a mix of Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber, and Epoxy Thermoset Resins with PPE (plastic) cores. They are available in 3 face shapes.

The Quad shape offers Gearbox’s most generous face – larger sweet spot – paired with a shorter handle for maximum forgiveness and ultimate control; perfect for dinks near the net, or doubles play and aimed mostly at beginner to intermediate players and/or those with a ping-pong background.

Gearbox did something quite counterintuitive however with the G2 Quad. The designers gave it an extra-thin 11mm core (thinner cores create a more explosive face, while thicker cores are more absorbent and favor control). That makes the G2 Quad ideal for beginners, who look for the best of both worlds in their paddle.

The G2 Elongated paddle is the tennis player’s choice, the longer face and handle offer more torque and power to a more experienced player, or one that plays a lot of singles.

Finally, the G2 Integra Fusion is the in-between shape (rectangular, not as wide as the Quad, not as long as the Elongated). It also features the longer handle, which allows for a two-handed backhand.

Both the Elongated and Integra Fusion models come with more standard 14mm cores.

The G Series features 2 models: the G14 and G16 paddles, that consist of different face shapes and core thicknesses and are made of an 8-Ply construction of Toray T-700 Carbon Fiber and Mid-Modulus Carbon Fiber.

The G14 is a Quad-shaped, 14mm core paddle, while the G16 features a more standard modified Quad (mod-Quad) head shape and handle length. As indicated by the model’s name, the G16 is also equipped with a thicker 16mm control-oriented core.

 

CX14 SERIES

This is where Gearbox customers get introduced to the revolutionary SST Core. In addition, all CX paddle cores are built using Toray T-700 Carbon Fiber and a 3K Woven Carbon Fiber Ribbed face finish.

The CX14 Series features three 14mm-core models. The CX14E Ultimate Power – where the ‘E’ stands for ‘Elongated’ shape, the CX14H Ultimate Power – the ‘H’ stands for ‘hyper’ shape –, and the CX14H Hyper Paddle.

In addition to the SST Core, the first two are equipped with Gearbox’s exclusive Power Band Technology, which provides the ‘Ultimate Power’. The Power Band detaches and suspends the patented SST Core rib structure from the perimeter of the paddle, creating a trampoline effect on the paddle face. That core flexibility creates unmatched energy transfer on contact, not to mention a huge sweet spot and improved touch.

All CX14 paddles are frameless with a long 5 5/8” handle, allowing for two-handed shots. The two Hyper paddles represent a combination of a Quad head shape with the longer handle. That means the player can get the control and forgiveness needed from the 14mm SST Core but still create speed and power thanks to the handle’s torque.

 

CX11 SERIES

The CX11 series packs the same technology as CX14 paddles, but with a thinner 11mm core. This collection includes four models: two Elongated (CX11E) and two Quad (CX11Q). Each paddle shape is available in a Power and a Control option.

The Power paddles simply have a heavier core to help drive the ball. The lighter Control paddles help with touch shots.

You get to choose you own custom mix.

Elongated Power for the ultimate baseline game and experienced singles players, Elongated Control for a two-handed player looking to add touch to their game, Quad Power for the best mix of power and control, and Quad Control for master dinkers and doubles players.

The trick is knowing your game and deciding if you want a paddle that complements your strengths as a player or one that compensates for your shortcomings.

 

GEARBOX PRO SERIES

As you can infer from the Series title, this line of paddles is packed with all the latest Gearbox innovations and is aimed at advanced and pro players.

Did you know that USA Pickleball (pickleball’s only regulatory agency) has added a “Quiet Category” in its paddle testing program?

As you probably know, pickleball tends to be quite a noisy sport, and some communities have expressed concerns with the ruckus it creates in some of their neighborhoods. That’s why some manufacturers have started producing noise-reducing paddles to meet the USAPA’s noise-reducing standards in communities where these are mandated.

Gearbox’s Pro Series has just added its first Quiet Approved paddle to the roster, the Pro Ultimate Elongated. First, this racquet is equipped with the proprietary Smart Dampen Technology. Without getting into too much technical detail on how it all works, by surrounding the Precision Core with a dampening ring, Gearbox says it is able to have its Pro Ultimate Elongated paddle make as muffed a sound as possible on contact with the ball without compromising performance.

Aside from the SST Core, Gearbox’s Pro Series offers its users many added benefits. For the Control paddles, the combination of the Flexplay on the face, the Precision Core, and Smart Dampen technologies is adjusted to favor control over the power game. That is what the paddle maker calls the Pro Control core. The opposite is true for Power paddles, where the head is tuned to deliver ultimate power, thanks to Gearbox’s Power Matrix.

Another high-end feature of the Pro Series is the TXR Surface Grip Technology, a textured coating that acts as a friction barrier on the paddle face to create effortless spin. And if you’re an experience pickleball player, you know something about the importance of spin!

The Pro Ultimate Elongated paddle also boasts a new enhanced Twist Weight, which helps expand the sweet spot and adds stability on off-center hits.

Pickleball Town offers two Pro Series models: the Pro Ultimate Elongated and the Pro Control paddles. The Pro Control paddle features an Integra (standard) head shape.

*Note: A recent ban of the original Gearbox Pro Power Elongated model for USAPA sanctioned events has been declared. This ban ONLY applies to that specific model, and Pickleball Town has eliminated it from our inventory.

 

If you’re one of those pickleball gear heads or simply are looking for that edge in your game, Gearbox offers a very attractive opportunity to experiment with revolutionary technological advancements in paddle design. As always, we encourage you to make your own research, either among your playing peers, your certified instructor, or online (reviews, product spec sheets).

The important thing to remember is you must first learn to understand your own game and figure out if your best path to improve is getting a paddle that suits your game or one that compensates for your weaknesses. From there, the choice of an appropriate paddle becomes a much simpler process.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Leave a comment
* Your email address will not be published
Free Shipping on order over $ 149 *
1-844-373-9998 (toll free)
Fast delivery
Easy returns