TechTalk with PROLITE Sports: The Hyperweave LXII Series
by kellyfrazier88 on Mar 2, 2022
PROLITE's new LX Series paddles set a new standard in woven carbon fiber. Dynamic performance, cutting-edge design and stunning colored carbon fiber combine with increased comfort to create a line of new paddles that deliver luxury in both feel and looks. Learn what PROLITE has to say about their exciting new LX Series.
The new LX Series uses new face materials. What's the difference between the previous Black Diamond series and the new LX carbon fiber weave?
The one small similarity when comparing the Black Diamond Series to the LX Series is that it involves carbon fiber, but that's about it. The LX Series is completely different. The face of the LX Series is composed of a total of three layers of carbon fiber surrounding the paddle's core. The first two layers atop the core are Toray UD carbon fiber, which adds increased strength and rigidity to the paddle. Then, the actual carbon fiber making contact with the ball is our new proprietary Hyperweave Carbon Fiber. It is an even tighter carbon fiber cross-weave. To give it the added luxurious look, the cross-weave is interwoven with gold or silver fibers, depending on the color you choose. When striking the ball, it feels pure and flush, like hitting the perfect drive off of the tee.
These paddles don’t seem to have a lot of texture on the surface, can they still spin the ball?
The surface appears less textured to the naked eye. However, you can feel some texture with your fingertips, but it does not involve grit. It is an extremely tightly woven carbon fiber, interwoven with gold or silver fibers, enhancing the overall strength of the paddle. The dwell time is longer than with most paddles. Very controllable, but with the three-layered structure of the surface, the LX paddles deliver even more power and action than the Black Diamond Series. It's not even close. Power, dwell time, pure at impact and woven carbon fibers all help to enhance your ability to spin and maneuver the ball. With woven carbon fiber, the hairs of the fiber continue to fray as you play, which is a good thing. This adds even more grab to the ball.
Each paddle in the lineup has a different shape. How does the shape of the paddle affect how the paddle plays?
As we see many new players coming into pickleball, we have to consider their backgrounds. Most have a background in another sport, often racquet sports. This results in different preferences for balance points, weight distribution and swing weight. This is no different from how we evaluate our paddles and the of performance characteristics they have. Each shape displays different weight locations. The Rebel Pro LX and the Supernova Pro LX both have head-weighted distribution. The Rebel Pro XLT carries more weight in the end of the paddle toward the handle, creating more whipping action. The Titan Pro is probably the most overall evenly balanced paddle in the lineup. All have exceptional precision in shot-making and can create power in different areas of the paddle.
The Rebel Pro XLT is a new shape for your lineup. What led to adding a new shape?
We decided to address the need for a longer-handled paddle in our lineup. What better way to bring a new paddle into the mix than to utilize one of our all-time top selling paddles, the Rebel. Besides, we feel that the name in itself ('Rebel') identifies our brand. We increased the handle length to 5.25” and utilized the Rebel dimensions, but shortened the overall length of the head. We kept the tapered neck though, which is important. When hitting a two-handed backhand, many players will bring that index finger of the top hand onto the paddle face. With a tapered neck, it fits almost perfectly on the paddle face. We wanted players coming from tennis (but really any background) to have the ability to easily bring their two-handed backhand into their pickleball game. A longer handle creates more of a whipping action, bringing more speed and velocity to your shots, especially groundstrokes.
The core of the Rebel XLT paddle is 14mm, whereas many paddles are either 13mm or 16mm. What's the advantage of 14mm?
For starters, we embrace being different. Both 13mm and 16mm paddles have been made for years, including by us. After analyzing test results of both, we noticed a few things; 13mm paddles had a solid feel, but noticeable unnecessary vibration. 16mm paddles were highly absorbent of vibration and the ball, but lost power. With a 14mm core, we accomplished an overall thickness that brings the world of power and control together into one series, not multiple series across a line. After thorough play testing and analysis by numerous players on our team and staff, we found that our 14mm core provides the ultimate sweet spot in paddle thickness. We brought this thickness first to the pickleball paddle industry when we launched the PowerSpin 2.0 Series. Players don't want to have to buy one paddle for control and another for power; understandably they want it all in one.
Why did you decide to come out with PROLITE Edge Tape Armor?
There are many reasons we decided to develop our Edge Tape Armor. However, to keep it straight forward, we notice that most players develop wear and tear on their edge guards as well as their edgeless paddles. Edge guards protect the integrity of the structure and if your paddle has no edge guard, almost all of them develop chips and scratches.
We saw some players buy colored electrical tape to run it along the edge, but that did not really protect it as much as it could. So we developed our own Edge Tape Armor strips that come branded with PROLITE and even made some that do not. Why?....because not everyone swings a PROLITE and we understand that. They still may want to have edge tape on their paddle, and who could blame them. Edge tape contrasts nicely with the graphics of a paddle. Makes it look sharp! It makes it their own, individual paddle!
Anything else you’d like to tell us about PROLITE?
The world of pickleball is growing rapidly and we could not be happier watching it grow among all ages. As it grows, we do as well. We're looking at many avenues for bringing new technology to the sport of pickleball. This includes not only paddles, but many other products that we feel can be improved upon to create the ultimate experience for pickleball players at their local courts, tournaments, and family gatherings. Studying, researching, testing, and always evolving... gotta’ love this game!
Still not sure which one you should get or want to know more about a certain paddle? Call us at 1-888-854-0163. Nothing makes us happier than helping you find a paddle that fits your game. Buy with confidence, knowing you have a 30-day test drive to make sure it works on the courts – where it counts.
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