11SIX24 Pickleball, Inc. is a pickleball equipment supplier established in 2023 that is based in Charlotte, NC. Their goal is to provide affordable, high-quality, and durable paddles that are suitable for a wide range of skill levels. In this article, we will review their line of Hurache-X paddles, which come in three different power levels, including their Power, All-Court (hybrid), and Jelly Bean (control) paddles.
Design Features
Besides changes in colors and labels, the exteriors of the Hurache-X paddles appear to be identical. They each have the identical elongated shape shown in Figure 1. They are slightly oblong where the width at the bottom of the face is about 7.0” and the width at the top of the face is about 7.5”. The total length of the paddles is about 16.5” with a 6-inch handle. The paddle face sheets consist of two layers of raw Toray T700 carbon fiber with a single layer of fiberglass, designed to give the paddle a high but lightweight stiffness with increased durability.
The interiors of the Hurache-X paddles have slight differences in design and construction that affect the performance of each paddle as follows.
- The interior of the Power paddle has a 16 mm thick polypropylene honeycomb core that is surrounded by a soft foam inserted around the edges of the paddle. This enables the core to essentially “float” against the paddle edges. We discussed this effect in a previous article. The edges of the paddle are reinforced with carbon fiber to stiffens the “frame” of the paddle in a manner similar to a tennis racquet. The face sheets, edges, and core are then bonded together in a thermoforming process.
- The interiors of the All-Court (hybrid) and Jelly Bean (control) paddles consist of a 16 mm thick polypropylene honeycomb core with a stiffer foam inserted around the edges for reinforcement. It is likely that the stiffer foam is used to enable the edge to be reinforced without use of carbon fiber. The face sheets, edges, and core are then bonded together in a hot molding process.
Static Characteristics
The static weight and stiffness characteristics of the Hurache-X paddles were measured following the procedures outlined in a previous article. These characteristics are compared to the average of about 100 paddles in Table 1.
Table 1. Static Weight & Stiffness
The balance weight, recoil weight, and swing weight characteristics indicate that the 11SIX24 paddles will feel heavier than the average paddle. This is due in part to the fact that the oblong shape of the paddle face moves the paddle center of mass (cG) further from handle (or pivot point). The twist weights are slightly lower due to the presence of foam on the edges and the face tapered profiles.
The face and core stiffness measurements of the 11SIX24 paddles appear to be greater than the average. This is due in part to the testing techniques we employed, where the face and core stiffnesses were measured near the center of the paddles. In general, we found that the 11SIX24 paddles have a high static stiffness at the paddle center, and are compliant at the edges. This would tend to make the paddle face to behave more like a trampoline, thereby increasing paddle reactivity. The throat stiffness of the Power paddle appears to be lower than the average due to the presence of foam on the edge of the throat. This should not be of major concern as we will see when we measure the paddle diving board vibration modes.
Dynamic Characteristics
Modal impulse tests were performed on the 11SIX24 paddles following the methodology described in our previous article, Paddle Reactivity Rankings. As we discussed, the paddle trampoline mode is responsible for providing the “pop” or reactivity of the paddle. Figure 2 shows an animation of the Power paddle’s trampoline vibration mode. As we will discuss in a future post, this vibration shape is desirable, where the maximum amplitude occurs at the center of the paddle where the ball strikes, and the edges of the paddle remain somewhat rigid, in a manner similar to a tennis racquet or trampoline.
Figure 2. 11SIX24 Power Paddle Trampoline Mode
Figure 3 shows the dynamic (impulse) response when the ball strikes the paddle at the geometric center of the face. The first small peaks in the 300 – 400 Hz range correspond to the paddle diving board modes. This verifies that the diving board modes are not too important since their amplitudes are low. The higher amplitude peaks in the 700 – 800 Hz range correspond to the paddle trampoline modes. Greater reactivity can be realized if the trampoline modes occur at lower frequencies. As indicated, the Power paddle has a lower trampoline frequency than either the All-Court or Jelly Bean paddles. This would indicate that the Power paddle has greater reactivity than the other two. Even though their trampoline modes occur at about the same frequency, the All-Court paddle will have greater reactivity than the Jelly Bean because its amplitude at resonance is greater.
Curiously, the USAP official test results for the 11SIX24 paddles shows that PBCoR of the Power paddle is 0.39, whereas the PBCoR of the All Court and Jelly Bean paddles have a higher PBCoR 0.41. This result is counter-intuitive because it indicates that both the All Court and Jelly Bean paddles have greater reactivity (or power) than the Power paddle. Numerous skilled players have compared the 11SIX24 paddles and all agree that the Power paddle has more power and spin capability than either the All Court or Jelly Bean paddles. It is unclear why the USAP PBCoR test does not correlate with our modal impulse tests or with player experience.
Overall Assessment
The 11SIX24 pickleball paddles* are of high quality and come in three different power levels and price ranges to suit a wide variety of intermediate-level players who want performance without spending a lot on their paddle.
- At the lower end of the 11SIX24 price spectrum, the Jelly Bean paddle, which retails for about $100 USD** can provide predictable performance and good control. This paddle might be suitable for an advanced beginner-to-intermediate level player who is working on consistency in shot placement and accuracy, but has not yet mastered the technique of adding spin to their shots.
- In the middle of the 11SIX24 price spectrum, the All-Court paddle, which retails for about $150 USD** can provide a good balance between power, control, and spin. It has greater reactivity than the Jelly Bean and also provides a high degree of predictability and control. This paddle might be suitable for an intermediate-level player who might occasionally over-hit the ball.
- At the top of the 11SIX24 price spectrum, the Power paddle, which retails for about $170 USD** can generate significant power and spin. It has the highest reactivity among the 11SIX24 paddles, and would be suitable for an intermediate-to-advanced level player who understands the mechanics of spin and finesse shots.
* Disclosure: Some of the embedded links in our website are affiliate links, meaning that at no cost to you, Pickleball Science will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Purchase of merchandise through these affiliate links will help support the Pickleball Science website so that we can continue to provide meaningful content to our readers.
** Prices are accurate as of the publication date of this article, and are subject to change by the manufacturer or 3rd party seller. Readers are advised to consult with the manufacturer or 3rd party seller to obtain the latest prices.
For the 11SIX24 paddles, our readers will get a $10.00 USD discount on their paddle by applying the discount code, PSCIENCE10 when they check out.
