The Joola Hyperion and Joola Perseus are high-end pickleball paddles that have been endorsed by the professional pickleball player, Ben Johns. Except for obvious differences in paddle shape and grip material, what are the real differences between the paddles? Let’s see if the science can help answer this question.
Manufacturer's Specifications
An overview of the Joola manufacturer’s specifications for the two paddles is provided in Table 1 below. As evident, there do not appear to be any significant differences between the paddles other than the weight, shape, and grip type.
Table 1. Joola Paddle Specifications
Paddle Shape
The first and most obvious difference between the paddles is the shape. Joola claims that the Aero-Curve shape of the Hyperion paddle creates less drag and increases swing speed than (presumably) a conventional-shaped paddle. An approximation for the aerodynamic drag force (Fd) is given by the following equation:
Fd = 0.5 * Cd * A * ρair * v2
Where:
The air density, ρair, is assumed to be constant for both paddles.
Cd is the drag coefficient, which is usually determined experimentally in a wind tunnel. It is a function of the three-dimensional shape of the object, where airfoil shapes will tend to have lower drag coefficients than flat planar objects. The Hyperion and Perseus paddles should have about the same aerodynamic drag coefficient, as the curved upper edge of the Hyperion will not significantly reduce the turbulent boundary layer (vortex shedding) that forms off the edge of the paddle.
We discussed the swing velocity, v in a previous article where we found it to be most affected by the paddle swing weight. It is important to note that in the drag equation, the force increases with the velocity squared. As anyone who has ridden a bicycle knows, the faster you ride, the more energy goes into countering the aerodynamic drag force. Therefore, with all other things being equal, a higher swing speed will create more drag force, not less as the manufacturer has suggested.
A is frontal area of the paddle. If we overlay the shape of the Hyperion paddle on the Perseus paddle we see slight differences at the top of the paddle as shown in Figure 1. These differences find that the Perseus paddle has an area that is 0.94 sq in greater than the Hyperion paddle. It is therefore unlikely that differences in the shapes of the paddles will cause differences in aerodynamic drag force or swing speed.
Weight Characteristics
We analyzed the paddle weight characteristics as described in a previous article and compared them against an average of about 40 paddles. Results are shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2. Comparison of Paddles against Average
The static weight of both the Hyperion and Perseus are close to the average static weight. The paddles each have a swing radius and balance weight greater than the average, making them feel “head heavy”. The higher balance weights do not translate into higher recoil weights for either paddle, however. Both paddles would therefore be more prone to unwanted rotation when striking the ball, especially if the ball is hit off-axis. Since the swing weights of both paddles are greater than the average, they would feel more cumbersome and less maneuverable, and would have a slower swing speed than the average paddle.
Joola Control, Power, & Spin Ratings
Joola provides a unique and novel means of rating the control, power, and spin capability of their paddles by providing a numerical rating or ranking of each of their paddles. It is not clear, however, how Joola arrived at these numbers or if they were determined through objective testing or subjective evaluation. As shown in Table 3, the Hyperion paddle consistently ranks one point lower than the Perseus paddle for control, power, and spin.
Table 3. Joola Control, Power, & Spin Ratings
As we have discussed in several articles the power and control capabilities of a paddle should fall on a spectrum. That is, paddles that exhibit higher power will have lower control, and vice versa. There do not appear to be any explanations for how Joola provides the numerical ratings for their paddles, however, these ratings do not make sense. If the paddles are rated on a 0-100 scale, we would expect that a paddle that ranks high on the power scale would rank low on the control scale. That is, the sum of the power and control ratings should add up to 100. Paddles that have about equal power and control ratings would therefore have ratings in the 50s and would be classified as “hybrid” paddles.
Bending Stiffness
Pickleball Science has devised a technique based on a three-point bending test to better determine the control, power, and spin capabilities of paddles. Results from our on-going tests for several different paddles are summarized in our article, “Paddle Technical Comparisons”. Paddles with low bending stiffness are projected to have more power since they will have a more significant trampoline effect, which will launch the ball off of the paddle face. The lower bending stiffness also increases the effective contact area between the paddle and the ball and increases contact time, enabling greater spin capability. Because of their increased power and spin capabilities, lower stiffness paddles are considered to be “power” paddles. On the other hand, paddles with a higher bending stiffness will be more predictable and accurate, and are more forgiving if the ball is hit off the sweet spot. These paddles would be considered “control” paddles.
The average paddle bending stiffness was found to be about 924 lb/in, with a range (for non-EVA core paddles) of 730 lb/in to 1083 lb/in. The overall range was divided into thirds, with the average (middle) range being 854 – 982 lb/in, which defines “hybrid” paddles. Paddles with a bending stiffness in the lower range (less than 853 lb/in) are considered to be “power” paddles and those with a stiffness in the upper range (greater than 983 lb/in) are considered to be “control” paddles.
Bending stiffness test results for the Joola Hyperion and Perseus paddles are provided in Table 4. These results indicate that the Hyperion paddle has a bending stiffness that is slightly above average, and the Perseus paddle has among the lowest bending stiffness of the (non-EVA) paddles tested. The Hyperion paddle will therefore have average control, power, and spin capability and would be classified as a “hybrid” paddle. The Perseus paddle, on the other hand, will have high power and spin capability but low control capability and would be classified as a “power” paddle.
Table 4. Paddle Bending Stiffness Test Comparison
Overall Assessment
The Joola Hyperion and Joola Perseus paddles* are high-end top-of-the-line paddles that would be suitable for intermediate-to-advanced players. Although their static weight is about average, they each have a swing radius that is somewhat high, giving them a higher-than-average swing weight. The paddles will therefore swing heavy and feel cumbersome to maneuver for beginners and players with limited arm strength. The higher swing weight will also tend to reduce swing speed. The stiffer face of the Hyperion paddle coupled with the slower swing speed makes the Hyperion feel like it lacks power (in comparison to the Perseus). However, the lower face stiffness of the Perseus paddle makes up for the slower swing speed by providing noticeably more “pop” and topspin for serves and groundstrokes, and greater velocity for overhead smashes and hard volleys near the net. Both paddles will feel about the same for soft shots, including dinks and drop shots.
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