Paddle rules vs paddle tech: USA Pickleball's new spin test, rising power and a HexGrit licensing deal

Paddle makers are in a race with the rule book, and three stories from the past three weeks show where it stands. USA Pickleball changed how it limits spin on October 1. A testing site published numbers suggesting approved paddles are as powerful as the ones that were once banned. And one paddle brand decided to license a rival's surface instead of building its own. Together they explain why the next year of paddle news will be about surfaces and test methods.

USA Pickleball swaps its spin limit for a spin measurement

For years, USA Pickleball regulated spin indirectly. It capped how rough a paddle face could be and how much friction it created. The idea was simple: a grippier surface makes more spin, so limit the grip. According to a guide from Pickler Junction published October 18, that link stopped being reliable. New surfaces and constructions could produce a lot of spin without exceeding the roughness or friction limits, while some textured faces could exceed the limits without producing unusual spin.

The new rule, in effect October 1, 2026, measures the spin itself. USA Pickleball developed the system with Image Systems, a motion analysis company. Two high-speed cameras and software track how fast a special test ball rotates after contact, and a paddle submitted for new certification can produce no more than 2,100 revolutions per minute. Roughness and friction are still measured and recorded, but they are no longer the upper limits.

Three practical points follow from the guide. First, paddles approved before October 1 do not need to be replaced, because a certified paddle must meet the standards in effect when it was approved. USA Pickleball can still take compliance action for other reasons. Second, the limit matches the 2,100 RPM figure already used by UPA-A, the certification body tied to the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, though the two certifications are separate and players should check the exact model on the list they need. Third, a 2,100 RPM cap in a lab does not mean every player will make 2,100 RPM. Swing speed, paddle angle and contact all matter.

The guide also notes what could change. Because roughness and friction no longer set the ceiling, makers have more room to experiment with surface designs, including more durable ones, as long as the finished paddle stays under the spin limit.

Power has kept rising anyway

Spin is one problem. Power is another, and a report from Pickleball Effect, summarized by The Dink on October 15, suggests it has not been solved. When USA Pickleball introduced its PBCoR test in early 2025, the Ronbus Ripple Beta was one of the first paddles to fail it. Pickleball Effect founder Braydon Unsicker compared that paddle with the Mark UnMarked 2026, one of the hardest-hitting approved paddles today.

The measured numbers were close. The Ripple Beta registered 57.2 mph of power and 37.9 mph of pop, and the UnMarked 2026 registered 57.8 mph of power and 37.4 mph of pop. According to the site's database, 19 approved paddles now match or exceed the Ripple Beta's power, though only two match or exceed its pop. Average measured paddle power rose from 53.5 mph in 2022 to 56.7 mph in 2026, a gain of about 6 percent, and the median rose too, which suggests the trend is broad.

The report's author, Matt Reny, put it this way: "That's engineering to a standard, not breaking it." PBCoR measures how a ball rebounds off a paddle under controlled conditions. It does not directly measure how hard a player can hit a full-swing drive. By adjusting construction, stiffness and weight distribution, brands can increase full-swing power while staying inside the limit. That does not mean anyone is cheating. It means one test cannot capture everything players feel. The report also says newer balls can add to faster play, and Pickleball Effect acknowledges its database is not a perfect scientific sample of all paddles.

A licensing deal in the grit race

The third story is about surfaces. Durable spin is the thing every brand wants: a face that bites on day one and still bites six months later. On October 15, The Dink reported that Volair is licensing 11SIX24's HexGrit rather than developing its own grit. Volair CEO Ryan Cohen said his team could have built its own, "but we would rather work with HexGrit as it is already established in the market as the best long-lasting grit." 11SIX24 founder David Groechel said it "validates the technology." Terms are not public. 11SIX24 has filed a patent application related to HexGrit, and Groechel did not rule out other partnerships.

The first paddle is the Volair CMD HYB, Dylan Frazier's signature model. Regan Family Pickleball reports a $179.99 pre-order price with shipping expected November 1, 2026, a 16mm hybrid with a floating EPP foam core and T700 carbon face, at 7.85 ounces, with Volair-published swing weight 111 and twist weight 6.4. The same review says Volair lists the paddle as approved, but on October 16 it did not appear on USA Pickleball's approved list, which is worth checking before you buy for tournament play. The reviewer also notes that "months down the road" durability is the brand's claim, since he found no published long-term wear test, and he discloses discount-code and territory-manager ties to brands in the story.

What it means for buyers

Taken together, the stories point to a few buying rules. Check the approval list for the exact model, especially for new releases. Treat durable-grit claims as claims until independent wear tests appear. Expect paddles to keep getting more capable inside the rules, because the rules measure specific things and makers will build to them. And remember that a paddle's published numbers come from different sources: the maker, a lab, or a reviewer. Knowing which one you are reading is half of choosing well.

Sources checked 20 Oct 2026.