Friday pickleball paddles in Australia: the foam-core lineup explained

Friday Pickleball is the brand most Australian players have heard of but very few have actually tried. They built their name in the US on a single idea: foam-core paddles that play softer and more forgiving than the standard thermoformed carbon paddles dominating the rest of the market. That idea has translated cleanly into a focused lineup that we stock here at Pickld.

As of September 2026, Friday's AU range runs to six core paddles: the Aura and the Aura Pro, each available in Elongated, Hybrid and Widebody shapes. Same Gen 4 foam-core platform, six different ways to play. This guide walks the matrix (which model, which shape) and answers the question we get most often: do I want Elongated, Hybrid or Widebody?

What "foam-core" actually means (and why Friday went all-in on it)

Most paddles you'll see on Sydney courts use a polypropylene honeycomb core sandwiched between two carbon faces, sealed in a thermoformed shell. They're stiff, they pop hard, and they reward fast, confident hands. They also punish slightly late or off-centre hits: the ball flies before you can soften it.

Friday's Gen 4 platform replaces (or supplements) that honeycomb with injected foam. The result is a paddle that feels plusher on contact, holds the ball on the face a fraction longer, and absorbs more of the energy on soft shots, exactly what a kitchen-line dink or a third-shot drop needs. The trade-off is less raw pop than a stiff thermoform, which Friday addresses on the Aura Pro with a stiffer dual-foam core and a raw-carbon face. Every Friday paddle in our range is USAP approved: tournament-legal.

The Friday range at a glance

Two models (Aura vs Aura Pro = the feel), three shapes (Elongated, Hybrid or Widebody = how it sits in your hand). Pick the feel first, then the shape.

Alongside the six, we also carry the Friday Fever 102 Gen 3 at A$175 as the entry point into the brand, and limited-edition Aura Pro Elongated colourways at A$290 that come and go. This guide covers the six core paddles, which is where almost every decision actually gets made.

Friday Aura: A$215 (Elongated, Hybrid or Widebody)

The Aura is the softer of the two Friday models. EPP full-foam Gen 4 core, carbon/fibreglass hybrid face surface, ElasTECH perimeter weighting. The face bites the ball enough for genuine topspin without going stiff on contact.

What it does well, regardless of shape: plush resets, easy dinks, an unusually wide sweet spot for a paddle in this price bracket. We've handed it to a few 3.0‑4.0 club players in Sydney and the feedback is consistent: the soft game gets noticeably easier within a session or two, because the paddle isn't punishing every slightly late hand. Spin is there if you brush up on the ball; pop is modest by design.

The shape question for the Aura:

• Aura Elongated: longer face, narrower body, slightly shorter handle. Better reach on wide returns, more leverage on drives, fits a two-handed backhand. The pick if you cover a lot of court or have a tennis background. Colours: Black, Purple, Orange, Green.
• Aura Hybrid: slightly shorter face, slightly wider body, larger forgiving sweet spot. Faster hands at the kitchen, more stability on off-centre hits. The pick if your game is built around the soft game and net play. Colours: Black, Purple and Orange in stock, Green currently sold out.
• Aura Widebody: a full 8 inches across the face, the biggest sweet spot and the most forgiveness of the three Auras, on a softer quad-foam core. The pick if you want as much margin as possible on off-centre hits. Colours: Black, Purple, Red.

Same A$215 whichever shape you pick. The feel is identical. The shape changes where the paddle's strengths land on court.

Who the Aura is for: improving control players in the 3.0‑4.0 band who want their soft game to click sooner. Coaches and teaching pros often gravitate to this one too: the forgiveness lets students self-correct without the paddle eating their confidence.

Who it isn't for: anyone who already generates their own pace and wants a paddle that drives deep off the baseline. You'll find the Aura quieter than what you're used to, and that's exactly what we'd push you to the Aura Pro for.

Friday Aura Pro: A$275 (Elongated, Hybrid or Widebody)

The Aura Pro shares the same Gen 4 chassis but almost every other variable has been tuned for power and bite: dual-foam core (softer than thermoformed carbon, with a firm throat insert that keeps response direct), T700 raw carbon face for serious spin, swing weight 116 built to drive and attack, ElasTECH rubber perimeter for stability without going dead.

What it does well, regardless of shape: this is the foam-core paddle for players who don't want to give up power. The T700 raw carbon face bites hard for topspin, the dual-foam construction stays alive when you swing fast, and the heavier swing weight rewards a committed drive: it plays through the ball rather than collapsing on it. Touch is still there at the kitchen because of the foam, but the Pro asks for cleaner timing than the standard Aura.

The shape question for the Aura Pro:

• Aura Pro Elongated: maximum reach + drive leverage, narrower face. The pick if you're a baseline driver or singles player who wants every centimetre of reach. Colours: Black, Purple, Green.
• Aura Pro Hybrid: wider body, larger sweet spot, faster hands. The pick if you want the Pro's power but in a paddle that handles firefights at the kitchen and off-centre hits at the net. Better suited to a doubles-first game. Colours: Black, Purple, Green.
• Aura Pro Widebody: the widest shape in the range at a full 8 inches, biggest sweet spot, easiest stable power. The pick if you want the Pro's bite with the most forgiveness at the net. Colours: Black, Purple, Green.

Same A$275 whichever shape you pick. Same foam-core feel, same spin bite, same power. The shape changes where the paddle's strengths land.

Who the Aura Pro is for: 4.0+ players who already swing fast, want more spin and pop, and like the idea of a foam-core paddle for the touch shots without giving up baseline drives.

Who it isn't for: players still working on their reset game. The Pro will pop balls long if your hands aren't soft enough yet. Start with the standard Aura, then graduate.

Aura vs Aura Pro: the model decision in one line

Reset, dink, work the kitchen line, build your soft game → Aura. Already swing fast, want spin and pop, drive from the baseline → Aura Pro. A$60 separates them. Grips are identical 4.25”. The only thing that changes is how the paddle responds when you hit it: soft and forgiving, or stiff and direct.

For a deeper play-by-play comparison, read our Friday Aura & Aura Pro review.

Elongated, Hybrid or Widebody: the shape decision in one line

The shape choice is independent of the model. Pick Elongated if you value reach, drive leverage, and singles-style play. Pick Hybrid if you value forgiveness, hand speed at the kitchen, and a more balanced doubles game. Pick Widebody if you want the biggest sweet spot in the range and the most margin on mishits.

Elongated shape primer

Elongated paddles have a longer face (typically 16.5”) and a narrower body, with a shorter handle than a standard-shape paddle.

• More reach. An extra half-inch of paddle face is the difference between getting to a wide return and watching it bounce. For singles players or anyone who covers a lot of court, this matters.
• Better leverage on drives. The longer face puts more mass further from your hand, which translates to more power for the same swing, especially on third-shot drives and baseline groundstrokes.
• Two-handed backhand friendly. The narrower face and forward weight bias suit a two-handed backhand drive, closer to a tennis-style swing than a traditional paddle.
• Smaller sweet spot on the sides. The trade-off. A longer, narrower paddle concentrates the sweet spot more vertically; off-centre hits on the sides feel deader than on a hybrid.

Elongated suits players with some racquet-sport background (tennis, squash, badminton), aggressive baseline games, and anyone who values reach over forgiveness on the corners.

Hybrid shape primer

A Hybrid paddle sits between a traditional standard-shape paddle and a full elongated: typically around 16.3” long, a touch wider than an elongated, with a slightly shorter handle. It's the modern "do-everything" shape and has become the dominant choice for intermediate-to-advanced club players in Australia over the last 18 months.

• Larger, more forgiving sweet spot than a pure elongated: off-centre hits on the sides still feel alive.
• Most of the reach of an elongated, but not all of it.
• Better hand speed at the kitchen than a long elongated: less paddle to rotate.
• Balanced for both singles and doubles: the shape doesn't push you one way or the other.

Hybrid suits players who play mostly doubles, prioritise the soft game and kitchen-line play, and want a paddle that's forgiving on off-centre hits without giving up much reach.

Widebody shape primer

A Widebody is the shortest and widest of the three, a full 8 inches across the face. You give up reach and you get back the largest, most forgiving hitting zone in the range.

• Biggest sweet spot. The extra width sits exactly where mishits land, so a block caught away from the middle still finds the court.
• Fastest hands. Less paddle out in front of your grip means less to rotate in a kitchen-line firefight.
• Easiest stable power. The width plus the ElasTECH perimeter keeps the head from twisting, so pace off-centre stays on line.
• Least reach. The trade-off. If you cover a lot of court or play singles, the elongated still wins.

Widebody suits doubles players who live at the net, and anyone who mishits more often than they'd like and wants the paddle to cover for it.

Want a Hybrid paddle but not the Friday foam-core feel?

Friday's foam-core feel is distinctive: some players love it, some prefer a stiffer thermoformed response. If you've decided Hybrid is the right shape for your game but you'd rather a more traditional paddle feel, three Hybrid options we stock from other brands:

• Six Zero Coral 16mm, A$275. Tectonic Core Suspension, Diamond Tough textured carbon face, swing weight 114. Plush and connected on soft shots, stable on off-centre hits. Save 12% with the SIXZERO12 code at checkout.
• Six Zero Black Opal, A$350. G4 aerospace solid foam core, Carbon Lite frame, 14mm thickness that plays like 16mm. The Hybrid flagship if you want maximum pop without going to a stiff thermoform. SIXZERO12 also applies.
• JOOLA Kosmos Pro V 16mm, A$469. JOOLA's hybrid at 16.3 by 7.7 inches, sitting between the elongated Perseus frame and the wider Scorpeus body. Honeycomb Propulsion core, KineticFrame throat, textured carbon face. Stiffer and poppier than either Six Zero, and in stock now.

For the full Six Zero range and how to choose between them, our Six Zero dealer guide walks through every paddle in the lineup. The Coral vs Black Opal head-to-head is the right read if those two are your Hybrid shortlist.

Buying Friday paddles in Australia

Quick context for anyone weighing up Pickld vs ordering Friday direct from the US:

• Stock: all six core Friday paddles are in our Sydney warehouse right now, dispatched same or next business day.
• Delivery: 1 to 3 business days metro, 3 to 7 regional. Free Australian shipping over A$150.
• Warranty: handled domestically. If you have an issue with a Friday paddle, you deal with us, not international shipping back to the US.
• Returns: 30-day no-questions returns on unused paddles.
• Pricing: Friday paddles are RRP-locked globally, so you'll see the same price wherever you buy. The difference is dispatch speed, warranty handling, and not paying international postage if something goes wrong.

The short version

Pick the model first (feel), then the shape (fit):

• Building your soft game, 3.0‑4.0 player, want forgiveness → Aura. Then choose Elongated for reach, Hybrid for forgiveness plus kitchen speed, or Widebody for the biggest sweet spot. A$215 whichever you pick.
• 4.0+ player, fast hands, want power and spin → Aura Pro. Then choose Elongated for baseline drives, Hybrid for all-court attack, or Widebody for the most forgiving power. A$275 whichever you pick.

Have a question on which Friday is right for you? Email us at support@pickld.com.au. We play the game ourselves and we'll give you a straight answer.

Browse the full Friday range or our complete paddle catalogue.