The JOOLA Perseus Power FX is JOOLA’s first full-foam paddle. It takes the Perseus, JOOLA’s elongated shape, and builds it around EPP foam from the core out. This is a first look, not a review: nobody at Pickld has hit one yet, and we are so excited to get our hands on it. So here is what JOOLA has built, what the first people to swing it are saying, and who we think it suits.
What the Power FX actually is
JOOLA took what it calls its patented propulsion core, extended it, and built it around EPP foam. Full foam means there is no honeycomb anywhere in the core, and it is why JOOLA calls this its first full-foam paddle rather than its first foam paddle: the Pro V already has foam around its edge walls. On top sits what JOOLA describes as an optimised surface layup with a higher grit finish. It launches in one shape, the 16mm Perseus, and one colourway, Daydream, with more colourways to follow.
JOOLA’s own explanation of the core is a good one, so we will borrow it: “A longer diving board bends further and launches higher.” JOOLA says the core loads on contact and springs forward, handing the energy back to the ball. More pace for the same swing is the pitch.
JOOLA also took its time getting here. “We waited until it felt right,” is how JOOLA puts it, and Austin Kim, JOOLA’s Director of Product, says this is the first one where “both power and the feel showed up in the same paddle.”
If “full foam” is new language to you, it is worth ten minutes. Foam cores behave differently to honeycomb polymer cores, and we unpacked the whole vocabulary in what paddle jargon actually means.
The specs, as JOOLA publishes them
| Core | EPP foam around JOOLA’s extended propulsion core |
| Thickness | 16mm |
| Shape | Perseus (elongated) |
| Average weight | 8.0 oz (about 227g) |
| Length | 16.5 in (about 419mm) |
| Width | 7.5 in (about 191mm) |
| Handle length | 5.5 in (about 140mm) |
| Grip circumference | 4.125 in (about 105mm) |
| Face | Higher grit, optimised surface layup |
| Colourway | Daydream |
| Price | $289.95 AUD |
Just so you know what is missing: JOOLA has not published a swing weight, a twist weight or a face material for the Power FX, and nobody has published independent measurements yet. We would rather leave those out than guess. When they exist, we will add them here.
If you are weighing up what 8 oz feels like on court, our guide to paddle weight covers it, and 14mm vs 16mm: which core to buy covers the thickness.
What JOOLA built it to do
We have not played it, so read this as JOOLA’s intent, not our verdict. JOOLA is after three things.
Power first. JOOLA says the Power FX is built for players who put power first, and it points the Pro V at players who generate their own pace and want maximum control and precision. So inside JOOLA’s own range, the Power FX is the power pick and the Pro V is the control pick.
A face built to grab. JOOLA describes the finish as a higher grit surface. It has not published a spin number, and we are not going to invent one.
A bigger sweet spot, JOOLA says. There is no measurement behind that yet, so treat it as JOOLA’s claim until someone puts one on a rig. JOOLA is also upfront that longevity is not the pitch: its own FAQ says the difference with this paddle is in feel and playstyle.
What people are saying so far
First impressions are just landing. The Power FX was released in the US on 30 September, so the hands-on coverage is days old, and nobody has published lab numbers or a durability test yet. Here is what exists.
John Kew posted his first hits on 25 September and called it “a stiff, loud power paddle with a much more aggressive surface texture.” He is still testing, and says his full measurements are still to come.
The Kitchen crew demoed it at the JOOLA Pickleball Celebration in Orlando and wrote on 21 September that “the power definitely stood out.”
Read those together and you get a clear picture of who this is for. Stiff and loud is not a flaw on a power paddle, it is the point: firm, punchy, lively, and you will hear it. If that is what you want off the face, this is your kind of paddle. If you like soft and quiet, it probably is not, and we will happily point you at one that is.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
We have filed the Power FX under intermediate and professional, elongated and power. That means players who already have the hands for an elongated shape and want pace from the back of the court: serves, returns and drives. If you play a Perseus now, want more pace off the face and like a firm, lively feel, it is the obvious next one to look at.
Skip it if you are new to the game. An elongated face gives you reach and leverage, but in our view it narrows your margin in fast hands battles, and a power paddle is harder to keep low while you are still learning to dink. Skip it too if your game is patient and built around the kitchen: JOOLA itself points players who want maximum control and precision at the Pro V. Our guide to paddle shapes is the place to start if you are not sure which shape suits you.
How it sits in JOOLA’s Perseus range
Perseus Heat Vision 16mm, $159.95. The same elongated Perseus shape for a lot less, with thermoforming from the handle through the neck and JOOLA’s SK Film between the surface and the core to cut vibration. It is not full foam. If you want the Perseus shape for less, it is genuinely good enough.
Perseus Pro V, $469. JOOLA’s Gen 5 Perseus, with the KineticFrame throat and a textured carbon fibre face. It is the dearest way to buy the Perseus shape, and the Power FX comes in about $180 under it. We wrote it up properly in our Perseus Pro V review, and the Pro V buying guide walks through the whole Pro V family.
The Power FX sits between the two on price and is the only full-foam paddle of the three. For the rest of the line, from entry paddles to the Pro V family, see our guide to the full JOOLA range in Australia.
Getting one
The Power FX is $289.95 AUD, the same as JOOLA Australia’s own price.
First stock is due this week: order now and yours comes from the first shipment.
Free shipping over $150 in Australia, or local pickup if you are nearby. JOOLA’s Australian warranty runs six months, or twelve if you register the paddle in the JOOLA Infinity app within 14 days, so do that the day it arrives. The full terms are on JOOLA Australia’s site, and any claim comes to us first.
Our take, for now
On paper, this is JOOLA going full foam on its elongated shape and building it for power, at about $180 under the Pro V. The first hands-on look calls it stiff, loud and aggressive on the face, which is exactly what a power player should want to hear. If you play an elongated power game and like a firm, lively paddle, put it on your list. If you want soft and quiet, or a paddle to learn on, it is not the one. We will add our own hands-on section to this page once we have hit it.
Not sure it suits how you play? Write to support@pickld.com.au and tell us what you are playing now. We will tell you straight whether the Power FX is a step up, or whether you would be happier where you are.
Ben & Chris
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