Why 11six24's Paddles Are a Game Changer for Players

When you read about how 11six24 came to be, you'd be quite impressed by David Groechel's Jellybean story. This isn't a story about a lucky person, but someone who made luck into a skill. The more important aspect of 11six24's origin story is that David was not willing to accept the soaring prices of pickleball paddles as the norm. This led to him pursuing a career in developing affordable paddles with premium performance, hence the motto: "Never Compromise"

Shapes

Let's talk shapes. In the pickleball world, there are many different shapes of paddles. Instead of being tossed in the whirlwind of all the fancy and/or eccentric looking paddles, stick to the three defaults: Widebody, Elongated, & Hybrid

Starting with the widebody shape, which is sometimes synonymously used as 'standard'. It's easily recognizable for its greater width than length. However, it is often underhyped due to the popularity of longer shapes (more on that later). People conflate widebody as "no power". The truth is, the top end power is given up for more controllability. Unleashing that top end power is not an easy task. Yet, you will find beginners to pickleball have the overconfidence that they are capable of activating such power consistently. Spoiler alert, people rated 4.0 and below are not capable. In the 11six24 lineup, the Pegasus is the widebody shape. This shape offers a large 'sweet spot', id est the area of the surface where upon contact with the ball produces the best combination of power, control, and minimal vibration. This is a very great shape for anyone who loves fast rally battles, hitting back and forth quickly. When it comes to other shapes, where the sweet spot is smaller, players often have to be precise in their shots, taking more mental energy worrying about striking the ball correctly. The Pegasus shape reduces that worry significantly and allows players to focus on just catching and returning the whiffleball to their opponent(s). This shape is a favorite of certain pros who enjoy the kitchen battle, because of its ease of maneuverability. It should also be a favorite of beginners and intermediate players who can keep their focus on hand battles, instead of thinking about the sweetspot. Where it gives the player more control, it sacrifices some of the top end power and reach, compared to the other two shapes. This is probably my second favorite shape of the three.

On the other end of the power-to-control spectrum is the elongated shape, also endearingly called the "pro shape". Many professional pickleball players certainly prefer the elongated shape, because they can consistently strike the ball on the small sweetspot (c'mon they are pros, of course they'll be consistent), and enjoy the extra reach the shape offers. Previously, I had the arrogance to believe I can wield the likes of a Joola Perseus and Paddletek TKO-C paddle. I can't say I win many matches, but I certainly look cool in my own head playing pickleball. This shape is a favorite of former tennis players, because it shares similar feel for the sweet spot. In the 11six24 line, the elongated shape is called HURACHE-X. This shape differs slightly from traditional elongated paddles with a more rounded out top, rather than a flat top. The difference may affect aerodynamicism (at least from what elongated enjoyers have suggested). Another difference is that the Hurache-X offers a 5"75 - 6" length handle. Typically, paddle brands offer anything around 5"5. The extra length allows for even better reach than the shape is already offering. For most players, these are welcomed features. For me and my small hands, this makes it only my third favorite shape.

I am currently maining the Pegasus Alpha Pro Power.

Power

In pickleball, I believe that power is often most useful during serves, drives, overheads and any put-aways. At the beginner level, I could possibly string a series of points from just my service game, because of honing my power into deep serves. I am also capable of delivering deep returns. These elements are why I need some of the 'fire power' of a power paddle. No cap! It's really satisfying to hit a winner. However, as I progressed in pickleball, I've come to learn that fire power gets neutralized easily by better players, and by the small dimensions of a court. On the other end of the power paddle spectrum is the control category. These are actually the most useful paddles to develop great fundamentals. As any strong pickleball player can show you, you can still generate plenty of power with a well-placed hit on a control paddle. This is not to say that control paddles are superior. When you're facing opponents of equal skill and solid fundamentals, fire power becomes a tiebreaker. So, let's look at what 11six24 offers us!

At the control side of paddles, the 11six24 signature line of Jellybeans offers a nice blend of control and weight. This paddle is also very durable within a world where paddles are core crushing or experiencing other issues. This is both a great introductory paddle to pickleball, while also having the capability of winning your tournaments. To keep it simple, the feel of the paddle is a bit of stiffness and solid feel on hits. Players who want to feel connected to their paddle will enjoy this sensation, because it can give timely feedback of how hard or soft they need to hit the whiffleball with.

The next line of power level is known as the All-Courts. This line of paddle used to be considered power category, but paddle technology has advanced so rapidly, the power levels have shifted. All courts give a blend of control and power. This level of power is still enjoyed by many players up to professional levels. In this 11six24 line, this would've probably been my preferred starter paddle, had I discovered this brand early. The All-Court offers a bump in fire power, while maintaining a high degree of control in soft games. The reaction of the ball off the face of the paddle feels really good due to the change of the face-lay up to be FCC (with fiberglass layer being closer to the core of the paddle). I enjoy a plushness in a paddle and this line offers exactly that. The plush feeling, or dwell, gives me the ability to place the ball where I want - as if I'm holding onto the ball and gently throwing it. The founder of 11six24, David Groechel, calls this the "Lexus" of paddles: affordable, comfortable, and high-quality performance. This line of paddle, unfortunately, did not receive much attention as it was released during the power paddle revolution. However, it remains a high-quality product, and I still bring out my Pegasus All-Court from time to time.

Now, we are approaching the Power Series of the 11six24 paddles. They are perhaps the most popular line of paddles for this company. In the arms race for power paddles, the 11six24 power series offer two things that many high premium paddles did not (I'm talking Joola, Paddletek, Proton, etc.): durability and controllable power. The reception of the Vapor Power was so positive, that the paddle was sold out in less than a week. During 2024, many popular paddles have achieved extraordinary power, but at the cost of durability. The dreaded "Core crushing" plagued many of the Gen 2 paddles, and that issue was not resolved with the Gen 3 ones. At least, not the early released paddles. Due to the frequency of core crush with the premium high priced paddles, consumers have developed both an anxiety and mistrust. Enter David Groechel and his R&D to not only maintain the positives of Gen3 paddles (lightweight, bigger sweet spot, more power), he increased the durability significantly. There have been fewer reports of early core crushing with the 11six24 Power Series than many of the expensive paddle brands. So, what's not to love about these paddles? Get yours today.

The latest line (as of 2025) was released a few months after the Power Series. David considered them to be a foundation for a future design, at the same time, developed the Alpha Pro Power (APP) series of 11six24 paddles. Combining the softer feel of the All-Court face layup with the firepower of the Power Series, these paddles epitomize the moniker of Controlled Power Paddles. One does not need to sacrifice control or power to have an ideal paddle. I very much love the Vapor Alpha Pro Power and it is my main paddle for many months now. The same durability that is found in the Power Series is also embedded within the APP. These are definitely on the higher range in price, relative to 11six24's paddle, but still significantly less expensive than the big brands. I invite you to try these paddles out for the ultimate experience of paddle balance.