Enhance DUO Review: The Evolution of Full Foam Technology

It's finally time for me to put down my thoughts of the ONC/DUO in words.

The DUO is the next advancement in ENHANCE PB line of paddles after they entered the full foam market with the predecessor, the Enhance Gen 4.5. The Gen 4.5 received a slew of critiques and mostly targeted at the paddle's appearance. Once you get beyond the look, the paddle actually performs quite well as a high end All Court.

The DUO is the evolution of their foam technology, with an innovative design that is unlike the more common floating core in the sea of foam paddle. This innovation allowed for increase in power and stability while giving users the familiar audible feedback of a Gen3. The Enhance team has heard that one of the main reasons some players were hesitant to switch from Gen 3 to Gen 4, was due to the change in the audio. The DUO is created to give players all that they would want without compromise. The result is truly successful.

Image via Enhance Pickleball

First Impressions

At the time when I tested the Elongated DUO, I was also trying out the newly dropped BnB Loco. The Loco was a great paddle in its own right, giving players the highest end of power and spin, while still being friendly to control; unlike the Boomstick. It would've been very hard for me to be impressed with anything else. However, once I took the Duo out, I couldn't help but be surprisingly impressed.

Starting with the design, the whole paddle feels like a luxury equipment. The paddle cover felt extremely well made, with careful thoughts and stitching. The paddle's face and edge guard stands out as pleasant to the eyes. But, let's talk about it's performance.

On-Court Performance

Initial Feel & Balance

On first drill test, I immediately noticed that the paddle felt more balanced than the head heavy Loco. It made my hands maneuvering feel quick and flowy. When the paddle strikes the ball, there is a dense and pocketing feel to the paddle. The spin was also good to above average, not elite.

The true surprise came in gameplay.

1. Serve & Drives

The power of the Duo shines in the fact that it doesn't give off a destructive power vibe (like the Boomstick, Loco, and Joola Pro 4), but instead felt like a laser or missile with pin point accuracy. It was very easy to direct the shots where I am envisioning.

2. Resets, Blocks and Counters

I think the paddle being balanced feel it's easy enough to move the paddle to where the ball flies. It does have the characteristics of an elongated paddle, so the pop level is quite low. If you don't input some swing, your hits might not cross the net.

3. Dink and Kitchen

For an elongated shape, this paddle is on the moderate side of speed; which is to say better than most head heavy elongated. The softness of the paddle allows for ease of directing shots left and right. There is a bit overage on generating top spin, if the player doesn't have good technique. In hands exchange, this paddle shines again where the player can hit without the fear of over hitting too often (assuming you have good self control). I'm not saying it hits the hardest, but the dense and pocketing feel gives me great confidence of 'catch and throw', better than the reactiveness of a Loco.

Widebody Version

A month later, I also received the Widebody Duo. Many of the control and power features are similar to the description of above, with the exception of a lowered raw power and increase in handspeed in the kitchen and increased sweetspot. The widebody plays extremely well in stock form. Many reviewers raved about how complete the paddle feels without any modification.

For fun, I added about 12g (6 on each side of 3&9 o'clock) perimeter weights. I tried to do the famous MOI set up, that is trendy to try out whenever there is a foam paddle. At first, I noticed immediately how heavy it made the paddle feel overall. I was expecting to hate it. I did a similar experiment with the vSol Pro Bloom, and the result for the vSol was awful.

Unexpectedly, while the power did increase noticeably, the Duo WB felt controllable. I wasn't bothered by the weight at all. I was swinging away like I was playing with an elongated paddle with massive sweet spot. I don't think the power increased to the level of a Boomstick, it sure was a much more controllable power. I ended up keeping the set up.

Final Thoughts

The Enhance DUO successfully bridges the gap between Gen 3 and Gen 4 paddles, giving players the power and stability they want with the familiar audio feedback they've been missing. The innovative foam design delivers on its promise of increased power and stability without compromising on feel.

Both the elongated and widebody versions offer excellent performance, with the widebody being particularly impressive in stock form. The paddle's balanced feel, dense pocketing, and controllable power make it a standout option in the full foam market.

Want to buy the Enhance DUO? Get it here with code CHEUNG → (10% off - stacks with sales!)