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Pickleball · Multi-source review synthesis

The 11SIX24 Power Series, According to 22 Reviewers

Twenty-two YouTube reviewers tested the 11SIX24 Power Series — the foam-core, fiberglass-sandwich power paddle that comes in three shapes and (depending on which version) costs $160–$210. They agree on more than they disagree: big sweet spot, controllable power, durable build. Where they split is on raw power, certification, and whether the $200 "Power 2" Hex Grit version is worth twice the price of the $160 original.

Creator: clpanicRuntime: 0 minPublished: 2026-06-05T18:17:46Z
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TL;DR

The 22-review consensus

  1. Two distinct products share the name. The original Power Series (USAP-certified, ~$160–$170) and the newer "Power 2" with Hex Grit (UPA-only, ~$200–$210). Don't confuse the price or the certification.
  2. Near-universal praise for a large, forgiving sweet spot, "controllable" power, and a plush-but-crisp fiberglass-sandwich (CFC) feel. Almost nobody calls it a nuclear-power paddle — that's by design.
  3. The real headline on the original is price — multiple reviewers peg it ~$100 cheaper than a Joola 3S, Paddletek Bantam, or Carbon Genesis at similar performance.
  4. Durability looks genuinely good. Johnkew measured only 1–2% power gain after 2+ months and no core crush; teardown reviewers found unusually healthy cores. Everyone still hedges on long-term foam data.
  5. Hex Grit (Power 2) is the spin story — independent lab tests show ~70 RPM lost after 100 games vs. 300–400 RPM for raw carbon fiber. The catch: it's too rough for USAP, so it can't play sanctioned amateur events.

01 · What it is

The near-unanimous baseline

Strip away the disputes and almost every reviewer describes the same paddle: a 16mm Gen 3/4 foam-core power paddle with a carbon–fiberglass–carbon (CFC) face, sold in three shapes, deliberately tuned for "controllable power" rather than maximum pop.

Three shapes

Pegasus (widebody), Vapor (hybrid — the consensus favorite), Harache-X / HRA-X (elongated). Vapor measures ~16.2 x 7.75 in.

Core & face

16mm polypropylene honeycomb floating in a single thick ring of closed-cell EVA foam, with CFC layup (carbon / fiberglass / carbon). Edge reinforcement strips on the sides boost twist weight.

Two versions, two prices

Original Power Series ~$160–$170 (USAP certified). "Power 2" with Hex Grit ~$200–$210 (UPA-only, not USAP).

Static weight

~7.85–8.3 oz across the lineup; Vapor swing weight commonly measured 107–116 depending on unit and version.

Warranty

6 months (Power 2 / Hex Grit units).

02 · Where reviewers agree

Consensus across 22 voices

The agreements hold across sponsored and independent reviewers alike, and across the lab-tested ones.

  1. Big, forgiving sweet spotThe most repeated praise. STS scored Vapor sweet spot 9.4/10; Pickleball Effect called twist weight 7.0+ the highest they'd seen on a hybrid; Matt's lab put Vapor twist weight in the 92nd percentile. Wide and stable for a hybrid.
  2. Controllable, not nuclear, power"Low-end power paddle," "controlled power," "safer power" — the recurring framing. Johnkew's measured Firepower is 82–83/100; it sits below banned/delisted paddles like the Yola Mod and below the Joola 3S top end.
  3. Plush-but-crisp feel from the fiberglassReviewers consistently place it between soft springy foam paddles and stiff muted Gen 2 thermoforms. The fiberglass middle layer adds pop and dwell without going harsh.
  4. Strong durability signalsTeardowns (Pickleball Medicine, Pickleball Studio) found unusually healthy cores and no factory core-crush. Johnkew saw only 1–2% power change after 2+ months as a main paddle.
  5. Excellent value for the originalAt ~$160–$170 it is repeatedly called the best value in its class, roughly $100 under comparable Joola/Paddletek/Carbon power paddles.
  6. Linear, easy to adjust toMultiple reviewers note soft hits don't feel exponentially different from hard hits, making it easy to switch onto from a Gen 2 paddle.

03 · Where they disagree

The genuine disputes

Consensus on the baseline does not extend to power, price tier, or where this paddle actually belongs.

Dispute: raw powerSponsored and enthusiast reviewers lean generous — Matt's Pickleball scored the series 8.9/10 and called power "comparable to the Yola 3S"; STS gave power 9.1/10. Independents are cooler: Pickleball Studio called Power 2 "mid-tier, even low-tier without added weight," Pickleball Effect labeled the Vapor a "low-end power paddle," and Martin Grunin found "less outright power on drives than the Inferno, Boomstick, or Cyclone even after 6g of lead." The honest read: above-average pop, mid-pack drive power that wants lead tape.
Dispute: price and value tierTwo paddles, two value stories. The $160–$170 original is near-unanimously a value standout (~$100 under rivals). The ~$200–$210 Power 2 is contested: STS frames it as a $133 saving vs. the Selkirk Boomstick ($333); Pickleball Studio (twice) says the value case is unproven until Hex Grit durability is established — "if it wears down to raw carbon levels it is not special." Pickleball Tech Dude calls it "the best value in pickleball at ~$190" anyway, citing QC consistency.
Dispute: certification — and which paddle you're buyingThis is the sharpest split, and it tracks the version. The original Power Series is USAP / PB Core 43 certified (legal for sanctioned amateur play). The Hex Grit Power 2 is UPA-only — too rough to pass USAP's roughness test — so it's barred from USAP A-tour, US Open, and Nationals. STS calls UPA-only "one of the smartest moves" (RPM-limited, lets elite grit stay pro-legal); Pickleball Studio and Matt's flag it as a real disqualifier for tournament players.
Dispute: which shape, and a real weaknessThe Vapor is the consensus pick, but the elongated Harache-X drew the only strongly negative review. Martin Grunin will NOT main it: he found a "distinct drop-off in pop and power at the top of the paddle face" and significant twisting on high contact — fatal for his counter-heavy game. Pickleball Tech Dude independently flagged a "dead zone above the top corners" as a solidity issue. Hit mid-face and it's great; hit high and it punishes you.

04 · The anchor

Johnkew Pickleball — the most-trusted, lab-tested voice

Johnkew Pickleball is the reliability anchor here: measured Firepower scores, QR rebound numbers, and an accelerated ball-cannon spin-durability test. Both of his reviews are sponsored — flagged — but his claims are the ones backed by instruments, so they carry the most weight.

On the original Vapor (made it his main paddle 2+ months):

Firepower 82/100

Just under the Joola 3S and Paddletek Bantam TKO CX; in the same ballpark as the Carbon True Foam and forthcoming Franklin C45.

Durability measured

No core crush; power/pop up only 1–2% after 2+ months. Paddle "opened up slightly" — sweet spot broadened, feel got more plush.

Control above its class

Better than most power paddles at the same Firepower, aided by a large sweet spot; not as good as dedicated control paddles (Lux, Vatic Prism Flash).

Tuning

Added 3g tungsten at 4 and 8 o'clock to broaden the sweet spot and improve plow-through without losing hand speed.

On the Hex Grit Power 2 (lab-tested):

QR rebound 0.412

Middle of the high-power category. Firepower 83/100. All 11SIX24 paddles sit under the 0.43 PB Core limit.

HexGrit = 2x durability

In an accelerated ball-cannon wear test (100 shots at 70 mph), Hex Grit lost half the spin of raw carbon fiber — surface "still felt almost new to the touch."

Elite spin, "red high"

Top spin category in lab testing; the early new-paddle spin feel "sticks around longer" than raw CF.

Certification

UPA-certified, NOT USAP. 6-month warranty. ~$200 with code.

A rare find — a power paddle with well-above-average control and a large sweet spot, good spin, and a pleasant feel between the Yola Mod and Gen 2 thermoformed paddles. You'd be hard-pressed to find better value and performance at this price.— Johnkew Pickleball (original Vapor verdict)

05 · Other independent voices

The non-sponsored corroboration

Twelve of the 22 reviews are non-sponsored, including two other lab-equipped channels. They broadly confirm Johnkew while being franker about the soft spots.

  1. Pickleball Studio (4 reviews, independent)Put the original Vapor in their personal top-3 tournament paddles and used it at a tournament in Hawaii. On Hex Grit Power 2: spin dropped only ~70 RPM (2141→2071) after 100 games vs. raw carbon's 300–400 RPM fall; roughness down just 4.39% vs. ~20%. But power is "mid-to-low tier" stock and soft-game dialing was occasionally inconsistent — top 5, not an immediate main.
  2. Matt's Pickleball (4 reviews, independent + lab)Measured Hex Grit Vapor at 2,335 RPM (elite in a 440+ paddle database), 61.1 mph serve (top tier), swing weight just 107.55. Highest absolute roughness retained after 50 hours vs. three rivals (12% loss). Caveat: UPA-only, wants lead tape, not max out-of-box forgiveness.
  3. Pickleball Effect (2 reviews, independent)"I just don't know how you don't buy this." Elite spin (~2,100 RPM, top ~10 ever measured), favorable swing/twist ratio, $199. Calls the original a "low-end power paddle" that transitions well from control play; less raw pop than a Yola 3S or Bantam.
  4. Pickleball Tech Dude (independent)"Best value in pickleball at ~$190." Hex Grit ~9–9.5 Mohs; >95% spin retention after 50–60 games across six tested units with zero QC issues. Knocks it for a top-corner dead zone and below-average raw power.
  5. Pickleball Pursuit / Louis (independent)"Legitimately elite" spin; power in line with Spartis P1, below the Bread & Butter Loco. Easy recommend if Hex Grit holds up over 3–4 months.
  6. Martin Grunin (independent)The dissent — won't main the elongated Harache-X due to top-of-face pop drop-off, though he praises spin, serve confidence, and grit longevity (~2% loss at 90 hours per the brand).
  7. PickleballPlaybook / Austin Hardy (independent)One of his all-time favorites; spin "insane" and consistent across the face. Wants a touch more counter-attack pop.

07 · Bottom line

Who should buy it

  1. Buy the ORIGINAL Power Series (~$160–$170) ifYou want a forgiving, controllable power paddle that is USAP-legal for sanctioned amateur play, and you want to save ~$100 over a Joola 3S / Paddletek Bantam / Carbon Genesis. The Vapor (hybrid) is the consensus best shape.
  2. Buy the Power 2 / Hex Grit (~$200–$210) ifDurable elite spin is your priority and you don't need USAP certification (rec play, PPA/UPA events). Lab tests back the grit-longevity claim (~70 RPM lost over 100 games vs. 300–400 for raw carbon). Plan to add a few grams of lead tape for power and stability.
  3. Skip it ifYou play USAP-sanctioned tournaments and want the Hex Grit version (it's barred); you want top-tier raw drive power out of the box (look at the Loco, Boomstick, Inferno); you naturally hit high on the face and are eyeing the elongated Harache-X (top-corner drop-off); or you're a beginner who wants a pure control paddle.
  4. The honest readTwo paddles wearing one name. The cheap one is a near-unanimous value pick with real power-paddle control. The expensive one is a spin specialist whose whole case rests on Hex Grit durability — and unusually, the independent lab data so far supports it. Mid-pack raw power and (on Power 2) lost USAP certification are the consistent costs.
How this page was builtSynthesized from 22 YouTube reviews (the top 22 by viewership of 76 found — not every review in existence), all transcribed. 10 of the 22 are sponsored, giveaway-linked, or brand-affiliated; 12 are independent. Reliability anchor: Johnkew Pickleball (measured Firepower, QR rebound, and accelerated spin-durability lab tests), corroborated by the lab-equipped independents Matt's Pickleball and Pickleball Studio. Non-sponsored and instrument-backed voices were weighted most; the glowing sponsored verdicts were used for detail, not for the final judgment.

08 · Sources

All 22 reviews analyzed

Every review transcribed and analyzed for this roundup, grouped by independence. Independent / not sponsored (12):

Sponsored, giveaway, brand, or affiliate (10) — read with a discount: