Before I review the Hudef pickleball paddles, I want to discuss the Hudef company, Hudef has been in pickleball for six years, and stack that up against Vatic and Six Zero. Hudef keeps its prices low because it controls manufacturing. Vatic, Six Zero, and most other companies in the RCF paddle market outsource this process.
If you want to call out a “reputable paddle”, Vatic backs their paddles for only 90 days, one of the shortest warranties in the market. Six Zero is 6 months which is pretty common. Hudef’s warranty is limited lifetime.
Hudef Viva Pro 14mm and 16mm Review (Power Paddle)
In the process of reviewing the Hudef Pickleball Paddles, I spent roughly 10 hours on each of these paddles, dividing the time between playing games and doing drills. I focused on various techniques such as dinking, drives, drops, resets, hand battles, etc. I put off reviews until I felt I had a strong grasp on these paddles in their raw form (overgrip to fit my hand, but no lead tape).
These are T700 RCF, elongated, thermoformed paddles. While these are thermoformed, they are not unibody meaning the face and handle are constructed separately.
Spin: As expected from T700 raw carbon fiber, it was delivered to this department. On par with other high-spinning paddles on the market; you’ll get your dip on topspin drives and float and cut on slices. There is definitely no lack of RPMs on either of these paddles. 8.7/10
Control: 14mm first; this paddle took a little while to dial in, not going to lie. It is definitely poppy and if you tend to have a strong grip on your paddle at the net while dinking, you may leave a few high balls in the air, ripe for your opponent’s picking (or flicking). Drops also felt pretty inconsistent for a long time – I would drill them but during games defaulted to drives. 7.2/10
16mm; much more consistent. The sweet spot felt much larger. Dinking, drops, and resets all felt pretty natural and did not require much time to dial in. 8.5/10
Pop/Power: These are thermoformed which gives the paddle face a little more stiffness than gen 1 RCF paddles.
14mm; this has some POP! Blocks came off with good speed and counters go back with more power than the initial speed up. Hand battles were fun to say the least. Overheads and serves are pretty powerful too. I caught myself holding back on serves and focusing on placement during overheads because the paddle could do the rest. 9/10
16mm; I liked that I didn’t have to hold back on this paddle, but that clearly means that it is not as powerful as its thinner counterpart. Putaways and drives were not definitive; however, placement>power held true and it had more than enough power to thread the needle. 8.2/10
I ran my standard set of tests. Both paddles showed excellent performance. If any Hudef paddle in this review captures your attention, go to the below links
Who Should Use
As stated above, these are thermoformed faces but not unibody, so there is a different feel to these than unibody paddles. Overall, I liked playing with them and would recommend them for beginners looking for their first quality paddle-up to intermediate/advanced players who want to be competitive. These paddles are available on Hudef’s website and Amazon I would say they are definitely worth it. However, if you are a higher-level player looking for a higher-quality paddle, the Gen 2 version (Power+) is unibody, resulting in better power and control. The Gen 2 has received high remarks from other reviewers as a legit paddle with solid specs. Considering the price, a Vatic, Six Zero, and other RCF paddles will struggle to compete I would encourage you to check them out!
Review of Hudef Mage Pro
I bought the Hudef’s Mage Pro last fall after trying out a friend’s. Loved it immediately- felt the difference in spin-ability immediately. What I didn’t expect was improved hand speed. I just found it to be an excellent paddle for control and finesse. My go-to paddle is the Hudef Viva Pro Gen 2 which provides a good combo of power and control. But the new Mage Pro takes control to a new level. It’s thermoformed with Dual compression technology, also called multi-stage cold and hot mold process technology, which gives more control and feeling and has foam-injected edges. I really like its sensitivity and how I can be more precise with a lot of my shots. Keep an eye out for when it’s available later this month because it’s definitely worth a try for $99. And ya gotta love the purple edging.
Face: T700 raw carbon fiber
Paddle Shape: Hybrid
Weight: 8.0oz(+/-0.2oz)
Swing Weight: 116
Twist Weight: 6.57
Core Material: Polypropylene Honeycomb
Paddle Length: 16.50″
The Width: 7.40″
Paddle Thickness: 0.63″(16mm)
Grip Length: 5.35″
Grip Circumference: 4 1/8″
Skill Level: Beginner to Pro
USA Pickleball Approved
Review of the Hudef Apex Pro 14mm
Control: 10/10. One of the best control paddles on the market. PB Studio had it at #4 on his top control paddles but I think if pricing is a factor for you, it should be higher. The T700 raw carbon fiber, low swing weight, and wider face make it very easy to control drops, dinks, and resets. This is the only paddle out of the 10+ I’ve tried where it didn’t take any adjustment period to dial in my control. If you’re a beginner or someone looking to dial in your control, I’d put this paddle up against any other paddle on the market.
Spin: 8/10. PB Studio had his test over 1800 RPM which should provide plenty of spin for most players. This paddle has a very similar spin to the other paddles I’ve played with which include the Vatic Pro Prism Flash, Gamma Obsidian, and Hudef’s Viva Pro Gen2. It’s very easy to generate spin on any shot you need.
Hand Speed: 10/10. With a low swing weight of 103, hand battles become much easier to gain an advantage. I noticed immediately I won more hand battles because of the low swing weight and the ease at which I could maneuver the paddle.
Power: 7/10. It’s not a power paddle at all and doesn’t compare to any of the thermoformed paddles or power paddles I’ve hit with. However, for me, it provides enough put-away power 99% of the time.
Value: 10/10. In addition to control, this is where this paddle stands out. $75 (with code) is almost impossible to beat for the quality you get. Especially as a beginner looking to step up from a cheaper paddle, I don’t think there’s a better option.
Customer Service: I’ve read some complaints about their customer service, but they’ve been very responsive to me.
Who should use
Overall, this paddle excels in control, hand speed, and value. I think it is a phenomenal choice for beginners, players looking to dial in their control, or those who don’t need help generating power. Check it on Hudef’s official website
Closing Words
HUDEF has always put the player first since they got into the space. There has never been a 3rd party involved. The design. test. Mfg their own paddles in their own plant. They back up the workmanship with a warranty. Three different players will see the same paddle differently, tomatoe, tomaatow. So what is different is that HUDEF is not a middleman. Here are some other players’ review
Community Reviews
zeti…“I’ve been playing with Hudef’s newest paddle, the Mage Pro, and it’s fantastic. It has great control without sacrificing power or pop. Weight is 8.0+/-0.2, and swing weight is 116. Without delving into boring technical jargon, the thermoforming process is different (and even better) than that used in another terrific Hudef paddle, the Viva Pro. It also looks great and the leather cover is a classy touch (I think it’s cheap and weak of other companies to not include a cover).”
Mike…”Just got mine today. It plushed but not as soft as project 003. Mine came at 8.26 oz. Definitely head heavy. You can feel it right away. Add an over-grip. It seems to balance out at 8.46 oz. The surface is smooth, with not much texture. Spin appears good but not great compared to Project 003/Legacy Pro. Power is above average. Control is actually good. The grip is more square than octagonal and is on the thin side. A balanced good paddle, which does not excel at one thing, but is a steal at $85. It’s good for an intermediate player.
Beginners tend to favor a more control paddle and pros tend to favor a heavy power paddle which takes more skill to control. Lol. Most pros add lead tape. The average weight is around 8.8 oz which is heavy for most recreational players—Gd backup paddle for the tagalong friend.”
