New A11N Zenith C7: A Promising Paddle Startup

(Picture Kip Lacey)

Hey guys, it’s Kip. I’ve got a brand new paddle to review: the new A11N Zenith C7. This is a startup company, and this is one of their first paddles. I always get excited about new startup companies and what they’re going to do.

A lot of this paddle’s structure is the same as we’ve seen before. It has a 16mm polypropylene core and a Cory T700 carbon fiber face, but with a 3K woven surface that has some texture to it. It’s a Gen 2 thermor unibody edge foam. The paddle is 16 1/2 inches long, 7 1/4 inches wide, with a 5 1/2 inch long grip and a 4 1/4 inch circumference. It comes in at 8.4 ounces. What makes this paddle really cool is its new technology and the unique 3K woven face, all for $99.99 USD.

It’s great that they’re combining state-of-the-art components and offering it at that price point.

So, new startups sometimes get a bad rap, but this one looks promising. Trying out this paddle, I can tell it’s not bad. It’s a little floppy out of the gate, but good ball control.

It’s got good straight-line accuracy.

Accuracy test (Picture Kip Lacey)

Adding some spin, it’s not the greatest amount, but it’s still nice and controllable.

Back to the structural qualities: this paddle is just a touch head-heavy at 8.4 ounces. You could easily change that by adding a little more weight. This paddle is very accurate, consistent, and has nice power—not exceptional, but good. It has nice controllable spin, which is great for singles or tennis players looking to drive the ball. It has nice feedback, a very large sweet spot, and is good for both offense and defense.

For me, it’s a bit head-heavy, and I prefer a lighter weight for flick shots. It feels a little bulky at the net and the non-volley zone, but it’s something you can get used to. Compared to some of the carbon paddles, this one feels similar in terms of head-heaviness.

At $99.99, this is a very good paddle. You can’t go wrong at that price. I’m impressed with this company and hope they get more recognition. This is not a crap paddle; it’s a very good one. I’ll be anxious to see if any of you have heard or played with it.

A11N also makes a decent portable net system, Dan has some thoughts on it here.

Check here for other paddles I have reviewed. See you next time!