PIKKL Hurricane Pro 14mm Paddle Review: My In-Depth Thoughts

An All-Court pro level paddle at a reasonable price point

(Image Credit: Dennis Rodriguez)

First Look

Pikkl is a fairly new company yet already has already signed three well established pros which include Hurricane Tyra Black, Gabe Tardio, and Christa Gecheva. Gabe Tardio has gained quite a bit of popularity recently for beating the Johns Brothers (#1 doubles team) not once, but twice, along side his partner Andre Daescu. The Hurricane Pro is Pikkl’s standard shaped paddle and feels very well constructed the second you get your hands on it. It is well balanced, has noticeably good grit on the face, and feels very comfortable in your hand. As a standard shape, I immediately noticed that the swing weight felt very light and fast. I’m sure this contributes to Hurricane Tyra Black’s extremely fast hands during firefights. I also love the 5.5” handle as it makes two handed shots much more comfortable.

(Image Credit: Dennis Rodriguez)

Performance Review & My Experience

Consistency & Accuracy

I found the 14mm Hurricane Pro to be an extremely consistent and well rounded paddle immediately requiring almost no break in time. From game one, I found this paddle to be extremely easy to get used to. Pikkl classifies the 14mm as their power model yet I felt very little loss in control when using this paddle. It is not quite as poppy as other 14mm thermoformed paddles I have tested and because of this, you really seem to have a great balance of both control and power. Drops, dinks, and resets were very easy to execute. I did not get a chance to try the 16mm version but, to be honest, I can’t see any intermediate to advanced level player needing any more control than the 14mm option provides.

Power

In past paddles my preference has been 16mm and thermoformed because I get the best of both worlds; plenty of power with minimal loss of control. With the 14mm Hurricane Pro I felt like I received all the benefits of a 16mm thermoformed paddle with the added luxury of a lighter frame. The swing weight on my Hurricane Pro came in at just under 110 which is very low. Because of this, I was able to whip the paddle around faster, which in turn resulted in faster swing speeds and more power. I also noticed that my speed ups at the kitchen were quite a bit faster and easier to disguise. This really caught my attention and added some additional excitement!

(Image Credit: Dennis Rodriguez)

Spin

I can’t speak for all Pikkl paddles, but the Hurricane Pro that I received was one of the grittiest paddles I’ve felt to date. Bordering on “is this even legal” type grit. While this grittiness definitely attracts players, I did not find it to add a substantial amount of additional spin compared to other less gritty paddles I’ve tested. I was getting anywhere from 1950-2100 RPM which does classify the Hurricane Pro as a high spin paddle but the spin potential isn’t necessarily a game changer in the industry.

Defense to Offense

As I stated early, I would classify the 14mm Hurricane Pro as an all-court paddle. This makes transitioning from the more defensive baseline to the more offensive kitchen line pretty simple. Being able to execute a good reset is critical when in the transition zone and I felt that the Hurricane Pro offered a very easy and controlled transition.

Feedback & Feel

Because the Hurricane Pro is a standard shape vs elongated you notice a much bigger sweet spot. This is definitely a positive for newer players who are not always hitting the center of the face. You really have to mishit the ball in order to feel it. Where this might hinder you is in the feedback department. The wider sweet can give the illusion of “good contact” yet you may notice a significant decrease in your power. This is because you think you’re hitting the center of the paddle face, yet you are actually making contact closer to the edges and thus losing power. Elongated paddles typically have a much more condensed sweet spot so you really know when you’re not hitting it. This is great feedback for experienced players but not so good for the beginner player.

Looks & Design

I’m usually a fan of simplicity with less color but I actually really like the look of the Hurricane Pro and how Pikkl adds just a pop of color with their edge guards and only the title of their Paddle. They offer colors in Pink, Black, Blue, Green, and Red. The design of the paddle is nothing we haven’t seen before. It is a standard shape, thermoformed paddle with foam injected into the perimeter walls. Most call this type of paddle a Generation 2 paddle due to it being thermoformed and having these specific traits I mentioned previously.

(Image Credit: Dennis Rodriguez)

Additional Thoughts

Overall I was very happy with my playing experience. The Hurricane Pro by Pikkl is a great all around paddle at an extremely reasonable price point of $160. If you are a beginner to advanced player looking for an all-court paddle with plenty of spin, power, and control at a price that won’t break the bank, the Hurricane Pro is definitely one to check out. The 6 month limited warranty is very reasonable and the customer service that Pikkl provides is great as well. If you like a paddle with extreme pop and power, there are others on the market that I would recommend at the cost of less control. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below. And if you want to check out some other options that we have covered, check out our list of new releases from 2023 and 2024.

References

Pikkl.com, justpaddles.com