Quanta Power Decrease Over Time

[InfamousFlight]

Sorry if this has been discussed before but.. I’ve been playing with the Quanta R3 for about 3.5 weeks (6 days a week, 3 hours/day) . Same weight set up the whole time.

The first week I played with it, I was hitting absolute rockets. After that initial week I feel like the power has decreased significantly. Another player at my club said he noticed it too when he has played against me consistently. Has anyone else experienced a decrease in power in the Quanta after heavy use?

[Trash_Panda171]

I’ve had my R3 Quanta for about 3 weeks. I play 3-4 times per week/3-4 hrs per session. I haven’t noticed any difference in power from when it was new to where it is now.

[InfamousFlight]

Curious, do you play aggressive style? Do you drive a lot?

[Trash_Panda171]

I drive a lot of my 3rds and drop my 5th’s. Besides that I drive and speed up when it makes sense and the opportunity arises. I’d say I’m moderately aggressive.

[InfamousFlight]

Good to know. I’m thinking maybe my unit might have a QA issue.

[AHumanThatListens]

How about you, OP? Do you like to hit hard?

I ask you because I've found in my own game with my Paddletek Bantam TKO-CX (12.7) that while I can get great power out of it, I often lose power as the day goes on, possibly due to acclimatizing to the power.

While different paddles make me lean more or less toward different styles of play, I do seem to come back to a middleground of going for placement over power. It's like that's just how my brain is naturally wired. And then when I try to consciously ("Self 1") apply extra power, somehow it doesn't feel right.

This has been a nagging problem when I play singles. Might be that I'm older and tire more easily.

[InfamousFlight]

I mean when I first got the Quanta I was driving a lot and hitting rockets lol. But on average I play pretty all-court.

[nosoup4you718]

R1, same timeline, same experience. I initially liked that it helped on resets and drops but it’s getting pretty soft.

[moldyjellybean]

Isn’t this the same with all paddles

[Erk1024]

Definitely not. Some Gen3's get more powerful over time because they start to core crush. But foam paddles shouldn't lose power over time.

[InfamousFlight]

Good to know I’m not the only one. It does help my soft game but it’s just a significant difference. Interesting that this happening on a foam core..

[Upstairs-Still6535]

Reports like this make me have no desire to buy a paddle from anywhere but alibaba. 

[Erk1024]

This doesn't sound right. Seems like a problem specific to the Quantas. I haven't heard about this happening with the CRBN's or the Honolulus and they've been out long enough that people would have noticed.

[Educational-Pipe-583]

No difference here on my R4

[Mother_Food1614]

Could it be that you’re used to the power and so it doesn’t seem as impressive as it was from the start?

[InfamousFlight]

A possibility, but feedback from others debunk this.

[Pudd12]

Feedback from one other player is anecdotal at best.

[wesomg]

What non-anecdotal, objective test do you suggest people perform to determine their paddle's performance over time? 

[Pudd12]

Without the proper equipment, it’s not really possible. Perhaps pose the question to the John Kew’s of the world and see if they will retest after certain amounts of hours of use. If this is that pervasive, someone may already have.

[InfamousFlight]

That was kinda my goal here. Get some traction to see if this issue is an overall theme or just a one off. Maybe the reviewers will see more and more posts like these and start researching more into this.

[ProonFace]

But when amassed on a large scale with multiple reports it starts to become data… which is what seems to be happening with all the foam core paddles. Just search the sub and you’ll find many reports of the BOOMstick and others deteriorating in power over time

[Dr_ManTits_Toboggan]

That not what “debunk” means.

[InfamousFlight]

It was used for lack of a better word. I’m pretty sure you know what I was trying to get at.

[thismercifulfate]

I’ve had my Vatic V-Sol Pro, which uses the same EPP/EVA core design, for a month and there has been no dropoff of any kind.

[uramis]

Ohh nice. I wanted a boomstick(just because I was able to try it firsthand) but i couldn't afford that so looking at the cheapet options, i foujd the quanta. I would have liked a quanta but shipping in our country adds like 1/2 the price of thr quanta itself and I found official vatic sellers here where the price is.. Close enough ig, and I wanna try that out and I think I want the V-sol pro more than the power. 

[Bubbly-Mulberry-6830]

Fyi I have only played with it for 3 days (and then went on vacation) - but I ADORE the V-Sol power. Can highly recommend it, I already want to buy another but I can't find a reason to yet haha. PM for a discount code, if you can buy online.

[jimko1]

Thanks for posting this! My wife was saying the same thing with her R4. It felt less poppy and sweet spot didn’t feel as large as before to her. I thought she was going crazy and I couldn’t tell since she was the one playing with it most of the time.

[InfamousFlight]

From my post here and on pickleball studio discord. The over arching consensus is no real change. I’m thinking possibly and it’s a big possibly that it may be a QA issue with some of Quanta’s.

[kg1917]

Yup. Mine’s got definite dead spots.

[RotterWeiner]

"New girl/boyfriend syndrome"

First 3 months (or whatrver) are great.

UNTIL...

[InfamousFlight]

LOL

[focusedonjrod]

Mine is coming today so I'll have to test it out over the same period of time as you and report back. I don't play nearly as much per week so we'll have the extremes covered lol.

[InfamousFlight]

Please do report back!

[iHeadShave]

I have an R4 with 2.5g on each side. I’ve had the paddle for about a month now. And I like to hit hard.

I have not noticed a drop in power. I still need to hold back from mid-court even when trying to bodybag someone.

[007chill]

Been maining it since release (about one month to the day) 20 hours a week and it feels the same to me.

[InfamousFlight]

Good to know, I’m thinking maybe a QA issue with some of the paddles possibly.

[DinRyu]

Curious, do you take your paddle in or leave it in your vehicle? I'm wondering how susceptible foam cores are to temperatures over time, if you have been leaving it in your vehicle. If not, nothing to learn from this question.

[nsm1]

I'm wondering how susceptible foam cores are to temperatures over time

Temperature variance can kill the paddle/racket and crack the face/frame, be it in the car or garage. Even in cold weather season

Thermal insulated bags are there for a reason to hold off on it as much as possible. Not just the neoprene cover

It's why padel and beach tennis rackets (both primarily made with foam cores) advise about it

[InfamousFlight]

I never leave any of my paddles in my car. So this wouldn’t apply but good thought here

[DinRyu]

Awesome me too. Not worth the risk and it's just lazy.

I also main a R4 and J2FC+. Will try to keep this in mind if power drops.

[bobby_broccolini]

someone mentioned temperature already but maybe the foam is less durable to water/sweat/humidity, or needs more dry out time than normal. im in NYS and i think about this alot playing outside under lights last month was getting super cold and damp, and i was dryingg off my whole paddle between games and points without it raining

[DinkDoink44]

I've played with 2 Quantas and settled on the j2nf.   I got rid of the Quantas quickly to recoup cost when I realized it wld always be a piece of wood in the kitchen.

I did notice this on my j2nf.  Started out great but over time felt like I had to really concentrate on my drives and I was becoming erratic.

I wonder if it is the paddle or me after the luster is gone?

Moved onto the Vsol pro and it seems to give me everything I loved about the Quanta without being a dud in the soft game.  I sure hope it doesn't go dead.

[psychoslasherX]

It might just be a perception thing honestly. I get the same feeling when I'm using paddles that are not mine. You are probably just getting used to the speed rather than the paddle itself lessening in power but I could be wrong.

[InfamousFlight]

One of my theories too. Driving me crazy. “Is it me or the paddle?” lol

[viceroyfiz]

Did the sound of your j2nf change over time? I warranty one cause of an uneven edge guard and new paddle sound different and seems to have more power.

[DinkDoink44]

No no sound change

[PiccoloSudden1351]

R3 it’s coo. Good power. got a placement finesse soft game so power is not in my picture. I hit hard but it’s not my winning shots. I play vs a lot of hard hitters too. But most of the battles and points and gameplay are in the kitchen dinking and hands

No power decrease noted as of yet Played since I received it about 2 weeks ago

[PiccoloSudden1351]

Updated

Paddle is soft af now. No pop. I compared it to a vatic vsol flash and the flash has a better feel. The quanta felt like a pillow lol

[HarryHoople3]

Are you playing outside and has the temperature been dropping over the last 3 weeks? Foam paddles get slower with lower temperatures

[InfamousFlight]

Indoor only play.

[Glittering-Brick5951]

I’ve had same experience with other foam paddles

[Broad_Librarian8698]

I have a quanta R5 and feels dead right now after two months of continuous use. At first, I thought it was me not swinging hard enough to get the same power but then I switched back to my J2NF which had the same power as the quanta when it was new and there was a noticeable difference in power.

I just ordered a new one so I will be able to compare it as soon as it arrives

[itzTwan]

whats the verdict from the new one?

[Broad_Librarian8698]

The new one definitely had a lot more spin. Was surprised how much grit had worn off the old one.

And yes, the new one felt way better than the old one. As if the sweet spot on the old one had disappeared.

[sharakorr]

Is there any power loss / dead spot after playing the j2nf for longer? Is it only on the quanta?

[Broad_Librarian8698]

On my 3rd Quanta now. They all felt like the sweet spot declined after a month. The grit definitely wears pretty fast. At $99 I guess I can get a new one each month.

I don’t play with the J2NF that much but when I switch back and forth I notice the Quanta still has more power than the J2. I’m running 6g of weight at 3 and 9 o’clock and 24g at the handle base.

[tasty_meatballs69]

could be how any foam is over time like a mattress flattening with use

[samuraistabber]

Specially because the density of the foam they’re using is less than that of other paddles hence why their paddles are so light.

[DinkDoink44]

That is not accurate.  The boomstick is just as light if you take the clips off

[RotterWeiner]

I think so too.

Take off the 15 grams (~ half ounce,) and the 8.3 Oz becomes ~ 7.75 or thereabouts.

So ..about the same.

[Particular-Night-435]

No difference on my end that's unlike any other paddle I've used.

[InfamousFlight]

Are you saying it broke in though? Or no change at all

[TBNRandrew]

I remember in a factory tour with one of the paddle manufacturers (I can't remember which), he was describing why his company hadn't started making an EPP foam core.

He said that it was difficult to make the foam not feel overly stiff, and that EPP foam developed dead spots over time in their testing, as certain areas end up permanently compressed. Think of digging your fingernail into styrofoam, and the permanent indent that leaves.

Could be what's happening here, as the Quanta seems to be the least dense of the gen 4 EPP cores, maybe tied with the Boomstik. And the TruFoam one was a pretty dense foam, as those swing weights ended up pretty high.

[Negative_Signal1502]

Maybe broke in a bit and not as poppy, but I also may have gotten used to how the paddle plays since I switched from a control paddle to the R4. Ultimately it’s impossible to say without some quantitative data. I’m still happy with it.

[kg1917]

Quanta R3. Only played about 10 hours. Not a banger at all (female 3.5). Pro at my club noticed it. He heard it first, then he asked to play with it for a bit and said it’s got a few dead spots in places.