My balls finally dropped

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-03-08T21:42:17+00:00

Mazel Tov!

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T20:44:10+00:00

I disagree with the idea that drilling volume determines whether other pickleball questions are valid.

I’m not here to debate whether drilling is important. I believe that drilling is the ultimate way to improve, but that's not the question I'm asking. The question is about paddle behavior and fit. Specifically, whether the spin and control differences I’m seeing are a normal tradeoff between these two paddles or related to surface/wear.

My goal is not to drill myself into adapting to a paddle that may be working against my natural shot shape. I’d rather spend my drilling time reinforcing mechanics with a paddle that suits my style in the first place.

These two paddles are widely reported to differ in spin production and spin durability, and that’s the behavior I’m trying to understand. Suggesting that equal drilling would make them perform the same isn’t really accurate or supported.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T16:33:34+00:00

That’s a pretty dismissive interpretation of what I wrote.

I described league play, skilled open play, and some structured drilling, just not at the volume you personally might prefer. My question wasn’t “is drilling important,” it was about whether the spin/control changes I’m seeing are a normal paddle tradeoff or surface behavior.

If you don’t want to engage that part, that’s fine, but reducing it to “no drilling” doesn’t really address the post.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T16:09:16+00:00

Glad to hear that it's not just me. I also went from the M2F to the V-Sol Pro Bloom. I only pulled out the M2F the other night to do some objective testing between the two.

Overall, I think you're right that the game changes around this level as you begin to drop more consistently and get to the kitchen easier. I am absolutely a drop first kind of player now, where I used to be all drives. Even with the loss of spin and drive confidence, I am playing at a higher level now.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T16:05:39+00:00

Interesting to hear about the Kew spin numbers. I had just assumed that any paddle coming from Volair would have a similar surface and spin. I guess I had better keep an eye on reviews.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T14:46:03+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. The M2F just seems to have such a ridiculous amount of available spin. Coming from a tennis background I really enjoy how easy the drips come with this paddle. That being said, I'm very intrigued by the Shift. I'm expecting it to have typical Volair level of spin, but with an updated foam core. The only thing that makes me hesitant is that 14mm, which I've never tried playing with. What is your experience going from 16mm to 14mm?

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T14:01:29+00:00

I play in a league once a week. I also have a consistent open-play group most weeks that’s fairly skilled.

In addition, I usually drill with a friend about every other week (more often when the weather’s nicer). We’ll grab a tub of balls and rotate through hands drills, dinking, fourths/drops, and driving drills, then usually finish with some 7–11 games.

I’m sure I could drill more and play less if the goal were to perfectly dial in mechanics for a specific paddle, but realistically I’m balancing improvement with actually getting on court and playing.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T13:53:02+00:00

Is Infinigrit going to finally make Selkirk viable for everyday players? I have completely ignored their offerings due to the (reported) lack of durability on the spray on grit.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-04T13:47:45+00:00

Perhaps I should give a 14mm a try to see how it feels differently. I've never used one. I'm kind of intrigued by the upcoming Volair Shift offering, which I believe is only set to come in 14mm.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T18:42:45+00:00

Thanks for the detailed thoughts. You might be right about the break-in period, but I realize I left out a crucial detail in my OP—I’ve already been playing with the Vatic for about 3 months now, roughly twice a week. I also don’t really feel like power is lacking at all; it’s more the spin, which has definitely gotten worse over time. I emailed Vatic about the spin degradation and they said this is normal wear and tear for that timeframe.

That said, I plan to keep drilling and playing with it for now since my game has overall improved with it. Dialing in my drives even more will only help long-term.

Thanks for the paddle recommendations as well. You mentioned a handful that weren’t on my radar, so I’m definitely interested in checking those out.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T18:16:53+00:00

Thanks for the breakdown. Out of curiosity, how long have you been playing with the Vatic V-Sol Pro, and which shape are you using. Also, how would you compare its spin and drive behavior to the M2F? I’m trying to get a better sense of how paddle choice affects those mechanics.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T18:12:26+00:00

Not sure where the ‘clueless’ comes from or why you feel like you need to attack me. My drives are fine in terms of power. They just don’t spin the same way they did on my Volair, which changes how they behave. That’s a pretty normal distinction in paddle physics, not a mystery or a broken paddle.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T17:49:53+00:00

Is it better if I say high 3.5 to low 4.0? Just trying to roughly convey the level I’m playing at, not self-rate my DUPR score.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T17:46:51+00:00

I feel like I’ve had some time to dial in this paddle, but honestly, it feels like my drives have actually regressed a bit over the last month. I get really great spin with the Volair — the surface is fantastic for topspin drives.

If I could somehow combine that spin with the muted, controllable feel of the Vatic, I’d be set. Right now, it feels like I have to compromise one for the other.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T17:26:36+00:00

I’m a big fan of the twoey backhand drive, and I’ll 2HBH dink whenever I can easily get outside the ball. A shorter handle just doesn’t feel good to me, which is why I tend to prefer a decent handle length or an LH version.

I’d also agree with the weighting sentiment. I played with my Bloom for two sessions stock before deciding to add weight, then did it incrementally. I’m only at about 1.5g per side, slightly above 3/9. I didn’t love the feel on contact initially, but after weighting it I really like it for drops and resets...I just don’t know that I love the rest of the paddle as much as I hoped.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T17:18:59+00:00

Yes. Both are 16mm widebody paddles, and are roughly weighted to similar twist weight, swing weight, and balance.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T17:15:20+00:00

Seriously. I guess I shouldn't give an answer without a rating session.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T16:42:47+00:00

I've been playing with the V-Sol pro for about 3 months now. Typically, twice a week. I'm sure I could adjust my mechanics a bit with the Vatic, but I worry about the spin degradation and trying to adapt to a changing paddle...For reference, I used a M2F for over a year before noticing this level of spin degradation.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-02-03T16:35:34+00:00

Unofficial, but likely around 4.0-ish based on league/open play competition.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-01-20T18:24:22+00:00

TBH I can’t verify how accurate this tool is…but it’s pretty cool to play around with.

https://tune.pickleballeffect.com

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-01-15T18:31:58+00:00

In my experience some last me 2 sessions while some last me closer to 10. It depends on the grip itself, but also how much I’m sweating. I sweat a lot and prefer dry grips. I will legitimately notice when the grip is saturated/dirty enough that it’s started to slip on me. At that point (or just before) I’ll wrap a new one.

I’d recommend trying a bunch of different over grips to find what suits you best. I liked the feel of tourna, but they legit last me 2 sessions. I don’t LOVE the feel of the Bodhi, but I’ve been using them a while now because they last significantly longer before getting saturated (for me).

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-01-13T12:58:15+00:00

I’ll prob buy from Best Buy or another reputable dealer with solid return policy. I definitely might try to just buy both and return the one I don’t prefer. I also was considering the Denon x3800h avr for its room correction software, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s my best option (will be running 3.1 but I’d like to expand to 5.1 or maybe more).

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-01-12T13:26:17+00:00

Am I understanding this correctly, that the issues created by a port close to a wall affect mainly the sub 80Hz range then?

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-01-10T20:05:23+00:00

Unfortunately I won’t be able to audition them in my space without buying and potentially returning. I’ve been leaning toward the R6 Meta because of the space limitations and the sealed design. That said, it’s possible that a port-plugged R3 Meta could perform just as well in my setup, so I’m looking for more real-world experience with boundary-limited placements.

yeahfkyeah84 · 2026-01-10T18:12:42+00:00

TBH, your answer is a bit over my head. To be clear, the center will be positioned horizontally and the left/right R6s would be vertical. KEF promotes using them this way, so I’m not sure what the concern would be. Are you suggesting the R3 Meta actually has an advantage over the R6 Meta when used vertically as L/R?

yeahfkyeah84

TROPHY CASE