The Great Delisting by USA Pickleball continues...
Last week, we reported that USA Pickleball had chosen to keep JOOLA Gen 3 pickleball paddles off its Approved Paddle List, despite JOOLA's attempts to have the decision overturned.
Erik Tice
Then, Chris Olson from The Pickleball Studio shared on his channel that the Ronbus Ripple – a paddle yet to be released (and that now won't be released), was also delisted by USA Pickleball. You can see that video, as well as the owner's reaction to this delisting, here:
RIP Vatic Pro Oni
On Monday, we have news of another delisted paddle, the Vatic Pro Oni.
What happened with Vatic Pro Oni?
The e-mail referenced above in the social post says,
We hope this email finds you well. If you are receiving this email, you have either purchased one of our Oni launch edition paddles or recently pre-ordered a standard version.
However, given the changing landscape of the sport as well as newly adopted USAP testing methods, we regret to inform you that our Oni Paddles are scheduled to be de-listed by USAP. As a result of this development, we will be canceling all existing pre-orders for Oni Paddles. All preorders will be refunded to your original payment method...
For those who have already received their Oni Paddles, we are offering free returns...
While this is not the news we have hoped for, we are committed to continue innovating in the pickleball space and providing value to our customers."
Anyone who has been following Paddle Gate 2024 should not be surprised by the Vatic Pro Oni delisting.
After all, this was the first "Generation 3" paddle that got Chris's attention on his YouTube channel as being a potentially huge problem.
We even discussed this when we spoke to Chris recently.
Jason Flamm
What is the problem with these paddles?
Of course, the obvious problem is the amount of power these paddles can generate. But, what some seem to forget when discussing these new paddles is the bigger issue; they break and become even more powerful.
It's speculation as to what is actually causing it, but it seems to be something with the foam injection interacting with the other materials used inside the paddle core.
After just a few weeks of play, the Vatic Pro Oni (and the JOOLA Gen 3s) become "squishy." Meaning that if you press on the face, you can hear a crunching sound.
That crunching sound is not good and is actually a sign of the paddle breaking down on the inside. Usually, when something breaks down, it becomes unusable.
However, in the case of these paddles, breaking down means the ball jumps off the paddle face faster – which, if you're looking for speed and power in a pickleball paddle, might seem like a good thing.
They also become less controllable and can lead to personal injury by the person on the other end of your paddle face.
Why are paddles just now being delisted?
This is a great question. And one that many have presented to USA Pickleball because each of these paddles (except for the Ronbus Ripple) had an "Approved by USA Pickleball" stamp on them when they hit retail shelves.
According to the e-mail, Daryl — the Vatic Pro owner — says that USAP adopted new testing methods. This honestly seems a bit unfair to these companies that spent countless resources manufacturing paddles they believed to be approved.
USA Pickleball has not provided a clear answer regarding the sudden change and why so many paddles are now being removed.
What paddles are next?
As of now, there are just rumblings of what paddles could be delisted next. But, if you've purchased a brand new paddle that just came out this year (or maybe even the Gearbox from last year), you should probably find the receipt.
And appreciate the time you have left together.
