I started playing Pickleball in 2009 and at that time there were only a couple of paddles on the market including the dinosaur all wood paddle. During the years that followed, I would continue to wait for a better mouse trap to be built but it seemed like it would never come. I learned that most of the paddles consisted of a honeycomb core either Nomex (cardboard-like material), or Polymer (Plastic). The problem is that plastic and cardboard are cheap and inferior materials which breakdown quickly. It was a good thing that I was getting my paddles free because they didn’t last more than a couple of months. The construction of the paddles is basically the same throughout the industry. They cut out the core, glue on the face, glue on the handle, and glue on an edge guard. Lots and lots of glue and you know what happens when things are glued to together…they eventually become unglued! Not only did I have to deal with the “dead spots”, I had numerous paddles where the handle broke off, the face delaminated, and the edge guard separated. Sound familiar? In 2019 I discovered Gearbox and at first I was highly skeptical because I had pretty much given up on any new technological advances in Pickleball paddles. However after speaking with the owner of company and trying out the paddle, I soon realized that my wait was finally over. If you trace the evolution of tennis rackets, it is similar to Pickleaball. Initially there were wood rackets, then steel, then aluminum, and finally carbon fibre. For almost 50 years, tennis has used predominately graphite material because of their superior attributes including touch, feel, and durabililty. Gearbox has the ONLY Pickleball paddle on the market that is truly constructed of carbon fibre. No plastic or cardboard core! No plastic edge guard! No glued on handle! No glued on face to delaminate! As I get older, I am always trying to find things that will help slow down father time. This paddle has literally improved my game by at least 20%! More spin, more power, more control, more feel…it’s a no brainer! Do you want a thick plastic cumbersome paddle moving through the air or an aerodynamic carbon fibre paddle that you can maneuver quickly? The hitting surface goes all the way to the edge so no more edge guard miss hits. One piece unibody construction makes this paddle the most durable on the market. To order the new 2023 Gearbox paddles call me today and I will help you customize a paddle that is geared especially for you. News Alert: Gearbox CX14H is now the 2nd highest spin paddle on the market according to independent testing.