ONIX Pickleball continually evolving to offer gear for every type of player

Alex Lantz

Director of Content

Last Edited

May 28 2025

Category

Community

When Jay Simmons joined Escalade Sports (the parent company of ONIX Pickleball) in 2019, ONIX was one of only a handful of major brands in the sport.

It was still early on in terms of pickleball’s explosion in popularity in the U.S., but Simmons – the brand’s Senior Product Manager – could see the incredible growth happening at the amateur level. The sport was taking off, and ONIX was in a great position to take off with it.

In the six years since, the brand has continually evolved and released a wide range of products to keep up with the modern game – everything from paddles to balls, bags, nets, protective eyewear, overgrips and more.

And even as hundreds of other paddle companies have jumped into pickleball to try to get a piece of the ever-growing pie, ONIX has remained a trusted brand for players at all skill levels.

“The focus moved quickly to the tournament end and performance end of products as the sport continued to grow,” Simmons said recently while looking back on his early days at ONIX, which was started in 2005 by Pickleball Hall of Fame inductee Steve Wong and later purchased by Escalade Sports in 2015. “We went from being a staple brand with a couple products, to now we have that full range of products from tip to grip and products for players at all price points. And our products are something that players are going to have a good experience with as well.”

ONIX drops new paddles in 2025

On the topic of a “full range of products” ONIX this week released a new line of paddles geared toward beginner and intermediate players.

The Hype X and Hype X Pro paddles incorporate technology from some of the brand's higher-end paddles, offering players great performance at lower price points, Simmons said.

ONIX Hype X (Buy it here)

-Made of composite construction for extra durability, power and maximum spin.

-Elongated paddle shape (16.5 inches x 7.5 inches) gives players a longer reach for more spin and extra power.

-Constructed with a patented Thermofused Technology process, molding the paddle to exact specifications.

-14mm polypropylene honeycomb core offers good combination of touch, power and pop.

ONIX Hype X pro (Buy it here)

-Features a raw carbon fiber surface that provides a natural texture, increasing spin and control on the ball for improved and precise shot making.

-Elongated paddle shape (16.5 inches x 7.5 inches) gives players a longer reach for more spin and extra power.

-Also constructed with the patented Thermofused Technology process.

-14mm polypropylene honeycomb core offers good combination of touch, power and pop.

Those paddles are in addition to the popular Evoke Premier Raw Carbon Fiber paddle, which comes in four thicknesses and has been used by most of the brand’s top pros for the past two years. Those pros include Matt Wright and Lucy Kovalova, who have been with ONIX since 2018, as well as senior pros Altaf Merchant and Steve Deakin.

Read next: Breaking down the top ONIX Pickleball paddles, including new models

ONIX has historically positioned itself as a great option for a player’s first paddle, with a focus on lower price point options, but also having the technology and quality for more advanced players. Simmons said he hopes that trend will continue in 2025 and beyond with the release of the Hype X and Hype X Pro paddles.

“We were looking for something that brings more features and benefits and unbelievable value to a lower price point and more beginner players,” Simmons said. “The new Hype paddles can take care of that rec player or somebody new getting into the game, while also being a great choice for intermediate and improving players. We’ve packed a lot into these products, and we’re very excited about it.”

ONIX maintains strong foothold in Midwest markets at amateur and pro level

Based in Evansville, Indiana, Escalade Sports and ONIX have long had a strong presence in the Midwest. That’s reflected in the type of players they’ve historically had partnerships with. Wright and Kovalova are based in Kansas, while Merchant and up-and-coming pro Eli Bertram live near Evansville.

But it’s not just pros who ONIX has established relationships with over the years. They’ve long sponsored many amateur players across the country and often use that large base of players to get feedback on new products.

Read next: The best pickleballs for every situation

“In terms of product development, we really utilize that group of people and players to validate what we’re bringing to market and help us in play testing and fine tuning to ensure that the consumer is going to have a good experience with it,” Simmons said. “That’s allowed us to bring technology from higher price points down to a more budget-friendly place.”

Jarrod Smith, who is based in Springfield, Missouri, has been an ONIX player for years and helped establish the pickleball program at Drury University, which was one of the first schools in the country to adopt pickleball as a sanctioned sport.

ONIX eying collegiate game, international growth in years to come

With more and more colleges investing in pickleball courts on campus and starting teams at the club and even sanctioned level like Drury, Simmons said that’s an area ONIX will be focused on in the coming years.

“Things are obviously rapidly involving in pickleball and have been for years,” he said. “But I think what we’re all going to see is continued exponential growth for the core of the sport and also more of an emphasis on youth being introduced into the sport. We’ve seen that already with collegiate tournaments and now talk of college scholarships for pickleball, which to think that that’s a possibility is amazing.”

The brand is also looking to make headway internationally, as there are several huge markets overseas where ONIX could potentially get involved.

“Whether it’s Asia, Europe, India … a lot of countries are looking for the ONIX brand right now,” Simmons said, noting that ONIX already has its products in some countries in Asia and Europe. “We’re constantly having meetings and opening up communication with distributors to get involved in those markets, and we’re looking to quickly evaluate and invest in those areas.”

More community