Expert review: JOOLA Perseus Pro IV offers upgrade in feel, stability from 3S series
Last Edited
Mar 04 2025
Category
Gear
The much-anticipated JOOLA Perseus Pro IV and Agassi Pro/Graf Pro pickleball paddles launched Tuesday, and we're here to break down what's new about these paddles and how they perform in all aspects of the game.
But first, some background on JOOLA's newest offerings: The Pro IV line of paddles were designed in conjunction with the brand's top pros, such as Ben Johns, Collin Johns, Anna Bright, Dekel Bar and Tyson McGuffin. Each of those players has put the new paddles into play right away and seen immediate success on the PPA Tour.
The Agassi and Graf line of paddles -- designed with tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf -- include three tiers: Champion, Edge and Pro. The Champion and Edge paddles are geared more toward beginner and intermediate players, while the Pro is the same construction as the Pro IV line, just in the Agassi/Graf shape. Click here to learn more about the Agassi Pro and Graf Pro paddles.
The most notable change in the construction of the Pro IV paddles is an added section of high-density foam inside the bottom corners/throat area of the paddle. The rest of the core is similar to JOOLA's 3S paddles that were released in the summer of 2024.
This added foam does a couple things, according to Austin Kim, the Product Manager for JOOLA. It adds a little bit of weight to this area of the paddle, which is the spot most most players chose to add weighted tape on previous models. The extra weight in this area helps add stability and expands the sweet spot.
It also narrows the channel of honeycomb leading from the handle to the head of the paddle, which allows the paddle to flex more. That flexing adds forgiveness and enhances feel, power and dwell time, which also leads to more spin.
JOOLA is calling this type of construction "TFP," which stands for Tech Flex Power.
Another thing that's new from the 3S line of paddles: The Pro IV line is USAP and UPA certified (the 3S was UPA certified only), meaning they can be used in all sanctioned tournaments, whereas the 3S paddles to this point were only able to be used in PPA Tour events.
There will, however, be two versions of the Pro IV: A UPA-only version will be released later this spring and will have more grit on the paddle face, according to JOOLA.
The dual-certified version adheres to the surface roughness standards of USAP. But the UPA is not using a surface roughness test -- they are using a spin test, which means companies can use whatever paddle surface they want as long as it doesn't exceed the maximum allowed spin. Thus more grit on the UPA-only version.
JOOLA also will be releasing a dual-certified version of the 3S paddles in the spring, which will be priced at $239.95.
For now only the Perseus shape (in 14mm and 16mm) is available in the Pro IV -- the Scorpeus, Magnus and Hyperion shapes will be released in April and are currently available for pre-order here.
Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, let's dive into how these paddles play. As with all of my reviews, I've put them through several hours of drills from the kitchen, in the transition zone and at the baseline, as well as several hours of high-level game play.
Let's cook!
JOOLA Perseus Pro IV
Specs
Weight: 7.9 ounces (14mm) or 8.1 ounces (16mm)
Handle length: 5.5 inches
Paddle length: 16.5 inches
Paddle width: 7.5 inches
Paddle surface: Carbon Friction Surface
Core: Propulsion + Tech Flex Power
Thickness: 14mm or 16mm
From the baseline
14mm
Both the 14mm and 16mm get good power on serves and third-shot drives -- slightly more than the 3S, and you can feel the additional dwell time thanks to the extra flex these paddles have on harder shots.
The 14mm felt a little more firm than the 16mm but still felt solid and had good forgiveness, so I was able to be consistent on third-shot drops.
16mm
I thought this was the better of the two thicknesses in this area. It has more of a plush feel because the ball can sink into the paddle face a little more, but that also gives it more power because the ball is compressing into the face and then that energy is being returned to the shot. I also was able to generate more spin because of the added dwell time.
Every type of shot from the baseline felt good with the 16mm -- serves, third-shot drives, third-shot drops and hybrid drops.
If you've watched Ben Johns play with this paddle (he uses the 16mm) in recent weeks, you've probably noticed that he's been driving more third shots. I think that's because it is really easy to hit a good drive with this paddle. I felt like I would rarely miss a drive in my drilling session.
It's not necessarily going to blow anybody off the court like the Mod TA-15 could -- I think those days are over once the Mod is sunset at the end of June. But I still think this is a very good paddle for players who want to drive their third and drop their fifth, which is what Ben has been doing.
In transition
14mm
This is the area of the court where the Pro IV is most notably different than the 3S. Both the 14mm and the 16mm feel more plush and forgiving than their 3S counterparts, and they perform better on solid contact as well as off-center shots.
Again, the 14mm was slightly more firm than the 16mm, but I would say its still an upgrade in the transition zone from either the 14mm or 16mm 3S because of the added forgiveness.
16mm
I would again lean toward the 16mm in the transition zone over the 14mm, simply because it has more of a plush feel, so you're able to control resets more effectively and you can be very precise with fifth-shot drops from this area.
I also thought it was very easy to absorb pace from an attack with the 16mm, whereas with the 3S or the Mod the ball could sometimes feel too bouncy off the face and sit up too high for an opponent to end the point.
At the kitchen
14mm
This is where I preferred the 14mm over the 16mm. You get the added pop and maneuverability that often comes with thinner paddles, and you also can feel the paddle flexing more on flicks or aggressive shots out of the air.
That meant that I was able to be really precise with those aggressive attacks because the ball was holding on the face for a split second longer.
I also didn't think there was much of a difference between these two paddles when I was dinking. Both felt solid and consistent.
16mm
This paddle probably performs better in the hands of somebody who prefers to block/reset drives and attacks rather than counterpunch. It's slightly less maneuverable simply because of the added thickness, but while it has less "pop" on short swings, it does have more putaway power on overheads than the 14mm.
Conclusion
This is a really good paddle in either the 14mm or 16mm version. A definite upgrade from the 3S and even from the Mod because its way more controllable while still offering good power.
I suspect the UPA-only version will be better because it's the same paddle with more spin potential. But if you're somebody who wants to be able to play both USAP and UPA sanctioned tournaments, this is a good option.
Whether you want the 14mm or 16mm comes down to what you value most -- a plush feel and the ability to shape the ball more from the baseline (16mm), or more pop and maneuverability for hands battles at the kitchen line (14mm).
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