Earlier this year, Paddletek started its Reserve program, which is meant to give players an early look at the latest paddle technology in the game.

The first paddle that was launched under that program was the Reserve Honeyfoam. It was released in January in limited quantities and featured a “multi-foam floating core that is designed to expand the sweet spot and lengthen dwell time.”

It was essentially a test product, and it sold out very quickly and received mostly positive feedback from players.

Because of that positive reception, Paddletek made the decision to do a second, larger run of Honeyfoam paddles, and on Tuesday the brand officially released the Honeyfoam TKO-X, an elongated model that has already been adopted by several pro players, including Christian Alshon, Riley Newman and Connor Garnett — and all have had great recent results on the PPA Tour.

Shop the Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X

14mm — More power and pop
16mm — More stability and control

Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off

The Honeyfoam TKO-X is the same shape, dimensions and core construction that made the Reserve version so well-received, according to Paddletek.

Here’s a look at what’s under the hood and specs:

The 16mm version is approved by both the United Pickleball Association of America (the governing body of the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball) as well as USA Pickleball. The 14mm version is only approved by the UPA-A.

An important thing to note with the way the Honeyfoam paddles are designed: The inner EPP layer extends down into the throat area and the handle. This is a key difference from some other foam paddles on the market (like the Selkirk Boomstik and Bread and Butter Loco, which have the inner foam completely enclosed, with the EVA perimeter ring forming a boarder around the entire core).

In my experience, paddles that have the full EVA ring around the core can feel more stiff and hollow, due (I think) to the core being completely disconnected from the handle and by extension your hand. Because of that, they don’t seem to offer as much feedback on shots.

Paddletek addresses this issue by stopping the EVA ring at 4 and 8 o’clock in the Reserve Honeyfoam paddle. This is similar to what many companies did with Gen 3 polypropylene paddles, and it allows the core to flex more toward top of the paddle like a diving board, giving players more power on full shots, like drives and overheads.

That type of design also seems to offer a more smooth and connected feel on contact, which allows me to feel more in-tune with the paddle and make minor adjustments to be more precise with my shots.

Read next: Find our full review of the Paddletek Honeyfoam here.