Franklin Signature Carbon STK Pickleball Paddle Review

Franklin's Carbon STK Signature paddle is another carbon fiber paddle from the brand. Franklin also signed pro JW Johnson to help market the line. A great deal of excitement has been built up around them. I was eager to try out one for myself after hearing so much about it.

As with most other brands, Franklin's paddles are made from T700 carbon fiber. In contrast to other carbon fiber paddles, this one's surface didn't seem quite right in my hands. It has a distinct heavy texture that stands out, though. Even under the microscope, I saw that its surface seemed very different (more on this below). Of course I was interested in seeing how that would work.

Franklin's Carbon STK Signature paddle is available in both 17- and 14.5-millimeter thicknesses. This review was conducted using the 14.5 mm variant. After three weeks of use, I have some observations to make about this paddle.

Performance Details

One of the first things that stood out to me about the STK was how light and poised the paddle felt in my hands. My paddle is 7.8 ounces and has a nice weight and swing. While I eventually got the hang of it, my first few attempts at using it were not particularly successful. As long as you strike the paddle's small sweet spot, you'll enjoy using it. As time went on, I became much more proficient with the paddle, but I never felt like I was receiving the kind of repeatable results I get from my other, more expensive paddles. Due to the reduced sweet area, I continued to experience multiple mishits per game even as my three-week playtest neared its conclusion. This was very irritating.

I consider this paddle to be a control paddle. It did not give me the power of a 16mm paddle, and the thinner core did not add much pop either. I found the paddle to have a pleasant, moderately soft feel, which made it easy to maintain my bearings and maintain my stroke after I found the sweet spot. Like with each new paddle I try, it took me a few matches to get used to it, but this one seemed to take a little longer to feel like a good fit. Overall, my success rate with drops and dinks was lower than I would have liked, not because the paddle didn't have a good feel, but because I missed the tiny sweet spot more often than I would have liked.

Since the STK boasts a raw carbon fiber face, I was looking forward to experiencing the spin on it. Despite its impressive stats, it does not have the high spin rating I've come to anticipate from paddles of this type. It had some bias, but overall it was satisfactory.

If I had to rely on this paddle, I would have to rely on my own power, because a 14.5 mm paddle doesn't give you much more than that. When I was at my best, I could hit drives and overheads with sufficient force to be useful. However, if I missed the target, the results were often less than desirable. The strangest part, though, was that if you hit the ball near the edge, it would sometimes produce a really dreadful loud noise. This is unlike any other paddle I've used.

The paddle performs a great job of soaking up the impact of the ball, and it provided a welcome sense of stability when countering drives and accelerations. When my opponents were being overly aggressive, I felt like I could slow them down. The paddle's highlight for me was the combination of its superb control and its thinner core for greater agility.

For my part, I had no problems with the 5.6-inch handle's length. It would be easy for me to play two-handed shots, but I don't. I didn't like the larger size of the handle or how I could feel the honeycomb core on one side. There are better handles available.

To sum up, I was let down by the STK. Not enough zing is delivered to compensate for the lower sweet spot. There are other paddles in the $100-$150 price bracket that I'd rather use than the STK.

Paddle Design and Technology

Technical Specs

Weight

7.8 ounces (14.5mm), 8.1 ounces (17mm)

Length x Width

16.5" x 7.5"

Thickness

14.5 mm or 17 mm

Facing Material

Nitro Infused Carbon Fiber Surface

Handle Length

5.6"

Handle Circumference

4.25" (14.5 mm), 4.5" (17 mm)

The Nitro Infused Carbon Fiber Surface and the 17 mm thickness choice are the most notable features of these specifications. The thickness of 17 mm is quite high. Paddles that are 16 mm thick are the norm. I wasn't able to test it out in advance of writing this review, so I can't comment on it.

The Nitro Infused Carbon Fiber Surface is another unique aspect. This face is advertised as a raw carbon face, like many other paddles, but it does not look or feel like other raw carbon paddles. Take a look at the microscopic image below, comparing the Nitro Infused Carbon face with a standard raw carbon face, to see the difference for yourself.

Comparing the STK to Other Top Tier Carbon Fiber Paddles

When compared to its rivals, the Carbon STK fell short. There are various carbon fiber paddles on the market that provide more forgiveness, control, and spin. As far as raw carbon paddles go, I haven't played one that I prefer more than this one. However, the low price that has long been a selling factor for Franklin paddles is no longer true with this model. At the time of the original review, Selkirk's SLK Halo series was about $10 cheaper than the STK and offers comparable or greater performance. I was looking forward to playing with this paddle because it seemed so special to me, but Franklin didn't notice it.