Prokennex Black Ace Pro Review

Prokennex Black Ace Pro Review

General Thoughts

The ProKennex Black Ace Pro is a pickleball paddle with a textured Toray carbon fiber face over a polypropylene honeycomb core. Retailer listings put it at about 15.8 inches long and 7.6 inches wide, with a 5.3-inch handle, a grip of about 4 inches and a weight near 7.9 oz. Listings disagree on core thickness (10 or 11 mm). Like other ProKennex paddles it includes the brand's Kinetic vibration-reduction system.

In my testing it felt fast and responsive, with a good balance of power and control. The slim feel makes it easy to maneuver, and the face gives you plenty of spin potential to shape the ball.

Paddle Design

The Black Ace Pro has a textured carbon face and a Kinetic system built into the frame and handle to dampen vibration. It has a decent sweet spot for consistent shots, and the carbon face rewards spin. The one downside I noticed is that the paddle showed wear sooner than some others I have used, so your experience with durability may vary.

It suits players who want a modern, responsive paddle with spin, from intermediate players up to more advanced ones.

Attacking Play

After a few practice games, my attacking play improved. The paddle is quick through the air, which makes it easy to generate speed on drives and smashes without much effort, and the spin potential helps place shots accurately. It is a good choice for aggressive players.

Control Play

For control play the paddle felt stable. Whether I was dinking, blocking or resetting, I could trust my shots to stay in play, and the Kinetic system helped keep the feel comfortable. Its balance gives good maneuverability so you can adjust quickly to any shot.

Sum It Up

The ProKennex Black Ace Pro is a responsive, spin-friendly carbon fiber paddle with Kinetic vibration damping. Its main drawback in my experience was wear over time. Check the current USA Pickleball approved list before using it in sanctioned play, because rules for textured faces have changed.