Prolite Sports has been in pickleball since 1984. What were you doing in 1984? I wasn’t even alive yet, so they have seen a lot of changes in pickleball. Prolite hasn’t been an active paddle releaser in recent years, so I was interested to see what they had to offer with the new Prolite K2 Power.
The K2 Power is a thermoformed unibody 14mm paddle with 4-ply 360 degree carbon fiber (Toray T700) with a PermaTraction coating. It is edgeless and has an open throat (whole in the bottom of the paddle like the Selkirk Power Air). It comes with the popular Prolite Diamon grip which I will say is an excellent quality grip.
Prolite K2 Power Specs and Features
- Paddle Weight:7.5-7.8oz
- Paddle Length:15 ⅝”
- Paddle Widtht:8 1/16”
- Grip Length:4 ¾ “
- Grip Circumference:4 ¼ “
- Surface: Toray T700 carbon fiber with PermaTraction texture
- Core: 14mm PowerCore polymer honeycomb
My Personal Thoughts
The Prolite K2 Power is an interesting, thermoformed paddle because most thermoformed paddles are not this shape, don’t have these types of specs and don’t have the non-black coating surface. Now, do all these differences add up to something good?
The K2 Power has a very low swing weight and is one of the fastest paddles I’ve had in my hands. It has a short handle and low static weight with some coming in at 7.5oz. The paddle excels in hands battles with great pop and feeling so light to swing.
The spin is great, and you will have no issues generating it with this paddle. I needed to add lead tape to the hole and right above the bottom corners. After that the paddle had a much better sweet spot.
Coming in at $180 this is around the price we see many thermoformed paddles so it faces stiff competition. I see this paddle being great for former Table Tennis players and people that love the Selkirk Power Air.
I would be interested in seeing a version of this paddle that has a longer handle to see what that would feel like. For me the handle is to short to make it my main paddle as I use my two-handed backhand more and more as time goes on.
I do see the pros to this paddle with how well you can maneuver it at the net and how electric it can be in hands battles.
Prolite K2 Power Pickleball Paddle Review
Spin
The Prolite K2 Power can generate a lot of spin and I would put it in the middle of the pack of thermoformed paddles. The one place I could see some players generating elite spin with the paddle is with flicks and rolls.
With the shorter handle and the low swing weight you can make this paddle move quick. I was able to dip my flicks very fast often watching my opponents stare down at their feet as the ball flew by.
On my serves and drives I could generate good spin but not as much as paddles like the Neonic Force, Pickleball Apes Proline Energy, Legacy Pro, and Double Black Diamond 14mm.
I am worried that the applied grit will wear off faster than the alternative caron fiber paddles, but there is not enough data at this time to know. You won’t be disappointed with the spin this paddle can generate.
Control/Feel
Control is an issue for the Power K2 out of the box. The sweet spot is on the smaller side and hitting off center creates a loud sound. If you have played with the Selkirk Power Air then you have heard the loud hollow sound this paddle can make when you hit off center.
It also does not feel good as you can feel some feedback in your wrist and elbow. Adding lead tape in the hole and just above the bottom corners improved the sweet spot and control significantly. Placing dinks, rolls, and speedups is where the control for this paddle excels.
I still had some trouble with my drives, but I was able to get consistent drops with it.
Power
When you have a super light weight paddle that has a low swing weight you most likely aren’t going to generate a ton of power on swinging shots. That is the case here as the K2 Power is just slightly below average power in the thermoformed paddle world.
It still has good power, but just isn’t quite there compared to others. It does have amazing pop, so your counter punches and hands battles will be electric. You really must try this paddle to feel how fast it is in your hands and how much pop you can generate with little movement.
Durability
The Prolite K2 power hasn’t been out for long and too my knowledge I am the first reviewer of the paddle. Prolite has a 2-year manufacturer warranty on their paddles so I have no worry about the durability except for the grit wearing down.
Prolite K2 Power Vs. Selkirk Power Air
- Weight: 7.5-7.8oz
- Length: 15 ⅝”
- Paddle Width: 8 1/16”
- Tickness: 14mm
- Face: Toray T700 carbon fiber with PermaTraction texture
- Core: PowerCore polymer honeycomb
- Price: $180
- Weight: 7.9 oz
- Length: 15 3/4"
- Paddle Width: 8"
- Tickness: 13mm
- Face: Hybrid Blend of Fiberglass and Carbon Fiber
- Core: Polymer Honeycomb
- Price: $250
I instantly thought of the Power Air as a comparison for the K2 Power. It is just that they both are white and have the word power in their names (although that helps). It is the way they play. Both have a lot of pop and good power (still not elite).
With all that pop they have they both sacrifice control and sweet spot. They both are very loud paddles that could make that local neighborhood association fume. Both can generate great spin, but the K2 generates more.
The Prolite K2 Power seems like a better version of the Selkirk Power Air, but it does have less customization options when it comes to shapes and handle lengths. If you love the Power Air or are looking between the two, I would go with the Prolite K2 Power unless you really want a different shape/handle length.
Also Check Out: Full Review Of The Selkirk Power Air Series
Why We Like The Prolite K2 Pickleball Paddle (Pros)
- Fast for Hands Battles
- Great Pop
- Great Spin
- All White Paddle Face is an Advantage
Why We Dislike The Prolite K2 Pickleball Paddle (Cons)
- No room for two-handed backhands
- Lacks some finishing power without lead tape
- Smaller sweetspot
- Feedback on off center shots
Final Thoughts: Who Is The Prolite K2 Power For?
The Prolite K2 Power is for a player that is fast and furious when they get to the NVZ. If you have a wide array of flicks, speedups, rolls, and tricky dinks then this paddle will be well suited for your game. I think Table Tennis players will love this paddle as well as players that are looking to initiate hands battles all the time. This paddle is not for the baseline banger who relies on drives to stay alive, and it is not a singles paddle for most people as the two-handed back hand is not ideal with the handle length. Overall, it is a fun paddle for the right person.
