Six Zero stormed onto the scene last year with the Six Zero Double Black Diamond (DBD), and it ended up being one of the most popular paddles of the year. So, how do you follow up the DBD release with something even more popular?
You release the full Kevlar faced Ruby that has now sold out two different batches and Iām guessing will keep selling out for a bit.
Kevlar has been getting a lot of buzz lately, and I have a bit of experience in the area as I used the Pickleball Apes Pro Line Energy Kevlar/Carbon Fiber mix for four months.
So, when I heard the main difference between the Ruby and the DBD was the Kevlar face, I wasnāt expecting anything radically different.
I was right; they arenāt far off, but they are different enough that you will enjoy one over the other. You still get all the great aspects of the DBD hybrid shape, with the Ruby getting wider towards the top, a big sweet spot, and great control.
Letās jump into the review and figure out if the Ruby is the paddle for you.
SixZero Ruby Specs
Pros and Cons
- Great Control
- Great Power
- Excellent Spin
- Wider towards the top for the bigger sweet spot
- Higher Twist Weight
- Lower pop
- Less reach than elongated paddles
SixZero
Save 10% at SixZero With Code: ADND10
JustPaddles
Save 10% at JustPaddles With Code: ADND10
My Personal Thoughts
The Six Zero Ruby is priced at $200.00 ($180.00 with code ADND10), which is a fair price for the new Kevlar face and performance of this paddle.
The overall blend of control, power, and spin this paddle brings to the court makes it one of the best all-court paddles on the market.
I enjoy using the hybrid shape as a good balance between an elongated and widebody paddle. The Ruby gives you a blend of a big sweet spot and excellent spin.
The weight can range a bit on these paddles, with some coming in at 8.5oz even though they are listed at an average weight of 8.2oz.
For me, this isnāt a huge issue, but this starts getting into the weight that some donāt like and will start to border that 120 swing weight area where you can start noticing your hand slowing down.
SixZero Ruby Paddle Review
Spin
The Ruby has excellent spin that almost competes with the Volair Forza family paddles. I think for some people, the Ruby will generate more spin than the Forzas.
It will just depend on your swing mechanics. With the extra dwell time on the paddle, it helps the Ruby generate more spin than the Double Black Diamond.
You will have no trouble generating spin on drives, serves, rolls, flicks, and swinging volleys.
The Ruby is a beast in the spin department and will have your opponents letting balls go past them and dropping in at the last second.
Control/Feel
The Ruby excels at control and feel. Once you get adjusted to the plush feeling of the Ruby, you will be able to dink, drop, and drive to the spots you want. It is easy to shape the ball with this paddle when combined with the elite spin and extra dwell time you get from the Kevlar.
The sweet spot is large on the Ruby and one of the biggest I have played with on any paddle. I felt confident resetting the ball and blocking drives.
I didnāt notice any twist blocking drives or digging out overheads. I donāt think you need to add any weight to the Ruby and I loved playing my at the stock weight.
The Ruby excels at dinking and rolls at the net. I was able to forehand top spin and two-hand backhand topspin dink exceptionally well. My rolls felt powerful, and I had no trouble placing them.
I think the hardest part to adjust to for the Ruby is placing speedups because the ball comes off the paddle a little bit later than carbon fiber, and timing and placement on speedups are very important.
Power
The Ruby doesnāt have elite power, but it does have above average power. The Kevlar seems to pocket the ball a bit more, which causes a bit of a trampoline effect when getting a full swing.
You wonāt have trouble generating power to put the ball away and get good depth on your serves. I had no issues finishing on overheads and hitting heavy drives.
The pop is lacking a little on the Ruby. I think this can be attributed to the weight and possibly the Kevlar combination. Either way, the pop isnāt anything to write home about, but it isnāt terrible.
It is slightly below average for a thermoformed paddle but the large sweet spot helps make up for it in hands battles.
Durability
Iām plugged into the pickleball paddle scene, and I have heard less and less overall about core crushing issues with all paddle companies. I have heard that the Ruby face feels smooth after long use. Mine hasnāt seemed to drop in spin much.
John Kew also did a test after 3 months and his Ruby didnāt drop too much in RPM after heavy used. Six Zero also continually improves their manufacturing, even on paddles that have been out for a bit. If they have an upgrade for their peel-ply for their surface they do it.
If they have a way to reduce swing weight or twist weight, they do it. I appreciate a company always looking to improve their product.
SixZero Ruby Vs. SixZero Double Black Diamond
- Weight: 7.8oz-8.0oz
- Length: 16.3"
- Paddle Width: 7.7"
- Grip Length: 5.3"
- Tickness: 14mm or 16mm
- Face: T700 Carbon Fiber
- Coupon Codes: ADND10 for 10% Off
- Weight: 8.0 - 8.2oz
- Length: 16.3''
- Paddle Width: 7.5"
- Grip Length: 5 1/2''
- Tickness: 16mm
- Face: DuPontā¢ KevlarĀ®
- Coupon Codes: "ADND10" for 10% Off
The comparison everyone asks for is the Six Zero Ruby vs the Six Zero Double Black Diamond. Mainly because they are the exact same paddle, except one has the Kevlar face and the other has the Carbon Fiber face.
I measured the Ruby serve speed at 53.8 MPH and the DBD serve speed 52.9 MPH. I measured the Ruby punch speed 34.9MPH and DBD punch speed 35.38 MPH. So, the basic breakdown is the DBD gets more pop and the Ruby gets more power, but it is a little more nuanced than that.
The Ruby has a plusher overall feel, which translates to a smoother feel when hitting the ball.
Off center shots have less vibration than the DBD which can be a good thing if you donāt like the vibration or a bad thing if you like that instant feedback to help you adjust.
The Ruby has a wider sweet spot than the DBD but that comes at the sacrifice of a higher swing weight with the Ruby SW coming in at 118 vs the 114 SW of the DBD.
So, in general the Ruby will give you slightly better control and power while the DBD will give you more pop and faster hands. Both are great paddles, and which one will suit you is which characteristics you favor.
Final Thoughts: Who Is This Paddle For?
The Ruby is for people that want an all-around paddle that leans towards more of the control and finishing power side than the short burst poppy paddles. The plush feel of the Ruby and the extra dwell time the ball gets on the paddle isnāt for everyone but many love it.
It takes some time to get used to but once you do your ability to manipulate the ball feels good.
Coming in at $180.00 with a promo code is a good price for paddles these days as we see prices skyrocketing past $200. While it isnāt the cheapest paddle on the market, the Kevlar is an extra cost, and it isnāt too much more than the Double Black Diamond that comes in at $162.
It is also cool that Six Zero continually works on their paddle quality, always improving models that are already out. I donāt think anything has been changed on the Ruby yet, but it hasnāt been out for long.
Some people might need some extra time to get adjusted to the Kevlar face (it isnāt drastically different than carbon fiber, but some find the feel takes some time). If you want a smooth paddle with great control, good finishing power and a decent swing weight then give the Ruby a try.
