USA Pickleball to remove the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated from approved paddles list

Ever since it was launched in the Fall of 2023, the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated has been a controversial paddle. Many players have called for it to be banned, claiming the intense power gives an unfair advantage.

As it turns out, USA Pickleball had the same concerns. They recently announced the Pro Power Elongated is one of seven more paddles banned from USA Pickleball tournaments starting July 1, 2025.

Let's take a look at why this Gearbox paddle is being delisted, and what it means for you if you own one.

Initially approved by USA Pickleball back in October 2023, the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated has been certified for tournaments since then. However, many players have complained about it. They felt the paddle was too powerful and should be banned, just like when the JOOLA Gen 3 paddles were delisted in May 2024.

However, the Pro Power remained legal. People assumed that whatever got the JOOLA Gen 3s banned did not apply to the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated, even though all of these paddles had the same trampoline effect technology.

Then, on December 27, 2024, USA Pickleball announced a new paddle ban that included the Pro Power Elongated. The full list of banned paddles includes:

Given JOOLA's history with paddle bans, I wasn't shocked to see their Perseus Mod TA-15 paddles were banned. However, I didn't expect to see the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated or ProKennex Black Ace Pro included. Both paddles have been approved for so long.

It turns out that the reason for the ban was exactly what many expected—the trampoline effect. In USA Pickleball's own words:

As the name suggests, the "trampoline effect" refers to when the paddle face acts like a trampoline. When a ball hits the paddle, the surface contracts and bounces back again. This launches the ball with greater speed than other paddles.

As more paddle manufacturers started using this feature in 2024, more players continued to complain that it was unfair and ruining the competitiveness of the game.

With this recent ban, it's clear that USA Pickleball is clamping down on this feature in a big way. Starting in July, any paddle that doesn’t pass this new testing standard will be disqualified from USA Pickleball events and tournaments.

The Pro Power Elongated has been pulled from the Gearbox pickleball store so it's not available for purchase through them. In the official Gearbox paddle ban statement, they confirmed that they fully recognize and support USA Pickleball's decision.

Like JOOLA retiring the Perseus Mod TA-15, Gearbox confirmed they will retire the Pro Power Elongated from tournament play to comply with USA Pickleball.

If you own the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated, you can still use it in USA Pickleball-sanctioned tournaments until July 1, 2025. In the meantime, Gearbox is releasing a new paddle this month (the PRO Ultimate Power 14 mm), which they say complies with the new PBCoR certification.

Gearbox is opening a "PBCoR Innovation Program" for anyone who previously bought a Pro Power Elongated. The details are still vague but they recommend checking the Gearbox website for rules and registration.

The Gearbox Pro Power Elongated is one of the best pickleball paddles I've ever tested. It's my favorite Gearbox paddle and I even picked it as the best power paddle of the year.

That said, while I'm bummed to see it delisted, I understand the decision. I'm excited to see how the new Gearbox Pro Ultimate Power plays.