JOOLA Agassi Pro - pickleball paddle review

If you're looking for an exciting power paddle, check out the JOOLA Agassi Pro—Andre Agassi's first pro pickleball paddle with JOOLA. This is not your typical elongated paddle. The shape is unique, with a narrow middle that gets wider at the top, bringing Agassi's tennis racket style to the design.

Read my JOOLA Agassi Pro review to see if this paddle is as impressive as the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV and if it's worth $279.95.

If you're wondering whether this JOOLA x Andre Agassi paddle is a marketing gimmick, you're not the only one. I was skeptical at first, but I'm glad I was wrong! This is a serious paddle and one of the best releases so far this year.

It's got tons of pop, power, and spin, with great speed and good control (especially the 16 mm model). Watch my first thoughts on the Agassi Pro:

Its main assets are power and spin. It hits effortlessly hard. Some players will struggle to rein in the pop, but if you manage it, the textured carbon fiber face grips the ball to shape your shots and keep you in control.

Since the hand speed is so good, this is a real weapon in hand battles. It's like an elongated version of the Paddletek Bantam ESQ-C, one of the best power paddles on the market.

All that pop can be hard to handle—if you're not dialed in, it's easy to send counters long in hand battles. I'm an advanced-level player and I sometimes struggle to keep balls in the court. If you're a beginner, you might find this paddle challenging to control.

Also, while the sweet spot is solid near the throat and core, it's not as great near the top corners. You have to be precise, especially when reaching for wide shots.

The JOOLA Agassi Pro is an investment at $279.99 but it's worth it if you want a lot of power, can work with pop, and want a fast elongated paddle. This is a cool paddle with a unique design and the most recent tech. If you want to save some money, though, try the Six Zero DBD, B&B Filth, or Engage Pursuit V2.0.

I like the look of this paddle—the unique skinny-to-wide shape turns heads, and the textured carbon fiber face lets you know it's high quality. It feels premium in your hands, and the red grip adds a nice pop of color. It doesn't collect dust as much as some dark paddles, so it still looks great after a session.

Let's take a closer look at some of its features and tech.

JOOLA says this balances the weight for control and forgiveness, and I feel that. It's light and fast without being head-heavy, which helps me react quickly at the net.

It doesn't feel very flexible, but it gives me enough to shape hard shots without losing power—like rolling a backhand volley deep to keep opponents on the backline.

JOOLA paddles usually have a Carbon Friction Surface (CFC) but they've gone with a "textured carbon fiber surface" here instead. While it isn't the grittiest I've tried, it's effective for shaping shots aggressively.

It grips the ball like the Paddletek Bantam ALW-C (9.5/10 on spin). I can load up topspin on drives and slice drops confidently, and it doesn't wear down after hours of play.

Like with the Perseus Pro IV, the Agassi Pro paddle features JOOLA's propulsion core. This is what gives their newer paddles so much power.

This paddle is meant to have an extended sweet spot that stretches to the upper edges and bottom corners. I agree with the bottom part—shots feel reliable near the throat. However, it feels inconsistent up top, with dead spots that throw me off on defense.

Though a half-point behind the Perseus Pro IV's power and pop, this paddle packs a real punch. I can rip third-shot drives from the baseline that have enough pace to push opponents back, and effortlessly put away pop-ups at the kitchen. The pop is similar to the Bantam TKO-C, helping me to end hand battles quickly.

I can combine power and spin to play a third-shot-drive-heavy style of play, focusing on slamming drives to the returning player to win points or cause pop-ups that can be put away by my partner.

The Agassi Pro has a slightly higher dwell time (even on the 14 mm version) than the Perseus Pro IV. This allows you to hit controlled shots more easily, like third-shot drops and kitchen resets. I also feel like the paddle handles long dink rallies well and I can place the ball without causing a pop-up.

This paddle shines on topspin. I can roll speed-ups at the kitchen with a dip that lands near the baseline, and my serves have a high-to-low arc that throws people off.

Slices are solid too—I can carve a backhand drop that skids low. The carbon fiber grips the ball well. At several points, I thought one of my speed-ups was going out, only for it to dip down toward the baseline and stay in.

This is pretty forgiving for an elongated paddle because the sweet spot is reliable near the throat. If I mishit a reset there, I can still keep it in play. However, it's less forgiving up top. If I hit a defensive volley up there, the ball just dies, dropping short into the net.

Given the paddle shape, you'll naturally feel off-center hits more than with a wider-body paddle like the Engage Pursuit Pro1 6.0 Widebody. This is most noticeable when you're stretching wide. If I were to use this paddle long term, I'd add some lead tape to the sides to extend the sweet spot.

At around 8 oz, this is light and balanced—not head-heavy or sluggish. I'll add some weight at the throat for extra stability if I keep it long term.

It swings fast naturally without dragging, making it comfy for long sessions. It soaks up vibration well, so my wrist and elbow feel fine after long matches. If you're after one of the best paddles for tennis elbow or joint issues, check this one out.

The "Feel-Tec" grip is nothing overly impressive but it's solid—cushioned and comfy, with a tennis-like feel that's not too thick. It stays dry and secure after hours of play. It's great for my hands (I'm 5'7"), though you might want an overgrip if you have bigger hands.

I see no wear after more than 10 hours. The carbon fiber face still spins like day one, and the core feels sturdy with no delamination yet. JOOLA's propulsion cores have a reputation for breaking down eventually, but this one's holding strong so far. I'd bet on it lasting a while.

The hand speed on this paddle is great. It flies through the air—it's almost as fast as the Paddletek Bantam ALW-C. It feels quicker than the Perseus Pro IV despite having the same weight. I can easily poach pop-ups or block volleys.

If someone tries to speed up around my body, I can adjust quickly and counter with a low, poppy shot to their feet. Sometimes, I even get to balls too fast and mishit off the sweet spot.

Alongside the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV, this is one of my favorite power paddles right now. At $280, it's a big investment but worth it if you want power, speed, and spin with decent control (especially the 16 mm for extra softness).

It suits aggressive players—bangers, ex-tennis players, or anyone who wants to drive hard and put balls away with pace.

If you're not ready to invest in a $250+ paddle just yet, don't worry. Paddles like the Vatic Pro Saga V7 ($150) and Pickleball Apes Pro Line Energy S ($120) offer around 80% of the performance at a much lower price.

If you want some alternatives to the JOOLA Agassi Pro, here are three more paddles I recommend:

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