ProKennex Black Ace Pro - pickleball paddle review

Are you a big power player or prone to injuries like tennis elbow? If you're either (or both), you're who the ProKennex Black Ace Pro was built for.

If you've ever played against one, you'll know this paddle has loud pop and hits like a rocket (mostly because of the 10 mm core). As a power player myself, I've wanted to review the Black Ace Pro for a long time as it's always intimidating to go up against.

I want to know—with all this power, how much control do I sacrifice? I tested this paddle over 2 weeks to find out.

The ProKennex Black Ace Pro is my recommendation to any advanced power players. The ball flies off the face like with the Gearbox Pro Power and Selkirk VANGUARD.

I can put away overhead smashes better than with any other paddle, and I've plenty of points outright with a hard drive down the middle. If you like to be quick in hand battles, you'll also like how aerodynamic this paddle is.

The Six Zero DBD Infinity is this paddle's closest comparison. It's just as fast, hits almost as hard, has more of the latest paddle tech, and is 10% cheaper. However, it lacks the shock-absorbing tech that makes the ProKennex ideal for injury-prone players.

Watch my initial thoughts on the Black Ace Pro:

For the right player, the Black Ace Pro offers good value for money—especially if you can get a big discount on the original $250 price tag. However, if you need high levels of spin to match the power, I'd recommend the Bread & Butter Filth or CRBN-1X Power Series instead.

If you're a control player or an intermediate, you might find the Black Ace Pro's smallish sweet spot frustrating. I've had mishits that I don't usually see in my game. It's not very stable and can twist in your hands. If this is you, try a more consistent and forgiving paddle like the Pickleball Apes Pro Line Energy S.

The ProKennex Black Ace Pro has a big spade logo on the middle of the paddle face which you'll either think is corny or cool. The edgeless design makes it fly through the air, though this does sacrifice the extra protection against knocks.

Let's see what else is going on with the Black Ace.

The most unique feature is the 10 mm core, one of the thinnest you'll find on a paddle. This is what gives it its huge, loud pop. While some players will get a kick out of that, others will wish there was more tech to dampen the sound.

Adding to the pop is ProKennex's "heat molded carbon face", which is made from Toray carbon fiber. It has nice grit so I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more spin. While it's sufficient, many raw carbon paddles like the Legacy Pro and ProXR Zane Standard generate way more spin.

This is ProKennex's patented tech. I'm not sure how it works exactly but they've added something to the handle that absorbs shocks and vibrations.

I'm not super prone to injuries, so I can't vouch for this tech too much. That said, it is a comfortable paddle to go long sessions with. I can swing hard without tiring thanks to the super-low swing weight (100). I often see these paddles recommended for injury-prone players.

I was expecting 10/10 power but it's not quite at the peak level of the slightly heavier Gearbox Pro Power or Bread & Butter Filth. This is because of the lower swing weight. You have to swing the Black Ace crazy hard, which makes it a touch more difficult to get maximum power.

While the difference here is small, I notice it on putaways and sometimes even standard drives. Even when I have a ton of pop and acceleration, the ball can still land shorter than I want, giving my opponents a chance to get back in the court.

Some players add lead tape to this paddle to boost the power. Personally, I'd worry about this compromising on control and paddle speed.

Like with the Bread & Butter Filth, the Black Ace Pro has better control than some of its competitors like the Selkirk VANGUARD and Gearbox Pro Power.

Sure, you can easily pop up a drop—especially if you attempt a more flat-faced conventional drop. However, if you use topspin, you'll find your control is enhanced.

I can reliably land third-shot drops, which are often hard with pure power paddles. Just watch your swing speed because, if you overdo the swing, you'll get some pop-ups.

Spin isn't amazing but it's adequate for most players. I mostly have enough to hit hard drives and place precise shots when I need to.

I do miss the big spin you get on most power paddles these days. The Bread & Butter Filth, Gearbox Pro Power, Selkirk VANGUARD, and CRBN-1X all score 10/10 for spin.

I want that power and spin combo on serve returns—some come flat off the face and go long. On my own serves too, there are a few times when the spin doesn't catch. These serves are pure power and I sailed the ball long, something I rarely do on serves.

Forgiveness is this paddle's worst attribute but that's true of almost every pure power paddle I've tested. Like the Selkirk VANGUARD Power Air, the edgeless face makes it less forgiving than a paddle with an edge guard like the Bread & Butter Filth.

You really need to hit the paddle face dead center to get a clean connection and unlock the full power potential. If you stray too far toward the paddle edges, you'll get mishits. I remember one easy backhand flick that went right into the net.

This is still a half-point better than the Gearbox Pro Power on forgiveness, which has a lower twist weight. So, if you struggled with that paddle, this one is worth trying.

I like what they did here, engineering a ton of pop and power in a light paddle. That's hard to do.

I still think many players will use lead tape to make it heavier, getting more putaway power and helping to extend the sweet spot. It's nice that they give you that room to work with.

Given the price point, I'd expect a more premium grip. It's nothing fancy. I'll definitely be tossing an overgrip on this one.

While the materials in the paddle are very high quality, I have to dock points for the edgeless face. Without an edge guard, this paddle lacks protection. I got a couple of dings right away in my first session. This might take some value off the paddle for some people, though you can add your own edge guard tape.

If you play a fast game, you'll like this paddle. Thanks to its super-low swing weight (100), I've won hand battles that I usually lose with paddles that have a heavier swing weight. I like how the Black Ace Pro plays at the net—I've managed to counter a lot of hard drives.

This paddle reminds me of the Selkirk VANGUARD with the way it cuts through the air, and that's really saying something given that paddle's "air dynamic throat" design.

Rating:

The ProKennex Black Ace Pro is listed for $250, though I've often seen it on sale for as low as $150.

At $250, I'm hesitant to recommend it. It's not that it's unfairly priced, since other advanced power paddles like the Selkirk VANGUARD and Gearbox Pro Power are in this price range. It's just that you can get the Bread & Butter Filth for around $140 and the CRBN-1X for $207 (with our discount).

These paddles have a touch more power, comparable control, better forgiveness, and way more spin. They'll be a better investment, especially for intermediate players.

However, if you can get the ProKennex Black Ace Pro at a discount price in the $150-200 range, I recommend it if you like paddles that are super-fast, light, and powerful (rare to find), or if you struggle with injuries like tennis elbow. If that's you, saving $50-100 on an advanced paddle like this is a good deal.

If the ProKennex Black Ace Pro isn't right for you, check out some other paddles I recommend:

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