October 2020 – Sarasota Pickleball Organization, LLC

By pickleball Terry

I couldn’t resist trying out the Rogue 2E Gel-Core paddle. Everyone has heard of the honeycomb core, usually nomex material. Did you know that nomex is a popular material used for building aircraft interiors?

Nomex can be rigid and unpredictable, and also giving the paddle that loud POP sound when hitting the ball.

In recent years, polypropylene have become popular for pickleball paddle cores, and much more forgiving as far as the ball direction. This led to Players Pickleball Company to come up with a polypropylene/gel combination. Their solution is an entirely new hybrid material made possible by a proprietary manufacturing techniques. Without giving away too many secrets, they use an polypropylene honeycomb material that has been infused with an elastomeric material within the paddle face. They are able to fine-tune the infusion process to provide several benefits.

For those who prefer an elongated paddle shape, they bring you the Rogue2E! At 17″, it’s the maximum length allowed by the USAPA.

The Rogue2/Rogue2E paddles are game-changing in more ways than one. Featuring the new and improved 2nd Generation Gel-Core technology, vibration-damping carbon fiber throat reinforcement, and massively increased durability, all with a price well below the competition, the Rogue2/Rogue2E are a hit for players at all levels. I paid $129.00 and free shipping through the link below.

https://www.playerspickleball.com/collections/rogue2-2nd-generation-gel-core/products/rogue2e-gel-core

The video below covers all of the features of the Rogue2. The Rogue2E is the same paddle, just in a different shape.

Overall, I thought the paddle was excellent with control of shots. It has a lot of oomph and I was hitting the balls harder than I am used to. Something to get used to so you don’t hit a ball out. It has a long handle perfect for two-handed backhand players, but I found the grip (4 1/8 circumference) a little slippery so I will add an overlay grip.
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The paddle has a graphite face for slicing and I was able to hit a couple of NO RETURNERS just dropping the ball over the net.

There are several colors and I purchased the ROGUE2 ARTWORK CONTEST WINNER FEATURING SCOTT GRENSTED

The Second Generation Gel-Core improves the paddle in several measurable ways:

Larger Sweet Spot
Greater Paddle Stability on Ball Impact
Reduced Vibrations Transmitted to the Player’s Hand
Softer Ball Impact Sound
Improved Durability over First Generation

They took the blueprint for the 1st generation Gel-Core, which was already a proven performer and refined it further, giving it much increased durability along with improved vibration absorbing characteristics.

Players Pickleball is based in Bellingham, Washington, just a short distance from the birthplace of the sport. All of their paddles are USAPA-Approved and proudly made in the USA.

I loved this paddle after using it once. If you want to demo the paddle, send me an email or spot me on the courts.

Pickleball Terry

I have been following Dan Schuyler on Instagram for a few months and noticed he was posting interesting pictures of a build-out he and friends are doing in Fort Myers for an indoor pickleball court. So, I called him because I wanted to purchase one of his T-shirts. I like the colorful design.

Dan’s history, is he was an avid tennis player and would partner-up with pros like Nick Bollettieri, one of the owners of IMG. One day he was playing tennis on Palm Island and he was asked by the people in a court nearby, to be a fourth for pickleball. He said he always had his nose up in the air when it came to pickleball, believing it was beneath him, but they pleaded. Then he played and was hooked!

When COVID-19 came and with pickleball venues closing down, Dan came up with an idea to purchase a facility and build his own indoor pickleball court. He found a place with 4k sq. ft., purchased it for 1.2 million in Fort Myers and began to find corporate sponsors: Kyle Yates, Nu Life, YOLO, etc.

He plans to have pro clinics, personal lessons, a lounge, a sky box for viewers, peloton bikes, and a large screen to view and analyze players. His moto is, train, play, practice.

Dan wants to make this a go-to destination with a fitness center, dart boards, ping pong, and social functions such as barbecues. (Only one pickleball court.)