Build generation (Gen 1 to Gen 4)
Shorthand for how a paddle is constructed: cold-pressed, thermoformed, foam-edged or foam-core.
Gen 1 paddles are cold-pressed: faces glued to a honeycomb core. Gen 2 added raw carbon faces for spin. Gen 3 paddles are thermoformed, with the faces and edge foam moulded under heat into one stiff shell. Gen 4 paddles replace part or all of the honeycomb with foam.
The generations are a community shorthand rather than a standard, and brands do not always use them. In our lab data, Gen 3 and Gen 4 builds average more measured power and spin than Gen 1 and Gen 2.
What the numbers look like
Measured values across the 523 paddles in our database that have this number.
- Lowest
- 50.3 mph
- 10th pct
- 54.5 mph
- Median
- 56.4 mph
- Average
- 56.4 mph
- 90th pct
- 58.1 mph
- Highest
- 62.9 mph
50.3 mphEach bar is one tenth of the range; the tallest holds 185 paddles62.9 mph
Average measured power (mph) by build generation
| Gen 2 | 109 paddles | 55.6 mph |
| Gen 4 | 83 paddles | 56.6 mph |
| Gen 3 | 70 paddles | 57.2 mph |
| Gen 1 | 35 paddles | 55.6 mph |
| Gen 1.5 | 23 paddles | 54.9 mph |
| No Gen | 5 paddles | 57.0 mph |
Rankings that use this spec
Related terms
Let the numbers pick for you
The quiz weighs every spec on this page against your play style and ranks all 812 paddles.