JOOLA Perseus Pro IV 16mm Review: Tested in 2027

It is 8-8 in the third game, and the rally has gone long enough that both teams are breathing hard. A high ball comes to my side, the kind that asks a question instead of giving an answer, and I have half a second to decide whether to drive it or let it drop. I drive it.

The ball leaves the face with a crack I can hear across the court, lands deep, and stays in by a foot. That ball is the whole case for the Perseus Pro IV in one rally: a paddle that supplies pace when your swing asks for it, and does not make you earn every mile an hour yourself.

On this page

• What the Perseus Pro IV Is
• How It Plays
• 14mm or 16mm, and Pro IV or Pro V: Which Perseus Should You Buy?
• Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Skip It
• How It Compares to Its Closest Rivals
• Durability: What Months of Play Actually Do to It
• How I Tested the Perseus Pro IV
• The Bottom Line
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What the Perseus Pro IV Is

The Perseus Pro IV is JOOLA’s elongated power paddle, the previous generation of the brand’s most popular shape, built around a 16mm Gen 3 Propulsion Core and the generation’s defining idea, TechFlex Power, foam placed at the throat to let the frame flex at contact and widen the sweet spot.

It is the elongated shape Ben Johns put his name on, which tells you the brief JOOLA built it to fill: aggressive players who want the paddle to supply pace, not just return it.

The construction sentence explains the whole paddle. The polypropylene honeycomb core gives the strike its dwell, the ball stays on the face a fraction longer, which is the physical basis of control.

The Hyper-Foam edge wall, foam injected around the perimeter, stiffens the edges and stretches the sweet spot toward the frame, so contact near the edges behaves more like contact in the middle.

The TechFlex Power foam at the throat lets the frame give a little at contact instead of fighting the ball, which is the plushness this shape is built on. And the textured raw carbon face grips the ball with the weave itself, so spin comes from the material rather than from a coating that can wear smooth in weeks.

The shape is the other half of the decision. At 16.5 by 7.5 inches it is a true elongated frame: reach at the kitchen, leverage from the baseline, and a sweet spot that sits high on the face, up where a full groundstroke already meets the ball.

The 5.5 inch handle over a standard 4.25 inch grip circumference is a fit most hands already know, with room for a second hand when the backhand needs it.

It is approved by USA Pickleball and by UPA-A, with the PBCoR .43 certification layer on top, so it plays in sanctioned events everywhere, and it carries a 6-month limited warranty that extends to 12 months when registered through the chip in the handle, which the durability section below says to do on day one.

How It Plays

Serves. Serves are where the easy power first shows up, and they are the reason this paddle leads the control-and-power list.

A serve hit with a full brushing motion leaves the face with weight behind it, because the core supplies pace your shoulder does not have to. The ball carries deep and stays in, and the elongated frame adds leverage a shorter shape cannot.

One honest note about the number itself: spin of 1,971 RPM is the settled figure for this paddle, and it sits below the class average, so a topspin serve shapes less than on the spin-first paddles.

The serve wins on pace and depth, not on bite. A flat serve gets the most help of all, because the core returns energy instead of absorbing it, and that is the serve this paddle was built to throw.

Drives. Drives carry shape and depth when you swing through them, and the core is the reason. The ball sinks into the face, stays a fraction longer, and leaves with the topspin that keeps a hard drive inside the baseline instead of sailing it.

The 118 swing weight helps here in a way a lighter paddle does not: the head carries through the ball with real plow-through, so a drive taken with a full swing arrives heavy. Plow-through is the head pushing through the ball instead of bouncing off it, and you feel it as weight on the other side of the net.

The honest ceiling is on the spin. At 1,971 RPM your margin on a full drive is thinner than on the spin-first paddles, so a drive hit flat and hard has less dip to save it.

If your points are won by driving through people from the baseline, this is the paddle that lets you do it with less effort than its successor asks for. If your points are won by dipping drives at feet, read the spin comparison below before you buy, because the Genesis shapes the same drive harder.

Dinks. Dinks are the surprise of this paddle, because a power frame is supposed to dink politely and this one does not have to. The dwell gives you time to feel the shot rather than guess it, and a relaxed dink leaves the face where you aimed it, with enough shape to keep it low.

The danger is tension, and it is the same on every firm paddle. The Gen 3 core answers crisper than a foam build, so a tight grip on a dink turns the paddle’s firmness into a ball that sits up.

Soften the hand, let the dwell do the work, and the kitchen game plays calmer than the power suggests. The occasional hot response lives here too: once a rally, a dink or a soft block can jump off the face hotter than you asked, and that is the paddle’s real cost in the soft game.

Players who already dink with soft hands will find the paddle forgiving; players still learning the shot will find it honest about their tension, and the advanced-players list ranks it second for exactly this reason: it is the all-court paddle, not the control specialist.

Resets. Resets are where the 6.3 twist weight earns its keep, because a reset is almost never hit cleanly. Twist weight is the face resisting turning in your hand when you miss the middle, and 6.3 is a good score for an elongated frame. Two things work in your favor here.

First, the face stays square: a hard ball caught toward the edges twists this paddle less than a narrower frame, so the reset holds its line instead of spraying. Second, the foam edge wall widens the sweet spot, so contact near the frame behaves more like contact in the middle.

The paddle gives you one tool for the shot and one warning. The tool is the dwell: the ball stays on the face long enough for your hands to shape it down. The warning is the hot response: the same liveliness that powers your drives can send a reset long once a rally, for no reason you can feel.

Players who already reset well will find the paddle forgiving; players still learning the shot will find it honest, and the control-and-power list ranks it first, not because the reset game is perfect, but because no paddle on that list balances power and control better.

Blocks and counters. Blocks and counters are where this paddle’s power and its pop meet, and the section where the numbers need a plain reading.

A short punch at a hard ball comes off with pace you did not have to generate, because the mass and the square face do work a lighter paddle cannot, and the ball stays in with decent technique. The settled lab measures pop at 36.9 MPH, a high figure, which is the punch-volley speed behind that counter.

In fast hands battles the 118 swing weight is the number that matters most, and it cuts both ways: the head arrives with weight behind it, but it arrives later than the light paddles, so a rally that speeds up past your preparation will expose you.

The 6.3 twist weight is the number that saves you: contact caught toward the edges keeps its line instead of spraying toward the fence.

This is why the paddle sits first on my elongated list and second on the thermoformed list: it is the paddle that rewards a player whose counters are their offense, and whose contact is mostly clean but never perfect.

Overheads. Overheads are the easiest shot on this paddle, because the core does the work your shoulder usually does.

A full swing gets rewarded: the ball comes off with weight, the spin keeps it inside the lines, and the elongated frame forgives an overhead taken a fraction off center. A passive overhead still gets a useful ball, and that is the trade you accept for the hot response everywhere else.

The one mechanical note is reach: at 16.5 inches this is the longest flagship frame, so a high ball over your head and a lob you have to chase both get easier, and a singles player who covers the whole court will feel the extra inch.

In doubles, where the court is shared and the kitchen decides points, that reach is the reason this shape leads the elongated list.

The grip is the other note: at 4.25 inches it is the standard fit, and on a full overhead a standard grip in a sweaty hand can twist slightly, so an overgrip belongs in the bag from the first week if your hands run warm.

Hand speed. Hand speed is the honest tax on this paddle, and I am going to say it plainly. A swing weight of 118 sits at the heavy end of the all-court class, and the static weight of 8.1 ounces sits at the heavy end of the elongated picks.

In fast hands battles it asks you to be on time, and players who win purely on reaction speed will feel it by the third game.

The counterweight is the balance point: at 242 mm the mass sits close to the hand, so the paddle swings lighter than its swing weight suggests, and the elongated frame changes direction slower than the widebody shapes at the same swing weight.

That is the whole shape argument in one number: the elongated gives you leverage and reach, and it charges you hand speed. It is still a tax, and the lighter, quicker picks exist on the lists where this paddle also appears, which is why the review says so here instead of hiding it in the cons box.

14mm or 16mm, and Pro IV or Pro V: Which Perseus Should You Buy?

The Perseus Pro IV comes in two core thicknesses, and they are not the same paddle with a different number. The 16mm reviewed here is the control build: more dwell, a calmer strike, more margin on contact away from centre.

The 14mm answers quicker, with more pop and a firmer strike, and less forgiveness while your contact is forming. JOOLA’s own guidance says it plainly: choose the 14mm for more pop, the 16mm for more control.

The numbers behind that guidance come from one lab’s measurements of both thicknesses: the 14mm measures a 113 swing weight and a 5.9 twist weight with spin around 2,018 RPM, against the 16mm’s settled 118, 6.3 and 1,971 on the site’s line, and its pop is among the highest of any elongated paddle the same tester has measured.

The shape does not change between thicknesses: both are 16.5 by 7.5 inches with the same 5.5 inch handle.

What changes is the weight and the grip: JOOLA lists the 14mm at 7.9 ounces on average with a slimmer 4.125 inch grip, against the 16mm at 8.1 ounces with the standard 4.25 inch grip, and the brand’s own weight gap between the two is 0.2 ounces on every model.

My rule from playing both: if your soft game is your project, buy the 16mm. If your contact is already centred and grooved and you want the faster answer at the net, the 14mm is your version.

One honest warning belongs here: the 14mm plays differently enough from the 16mm that its sweet spot is one of the smallest in its shape, so do not buy the 14mm expecting a lighter version of the paddle reviewed here. Most players asking this question should buy the 16mm, and it is the version ranked across this site.

The generation question sits underneath the thickness question, and it is simpler to answer than most people expect. The Pro V is not simply a better Pro IV.

In head-to-head testing, this older generation produced higher serve and pop speeds. The Pro IV gives easier power, because its build supplies pace to a player whose swing does not generate all of its own.

The Pro V answers with consistency: a more head-light balance, better absorption of incoming pace, and contact that behaves the same way late in a match as it did in the first game. It rewards players who bring their own swing speed and want the paddle to stop interfering.

So the upgrade logic runs by player, not by calendar. If your Pro IV feels lively and your results come from power it supplies, replacing it buys you a different paddle, not a better one.

If your Pro IV feels inconsistent under pressure, if a reset jumps long once a rally for no reason you can feel, the Pro V was built for exactly that complaint.

One ownership note applies to the older generation wherever it appears on this site: core durability complaints attach to the Pro IV line, so register the warranty through the handle chip the day any Pro IV arrives, and keep the receipt with it.

The Pro V carries the same chip and the same habit applies. Owning a Pro IV is no reason to replace it, and the JOOLA range page ranks this paddle eighth as the previous generation for exactly that reason: it is the older paddle, and it still hits harder than its successor.

Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Skip It

Buy the Perseus Pro IV if your points leak through serves that sit up, drives that land short, and a sweet spot that feels smaller than it should.

Buy it if you play advanced tennis-style pickleball and your game is won from the baseline and mid-court, which is why it sits second on my advanced-players list and fourth on the tennis-players list: it is the paddle that turns a full swing into winning pace without asking your technique to change.

Buy it if you are stepping up from a first paddle and want the balanced default that drives, drops and forgives in one build, and you play a patient, placement game and want a face that still grips in month six.

Skip it if hand speed is your whole game; lighter, quicker paddles exist and this one’s 118 swing weight on an 8.1 ounce frame will tax you. Skip it if spin is your first priority; the spin-first paddles shape the ball harder, and the foam core list shows where this paddle sits when spin leads.

Skip it if your contact is already clean and grooved and you want the same shot to behave the same way every single time; the Pro V is the answer there, and the section above says so plainly.

And skip it if you want the latest generation with the core complaints answered; the Pro V is the answer there too, and owning this paddle is no reason to replace it.

How It Compares to Its Closest Rivals

Against its own successor, the JOOLA Perseus Pro V, the difference is the generation’s whole argument.

The Pro V is the consistency paddle: a 117 swing weight against this paddle’s 118, a 6.26 twist weight against this paddle’s 6.3, and spin of 2,060 to 2,170 RPM against this paddle’s 1,971, on the same 16.5 by 7.5 inch frame with the same 5.5 inch handle.

It answers with a head-light swing, a muted and softer contact, and the occasional hot response engineered out.

The Pro IV answers with easier power: higher serve and pop speeds in head-to-head testing, a plush feel, and a ball that jumps off the face without a full shoulder turn.

Players who want the paddle to help their swing choose the Pro IV. Players who want the paddle to stop interfering choose the Pro V. Both are certified for sanctioned play, and owning a Pro IV is no reason to replace it.

Against its own widebody sibling, the JOOLA Scorpeus Pro IV, the difference is the shape. The Scorpeus is the widebody build: a 114.95 swing weight, a 7.4 twist weight, and spin of 2,221 RPM, against this paddle’s 118, 6.3 and 1,971.

It plays with a wider face, a far higher twist weight, and spin that beats its sibling in real rallies even though the numbers look close on paper, because the spin survives contact here and twists open there.

The Perseus answers with more reach, more leverage and more serve speed, and it is the elongated answer to the same Gen 3 core. Doubles defenders read the Scorpeus first; drivers and finishers start with the Perseus.

Against the CRBN TruFoam Genesis, the spin rival that sits one rung below it on the advanced-players list, the difference is the core. The Genesis is full foam: it pockets the ball longer, spins harder at 2,401 RPM against this paddle’s 1,971, and swallows vibration while it does it.

The Perseus answers with a firmer, more connected strike, easier power on a short swing, and a response that stays identical across a long match, where foam can feel softer as the session wears on. Spin-first players read the Genesis first; all-court players who want power with a firmer hand start here.

Against the Selkirk SLK ERA Power Elongated, the predictable-power rival, the difference is the response. The ERA Power is the linear build: a 117 swing weight, a 6.28 twist weight, and spin around 2,020 RPM, against this paddle’s 118, 6.3 and 1,971, with a 5.8 inch handle that gives two-handed backhands even more room.

It plays the same hard on the tenth drive as on the first, because its foam layer takes the randomness out of the response. The Perseus answers with a livelier face, more pop on short swings, and the plush feel that makes its soft game easier.

Players who want every drive to behave identically read the ERA Power first; players who want the paddle to supply pace start here.

Durability: What Months of Play Actually Do to It

Three things age on this paddle, on different clocks, and the first one deserves to be said plainly. The core ages first, and this is where the honest warning belongs. Core durability complaints attach to the Pro IV generation, and they are the reason the next generation exists.

Owners report, in small numbers, cores that softened or crushed beyond usability, edge guards that loosened, and internal cracks appearing twice in the same spot next to the top edge of the 16mm. One owner replaced the paddle every six to eight weeks.

I cannot confirm a pattern from my own unit, and the numbers are small, but the complaint is specific to this generation and it is the failure to watch for, which is why the warranty matters more here than on most paddles.

Register through the NFC chip in the handle the day the paddle arrives, and keep the receipt with it.

The 6-month limited warranty extends to 12 months with registration in the brand’s app within 14 days of purchase, with three replacements instead of two, and registration plus receipt is what turns a problem into a covered claim instead of an argument.

The Pro V’s reinforced core top and carbon layer were built to answer exactly these complaints, and in my time with the Pro IV the response stayed consistent rather than softening at the sweet spot, but the core is the part of this paddle you inspect, not the part you assume.

The face texture fades second, across a season or two of regular play, fastest if you drill daily. The textured grit is the weave itself, and one lab rates this paddle’s grit durability in the lowest tier, which means the spin slides with hours played.

Do not read the 1,971 RPM figure as a permanent number. It is the fresh-face number, and it slides as the season goes on.

The fingernail and ball-grab checks in the spin section above will tell you where yours stands: drag a fingernail across the face and feel for bite, and press a ball in and twist to see whether it still grabs.

When the face finally feels polished under your thumb, that is the paddle telling you its spin service is done. Expect strong working spin through a season, then a slow slide toward a smoother, less grippy face. That is the honest cost of a raw carbon surface, and it is the same cost every raw carbon flagship charges.

The grip and edge guard are ordinary wear items. Edge contact can loosen the guard over time, so a player who feels movement at the frame should check the guard before blaming the core, and that guard is the part of this paddle you inspect in the first month.

Nothing about this paddle’s ageing surprised me beyond the generation warning above, and no part of it failed early in my hands.

How I Tested the Perseus Pro IV

I played the Perseus Pro IV across several weeks of league nights, open play and drilling sessions, against players at and above my level, because a power paddle only proves itself under pace.

The figures in the box at the top of this page are the published lab measurements this site carries across its lists; where a number comes from a lab rather than from my hand, the review presents it as measured, not felt.

Measured figures for this paddle vary a little by rig, and this review prints the set the site carries across all ten of its lists, because a photo finish between rigs is not a fact about the paddle.

One honest note belongs here: a second lab measures this same paddle slightly higher on spin and slightly lower on twist weight, so treat the 1,971 RPM figure as the settled line this site prints, not a number every rig agrees on to the digit. A second honest note belongs here too: two rigs disagree on this paddle’s pop.

The settled lab measures it high, at 36.9 MPH on punch volleys. Another tester measures it below the elongated average for the 16mm and finds blocks stay down.

In my hand, counters come off fast and blocks stay down more often than the settled pop figure suggests, and I have kept the measured line and reported the disagreement rather than picking a side. When a published figure and my on-court impression disagree, the review says so.

On this paddle, they did not, with that one honest exception. I also played the Pro V and the Scorpeus Pro IV for comparison, and the rivals section above is that head-to-head, not a guess.

The 16mm reviewed here is the only thickness this review covers; the 14mm is a different paddle with different numbers, and its figures do not appear in this review except where the variant section names them to steer buyers away from a wrong purchase.

The Bottom Line

The Perseus Pro IV is not the most consistent paddle JOOLA makes, and that is precisely its case. It is the paddle with the easiest power in its shape, the widest reach JOOLA makes, and a soft game that survives the power, all in a frame that lets a full swing win points.

It sits first on my control-and-power list and my elongated list, second on the advanced-players list and the thermoformed list, fourth on the tennis-players list, eighth on the JOOLA range page and the foam core list, ninth on the homepage’s best 15, and tenth on the two-handed backhand list and the large hands list for one reason: when a player asks me for one answer built on power that helps their swing, this is the answer that has never embarrassed me.

If your game matches the player described above, buy the 16mm, register the warranty through the chip on day one, and put the season into drilling.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV good for beginners?

No, not as a first paddle. It is built for intermediate to advanced players who already swing with intent, and a developing player will find its 118 swing weight heavy, its hot response confusing, and its spin too weak to save a flat drive.

A beginner who wants the JOOLA ecosystem should start on the brand’s entry lines and step up to the Pro IV once the swing is built. The paddle this site ranks first for beginners is a control build with a far wider margin for forming contact.

2. Should I buy the Perseus Pro IV or the Perseus Pro V?

Buy the Pro IV for easier power: higher serve and pop speeds in head-to-head testing, a plush feel, and a ball that jumps off the face without a full shoulder turn. Buy the Pro V for consistency: a head-light swing, a muted and softer contact, and the same response late in a match as in the first game.

The newer paddle is the consistency upgrade, not a power upgrade, and owning a Pro IV is no reason to replace it. Both generations are certified for sanctioned play.

3. What is the difference between the Perseus Pro IV 14mm and 16mm?

The core thickness changes the personality. The 16mm holds the ball longer, plays calmer and forgives more on off-centre contact. The 14mm answers quicker with more pop and a firmer strike, and less margin.

Same shape, same face, same 5.5 inch handle; JOOLA lists the 14mm at 7.9 ounces on average with a slimmer 4.125 inch grip, against the 16mm at 8.1 ounces with the standard 4.25 inch grip, and one lab measures the 14mm at a 113 swing weight and a 5.9 twist weight with spin around 2,018 RPM.

The 16mm is the control version and the one reviewed here, and most players asking this question should buy it.

4. Is the Perseus Pro IV approved for tournament play?

Yes. It is approved by USA Pickleball and certified by UPA-A, with the PBCoR .43 certification layer on top, so it is legal for sanctioned play and for pro tour events.

Before travelling to an event, confirm the exact model name on the approved list, as approval attaches to the specific model and variant, and buy from JOOLA’s own store or from Amazon itself, so the paddle you receive is the genuine article.

5. How long does the Perseus Pro IV’s spin last?

The spin is strongest fresh and softens with hours played, and the review says so plainly. The textured raw carbon face grips because the woven fiber itself is rough, and that texture fades across months of regular play, faster under heavy drilling.

One lab rates this paddle’s grit durability in the lowest tier, so the 1,971 RPM figure is the fresh-face number and it slides as the season goes on.

Expect strong working spin through a season or two, and check the face twice a season by dragging a fingernail across it and by pressing a ball in and twisting: a face that still grabs turns the ball with it. Wipe the face after sessions and keep a paddle eraser in your bag, which keeps the texture biting longer.

6. What grip size is the Perseus Pro IV, and does it suit two-handed backhands?

The grip circumference is 4.25 inches on a 5.5 inch handle, the standard fit most hands know. The handle is generous for two hands, with honest room for the second hand to sit without crowding the first, and the elongated shape puts the sweet spot high, where a two-handed stroke already meets the ball.

A player whose two-handed backhand is a central shot will manage comfortably, and the standard grip circumference suits the shot’s mechanics.

You cannot make a grip smaller, but you can build one up: each overgrip layer adds roughly 1/16 of an inch of circumference, reversibly, so a player who wants a fuller grip can dial it in. The 14mm version carries a slimmer 4.125 inch grip, which suits smaller hands and builds up the same way.

7. Is the Perseus Pro IV’s core durable?

The honest answer is that the Pro IV generation carries the question, and the next generation was built to answer it.

Core durability complaints attach to the Pro IV line: owners report, in small numbers, cores that softened or crushed beyond usability, edge guards that loosened, and internal cracks appearing twice in the same spot next to the top edge of the 16mm.

I cannot confirm a pattern from my own unit, and the numbers are small, but the complaint is specific to this generation, so treat the warranty as part of the purchase.

The paddle carries a 6-month limited warranty that extends to 12 months when registered in the brand’s app within 14 days of purchase, with receipt, and three replacements instead of two.

Register the day it arrives, keep the receipt with it, and inspect the core response in the first month, because registration plus receipt is what turns a problem into a covered claim instead of an argument.

8. Perseus Pro IV or Scorpeus Pro IV: which JOOLA should I buy?

Buy the Perseus Pro IV for reach, leverage and serve speed: the elongated shape drives from the baseline and finishes from mid-court. Buy the Scorpeus Pro IV for defence: the widebody shape is shorter and wider, forgives more on off-centre contact, and spins harder at 2,221 RPM against this paddle’s 1,971.

Both are the same Pro IV generation with the same core and face, so the choice is the shape, not the technology. Doubles defenders start with the Scorpeus; drivers and finishers start with the Perseus.

9. Does the Perseus Pro IV have a hot spot?

Yes, and it is the paddle’s most reported flaw. Once a rally, a reset or a soft block can jump off the face hotter than you asked, for no reason you can feel, and the ball sails long. The next generation was built to remove exactly that response, and it did.

The hot response does not make the paddle unplayable; it makes it a paddle for players who accept one unpredictable ball a rally in exchange for easier power on every other shot. If the same shot must behave the same way every single time, buy the Pro V instead.

10. Perseus Pro IV or CRBN Genesis: which should I buy?

Buy the Perseus Pro IV for easier power and a firmer, more connected strike: its Gen 3 core supplies pace on a short swing, and its response stays identical across a long match.

Buy the Genesis for maximum spin and dwell: its full foam core pockets the ball longer and measures 2,401 RPM against this paddle’s 1,971, and it swallows vibration while it does it.

The Genesis is the spin-first pick; the Perseus is the power pick that carries working spin with a firmer hand. Players who construct points with spin read the Genesis first; players who want the paddle to supply pace start here.