My Favorite PickleBall Paddle
As I look at the reviews of the ONIX Graphite Z5 Graphite Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle on various websites I can’t help but notice that most of them seem to be written by a robot and most everything seems to be copied and/or pasted from other sites. This is the paddle that my mom uses and it seems that there’s always several pickleball players also using this one.
There is a lot to like about the ONIX Graphite Z5 Graphite Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle beginning with the oversized head which makes it great for beginners. A bigger sweet spot makes it easier to reach the harder shots and means it’s more forgiving for newer players The paddle is about 15 ½ inches tall 8 inches wide. The handle, which is cushioned and 4 ¼ inches around, also reminds me of a tennis racquet handle which made it easier for me to transition from tennis to pickleball. (Don’t even ask about my attempt at Snowboarding after Skiing for so long!). Also included is an edge guard, which many of the cheap racquets don’t have. This is great for players like me who tend to scrape or hit the ground a lot. You can get this racquet in various weights and colors.
The construction of this cool paddle: The core of this pickleball paddle is made from Nomex, which is made from calendered paper and is formed into a honeycomb shape, was originally invented in the 1960’s by Dupont. Nomex is a flame-resistant meta-aramid used by firefighters, race car drivers, pilots and pickleball players! It creates a lightweight but very strong core for the ONIX Graphite Z5. The face of this paddle is a graphite carbon fibre with a rough textured surface. This means long-lasting and great for adding spin to your pickleball shots.
My mom especially hates the aggressive design graphics so she’s sometimes embarrassed or hesitant to play with the ONIX Graphite Z5, but she’s getting used to overlook that since she keeps on winning (she’s 84). Some other things we don’t like is the loudness and the less control the paddle has – which is made up for by all the power!
Started by Steve Wong in 2011 ( he actually left an information-technology manager job in Washington state at 34 years old ) onixpickleball.com was originally S Type Sports: stypesports.com (website no longer active). He is a driving force behind the rising popularity of pickleball and designed the ONIX Graphite Z5 Graphite Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle. This paddle is available in blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red, white and yellow.
Although the face and advertising on some websites say its made in the USA it may actually be made in Mexico. Not sure but it doesn’t really matter to me as long as this paddle helps me keep winning. The graphics also say onixsports.com but that redirects you to onixpickleball.com which seems to be the company’s new website. Customer service is at pickleball@escaladesports.com.
This paddle is also USAPA Approved.
updated oct 2022
You can purchase the ONIX Graphite Z5 Graphite Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle from Amazon. 
https://youtu.be/bR_lSPf4KFY
