Gearbox Pro Ultimate Review

My full review of the Hyper is Gearbox Pro Ultimate Hyper Review, from December 2024. I played really well with it from the start, and it went in my bag, but as a main paddle I didn't like it quite as much as my Honolulu J2K or J2Ti. I didn't do a full review of the 16mm elongated or the 14mm, but I tested both and talked about them in my Meta Analysis videos.

It doesn't feel like that out of the wrapper, though. When I reviewed the Hyper, I said the secret is that you have to break it in, because it feels tight and pretty clunky at first, and once it opens up you get a more plush, muted response.

The power is solid, just not special anymore. All three hit about as hard as the average elongated or widebody does now. In March 2025 I had the 14mm third on my list of the top power paddles, and that tells you how much the market has caught up since.

On the court, a ball you catch a little toward the edge comes off dead. In my Hyper review, I said it dies off pretty hard around the edge. When you catch one in the middle it feels great, but the dink or reset you catch slightly off center is the one that comes up short or dies in the net.

When someone drives one at you and you catch it off center, the elongated Pro Ultimates get knocked around more than almost any other elongated. The Hyper is steadier and its sweet spot is a lot bigger, but even that sweet spot is tied for the smallest on any widebody. So even the forgiving version is only forgiving next to its siblings.

Pop is where all three really fall behind, with a lot less of it than the average elongated or widebody, and the power only shows up when you swing all the way through. So when someone speeds one up at you at the kitchen, your punch or counter comes back soft unless you put the speed on it yourself. A ball that doesn't jump is easier to keep down when you hit it clean, but with a sweet spot this small, it's the off center ones that get you.

The weight sits way up in the head, too. The 16mm is about as head heavy as elongateds get, and the 14mm is one of the heaviest swinging paddles I've tested. Even the Hyper swings heavier than any other widebody, and that weight costs you hand speed when the ball comes back fast.

Five owners were happy with the power, a few liked it on dinks and soft shots, and two called it quiet. A couple even called the sweet spot big or forgiving, which isn't what my drills show. The one who saw what I saw was a 14mm owner who gave it 3 stars for a small sweet spot, dead outer edges and hard resets. Another 14mm owner said it isn't for newer players.

Then there's the break-in and the price. Five said it needed a break-in or some time to adjust, which is what I found with the Hyper, and five said it costs too much, including a Hyper owner who said you can get a comparable paddle for less.

The GBX Power Elongated hits exactly as hard as the 16mm Pro Ultimate and spins more. The other three scores aren't close. Its sweet spot is a lot bigger, so the dink you catch toward the edge still has a chance, and with its extra pop and control, counters come off with something on them and resets are easier to place. Against the 14mm, the power and spin are about even, and the GBX is well ahead on the other three.

Gearbox doesn't make a GBX widebody, so if you like the Hyper, look at the GBX Power Hybrid, which is a little longer and narrower. Next to the Hyper, it puts more on your drives, the ball jumps quicker on counters, and more of your off center dinks land, with about the same spin.

On paper, the main thing you give up is some weight behind your drives, because the GBX swings lighter. The feel is the part I can't score, and with a different core inside, it isn't a sure swap if the Pro Ultimate's dense, quiet response is the whole reason you want one.