The Perseus 3S is Ben Johns' signature elongated that JOOLA put out in August 2024, and what still stands out is the pop, especially on the thinner 14mm. Pop is how fast the ball jumps off the face on a short swing, and only two elongateds I've tested have more than the 14mm, so a punch volley gets to your opponent before they're set. That makes it a paddle for an attacking player with good soft hands who wins at the kitchen with speed-ups and counters. Right now, though, I'd only get one if you're set on JOOLA, because cheaper paddles match that pop and beat it almost everywhere else.
The catch is everything around the pop. It doesn't spin much, especially the 14mm, so your roll dinks and topspin drives won't dip like they do off a high spin paddle. Control is a good bit below average too, so if your resets aren't already soft, they'll sit up. And with the newest power paddles hitting harder than ever, even its power has slipped a bit below the average elongated.
Before you shop, just know that JOOLA doesn't sell the original 3S anymore. What it sells instead is the Perseus 3S Dual, and JOOLA lists it as approved by USA Pickleball and by UPA-A, the approval PPA and MLP pro events use. I haven't tested the Dual yet, so every number here is from the original 3S.
Every version, side by side
| Out of 100 | Perseus 3S 14mm$199.95 list price · elongated | Perseus 3S 16mm$199.95 list price · elongated |
|---|---|---|
| 73B | 74B | |
| 96SLeads by 9 | 87A | |
| 26F | 53CLeads by 27 | |
| 50C | 58CLeads by 8 | |
| 30F | 35DLeads by 5 | |
| lower is quicker | 117.7 | 118.7 |
| higher is steadier | 6.16 | 6.41 |
Perseus 3S 14mm
$199.95list price
JOOLA doesn't take discount codes, so there's no code for this paddle.
Perseus 3S 16mm
$199.95list price
JOOLA doesn't take discount codes, so there's no code for this paddle.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Huge pop on the 14mm, and the 16mm is only a bit behind it, so your speed-ups and counters get on people fast.
- The 16mm's sweet spot is a bit bigger than the average elongated's, so dinks and drops you don't catch dead center still come off clean.
- It's stable on off-center hits in the 16mm, so a block you catch near the edge still goes where you aimed it.
Cons
- Low spin, especially on the 14mm, which hurts you if you win points with roll dinks and topspin drives.
- Control trails most elongateds on both thicknesses, so players still building their dinks and resets will pop up more balls.
- Power is under the elongated average, so if you're a banger, you can get a lot more power on your drives for less money.
Quick answers
Is the Perseus 3S banned?
No. The one USA Pickleball pulled, back in May 2024, was the Gen 3 Perseus, the hotter paddle the 3S was toned down from. The original 3S came out with UPA-A approval only, so you can't use it in USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments, though most local leagues and clubs accept UPA-A. JOOLA's product pages list the 3S Dual as approved by both.
Should I get the 14mm or the 16mm?
The 16mm for most people. You give up a little pop for a lot more spin, and I break it down below.
Is the Pro IV better than the 3S?
Mostly no. JOOLA replaced the 3S with the Perseus Pro IV in March 2025, but the 3S spins more in both thicknesses and has a lot more pop in the 16mm. What the Pro IV has going for it is a nicer feel, more power in the 16mm and a $50 lower price. JOOLA's Pro V came after it in 2026 at $300, and I don't have numbers on that one yet.
Should I get the Hyperion or the Perseus?
The Hyperion 3S is the rounded-head paddle in the same 3S family. It swings lighter and spins about the same as the Perseus 16mm, but it has a lot less pop, and pop is why you'd buy a Perseus. My Hyperion 3S review has more.
How I tested the Perseus 3S
Power and pop come from my Stalker Pro 3S radar, which reads the ball's speed as it comes off the face, and that same radar reads spin in RPM on a serve test. Swing weight and twist weight come off a Briffidi SW1, and they tell me how quick a paddle feels in your hands and how steady it stays when you miss the center. Sweet spot and control are my ratings from ball machine dink, drop and reset drills.
Every rank on this page is out of the 81 elongated paddles I've tested that you can still buy. Every price and stock note is from November 7, 2026.
Why JOOLA sells it as the 3S Dual now
The 3S has a messy history, and it's why the paddle on JOOLA's site has a different name. JOOLA's Gen 3 Perseus came out in April 2024. It passed USA Pickleball's testing when it was new, but once it broke in, it was way over the power limit, so USA Pickleball pulled it that May.
JOOLA answered with two paddles that summer. The first was the Mod TA-15, which I called a legal re-release of the Gen 3 when I reviewed it. Then in August came the 3S, a toned-down Gen 3, which launched at $280 with UPA-A approval only.
The Pro IV replaced the 3S in March 2025, but that October JOOLA brought it back as the 3S Dual at $200. JOOLA says it's "designed from the foundation of JOOLA's 3S lineup," with added quality checks so it meets USA Pickleball's standard as well as UPA-A's. One store that played both said the Dual's face has less texture, it feels a little stiffer and has slightly less power out of the box, and otherwise it feels almost identical. Two stores' product pages for it go further and say the smoother face trades away some of the original's pop for more control. None of that is a test, so until I can test it, I'd treat the Dual as a 3S with a smoother face and maybe a little less pop. And a smoother face won't help the spin either, which is already the weak spot.
You can still find a new original. Pickleball Warehouse has both thicknesses in stock at $260, but that's $60 more than the Dual for a paddle that's UPA-A only, so I'd buy the Dual.
How it feels in your hand next to other elongateds you can buy
About average in your hands, about average when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. Lower means faster hands.
About average swing weight for an elongated paddle.
How well the paddle resists turning in your hand when you hit off center. Higher means steadier.
About average twist weight for an elongated paddle.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
An average-size sweet spot for an elongated paddle
Both rings are sized to their score.
What the pop does for you at the kitchen
This is the part of the 3S that still holds up. The 14mm is third of the 81 elongateds and the 16mm is 13th, so when a ball floats up at the kitchen, a short punch is enough to put it away, and your counters come back fast without a big swing.
Power is a different story. In 2024 the 3S was one of the most popular power paddles around, but power paddles have moved on since then. A lot of newer ones use a core that's all foam instead of the usual plastic honeycomb, and the best of those full foam paddles, like MARK's unMARKed 2026 and Selkirk's Boomstik, hit a lot harder from the baseline. So on drives, the 3S is nothing special anymore.
Spin and control are where it falls short
How its spin stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
Less spin than most elongated paddles, 124 RPM below the average
The top three for spin
- 1Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue2,424
- 211SIX24 Hurache-X Jelly Bean 22,39529 RPM behind
- 3Engage Axiom Elongated2,39430 RPM behind
- 74JOOLA Perseus 3S2,154270 RPM behind
Only six elongateds spin less than the 14mm, and even the thicker one sits in the bottom third, so you'll have a harder time making the ball dive on a roll volley.
Control is the other cost, and it comes from the same place as the pop. A face that sends the ball off fast on a punch does the same thing on a reset, so when you block a hard drive, it's more likely to float up into your opponent's hands unless your touch is already good. Both thicknesses are in the bottom half of elongateds for control. The sweet spot gives the 16mm a small edge here, since it's a bit bigger than average, while the 14mm's is about average.
Then there's the feel. Back in November 2024, in one of my paddle meta videos, I said the 3S felt a little firmer off the face than the Mod TA-15. And when I compared the Pro IV with the 3S in March 2025, the 3S Perseus felt a little hollow and a little rigid to me. If you like a firm, crisp paddle, you'll like how this one feels. If you want something plush, you won't love it.
14mm vs 16mm: pop or spin
The two thicknesses hit and swing almost identically, so it really comes down to pop against spin. The 14mm's pop is a bit higher, but its spin is near the bottom of all the elongateds, while the 16mm spins a lot more, even if it's still below average. The thicker one is also a little more forgiving and a little easier to control, and it's more stable when you mishit.
I'd get the 16mm, because the extra spin helps on more shots than the 14mm's extra pop does. I'd only go 14mm if you're already a strong player and you win most of your points trading fast volleys at the kitchen.
Perseus 3S or Pro IV
Before the Pro IV came out, I was expecting JOOLA to just put out the 3S again under a new name, and I was wrong on that, because it plays differently. But when I line up the numbers, the 3S beats it in more places than it loses.
In the 16mm, the 3S has a lot more pop and spin, while the Pro IV hits a good bit harder. In the 14mm, the pop is close to even, and the 3S spins more and has a bigger sweet spot.
The case for the Pro IV is its feel, a lighter swing and the price. In a power paddle video in March 2025, I said it felt more "dwelly," meaning the ball stays on the face a little longer, and much more pleasing off the face than the original 3S series. And it swings a bit lighter, so it's a little quicker in your hands. The 16mm is $150 on JOOLA's site, and the 14mm is out of stock. If you want the harder drive and a nicer feel for less money, get the Pro IV 16mm. If you want pop and more spin, the 3S is better on paper, though neither one spins much.
What owners are saying about the Perseus 3S
There isn't much to go on. When I looked in November 2026, there was just one owner review of the original 3S, on Pickleball Warehouse, and none on JOOLA's 3S Dual pages. That owner gave it five stars, called it a "10/10 paddle," said "the spin is really good," and added that it's "not for beginners." I agree with the last part, but the spin line doesn't match my numbers.
One review doesn't say much about how the 3S lasts, and JOOLA's warranty is short: 6 months, or 12 once you register the paddle's NFC chip.
MARK unMARKed 2026: the rival that beats it on paper
If you're looking at a 16mm 3S Dual for $200, look at this one first. The unMARKed 2026 is MARK's foam elongated from August 2026, it's approved by USA Pickleball, and it beats the 16mm 3S on every score I test. The big gaps are power and spin, where it's a lot better, and you keep about the same pop, with a lighter swing. It's $190, or $171 with my code STSPICKLEBALL, which is about $29 less than the Dual.
In my testing, it hits just about as hard as the Boomstik, but it's quicker in the hands, and it spins more right out of the box. There are catches. It's on pre-order, and when I looked, the open batch was the November 13 one. Its grit is too new to know how it holds up long term, and its control is only about average for an elongated, so you still need a solid soft game. It also doesn't beat the 14mm 3S's pop, which is a bit higher. But if you're a 4.0 or higher player who wants quicker hands and more spin for less money, I'd get the unMARKed.
Three other paddles to look at
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the V-Sol Pro V7 and the Hurache-X Power 2
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
Perseus 3SElongated · $199.95
V-Sol Pro V7Elongated · $99.99The V-Sol Pro V7 spins more, has a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. Power and pop are about the same. The V-Sol Pro V7 costs about $99 less.
Perseus 3SElongated · $199.95
Hurache-X Power 2Elongated · $199.99The Perseus 3S has more pop. The Hurache-X Power 2 hits harder, spins more and has a bigger sweet spot. Control is about the same. Same price.
Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro V7 16mm: the 14mm's pop for about half the price
The V-Sol Pro V7 is Vatic Pro's foam elongated, and it has about the same pop and power as the 14mm 3S. It also spins a lot more and has a lot more control than either 3S, so it's much easier to live with when the point slows down. It's $110, or $99.99 with my code STSPICKLEBALL, which is about half what the Dual costs. Like the original 3S, it has a raw carbon face, and raw carbon faces dropped 14 to 20% of their spin over my wear test, so don't expect either one to hold its spin like a grit face. On Vatic Pro's site, three V7 owners said it wore smooth fast, in reports from February to May 2026. It's USA Pickleball approved and in stock.
11SIX24 Hurache-X Power 2: more power and a lot more spin, on sale
The Hurache-X Power 2 is 11SIX24's 2026 elongated, with a 6 inch handle that leaves plenty of room for a two-handed backhand, and next to the 16mm 3S it hits a good bit harder and spins a lot more, with close to the same pop. It's on sale for $160 on 11SIX24's site, down from $210, through December 4. It swings a bit lighter but is less stable on off-center hits, and it's UPA-A only, so it's out for USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments. Owners on 11SIX24's site posted 10 reports of the face separating from the core or going dead between March and May 2026, and none since May.
Selkirk Boomstik Elongated: better at everything, for more money
The Boomstik is Selkirk's foam power paddle from 2025, and the elongated version beats both 3S thicknesses on every score I test, with the biggest gaps in power, spin and control. Its sweet spot is the biggest of any elongated I've tested, and it's USA Pickleball approved with a lifetime warranty. What holds it back is the price, which lists at $333. Selkirk's site has it on sale, but the sale price wasn't the same everywhere on the page, so look at the cart before you buy. Selkirk also has a new Boomstik ST coming out November 10, so it's worth seeing what that is first. Code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a Selkirk gift card on top. The price stays the same, and thank you for supporting the channel.
My call
I like what the 3S does at the kitchen, but at $200 there are better buys right now. For a power elongated at that price, I'd get the unMARKed 2026, since it's better than the 16mm across the board and still costs a little less. If pop is what you're after and you want to spend less, the V-Sol Pro V7 gets you there for about half. And if you're set on JOOLA, I'd take the 16mm 3S Dual over the 14mm for the spin, or the Pro IV 16mm if drive power and feel matter more to you than pop.
Testing details
- Tested, Perseus 3S 14mm
- August 18, 2026
- Tested, Perseus 3S 16mm
- May 12, 2026
- Power and pop
- 20 full serves for power and 20 punch volleys for pop, every ball speed read on a Stalker radar gun.
- Spin
- 20 more serves on the radar. I drop the outliers and average the rest.
- Swing and twist weight
- Measured on a Briffidi SW1 swing weight machine.
- Sweet spot and control
- The same dinks, drops, resets and drives off a Titan ONE ball machine, for every paddle.
- The scores
- Out of 100, with the same tests for every paddle. The top paddles I've tested score 100.
- Published
- Scores from
- My database, updated November 8, 2026. How I test
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 1
