Pickleball in Canada

The Kryptonite II pickleball paddle is a hard surface 2G paddle manufactured by Pickle-Ball Inc. exclusively for The Pickleball Paddle Peddler in Lady Lake, Florida. Although it is used by players across the USA and Canada, it is most popular in The Villages, Florida. Most Canadian vendors sell this paddle at price point of around $75.00.

Like many of the Pickle-Ball Inc.’s 2G paddles, the Kryptonite II consists of a honeycomb core (in this case, plastic) sandwiched between two layers of carbon fiber. The layers are glued together and then finished with a silicone edge guard that runs along the entire edge of the paddle.

The primary features of this paddle are its weight and its colours. At approximately 210 grams (7.5 ounces), the Kryptonite II is certainly one of the lightest 2G paddles on the market. It also comes in a wider range of colours than any other 2G pickleball paddle.

As far as playability goes, the Kryptonite II plays like a typical hard surface, 2G pickleball paddle. The contoured and padded handle (wrapped with ribbed Gamma tennis grip) certainly provides a more comfortable feel, but at the end of the day, the Kryptonite II plays a lot like Pickle-Ball Inc’s top-selling Champion paddle.

And like all 2G paddles, the Kryptonite II paddle suffers from what the manufacturer calls “premature edge guard departure.” In other words, swing too hard or scrape the paddle on the ground and the edge guard may come lose.

Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence. I have owned four Kryptonite II paddles in the past two years and the top edge guard has come loose on all of them.

In my case, the guards on these paddles come loose because I generate a lot of racquet head speed on my overhead smashes. Unfortunately, the paddle layers begin to separate the moment the glue breaks on the edge guard, meaning I get a maximum of four to six months use out of every Kryptonite II I buy.

While I do not recommend this paddle for competitive power players, I have no problem recommending it to recreational players who play a bump-and-run style of pickleball. As long as they are not pounding the ball, I think the edge guard on the Kryptonite II should last as long as any other 2G pickleball paddle.

For players who play pickleball where USAPA rules prohibit the use of 3G paddles, the Kryptonite II is a good paddle. Expect to pay a little more than for you might for some other 2G paddles, but look forward to owning a lightweight paddle available in a wide range of colours.

It can be purchased in person in our Calgary store or ordered through our online Pro Shop. We ship across Canada and around the world.

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