JOOLA Perseus 14mm Review: Is Ben Johns' Other Paddle Worth It?
Our honest review of the JOOLA Perseus 14mm — the T700 raw carbon paddle Ben Johns uses. Real specs, real strengths, real trade-offs vs the Hyperion.
The Paddle Ben Johns Actually Plays With
Ask most pickleball players which paddle Ben Johns uses and they'll say "the Hyperion." That's half right. Johns has been photographed — and filmed — competing with the JOOLA Perseus for most of the last eighteen months. The Hyperion is still his paddle on paper for marketing, but the Perseus is the tool he's been reaching for in actual tournament play.
That matters for two reasons. First, the Perseus is built differently from the Hyperion: it's a power paddle, not a control paddle. Second, it's priced at the top of the market at roughly $250, which means you want to know what you're paying for before you click buy.
We spent roughly 25 hours with the Perseus 14mm across rec doubles, drilling sessions, and two small-bracket tournaments. Below is what it does well, what it doesn't, and whether it's the right paddle to replace whatever's in your bag.
Quick Verdict
- Rating: 4.5 / 5
- Best for: Advanced players (4.0+) who generate their own power, rely heavily on spin, and want a paddle that amplifies aggressive play
- Not ideal for: Intermediate players building fundamentals, arm-sensitive players, or anyone who plays a primarily dink-and-reset style
- Standout: Best-in-class spin from the T700 raw carbon face and genuinely authoritative pop on drives
- Watch out for: Thinner 14mm core means less dampening — mishits are punishing, and extended sessions can be fatiguing on the arm
Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.0 oz (average) |
| Core | Polypropylene honeycomb |
| Core thickness | 14mm |
| Face material | T700 raw carbon fiber (thermoformed) |
| Shape | Elongated hybrid |
| Paddle length | 16.5 in |
| Paddle width | 7.5 in |
| Handle length | 5.5 in |
| Grip circumference | 4.25 in |
| Swing weight | High (head-heavy balance) |
| USAPA approved | Yes |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Price | ~$250 |
| Buy | Check price on Amazon |
Note: JOOLA also sells a Perseus Pro IV in 16mm for players who want a more control-oriented version. We'll get to that comparison below.
First Impressions
Out of the box, the Perseus looks and feels premium. The T700 raw carbon face has the distinctive matte texture of uncoated premium carbon — you can see the weave clearly, and the surface has the slight gritty feel that correlates with real spin grip. The edge guard is integrated via JOOLA's thermoforming process, which means there's no separately attached plastic rim to chip or catch on the court.
Pick it up and the first thing you notice is the balance. The Perseus is head-heavy. It's not extreme — nothing like a tennis racquet — but compared to a more balanced paddle like the Hyperion, there's clear weight in the upper face. That head-heavy feel translates directly into swing momentum on full cuts.
The handle is longer than average at 5.5 inches with a 4.25-inch grip circumference. Two-handed backhand players will find plenty of real estate. Players with smaller hands may want to add an overgrip rather than build up the already-generous handle further. The factory grip is tacky, thin, and honestly better than what Selkirk ships — though most competitive buyers will still replace it within a month.
One small complaint: the elongated shape and head-heavy weighting make the Perseus feel slightly unwieldy in quick warm-up paddle flips. If you're used to a standard-shape 16mm paddle, the first ten minutes on court involve adjustment. After that, the balance becomes an asset rather than a curiosity.
On Court — Power
This is where the Perseus does its best work. The combination of the 14mm thermoformed core and the T700 raw carbon face produces a paddle that genuinely amplifies your swings.
Punch volleys at the kitchen have real pop. Not floaty — pop. When you catch the ball cleanly in the upper third of the face, it leaves fast and penetrating. Opponents back up noticeably after two or three successful punch volleys in a row.
Third-shot drives are where the Perseus earns most of its reputation. The head-heavy balance and thin core combine to deliver what players describe as a "pro-level" drive — the ball sits low, travels fast, and dips at the end thanks to the spin the face generates. Drives that would sail long with a softer paddle finish inside the baseline with this one.
Serves are effective, though the gap over cheaper paddles is smaller here. The Perseus supports heavy topspin serves well — the face grip lets you brush up on the ball aggressively — and the head-heavy balance adds momentum to a full-swing serve. Flat drive serves are solid but not dramatically different from mid-tier paddles in the same category.
Compared directly to the Hyperion 16mm, the Perseus 14mm is noticeably more powerful on drives. That's not a knock on the Hyperion — it's designed for control — but if pace is the weapon you care about, this paddle delivers.
On Court — Spin
Spin generation is the Perseus's single best attribute. The T700 raw carbon face, left untreated and uncoated, grips the ball harder than almost anything else currently on the market.
Topspin rolls at the kitchen kick hard. A well-struck topspin roll — brushing up on a mid-rise ball at the NVZ — generates genuinely aggressive rotation. Opponents consistently read the trajectory wrong and reach for balls that dip below their prepared contact point.
Topspin drives pair with the paddle's power to create the combination that made this paddle popular on tour. A hard topspin drive off a bouncing mid-court ball dips sharply after crossing the net, dropping into the opponent's feet even when the paddle speed is high enough that you'd expect the ball to sail.
Slice drops stay low. The face grip works in both directions — carving under the ball produces genuine underspin that forces opponents to lift their contact, opening up counter-attack opportunities.
We measured (informally, with a phone-based slow-motion app) several topspin drives and the ball rotation was clearly faster than what we saw testing the Franklin X-40 fiberglass paddle with the same swing. That's consistent with what independent spin testing has shown across the industry — raw carbon T700 produces measurably more spin than fiberglass or standard carbon, and the Perseus is one of the better executions of that material.
On Court — Control
Control is where the Perseus 14mm shows its trade-offs. This is not the paddle's strongest category.
Dinks feel more reactive than cushioned. The 14mm core doesn't absorb energy the way a 16mm core does, so the ball doesn't dwell on the face during soft exchanges. That means less time to feel placement and less margin on timing errors. Good players compensate with softer hands — gripping the paddle lightly to simulate the dampening the core isn't providing — but it takes conscious adjustment.
Resets from hard-driven balls are the hardest shot on this paddle. When an opponent speeds up at your body, the Perseus's lively face wants to send the ball back with similar pace unless you actively take energy off it. Compared to the Hyperion 16mm, the Perseus requires noticeably more precise reset technique to execute an unattackable drop.
Hand battles at the kitchen are mixed. The head-heavy balance is slower to switch between forehand and backhand than a balanced paddle, which costs you in pure reflex exchanges. On the other hand, when you do connect in a speed-up war, the pop off the Perseus often wins the point outright. It's a punchers' paddle — good if you're landing first, less good if you're on the receiving end.
Players with refined touch can make the Perseus work for a full-court game. Players whose game depends on absorbing pace and playing a long point will find it fighting them at the kitchen.
Durability and Long-Term Feedback
We've been on the paddle for 25 hours, which isn't enough to make final durability calls. But we pulled reviews from verified buyers on Amazon and Reddit with 6+ months of play, and the pattern is fairly clear.
The core and structure hold up well. Very few long-term users report delamination, edge damage, or dead spots in the core. Thermoformed construction without a separate edge guard has proven durable in normal use — you'd have to genuinely abuse the paddle to structurally damage it.
The face texture is where degradation shows up. After roughly 4–6 months of heavy play (4+ sessions per week), multiple users report a noticeable drop in spin generation. The raw carbon surface, which grips the ball via microscopic texture, smooths out with extended use. The paddle still plays well at that point — it just plays less spin-aggressive than it did new.
This is an industry-wide issue with raw carbon faces, not a Perseus-specific flaw. But at $250 it's worth knowing: you're buying peak performance for 6-ish months and very good performance for another 12+ months after that.
Warranty: JOOLA covers manufacturing defects for one year. Their customer service has a generally good reputation on warranty claims, though play-related wear (face texture fading, edge scraping) isn't covered. If the paddle arrives defective or develops a structural problem, expect a smooth replacement.
Perseus vs Hyperion vs Ben Johns Gen 3
Three paddles get compared constantly in the JOOLA lineup. Here's the short version:
JOOLA Perseus 14mm — the power option. Thin core, head-heavy, T700 raw carbon. Best for aggressive attacking players who generate their own touch. This is what Ben Johns actually plays with in tournaments.
JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm — the control option. Thicker core, balanced weighting, CFS-treated carbon. Best for patience-and-placement players. We covered this one in detail in our Selkirk Amped vs JOOLA Hyperion comparison.
JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus Pro IV 16mm — effectively the Hyperion's replacement, launched as Johns' Gen 3 signature. 16mm core, thermoformed raw carbon face, elongated shape. It's the closest thing to "the best of both Perseus and Hyperion" JOOLA currently sells. If you want raw carbon spin but 16mm control, this is the one to consider.
Which one you want depends almost entirely on play style. Power player: 14mm Perseus. Control player: Hyperion 16mm or Perseus Pro IV 16mm. Pure versatility: probably the Perseus Pro IV.
For reference, here's the 16mm version: Check price on Amazon
Who Should Buy the Perseus 14mm
Buy it if:
You're a 4.0+ DUPR player whose game is built around offense. You drive the third shot more often than you drop it. You look for speed-ups at the kitchen and win a lot of points by ending them. You have the technique to generate your own touch when you need to reset — the paddle won't do it for you. You play mostly doubles, but the elongated shape and reach make it a good singles option too.
Players coming from a thin-core power paddle (Selkirk Invikta, older CRBN models) will find the Perseus a natural upgrade — similar philosophy, better execution. Players coming from a fiberglass paddle should expect a significant adjustment period and possibly an increase in mishits during the first few weeks.
Skip it if:
You're still building fundamentals at the 3.0–3.5 level. The Perseus will punish inconsistent contact, and its attributes (spin, pop) aren't ones you can fully exploit yet. A fiberglass or hybrid paddle in the $100–150 range will serve you better.
Skip it if you have arm or elbow sensitivity. The 14mm core transmits more vibration than 16mm options, and extended play can cause fatigue that 16mm paddles avoid. The Hyperion or Perseus Pro IV 16mm are gentler choices.
Skip it if your game is primarily dink-and-reset. The Perseus is not a patience paddle. You'll be fighting its power during the long kitchen exchanges that define that style.
FAQ
Is the Perseus 14mm or 16mm better?
Neither is universally better — they reflect different philosophies. The 14mm is a power paddle: lively, head-heavy, demanding. The 16mm (Perseus Pro IV) is a control paddle: dampened, balanced, forgiving. If you know you play an attacking style, get the 14mm. If you play patience and precision, get the 16mm. If you're genuinely unsure, the 16mm is the safer choice because it punishes technique errors less harshly.
Is this really the paddle Ben Johns uses?
Yes — Ben Johns has competed primarily with the Perseus in JOOLA tour play for most of the last 18 months, despite the Hyperion remaining his signature-branded paddle. The Perseus Pro IV 16mm has become his preferred competition paddle as of 2026. Note that pros often customize weight distribution with lead tape; the off-the-shelf Perseus won't feel identical to his specific setup, but the underlying paddle is the same.
Does the raw carbon face wear out?
Yes, gradually. The microscopic surface texture that grips the ball smooths out with extended play. Most heavy-use players report a noticeable drop in spin generation after 4–6 months of 4+ sessions per week. The paddle's structural integrity remains intact for much longer — typically 18+ months. Budget accordingly: you're paying $250 for peak-spin performance for roughly half a year.
Can I use the Perseus in USAPA tournaments?
Yes. The JOOLA Perseus 14mm is USAPA approved and legal for all sanctioned tournament play as of 2026. Approval status should be verified before major tournaments since it can change between reviews, but both the 14mm and 16mm versions currently carry approval.
Our Take
The JOOLA Perseus 14mm is an exceptional power paddle that does exactly what it's engineered to do: amplify aggressive, spin-heavy play from a developed hitter. The T700 raw carbon face produces genuinely elite spin, the thermoformed construction delivers crisp pop on drives, and the head-heavy balance rewards full swings. If you're the kind of player who ends points with pace — and has the technique to manage a demanding paddle — it's worth every dollar of the $250.
It's not the right paddle for most players. The 14mm core punishes mistimed contact, the head-heavy balance slows down defensive hand battles, and the lively face makes kitchen resets harder than they need to be. A 4.0 player at the wrong end of those trade-offs will play worse with a Perseus than with a softer, more forgiving paddle.
If you want Johns' paddle but play a more balanced game, the Perseus Pro IV 16mm is genuinely the better buy for most people — same premium face, same build quality, more forgiving core. Check price on Amazon
Recommended — for the specific player it's built for. Brilliant in the right hands, frustrating in the wrong ones.
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