When it comes to professional pickleball, Christine McGrath who has won major titles in the US Open, Nationals and Tournament of Champions.
While her day job is in healthcare, the Brown and Georgetown University grad, the former lifelong and Division 1 collegiate tennis player transitioned into pickleball in 2015 and since then, has become one of the top faces in the professional circuit.
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And she is sponsored by Franklin Pickleball and Franklin offers their premium quality paddle featuring a MaxGrit surface coating technology that features a 13mm polypropylene paddle core and is built for durability. And unlike other surfaces made of carbon fiber or graphite, the Franklin McGrath paddle features a fiberglass surface layer which showcases a large sweet spot.
The Franklin Sports Pro Christine McGrath Pickleball Paddle (Black) is approved by USA Pickleball and features the following paddle specs are 15.9″ H x 8″ W. The weight is about 7.6-8.1 oz (medium weight) and features a grip length of 5 inches.
The paddle features a 13mm polypropylene paddle core with a fiberglass surface. And also features a comfortable grip that is much different than most pickleball paddles which I have come across.
As for the fiberglass surfaces versus the carbon and graphite surface, fiberglass used to be the most common material for paddles but many are now carbon fiber or graphite. Fiberglass offers the most power and not as stiff as other surfaces. But while it is great for redirecting the energy of the ball, because the material is not as stiff and thus the sweet spot size is much smaller but you feel more energy which allows the ball to go further.
In addition, the MaxGrit also allows for spin, so you get a solid bounce and a very good spin!
It’s important to note that there are a few various colors offered. One is pink, one is black and one is blue. The racket is USA Pickleball approved.
For the most part, I do feel this is a good paddle, especially those who are wanting to get into pickleball and prefer to go with a more establish name (like Franklin) that showcases a sponsored player.
In fact, the Christine McGrath and the Ben Johns Franklin paddle look very similar, with the difference is that this paddle features a large CM instead of the J logo. Also, the paddle length for the McGrath is 15.9 vs. the 16.5 paddle length of the Ben Johns (as the player loves elongated paddles) and also is .5 inches in width smaller. So, the Christine McGrath paddle is comparable to the standard, traditional pickleball paddle size.
I did notice the difference on how the ball responds to a fiberglass surface, which is surprising because I always thought that graphite was more for me.
At around $110, you pay a little more for a player sponsored paddle but this Pro Franklin paddle is among the least expensive pickleball paddles to check out (considering paddles featuring a sponsored player tend to go for over $200).
Overall, the Franklin Sports Pro Christine McGrath Pickleball Paddle (Black) is definitely worth checking out!
