Body Helix X-1 Paddle Review

Company Info: We’ve got some more gear from Body Helix today! For their company information, check our last post, which can be found here.

Paddle Name: Today, we are reviewing the Body Helix X-1 Paddle (16 mm).

Description: The X-1 is the first pickleball paddle released by Body Helix. The paddle itself features the standard Body Helix colorway of black and white. The paddle itself is primarily black in color. The paddle face is black, with a white edge guard and white grip tape.

The USA Pickleball approval is printed in white, below the X-1 logo, which is also in white at the base of the paddle. The paddle features the Body Helix logo vertically down the side of the paddle face.

The paddle also came with a paddle cover for added protection and an accessory kit. The accessory kit contained an eraser for the paddle face, an over grip and lead weights to customize the paddle to your liking.

Play feel: The paddle played very well and has held up very nicely after weeks of playing. The first thing I noticed was the sweet spot. The sweet spot on this (even without lead tape) is very large. It definitely made dinks/drops easy. The large sweet spot also allowed a very minimal “learning curve” to get used to playing with the paddle.

The paddle does possess a good deal of “pop” and power as well. It felt sturdy when hitting power shots and the one thing I will say is that although it possess a good deal of power, it does not feel uncontrollable. There is still the “touch” present that allows you to transition from a power shot to dinking quite easily.

The paddle face does not feel as rough to the touch as others I have played with, but that said, they utilize a “tight weave raw carbon.” You can still get a great deal of topsin, etc. on your shots. The smoothness is deceiving until you play with it!

The grip itself is pretty standard overall. Per usual, I would recommend utilize an over grip of sorts on the handle. I found it got a little slippery when sweating a lot in this FL heat.

Price Point: The paddle is available on their website for $160, which includes the accessory kit and paddle cover.

Recommendation: This paddle has held up great after a number of weeks of playing. I am impressed, especially given this is their first paddle they have released. It is obviously very high quality and has undergone a lot of testing. I also like the fact that it comes with the paddle cover and accessory kit.

I would definitely say this is a great “all around” paddle, in that it does a lot of things very well (from spin, to power, and touch).

The design is very classic and is just an overall solid look. I like the minimal, yet clean branding that is apparent on the paddle face.

Moving forward, I will be utilizing an over grip (personal preference), however, I really think this is a paddle you could immediately play with, no customization needed. I will be excited to see what they come out with in the future! Nicely done, Body Helix!

Dimensions: The paddle is made with raw toray carbon and has 5 layers built in. It is thermoformed and has a unibody construction.

· Paddle Weight: ~8.20 ounces

· Grip Size: 4.25 inches

· Handle Length: 5.25 inches

· Paddle Length: 16.5 inches

· Paddle Width: 7.5 inches

· Balance: 236 mm

USAPA Certified? YES