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Company Info: Veloz (pronounced “Vee-Lows”) is a pickleball company with the name spawning from the Latin word for “speed.” They were started out of Newport Beach and are based in California. Their goal is to stay ahead of the trends and bring industry-leading innovation to pickleball, and do so quickly. They have a slew of professional sponsored players and are dedicated to continuing to grow others about the games through teaching pros and ambassadors. They have various pickleball related apparel, accessories, and paddles available. To see more on them and their story, visit www.velozusa.com.
Product Name: We’ve got the Veloz Ardent (16MM) pickleball paddle to review.
Description: The Veloz Ardent pickleball paddle is a 16MM carbon fiber offering. The paddle has three layers of construction regarding the paddle face (fiberglass with 2 layes of carbon fiber). The paddle is USA Pickleball approved. It features a polypropylene core.
The paddle itself is primarily black in color. The paddle face is black and features a stylized “A” across the paddle face in grey. At the top of the paddle face, there is the “16MM” text in lime green and grey. At the base of the paddle face, you can see the “Ardent” wording and A logo in lime green with “by Veloz” in grey text. The USA Pickleball approval logo is located at the base of the paddle face below this text in grey as well. The model number is listed in smaller font diagonally down the base of the left side of the paddle.
The edge guard and grip tape are black and do not contain any further markings. The handle cap does feature the Veloz logo in white. The grip does not feature any texture, but does have some tackiness. The paddle face shape itself is slightly squarer and features good texture.
The paddle is marketed as one “for passionate players interested in a performance paddle… (at an) optimal and affordable choice.”
Play feel: The paddle face is more of a square and I found the sweet spot to be very large. The sweet spot was the first thing I noticed. Given the design, there were hardly any “dead spots” in this paddle whatsoever.
The paddle feels very sturdy when hitting power shots and serves. As mentioned before, the paddle face has a good amount of texture, without being overbearing. With that, I found you could place spin on the ball, without being out of control. The paddle places consistent and was great for control shots.
The grip itself leaves a little to be desired if you are somebody who sweats a lot, given it does not have a lot of texture or tackiness. The handle is comfortable though and the shape works well. The paddle itself feels evenly balanced and lightweight when handling.
The quality is evident when handling. The paddle did not show any major signs of wear and tear in our testing period (and in the Florida heat/humidity).
Price Point: The Veloz Ardent Pickleball paddle is available on their website for $99.00.
Recommendation: For the money, I think the Ardent is a great affordable option to upgrade your beginner pickleball paddle. The paddle is high quality and comes in right at one hundred bucks. If you are transitioning to becoming more competitive or looking for a reasonably priced option, I would definitely recommend the Veloz Ardent. They also have additional options and accessories to customize the paddle to your liking. They even have higher end paddles once you’re looking to upgrade even further. The paddle is USA Pickleball approved and you can use this to compete in tournaments.
I think the design is classic and timeless. The paddle is fun to play with and has held up great. I think it’s tough to find paddles at this price range that allow you to remain competitive, but definitely think that this is one of them.
Be sure to check out Veloz and their full product offerings and be on the lookout for their upcoming product drops!
Be sure to give them a look and for full photographs, check out our Instagram!
Dimensions:
Length: 15.75”
Width: 8”
Thickness: 16mm
Weight: 7.8-8.2oz
Length of handle: 5.5”
Circumference of handle: 4.15”
USA Pickleball Approved
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