Pickleball Apes Zen S+ Paddle Review: First Impressions, Power, and Spin

Main Points

• The Pickleball Apes Zen S+ is a foam paddle with a more powerful, poppier feel than the Joy Plus.
• Its S+ shape stays consistent with the Joy, but the Zen is built for harder hitting and more firepower.
• The paddle has a distinct thunky sound and strong ball feedback that makes it feel different from many other foam paddles.
• Surface texture appears to deliver high spin, with durable grit that compares well to other spin-focused paddles.
• In head-to-head play, the Zen felt close to the JOOLA CR in spin, but the JOOLA CR had a slight edge in plow through and dwell time.
• Early impressions suggest the Zen is a strong addition to the Pickleball Apes lineup, especially for players who want more power than the Joy Plus.

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Summary

This video gives first-hit impressions of the Pickleball Apes Zen S+ paddle during open play and compares it with the Joy Plus and the Sword & Shield JT-R. The Zen immediately stands out as the more aggressive option in the lineup, with noticeably more pop, power, and a firmer ball response than the Joy Plus.

The paddle keeps the same S+ shape as the Joy, but the feel is different enough to separate the two. The Zen has a thunky, hollow sound and a fast response off the face, which makes it feel more like a power paddle than an all-court option. It also showed strong spin potential thanks to the durable grit surface.

The reviewer also shared basic specs and overall impressions from only a handful of games, so the feedback is early but positive. The Zen’s swing weight and twist weight were described as solid, and the paddle seems to offer a good blend of speed and stability for its weight class.

Compared with the JOOLA CR, the Zen was close in spin and pop, but the JOOLA CR had a slight edge in dwell and plow through on drives. Even so, the Zen looks like a strong new release for players who want more power from a foam paddle without giving up control entirely.

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Tags: Control | Durability | Joola | Joy | paddle performance | Paddle Review | Pickleball Apes | Power | Spin | Tickle My Pickleball | Zen