ONIX is one of the OG pickleball brands, started over 20 years ago in 2005. The Indiana-based company makes popular paddles, as well as some of the best pickleball balls and great accessories like pickleball glasses.
I was really excited to try out the ONIX Hype X Pro pickleball paddle. At $120, I was hoping it could provide real value to anyone looking to spend under $150.
After playing for 10 hours with this paddle, here are my honest thoughts on who can get the most out of it.
The ONIX Hype X Pro is one of the best-weighted paddles I've seen. It's got that head-heavier feel that aggressive players like me love but it's still light and super aerodynamic. If you want a fast elongated paddle with great spin and good control, check it out. At just $120, it's a real bargain.
ONIX nailed the elongated shape
Elongated paddles tend to be heavier toward the top – hence the name "head heavy". A lot of players love this as it boosts power and spin but one drawback is often a lack of speed. These paddles can drag.
The first thing that jumped out at me about the ONIX Hype X Pro was how light and speedy it is for an elongated paddle. ONIX really got the weighting down here – you still have that heavy-headed feel too.
If you're a more aggressive player who wants a heavier paddle that's not lacking in speed, this is a top choice. This is especially true if you're shopping in the $100-150 range. It can save you big money against paddles like the JOOLA Hyperion Pro IV ($280) and SLK ERA Power Elongated ($200), with the caveat that it doesn't have the explosive power those paddles have.
✅ What stands out
Perfectly weighted
This paddle shines on weighting. I like head-heavier paddles – they let me play more aggressively with a lot of spin and whip on the ball. This is one of the best because it gives you that without slowing you down or leaving you fatigued.
It doesn't have the explosiveness of the best power paddles but that actually helped me keep shots in. I could be extremely aggressive on my speed-ups and catch people off-guard with a quick little attack to the body. Then, I'd do a quick attack away from their body and they'd think the ball was going out but it would land in.
I also liked to get my paddle face down and then whip it across with lots of spin and aggression. I usually add lead tape to my paddles but I didn't need to here.
Spin is great
You can whip the ball and get good, aggressive topspin dinks over the net. Angled dinks are really nice because you can get a lot of roll to the outside of the court. If you like to move your opponents around, you can do that really well. On volleys, you can brush up on the ball, which I used for sort-of jumpy topspin volleys at my opponents' feet that won me a lot of points.
Great control for an elongated paddle
This paddle excels on short attacks. I could really control my angles. Dinking is awesome too – it rarely tends to pop the ball up. On drops, I could easily control the height of the ball.
❌ What to consider
Not a huge power paddle
I wouldn't call this a straight-up control paddle but equally it doesn't have the effortless pop or raw power of some paddles. When you want power it's there but you'll need a good swing and a clean connection to put the ball away.
Check out the Luzz Pro Cannon and Ronbus Quanta R3 if you want to see more naturally powerful paddles in this price range.
Doesn't have much dwell time
A lot of newer paddles with foam cores have more dwell time, where the ball dwells on the paddle face a touch, letting you put more shape on your shots. This is not a foam paddle. It has a consistent pop off the face.
This can be a pro or a con depending on your play style – it's just something to be aware of. I like the pop and that's why I'm saying this is for aggressive players.
One shape only
Currently, there are no standard or hybrid versions of the Hype X Pro. My preference is for elongated paddles anyway so I'm happy here.
How the ONIX Hype X Pro plays
| Category | Rating | Notes |
| Power | 8/10 | If you get a good swing and hit the ball cleanly, you're not lacking in the power department. It's especially great on serves. If you don't have a committed swing, you do lack some putaway power. |
| Control | 9/10 | You can use the head heaviness, the quick speed and the awesome spin to hit great dinks, drops, and drives. Don't expect a lot of dwell-based control, but it's very accurate for a poppier 14 mm elongated paddle. |
| Spin | 9/10 | Does everything you need across spin from topspin to whips and angled spin. Complements both power and control really well. |
| Forgiveness | 8/10 | Foam paddles have raised the bar for forgiveness so this is one area where the ONIX is a little behind. If my opponent attacked really hard, I wasn't able to get that nice, easy touch back over the net. It's not unusable by any means, just average. |
| Weighting | 9.5/10 | One of my favorite features. They nailed the balance of a heavier head with a light feel. |
| Grip | 10/10 | I very rarely give top marks for grips but this one is excellent. It has a honeycomb design with tons of grooves and some nice give. In long, sweaty games my hand never once slipped and I never needed to use an overgrip. |
| Durability | 9/10 | I let a couple of people play with it and they hit it against the ground, dropped it a couple times. It held up with only minor scuffs. There are no core problems that I'm seeing. |
| Aerodynamics | 9.5/10 | Even though it's head-heavy, it's still thin and you're able to move the paddle fast in hands battles. |
Features that matter
- Elongated shape: your standard elongated measurements – 16.5 x 7.5 inches. It doesn't come in other shapes.
- 14 mm core: the thinner core is why the ball pops off more compared to 16 mm paddles that have more dwell time.
- Raw carbon face: this is a carbon fiber paddle with the quality of surface that you'd expect, with great spin.
Who the ONIX Hype X Pro is for
I recommend this to aggressive players who like a heavier head but don't want to be slowed down. If you want really good whips on speed-ups and drives, it's excellent for you. Former tennis players will also like the shape, handle, and weighting.
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