Gherkin
Draco Hybrid 16mm
- Hybrid
- 16 mm core
- 8.0 oz
- Power-leaning
- Good spin
Lab data below. Our editors’ write-up for this paddle is on the way.
$179.99
Shop at Pickleball CentralPrice is the manufacturer's list price as recorded in the lab; Pickleball Central is part of Pickleball Inc, the PPA Tour's parent company.
Lab data
How it measured
Bars are the paddle's position, 0 to 100, against every paddle in the database. A blue bar means more is more of that thing; a grey bar is a characteristic with no right answer. How we test.
Performance
PowerBall speed off a full swing. Higher means more pace on drives and serves.
62.0 mph
PopBall speed off a short punch volley. Higher means more speed from a compact stroke.
39.6 mph
FirepowerJohn Kew's combined power-and-pop index, 0 to 100.
78.5
SpinBall rotation off the face, in revolutions per minute. Higher means more grip on the ball.
2260 rpm
Spin DurabilityJohn Kew's tier for how the face texture holds up with wear. See How We Test.
Tier 4
KewCORHow much energy the face gives back to the ball, measured by John Kew. Higher is livelier.
0.442
Handling
Swing WeightHow heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. Higher is more plow-through; lower is quicker.
113.6
Twist WeightResistance to twisting on off-center hits. Higher means a more forgiving sweet spot.
6.83
Balance PointDistance from the butt of the handle to the balance point. Higher is more head-heavy.
23.6 cm
Hand SpeedJohn Kew's 0–100 index of how quick the paddle is to manoeuvre. Higher is quicker.
59
Face StiffnessForce needed to deflect the face in a stiffness test. Higher is a stiffer face.
41.6 lbs
Specs & build
- Static Weight
- 8.0 oz
- Core Thickness
- 16.0 mm
- Length
- 16.30 in
- Width
- 7.80 in
- Handle Length
- 5.63 in
- Certification
- USAP certified
- Build generation
- Gen-4
- Construction
- Thermoformed
- Surface texture
- Peel Ply-Coarse
- Face layup
- CFC (carbon, fiberglass, carbon)
- Core
- Full Foam-Nanocellular Polymer
- Warranty
- Lifetime
- Entered the lab
- 2026-01-13
Test data: John Kew Pickleball. Measurements are shown as published and never edited.
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