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When I wrote my Friday orginal pickleball paddle review, I covered how I liked the paddle’s design, but I disliked the company’s marketing regime and I didn’t love the paddle’s playability.
Did the marketing change? Well, considering that one of the first ads I saw stated that this paddle was “on sale” from $280 made me think that this brand hasn’t changed. I do not believe this paddle will ever be over $100, so stating that you’re getting a $280 paddle for $99 feels interesting.
That said, Is the Friday Challenger and Fever paddle have better playability?
Let’s cover that in this article.
The Friday Fever and Challenger Friday pickleball paddles are decent for players who are looking for paddles that bring two different styles to the game.
For example, Friday Fever is a generation 3 paddle that assists players with advancing their finesse, spin, and touch.
The Challenger Friday is a generation 2 paddle that players who are looking for power and to make solid shots from every part of the court.
First Impressions
The packing of both paddles is minimalistic. The Friday Fever is in the color/style sunset, and the Challenger Friday is in the color/style phoenix. Both paddles still have the plastic cover over the grip in the pictures because the pictures were taken prior to use. On Amazon, the Friday Challenger has a decent rating based on 68 reviews and the Fever has the same Amazon rating, but only 8 reviews.
I loved the design of both paddles, and when I demoed them, I got compliments on both paddles.
In addition, I personally loved the design of both paddles, and if I were purchasing on design alone, I would look to Friday Pickle. I thought that the paddles looked even better in person, and was surprised by how much grit each paddle had on its surface.
Playability
The Friday Fever and Challenger Friday are two paddles that allow players to enhance different parts of their game. They are two beneficial paddles to aid to your arsenal if you are looking to add variety to your game with heavier, grittier, and tennis reminiscent paddles.
Control
The Friday Fever and Challenger Friday both provided an extra bit of control to my game; however, I felt that the Friday Fever had a slight advantage in the control department. The Challenger Friday paddle helped with control when it came to all-around play and blocks. It felt firm and helped to stabilize play, but not as well as the Friday Fever. The Friday Fever helped me to gain control over the front of the court and points like dinks and resets, which are typically slightly more challenging. I felt that the pace I produced was absorbed well by the paddle, and I was able to reset and produce quality dinks. Overall, I would recommend the control of the Friday Fever if you are looking to upgrade the control aspect of your game.
Spin
Both paddles had a great amount of spin to them. For beginning players, I think the Friday Fever would be the better choice. It helped me to produce an elevated level of spin, especially on my shots at the net. I found that my spin on dinks, third-shot drops, and slices were improved. For more advanced players, I would recommend the Challenger Friday. It allowed me to produce an extra bit of spin on serves, baseline returns, and topspin drives.
You can physically feel the grit on the paddle (as you can see below), and I think that this feature makes the Friday Challenger stand out as an asset if you are looking to add extra spin to your game.
Power
The Friday Challenger impressed me with its ability to enhance the power of my game. I enjoyed the tennis-style grip and heavier tennis racquet feel of the paddle, which allowed me to feel like I was producing more pace on most of my shots. Along with power, I also found that this paddle aided me in placing shots well. I found myself winning points quickly with a mixture of pace and power. I think that the Friday Challenger is a great paddle for players who are looking to improve their power and level up their offensive shots.
Cost Implications
The Friday Fever is the newest of Friday’s lineup, and it’s retailing under $130, but you can check the Amazon links below for the most up to date pricing.
The Challenger Friday often retails under $100.
Paddle Specification
Friday Fever:
- Average Weight: 7.7 oz
- Paddle Length: 16.5 in
- Paddle Width: 7.5 in
- Core Thickness: 16 mm
- Handle length: 5.5 in
- Grip Circumference: 4.25 in
- Surface material: Triple-Layer T700 Raw Carbon Fiber
- Core Material: Polypropylene Honeycomb
- USAPA Approved: Yes
- Color/Style: Sunset
Friday Challenger:
- Average Weight: 8.0 oz
- Paddle Length: 16.5 in
- Paddle Width: 7.5 in
- Core Thickness: 16 mm
- Handle length: 5.5 in
- Grip Circumference: 4.25 in
- Surface material: Double-Layer T700 Raw Carbon Fiber
- Core Material: Polypropylene Honeycomb
- USAPA Approved: Yes
- Color/Style: Phoenix
Conclusion
The Friday Fever and Challenger Friday can help players improve each aspect of their game. The Friday Fever favors players who are interested in enhancing their control and spin. I think this paddle is great for beginning and intermediate players who are looking for a paddle that will upgrade certain elements of their game like net play, placement, and dinks. T
he Challenger Friday is a great paddle for intermediate and advanced players who are looking to get extra pop off their shots. It is a paddle that is well suited for players looking to upgrade their spin and power. Slices, topspin drives, and net counterpunches are all elements that I found this paddle helped me with, and I think the Challenger Friday is a great paddle to add to your arsenal.
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