I have constantly been on the lookout for the best budget pickleball paddle under $50, so I was elated to recently try the Pickleball Apes Joy pickleball paddle.
The Joy S is a full foam paddle, and is currently under $50, and what’s amazing is that you can also stack the code bepickleballer to get this full foam paddle for around $45. What’s even more crazy is that you get the paddle with a very premium case.
That said, how does this paddle play? Let’s talk about first impressions then playability, cost considerations and conclusion.
First Impressions
My first impressions of this paddle were incredible. The Pickleball Apes brand is just fun, and the paddles come with a super premium paddle cover. This is not something you would expect in a sub-$50 paddle.
Secondly, I love the paddle’s shape and the grit surface. The paddle’s grip feels good as well. It’s nice and well rounded, not those square grips that feel cheap. You can see the ape on the paddle, which is cool.
The side view shows a 16mm paddle thickness, which I prefer to 14mm.
My first impressions were great, but let’s talk about how well this paddle plays.
Playability
The Pickleball Apes Joy S offers an impressive combination of power, spin, and control, especially for a full-foam paddle costing less than $50. The foam construction gives it a solid, substantial feel at contact, with enough power to put away high balls and drive aggressively from the baseline. It also has more pop than I expected at this price point, making counters and quick exchanges at the kitchen line feel lively.
That said, I kept forcing my opponent to have to take risks given how consistent I was with this paddle. One time, my opponent said, how are you getting back all these balls to me?
Meet the Joy S. It just provides consistancy.
Spin was another major strength. The gritty surface grabbed the ball well, allowing me to generate plenty of topspin on drives and add shape to serves and drops. I also thought the 16mm profile provided good control on resets, dinks, and third-shot drops.
The paddle generally felt stable and forgiving, rather than harsh or overly stiff.
Power was also solid. I didn’t feel like I had to hit the ball harder for deep serves. I felt that I could drill returns to the baseline pretty easily as well.
I did have a couple of balls pop up higher than I intended, so it took a little time to adjust to the paddle’s responsiveness. However, once I became comfortable with it, the Joy S delivered a well-rounded playing experience with usable power, strong spin, and dependable control.
Cost Considerations
As stated, the Joy paddle retailed at $99.99, but paddle is currently $49.99 before discount code. You can use the discount code bepickleballer, that takes 10% off this paddle getting this paddle to under $45 before tax.
I would say that the Joy paddle is an incredible paddle given the price point.
Conclusion
The Pickleball Apes Joy was a “joy” to play with. The paddle is definitely in the talks for the best pickleball paddle under $50, competing with the likes of the Roore Generation 4 full foam pickleball paddles and the Core Reaction Pro, both great options.
I really liked the spin, power, and control profile. I had a couple pop ups, but other than that, I felt that the paddle had really good control, spin and power.
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