Franklin FS Tour

Franklin FS Tour Dynasty 14mm Core 

Background

The Franklin Sports company was founded in 1946 Brockton, Massachusetts by brothers Sydney and Irving Franklin. The company has been around for over 75 years. They believed in the singular principle “Sports make life better”. The Franklin business started in Baseball and in recent years has entered the market of Pickleball. Some previous paddles include the Signature series, Pilot series, Centre Series, X1000 Series. From the previous paddles the Signature paddle was the most popular for serious players, but this year marked the introduction of the FS Tour paddle series.

When I discovered that Franklin was introducing a Carbon Fibre surface paddle, I just knew it would be a hit. With other companies such as, Joola, Carbon, Selkirk, Paddletek and Diadem releasing Carbon Fibre surface paddles it was expected that Franklin would get on board with the technology. The technology increases spin due to the increased surface area on the paddle but at the same time is lightweight so doesn’t decrease hand speed. 

Joola dominates in the Pro circuit with Ben Johns (#1 Men's Singles, Doubles and Mixed), Collin Johns (#1 Men's Doubles pair with brother Ben Johns), Lea Jansen (#4 Women’s singles) and recently transferred to Joola sponsored player Tyson McGuffin, all having Joola paddles. Franklin also has multiple sponsored pros including the Johnson siblings JW and Jorja and rising pro Hayden Patriquin to name a couple. When the FS tour paddle landed, I was able to see it in action on pickleballtv.com in the hands of the pros. After seeing it in action I knew it was something I would at least want to try. 

UK Pickleball Scene

In the UK, Pickleball participation has gone from strength to strength with registrations each month breaking previous records.  With more players coming into the UK pickleball scene the pressure for getting the right paddle to compete at your best becomes ever more obvious in a competitive market. The #1 Men’s player in the UK and Europe Louis Laville in recent years has been sponsored by Franklin along with other multiple players in the top of the UK game. This shows the UK, the level the FS Tour paddles can compete at on the circuit in the hands of top players.

After a recent purchase of the FS Tour 14mm Dynasty paddle from the UK Pickleball Shop I decided to share my thoughts on the paddle in a completely transparent way in comparison to other paddles I have used to help you in your choice of paddle.

Properties

The first thing you will notice in comparing these paddles, the 14mm core and 16 mm core, is the weight. Having tried the 16mm core Dynasty at the English Nationals 2023 you do feel the obvious difference in weight. I personally preferred the 14mm core as it was lighter and thought I had a faster hand speed. However, everyone is different, and you may prefer added weight especially if you have good wrist strength or use a two handed backhand for more support unlike myself who uses one hand. Having more weight will mean you will produce more power, but the swing speed will feel heavier and slower.

In Depth Review of FS Tour 14mm Dynasty Paddle

Power

I rated the power at 90 out of 100. I chose this because the first hit of the paddle was a serve that did not come back, and I couldn’t believe the amount of “pop” off the sweet spot of the paddle. You feel little to no vibration through the wrist after contact or during a shot.

The amount of power adjustment from my previous paddle took around 4 weeks to get used to it but I would argue this would happen with any new paddle you chose to use. In the shot selection, the paddle has a fantastic ability to accelerate from a slow ball to fast due to the unbelievable “pop” off the sweet spot. 

Due to the power, it is incredibly effective when playing on the left as a right-handed player, because you can generate the power so quickly to the opponent off an interception or high 3rd shot drop.

With a return you can consistently hit the back of the court to keep the opponent back with a slower swing speed, but my path hasn’t changed.

 Sweet Spot

The sweet spot on the paddle is not massive compared to previous paddles I have used but once you train the sweet spot the paddle is extremely effective both control and power wise.

The Finish/Design

The paddle finish to the eye I believe is a very elite looking paddle. The paddle rim can be bought in pink, blue or grey. I bought a blue paddle as I thought it would go with most of my clothing and it is my favourite colour. The fact the options for different colours are there I believe is a great selling point. The different colours can give an individuality around the paddle even when many people may share the paddle.

The paddle rim is made of plastic so can be open to “scuffing it” if getting a ball of the feet or near the ground. There isn’t an option of protective tape which I see as a fantastic opportunity for Franklin to introduce as I know other companies have done. I personally added tape on the top of my paddle in the colour of black and has a lovely finish.

The paddle face is T700 Carbon Fibre. It is very “gritty”, and you can feel this with your hand. After use the paddle can pick up dirt and marks from the used balls like every other T700 Carbon Fibre paddle on the market. However, the bundle I bought from the UK Pickleball Shop includes a Magic Carbon Eraser. After you rub the paddle down it looks as good as new, and I recommend anyone that uses a T700 Carbon Fibre face paddle has a rubber of some kind as it removes any dirt or debris picked up from the courts or ball that could affect the spin, power, or control of the paddle.

The third part of the bundle is a paddle cover which goes in line with the colour you chose for your paddle. It covers the whole paddle including the grip which I think is better to increase the duration of the grip. The cover is soft inside so no dust or debris can build up on the paddle face. The cover is finished off with a zip.

Paddle Grip

On previous paddles I have increased the thickness of the grip. I increase the grip to slacken off the strength of my grip. I normally add an overgrip, like Tourna grip, due to my hand becoming very sweaty when playing. These make the grip tackier the more you sweat.

With the Franklin paddle grip already on the paddle I have not had to put an overgrip on yet as I have maintained a good grip on the paddle. In your hand it may feel thicker than other grips but for me this was a perfect fit.

Control/Feel

If you are trying this paddle for the first time you may not get an instant feel for the shots. This was something I experienced, which I think is due to the weight difference of my previous paddle being slightly heavier. After a few weeks of use I now feel the ball more and can control the shots a lot more than I thought I could do from the first use. In all honesty, I believe this is more of a power paddle however it is very balanced, and I am starting to see more control every time I use it. The paddle’s ability to absorb power and slow down the ball has also increased with more use. For example, I was able to put the ball back into the kitchen off a transition zone (mid-court) smash right at my feet (this was something I never thought I would be able to do with this paddle).

Level of Player

This paddle requires an advanced player to maximise its potential. Of course, anyone could use the paddle but to be able to control the power from the sweet spot and utilise the ability for the paddle to do effective advanced shots such as resetting, top spin drops and block volleys. it needs to be in a player’s hands that are 4.0 or above. Also, there is the safety concern when beginners are hitting the ball as they could accidently hit their opponents in the eyes. I now wear protective eyewear because you only get two eyes, and you need to protect them. As a coach you experience people of all levels, so I preach wearing eyewear as something to consider.

Forgiveness

The paddle is not very forgiving which is why I gave it a lower rating than the other categories. What I mean by forgiving refers to the ability of a paddle to compensate for a miss hit or off-centre shots. With the Franklin FS Tour Dynasty 14mm paddle, if you hit the frame, the ball will almost definitely not go over the net or with any form of accuracy. This is why it is an advanced player paddle.

I do like that Franklin offers a sweet spot trainer to allow you to train hitting the centre of the paddle. They are the only brand on the market to sell one of these. This is something I am considering purchasing. However, regardless of what paddle you have, to gain the optimum effect of the shot you need to hit the sweet spot.

Cost

The paddle retails at £150. The paddle is purchasable at the UK Pickleball shop at www.pickleball.co.uk. Compared to other advanced paddles on the market that can be up to £250, so I would say that this paddle is very reasonable for the result of performance you receive.

Conclusion

Overall, would I recommend the FS Tour 14mm Core Dynasty paddle to other people? The answer is YES! I have noticed big differences in my game especially hand speed and the quickness of paddle reset to the neutral position to prepare for the next volley, but like I said earlier, it takes time for you to adjust to a new paddle. If you do try a new paddle, give it a little time, before you make your purchase. If you are able to demo the paddle for an amount of time this would be highly beneficial.

If you would like me to review your company's paddle, then please contact Pickleball 101 at www.pickleball101.co.uk. Or on my socials below.

As a thank you for reading my review here is the discount code for the UK Pickleball Shop-PB101