I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new(ish) Juciao Wu Kong Pro paddle.

I've played about 20-30 hours with it so far...

...and I gotta say...

It's changed my game.

Maybe not "leveled up" my game--but certainly "changed."

Below is my complete review.

You can learn more about the WuKong Pro on AliExpress! That's about the only place you can purchase 👍

View on AliExpress

Pete's bottom line review:

Playability Score: 8/10. It's easily my favorite of the four Juciao paddles I've tried. It's "surprisingly poppy," although maybe a bit inconsistently
Fun Factor: The design is SO great ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Also, it doesn't show as much dirt & debris
Who's it for? Intermediate players on a budget--who like to drive and have fast hands at the kitchen (a must).
Price Point: For this price point (around $100 USD), I think it's a FANTASTIC paddle
Durability: I honestly don't know yet, and that IS something I worry about with budget paddles. HOWEVER, the grit is actually holding up really well (better than regular kevlar)

Paddle Specs & First Impressions

The biggest specs to pay attention to are the...

Surface (kevlar + raw carbon fiber weave)
Shape (elongated)
Swing weight (medium heavy) & twist weight (on the unforgiving side)

WuKong Pro paddle face, up close

Feature	Specification
Core	16mm polymer honeycomb
Surface	Kevlar and carbon fiber weave
Body	Pressure-thermoformed, foam-infused unibody
Grip	Moisture-wicking cushioned leather (but who cares, you should add an overgrip). Includes a nice rubber band!
Dimensions	41.3 cm H x 19.2 cm W (16.3” H x 7.5” W)
Weight	226.8 - 232.5 grams (8.0 - 8.2 oz)
Grip Length	14.2 cm (5.6")
Grip Circumference	11 cm (4.25")
Thickness	16 mm
Swing Weight	119
Twist Weight	6.5
USAPA Approved	Yes

I've been playing with the WuKong for over a month now--so it's tough to remember the first impressions, but I'd sum it up as "a surprising amount of power from the baseline, but at the kitchen it falls into the "just average" camp."

Testing Conditions

Hours Played: 50-75 total hours
Play Setting: MOSTLY indoor play (Northern Michigan weather ❄️), but a few hours of standard outdoor play with a Franklin x40.
Skill Level: 3.5 to 4.0, doubles mostly!

Performance Breakdown

Power

LESS than a true Joola Gen 3 power paddle. MORE than you'd expect, however, but it's not all good.

From the baseline (especially returns and 3rd shot drives), I REALLY love this paddle. There's the perfect amount of power off of the paddle, which allowed me to slightly slow down my swing (and therefore gain accuracy).

In the kitchen, however, it's a bit unforgiving.

I have pretty fast hands, and I found balls sailing out deep just from "blocking" opponent drives & speed ups.

If the paddle face isn't precisely positioned, you'll find more pop-ups and out calls than you'd expect.

This largely went away after I got used to the paddle, but it took a hot minute. Maybe 5-6 sessions.

Control

Control is balanced.

Not exceptional (like the Spartus Apollo). Not terrible (like the Friday paddles).

If anything, I think drops & drives from the baseline will probably feel more controlled with the WuKong--simply because it does offer a bit more power.

Spin

Honestly, great!

I think the Kevlar + RCF weave doesn't INITIALLY have crazy spin like a solid Kevlar weave...

...but those surfaces tend to wear out, FAST.

The WuKong blend has held up really well, and I've noticed quite a bit of "unexpected" spin (in a good way). I'll hit serves where I think "Huh. It actually still spins well. Bravo, Juciao!"

Touch & Feel

Other than being slightly too poppy when "blocking" at the kitchen, this paddle feels great.

There's not a ton of vibration, and it feels like a premium pickleball paddle (much better than Juciao Spin 1.0 and the T-100 Titanium).

Sweet Spot & Forgiveness

Not terrible for an elongated paddle.

Before this paddle, I was testing the widebody Spartus Apollo paddle, which has one of the best sweet spots I've ever experienced. I expected a big dropoff switching to this one, but was pleasantly surprised!

Again--I've found it more forgiving (especially mis-hits around the edge of the paddle) compared to all the other Juciao paddles I've tested (Spin 1.0, Titantium, Kevlar).

Durability

Honestly, it's still too early to tell I think. I've only had it a month.

That said, the paddle face DOES appear to be holding up really well. There's very little dirt showing (although I do play indoors 75% of the time this time of year, and those balls are less dirty).

And as I mentioned earlier, the grit is definitely holding up really well. I'm not positive why a blend of kevlar & carbon fiber would be any better than either of those individually--but it honeslty has been. (The Juciao Titanium also has a blended weave--which doesn't have real titantium by the way--and it also held up really well).

Super interesting.

Comparison to Other Paddles

VS Juciao Spin 1.0 - this has a way better sweet spot, a bit more power, looks cooler, and seems to last longer (grit-wise).
VS Juciao Titan (titanium weave) - similar feel, but much easier to swing and move around. The Titan feels like a block of wood.
VS Juciao Kevlar (hybrid) - this has way more paddle, as the Kevlar paddles are much more suited for "control"

All of those are in the same-ish price range (although the WuKon Pro is slightly more, they're all under $100 USD, aka the "mid-budget Chinese" category.

If you're upgrading from a really budget paddle (sub-$50 spray-on grit paddle, or a cheaper Wal-Mart paddle), the Wu Kong Pro will almost certainly feel like an upgrade!

Sound & Vibration

A+, honestly.

The sound isn't worth remarking upon. It's not any more (or less) annoying than most other paddles.

The vibration is not bad at all with the WuKong. MUCH better than the other Juciao paddles, in my experience.

That said, I will still recommend swapping the stock grip for a Hesacore grip (or similar) anyways. Always, and forever and ever, AMEN.

Also, I don't leave the rubber band

at the top of the grip, but supposedly that can add a bit of vibration-damping as well.

Pros & Cons

👍 What I Loved

Price point is amazing, obvs
Design is FLAWLESS
Drives, serves = feels really great. As good as any paddle I've tried

👎 What I Didn't

Kitchen play is difficult. It really requires precision, and a high degree of skill (and patience to figure out how to work the paddle!)
Time will tell how durable the paddle is

Should You Buy the WuKong Pro?

I can wholeheartedly recommend this paddle for any casual (read: non-pro) player, especially people who...

Really needs to stay under $100 for a paddle
Wants a power(ish) paddle

For complete beginners--I think this paddle would be fun, but they'd honestly be better off choosing a widebody paddle with a huge sweet spot.

And yeah--if you HAVE $250+ and don't mind spending it, you'll still probably have a better paddle in the Gen 3 (new Gen 4) Joolas, or the new Genesis Truefoam from CRBN, etc.

But for the price, this is the best I've played with!

FAQs

Is the Wukong pro USA Pickleball Approved?

Yes, the Juciao WuKong Pro is USAP-approved. You can view that paddle on their list here.

Where can I buy it?

AliExpress is going to be your best bet! You won't be able to find any Juciao paddles in local stores, of course. There could be a few online 3rd party shops, but AliExpress is still the way to go. It's cheapest this way, as well!

Final Thoughts

The WuKong Pro really has changed my game--it's forced me to really nail down how I position my paddle at the kitchen, and it's made be more accurate in "blocking" drives and speedups, for sure!

Even though that process has been---challenging haha.

Still, it looks SO cool, and it's budget-friendly. And it's got "enough" power for 99% of intermediate players!

9/10 highly recommended ;)

Grab the WuKong Pro here!

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