How many times have you heard that a paddle's "dwell" helps spin the ball, supposedly because the ball sinks into the face more, or it dwells longer, giving you more spin? Well, I put that to the test. I ran 12 paddles through one fixed rig and checked whether face deflection, the closest thing we can measure to dwell, actually predicts how much a ball spins. It doesn’t. Deflection barely moved with spin at all (an R² of 0.02). The number that actually tracked spin was launch angle, at 0.89 — about as tight as real-world paddle data ever gets. Those turn out to be two separate design levers, not one. KewCast 118 covers three things worth your time:
● The spin experiment: why “dwell time” may be the most repeated idea in pickleball that nobody has actually tested, and what the data says is really driving spin (probably surface friction at contact, not pocketing).
● RPM vs. JOOLA: RPM became the one brand answering JOOLA’s patent suit in court while most of the field paused behind the ITC. We break down its 13 defenses, the “your patents are invalid” nuclear option, the honeycomb-core “gap” argument, how JOOLA narrowed its own claims to get the patent granted, and the boldest line in the filing: RPM asking the court to make JOOLA pay its legal fees.
● The Dink (movie): our spoiler-light take on the new Jake Johnson pickleball comedy — is it really the best pickleball movie ever made, and does it actually “get” the sport?
● Plus Gear Gossip: the Chris Haworth signature paddle, the Gen-3 Luzz Glider 2026, and Kaitlin Christian suing Proton for breach of contract. We finish with your questions in the Q&A. So next time someone tells you a paddle’s “dwell” is why it spins more, you can politely point them to this episode. Chapters/ Timestamps:
0:00 Eddie punches John in the face as an experiment for PBCOR (J/K - everyone just skips over this if I write "Intro")
1:14 Latest News/Gear Gossip: Chris Haworth signature paddle - Luzz Glider 2026
5:34 Kaitlyn Christian suing Proton for breack of contract
7:18 RPM responds to JOOLA Lawsuit
19:43 Our thoughts on the movie The Dink
25:33 Tales from the Ball Cannon: does "dwell" (pocketing) affect spin and launch angle?
38:28 Kew & A: Have you compared multiple identical paddles to see how much manufacturing variability exists or whether specs change after launch?
40:26 How would you compare the playstyle and feel of the J6CR versus the J2CR Long Handle? I love a two-handed backhand and am considering switching.
44:48 If durable grit is making paddles feel stiffer or deader, could applying it in a non-continuous pattern help preserve feel while maintaining durability?
47:06 What are the trade-offs of durable grit? Do Tier 1 coatings inevitably change paddle feel or swing weight, or can manufacturers achieve long-lasting grit without those compromises?
51:00 John, I recently rediscovered your channel after rewatching your drum covers. Many of us have missed your music and wondered what happened. Would you ever share why you stepped away from drumming on YouTube, and do you still play today? 👉 Explore the newly revamped paddle database, comparison lab, and x-ray lab: https://www.johnkewpickleball.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnkew.pickleball/
