JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus Pro IV 16mm

The Perseus line has been JOOLA’s crown jewel ever since Ben Johns put his name on it, and the Pro IV is the most refined version yet. This isn’t a revolution — it’s an evolution, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a paddle that was already winning tournaments.

Build & Feel

Pick up the Perseus Pro IV 16mm and the first thing you notice is the balance. At 8.1 ounces average, it’s not light, but the weight distribution keeps it from feeling sluggish through the swing path. The 16.5-inch length paired with that 5.5-inch handle gives you serious reach and plenty of room for a two-handed backhand grip — a must-have spec for the growing number of players borrowing technique from tennis.

The headline tech here is TechFlex Power (TFP), JOOLA’s system that integrates Hyper-Foam into the edge walls beneath the edge guard. In practice, this means off-center hits don’t punish you the way they do on stiffer paddles. The sweet spot feels genuinely expanded, not just marketed that way. Mishits still land with reasonable direction and pace, which is a real confidence booster when you’re stretching for a ball at full extension.

The Charged Carbon textured face is grippy in a way you can feel immediately during spin shots. JOOLA has been refining their carbon fiber texturing for several generations now, and it shows. The grit is aggressive without being so coarse that balls skid unpredictably on dinks.

Performance

Let’s start with what this paddle does best: offensive play from mid-court and the baseline. Third-shot drives come off the face with authority. Serves have real kick when you put topspin on them. The Propulsion Honeycomb Core gives you that satisfying “thwack” on contact — firm enough to generate pace, soft enough at 16mm to absorb some impact and give you feedback about where you struck the ball.

Spin numbers on this thing are elite. It’s not quite the spin king of the market, but it’s in the conversation, and the spin is usable — it doesn’t come at the cost of control the way some hyper-textured paddles can. Slice serves dip and curve. Topspin drives kick up off the court. Roll volleys at the kitchen actually roll instead of floating.

Where the Perseus Pro IV gets more nuanced is in the soft game. The 16mm core gives it more touch than a 14mm power paddle, but this is still fundamentally an aggressive paddle. Resets and dinks are absolutely doable — and the expanded sweet spot helps here — but if your entire game is built around patient dinking and counterattacking, you might find paddles like the Six Zero Double Black Diamond Control or the CRBN TruFoam Genesis more natural in your hand. The Perseus wants to attack. Let it.

Volleys at the net feel crisp and directed. The paddle’s stability on punch volleys is excellent — there’s minimal twist on off-center contact, which matters when you’re in a firefight at the kitchen line and don’t have time to set up perfect contact every time.

One note on durability: early reports suggest the face texture holds up well over time, which has been a concern with some carbon fiber paddles in recent years. JOOLA seems to have addressed the delamination fears that plagued earlier generations of thermoformed paddles across the industry.

The Bottom Line

At $280, the Perseus Pro IV 16mm isn’t an impulse buy. But for players who are serious about competing and want a paddle that rewards aggressive, intentional play, it delivers. The combination of spin, power, and an expanded sweet spot makes it one of the most complete offensive paddles available in 2026. It’s the paddle Ben Johns plays with for a reason — and while you won’t suddenly play like him, you’ll understand why he chose it.