{
  "id": "rpm-friction-pro",
  "url": "https://pointcast.xyz/paddles/rpm-friction-pro",
  "brand": "RPM",
  "model": "Friction Pro",
  "year": 2025,
  "launch": {
    "date": "2025-09-29",
    "precision": "day",
    "label": "Week of Sep 29"
  },
  "lifecycle": "current",
  "listPriceUsd": 249.99,
  "listPriceLabel": "",
  "build": "hybrid",
  "buildLabel": "Honeycomb + foam (Gen 3)",
  "thickness": "14 / 16mm",
  "shapes": "Elongated · Widebody",
  "pro": "James Ignatowich (founder)",
  "summary": "The first paddle from pro James Ignatowich's brand. The Kitchen ranked it second overall behind the JOOLA Pro IV for combining touch with top-tier power, and Pickleheads called it the spinniest paddle its reviewer had used. It was a Dink Paddle of the Year nominee and the clearest 2025 case of a player-founded brand landing at the top tier on its first release.",
  "construction": "Tri-density core: polypropylene honeycomb with perimeter foam and gel/foam dampers at 5 and 7 o'clock, under a raw 'Carbon Bite' carbon surface.",
  "core": {
    "layers": [
      "polypropylene honeycomb",
      "perimeter foam",
      "gel/foam dampers at 5 and 7 o'clock"
    ],
    "face": "raw carbon ('Carbon Bite')",
    "edge": "",
    "source": "https://www.pickletip.com/rpm-friction-pro/"
  },
  "variants": [
    {
      "name": "Friction Pro 16mm Elongated",
      "shape": "elongated",
      "lengthIn": 16.5,
      "widthIn": 7.5,
      "handleIn": 5.5,
      "thicknessMm": 16,
      "weightOz": "7.9",
      "sw": 116,
      "tw": null,
      "specSource": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-specs/"
    },
    {
      "name": "Friction Pro 14mm Elongated",
      "shape": "elongated",
      "lengthIn": 16.5,
      "widthIn": 7.5,
      "handleIn": 5.5,
      "thicknessMm": 14,
      "weightOz": "7.8",
      "sw": 114,
      "tw": null,
      "specSource": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-specs/"
    },
    {
      "name": "Friction Pro 16mm Widebody",
      "shape": "widebody",
      "lengthIn": 16,
      "widthIn": 8,
      "handleIn": 5.5,
      "thicknessMm": 16,
      "weightOz": "7.9",
      "sw": 110,
      "tw": null,
      "specSource": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-specs/"
    }
  ],
  "status": {
    "usap": "yes",
    "usapSource": null,
    "upaa": "unknown",
    "upaaSource": null,
    "quiet": false,
    "patent": "named-joola-holdout",
    "investigation": null,
    "lifecycle": "current"
  },
  "certNote": "PickleTip reports the 16mm elongated was USAP approved on Aug 19 2025 at 0.44 PBCoR and that USAP is sunsetting 0.44 paddles for tournaments in May 2026, which led to the 0.43 V2 in February 2026.",
  "timeline": [
    {
      "date": "2025-09-29",
      "precision": "day",
      "kind": "launch",
      "text": "Launch: Week of Sep 29.",
      "source": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-specs/"
    }
  ],
  "labs": [
    {
      "lab": "The Kitchen",
      "kind": "review",
      "url": "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-specs/"
    },
    {
      "lab": "Pickleheads",
      "kind": "review",
      "url": "https://www.pickleheads.com/pickleball-gear/rpm-friction-pro-review"
    },
    {
      "lab": "Matt's Pickleball",
      "kind": "review",
      "url": "https://www.mattspickleball.com/blog/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-gen-3-power-without-trampoline"
    }
  ],
  "colorways": [],
  "madeIn": null,
  "warranty": null,
  "notes": null,
  "productUrl": "https://rpmpb.com/",
  "sources": [
    "https://thekitchenpickle.com/blogs/gear/rpm-friction-pro-pickleball-paddle-review-specs/",
    "https://www.pickletip.com/rpm-friction-pro/",
    "https://www.pickleheads.com/pickleball-gear/rpm-friction-pro-review",
    "https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/the-120-life-dink-awards-2025-winners-paddle-of-the-year/"
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "image": "https://pointcast.xyz/images/og/paddles/rpm-friction-pro.png"
}