Franklin Signature Series Pro 16mm Review: The Budget Paddle With Real Pedigree

The Franklin Signature Series Pro is the rare budget paddle with an actual pro pedigree: it grew out of the paddle family Ben Johns played before his JOOLA era, and the MaxGrit textured face still produces real spin for a fraction of what a premium carbon paddle costs. At under $50, it is built to be the paddle players reach for once the freebie that came in a starter set starts holding their game back.

This review covers who the Signature Series Pro actually fits, how it plays on power and control shots, what its MaxGrit fiberglass face and 16mm polypropylene core do for forgiveness, and how it stacks up against the pricier paddles in our Best Pickleball Paddles rankings.

Who Should Buy the Franklin Signature Series Pro?

This is a second-paddle recommendation more than anything: the paddle you buy once you know you are sticking with the sport but are not ready to spend $200 on carbon.

• Beginners: A strong fit and arguably the best starting point in this lineup. The soft 16mm core is forgiving on off-center hits, and the widebody shape builds confidence while fundamentals are still developing.
• Intermediate players (3.5+): Still a capable everyday paddle, though the fiberglass face will start to feel limited once shot-shaping and spin become a bigger part of your game.
• Advanced players (4.0+): Not the right fit as a primary paddle. Advanced players will notice the gap in pop and spin ceiling compared to raw carbon paddles like the CRBN TruFoam Barrage or JOOLA Hyperion CFS.

How the Signature Series Pro Plays

The Signature Series Pro leans into forgiveness over firepower. The 16mm polypropylene core is soft and absorbs pace well, which keeps off-center hits playable instead of punishing, and the oversized sweet spot means mishits still find the court more often than not. The MaxGrit textured face genuinely does add spin on contact, a detail that separates this paddle from cheaper starter-set paddles that offer none. What it does not do is generate the pop and top-end power that thicker-budget or carbon-faced paddles produce on drives, which is the expected tradeoff at this price point.

Construction: MaxGrit Fiberglass and a Forgiving Core

The face is fiberglass rather than carbon fiber, textured with Franklin's MaxGrit finish to grab the ball on contact and impart real spin, the same underlying idea behind the raw carbon faces on premium paddles, just executed at a fraction of the cost. Underneath, the 16mm polypropylene core is tuned soft for forgiveness rather than stiff for pop, which is what makes this paddle easy to control for players still building consistency. It is also worth noting the lineage: this Signature line traces back to the paddle family Ben Johns played before signing with JOOLA, so the shape and core tuning carry more design pedigree than most paddles at this price.

Similar Paddles to Consider

See the full lineup in Best Pickleball Paddles of 2026. If you have outgrown a budget paddle and want more spin and pop from a raw carbon face, read our Paddletek Bantam TKO-C review for a power-first option, or our Six Zero Double Black Diamond Control review if control and touch matter more than power.