The Diadem Pickleball is a well-known tennis brand that has made a mark in the pickleball market with their release of their first performance level paddle, the Icon, in 2021. Following its success, they continued to impress the pickleball community with their second performance level paddle, the Warrior. As a pickleball enthusiast, I got the opportunity to play with and review the Diadem Warrior, and I’m confident that it will surpass the popularity of the Icon.
For this review, I drilled and played with the Diadem Warrior for more than two weeks. I also shared it with some of my pickleball friends, which allowed me to give you an accurate review of its performance.
Performance Summary
The Diadem Warrior is a top-of-the-line control paddle with an excellent feel that connects you to the paddle. As soon as I picked it up, I was hitting consistent drops and resets from the midcourt. I was impressed by how quickly I was able to improve that part of my game. Normally, it would take me a couple of drill sessions and a few games to hone in the soft side of a paddle, but that wasn’t the case with the Diadem Warrior. Its excellent feel helped every element of my soft game, especially blocks and resets.
However, the paddle requires a higher skill level as it wasn’t the most forgiving. Otherwise, you’ll find a lot of your drops and resets falling short into the net.
When it comes to power, I was surprised to discover that the paddle had a significant amount of it, despite its 19mm core. The Diadem Warrior is powerful enough to be effective when attacking at the net, but I noticed a significant drop in speed with drives and serves from the baseline. However, it is still more powerful than your typical control-oriented paddle.
The gritty surface grabbed the ball nicely and added spin with dinks and soft shots, but I couldn’t generate as much spin as other paddles with serves and drives. The paddle is heavier and thicker, so I couldn’t accelerate through the ball as quickly as a thinner core or lighter paddle to generate tons of spin with drives and serves.
In summary, the Diadem Warrior is a top-tier control paddle that best suits experienced players. It has more power and decent spin compared to a typical control-focused paddle, but its heavier weight and thicker core make it a little harder to wield.
Quick Stats
- Control/Feel – 94%
- Power – 83%
- Spin – 80%
- Forgiveness – 80%
Technical Specifications
- Weight – 8.5 oz
- Length x Width – 16.4″ x 7.4″
- Thickness – .75 (19mm)
- Handle Length – 5″
- Handle Circumference – 4 1/8″
- Face – Carbon Fiber
The Core and Paddle Design
The Diadem Warrior has several unique innovations, making it stand out from other paddles on the market. The paddle’s core is 19mm thick, the thickest core on the market, giving it an excellent feel. The core itself is made up of two polymer layers sandwiching a nomex layer. The nomex layer, elongated shape, and heavier weight provide the Warrior paddle with that extra pop for offensive play.
The Warrior paddle also features a slim handle with a comfortable handle circumference of 4 1/8″, making it a breakthrough in handle design for thick-core paddles. The elongated shape of the paddle provides extra reach, moves the sweet spot up the paddle face, and gives players a little more leverage to add power to the ball. This is a significant advantage for control-oriented paddles, as wider body paddles are usually more forgiving.
Attacking
When it comes to attacking with the Warrior paddle, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of power it provided. Despite having a 19mm core, the paddle gave us excellent touch and power. Its heavier weight, elongated shape, and nomex core layer all played a role in providing the paddle with that extra power.
Defense
When it comes to defense, the Warrior paddle really shines. The thicker core and the elongated shape of the paddle make it easier to reach and return balls that are hit further away from you. And the paddle’s excellent control means that you can place your returns with pinpoint accuracy.
I found that the paddle was especially good for blocking. The thick core and the polymer and nomex layers help to absorb the energy of the ball, making it easier to control your blocks and send the ball back over the net. And the Warrior’s shape also helps with blocking, as the elongated design gives you a little more reach and makes it easier to cover the court.
The Bottom Line
Overall, I was really impressed with the Diadem Warrior pickleball paddle. It’s a well-designed paddle that delivers both control and power, and it’s suitable for a wide range of players. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, the Warrior is definitely worth considering. And with Diadem’s reputation for quality and innovation, you can be sure that you’re getting a paddle that will stand the test of time.
If you’re looking for a new pickleball paddle and you want something that can help take your game to the next level, be sure to check out the Diadem Warrior. With its unique design, excellent control, and surprising power, it might just be the perfect paddle for you.
