Franklin C45 Aurelius Review: Anna Leigh Waters' Signature Paddle, Tested

By Matt KhouryFounder, Matt's Pickleball

Published Apr 9, 2026Updated Jul 15, 2026Independent editorial · No brand paid for or approved this article

Methodology620+paddles tested5.3M+YouTube views

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Franklin C45 Aurelius Review: Anna Leigh Waters' Signature Paddle, Tested

How I measured this

Every number in this review is one I measured with my own equipment and instruments. Swing weight on a Briffidi SW1, twist weight on a Briffidi TWA2, static weight on a precision balance scale, serve speed and punch volley speed with a radar gun, spin from a high-speed camera at over 500 frames per second, surface roughness with a stylus roughness tester. It's the same setup for all 616 paddles I've measured.

Anna Leigh Waters Signature C45 Aurelius 12.7mm: Swing weight 92.95 · Twist weight 5.65 · Spin 2,240 RPM · Static weight 7.28 oz · Serve speed 59.6 MPH · Punch volley speed 39 MPH · Surface roughness 8.18 Ra

Anna Leigh Waters Signature C45 Aurelius 14mm: Swing weight 99.5 · Twist weight 6.2 · Spin 2,255 RPM · Static weight 7.54 oz · Serve speed 59.8 MPH · Punch volley speed 38.9 MPH · Surface roughness 7.09 Ra

Anna Leigh Waters Signature C45 Aurelius 16mm: Swing weight 99.6 · Twist weight 6.2 · Spin 2,269 RPM · Static weight 7.62 oz · Serve speed 59.9 MPH · Punch volley speed 38.9 MPH · Surface roughness 7.08 Ra

If a metric is missing above, that paddle hasn't been through that test yet. Full measurements for each paddle are on its paddle page. My method is written up on the methodology page, and every paddle I've measured is in the paddle data study.