Franklin C45 Pickleball Paddle Review: A Power-Hybrid Paddle Built for Speed & Pop (Full Breakdown)

Franklin C45 14mm Pickleball Paddle Review – The Franklin C45 is a power-hybrid paddle designed for speed, pop, and fast hands at the net. It features dual thermoforming, precision foam channeling, and a three-layer carbon fiber face. Lighter than many competitors, this paddle delivers excellent maneuverability but benefits from added weight for stability. With serve speeds in the 74th percentile and punch volleys in the 80th percentile, it’s one of the most explosive paddles on the market. Spin is above average (70th percentile), but not elite. If you like fast, reactive paddles with pop, the C45 is worth considering. Use code MPB at checkout for 10%+ off.

Matt Khoury
Matt KhouryFounder, Matt's Pickleball
Published Updated

Franklin sent this paddle. No brand pays for placement.

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 638 paddles I've measured.

Swing weight 106.25 · Twist weight 5.65 · Spin 2,252 RPM · Static weight 7.52 oz · Serve speed 60.1 MPH · Punch volley speed 38.6 MPH

If a metric is missing above, this paddle hasn't been through that test yet. Full measurements for the C45 14mm 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.

How I test and measure paddles See the full paddle data study