Engineering / 2026

The build sheet.

Four paddles, one engineering brief: raw carbon faces, tournament-pressed cores, predator instinct. Here's what goes into each tier - and why it plays the way it does.

01 / By Model

What's inside each tier.

Same DNA - raw carbon, tournament-pressed cores, predator instinct - but every tier is engineered for a different fight. Here's the build sheet for each.

essential

Mako Origin

Cold-pressed entry build

Raw carbon face on a Gen-2 honeycomb core. The first paddle that doesn't make you choose between price and feel.

  • 13mm Gen-2 PP honeycomb core
  • Raw T700 12K twill face, peel-ply finish
  • T700 UD spreader for face stability
  • TPU edge guard, beech-ply handle pallet
  • Branded neoprene sleeve included
performance

Mako Drift

Thermoformed unibody

Foam-injected perimeter, aerospace prepreg, NFC-ready. Built to match every premium import the SLK Era Power and J2NF claim to be.

  • 16mm Gen-3 honeycomb with EVA perimeter ring
  • Foam-injected PU unibody perimeter
  • Fine-grain raw T700 3K twill face
  • Aerospace-grade prepreg epoxy
  • NFC-ready butt cap, premium PU grip
  • 2-piece carton + neoprene sleeve
flagship

Mako Apex

Full-foam predator build

EPP core, Kevlar damping, T800 spreader, tungsten MOI weights. The paddle the pros put in their bag.

  • Full EPP-foam core, density-tuned
  • Kevlar aramid damping layer
  • T800 12K UD spreader for elite stability
  • EVA Power Ring perimeter, foam-injected unibody
  • MOI tungsten stabilizers (2 × 7.5g)
  • EverGrit peel-ply face, NFC pre-installed
  • Magnetic gift box + EVA rigid case
performance

Mako Vector

Hybrid control build

14mm tuned honeycomb hybrid core with a controlled T700 6K twill face. Designed for aggressive dinks and pinpoint placement.

  • 14mm tuned honeycomb hybrid core
  • T700 6K controlled twill face
  • Balanced MOI for control & maneuverability
  • Low-profile TPU edge guard
  • Premium PU grip and neoprene sleeve
02 / Specifications

Every measurement, no asterisks.

Honest numbers from the workbench. The full Apex, on paper.

Power / Elongated

Mako Apex

Model · MK-APX-01
Shape
Elongated16.5" length
Face material
T700 raw carbonAerospace UD weave
Core
Cold-pressed honeycomb16 mm thickness
Shell
Thermoformed unibodySingle-piece carbon
Weight
7.8 ozTour-tuned
Handle length
5.5 in
Grip circumference
4⅛ in
Balance point
25.2 cm
Profile
Power · all-court
Certification
Tournament-legalUSAPA / IPF spec
03 / Glossary

Plain-English definitions.

The jargon you'll see in every paddle review, demystified.

Thermoforming
Heat-and-pressure process that cures the shell as a single continuous wrap, eliminating seams and boosting stiffness.
Modulus
A material's stiffness. Higher modulus = less deflection under load = crisper, more predictable return.
Swing Weight
How heavy the paddle feels mid-swing. Low values feel quick, high values carry plow-through.
Twist Weight
Resistance to rotation on off-center hits. Higher twist weight means fewer shots wobble off the face.
Core Density
Mass per volume of the honeycomb. Denser cores feel firmer and pop harder; lighter cores absorb more.
Sweet Spot
The contact zone where ball speed and feel are highest. Perimeter foam expands this area.
Peel-Ply Finish
A textured release layer cured into the face. Leaves micro-grit the rulebook allows - maximum spin.
Static Balance
Where the paddle sits at rest. Head-heavy paddles drive through the ball; handle-heavy paddles maneuver faster.
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