What Kind of Brand Is Franklin? King of the Official Ball, and Where Its Paddles Stand Now

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2026年7月12日

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"The ball we use in matches, that's the Franklin one, right?"——get a little way into pickleball and almost everyone arrives at this brand name. That's how famous Franklin the ball brand is.

I'm Coach Yoshi. I played tennis for 15 years, and since finding pickleball in 2026 I've tried out a lot of gear. Franklin is an interesting brand, with a clear split personality: "king when it comes to balls, but a supporting player in paddles for a long time." And right now, that picture is starting to change. Today I'll talk you through it honestly, the good parts and the weak parts alike.

Franklin Is a "Long-Established Baseball Glove Maker"

This may come as a surprise, but Franklin Sports is an all-round American sporting goods maker founded in 1946. It started life in Massachusetts as a company making baseball gear, and later became known for bringing the world's first batting glove to market—a long-established name with nearly 80 years of history behind it. Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing parts of that long history in recent years.

Brands that come in from another industry and bring their own strengths with them——pickleball has plenty of those. In Franklin's case, that strength was the ability to mass-produce balls with precision.

Where They Stand: King of Balls, Supporting Player in Paddles

The trick to understanding Franklin is to think about balls and paddles separately.

The ball (the X-40) is one of the de facto standards for outdoor play. It's the official ball of USA Pickleball, and it's used as the official ball of the US Open and the APP Tour as well. Precisely machine-drilled holes and a sturdy build give it consistent flight and spin——it's trusted as a tournament ball all over the world. I've written in detail about the types of balls in The Complete Guide to Outdoor and Indoor Balls.

Paddles, on the other hand, were fought on affordable entry-to-intermediate ground for a long time. In the premium market and on the pro scene, the honest truth is that JOOLA and Selkirk have left them behind. In brand rankings too, they're a regular in the middle of the pack when it comes to paddles.

💡 Coach Yoshi's tip One common misconception. The X-40 is the official ball of USA Pickleball, the US Open, and the APP Tour. The top-tier PPA Tour and the team competition MLP have both switched to a different brand's ball (Vulcan) as of 2026. When you hear "official ball" it can sound like they've conquered everything, so getting this straight makes you sound like you know your stuff.

What They Care About: In 2026, They Got Serious About Paddles

This is the latest chapter. Franklin, "the ball company," made a serious run at paddles in 2026.

A major contract with reigning world No.1 Anna Leigh Waters (January 2026). Poaching a player who ranks among the strongest of all time, and who had long been the face of Paddletek, was a move that startled the industry.
The new-generation FS Tour and C45 series adopt the latest technology that other specialist brands got to first: raw carbon faces, thermoforming, and a one-piece body with injected resin. Reviews from the specialist outlets have been improving too.

In other words, Franklin right now is at a turning point: the king of balls, going after the top spots in paddles as well. If you don't know that context and you're still stuck on "Franklin = cheap paddles," you'll misjudge them.

A player hitting an official ball on an outdoor pickleball court, an image that captures how widely the Franklin X-40 is used as a tournament ball

Who Is It For?

People who want to practice with the same ball used in tournaments (when in doubt, the X-40 is a reference ball you can't go wrong with)
Courts, clubs, and events that want to buy balls in bulk
Value-minded beginners and intermediates who want to start at an affordable price
And lately, for people hunting for an intermediate-to-advanced paddle, the FS Tour and C45 have become an option too

"Let me build a solid base for practice with a ball I can trust first"——that's the steady sort of player this brand suits best.

The Honest Weak Spots: Worth Knowing Before You Buy

Let me be honest about the inconvenient parts too.

The "ball company" image is strong, and their paddles have little presence: in high-end brand comparisons they still tend to trail JOOLA and Selkirk. They sit mid-pack in awareness rankings too.
They lost their marquee player once before: they used to have Ben Johns, but he moved to JOOLA in 2022. As a paddle brand, that was a symbolic step backward (which is exactly why landing ALW in 2026 matters so much).
The older-generation paddles are dated: some older models fall short of today's standards on spin and sweet spot, to the point that certain specialty stores "avoid carrying them." If you're buying, you want the new generation (FS Tour/C45).
Even the new C45 is unstable "as is": the sweet spot is on the small side, and some reviewers call it a "tune it to finish it" type that assumes fine adjustment with lead tape.
X-40 durability and lot variation: it's famous for being sturdy, but you also hear "it cracks easily on cold days" and "once in a while you get a bad lot." The point about cracking in low outdoor temperatures applies to Japanese winters as well.

💡 Coach Yoshi's tip Franklin is a brand where the balls are beyond reproach and the paddles are still a work in progress. If you're considering a paddle, build your search around the new generation (FS Tour and C45). The old and new models are judged completely differently, so not mixing them up is the trick to not making a mistake.

Summary: My Own Conclusion

In a word, Franklin is a brand that is the undisputed king in balls, and has only now got serious about paddles. The X-40 is a reference ball you can pick without hesitating, and on the paddle side they've brought in world No.1 ALW and are going after the top with the new generation (FS Tour/C45). But because the old and new models are judged completely differently, if you're choosing a paddle, always start with the new generation. That's what I tell people in the store, every time.

We carry genuine Franklin products too (brand new, 100% authentic). For anyone who wants to start with a ball they can trust, it's a genuinely easy brand to recommend. For the axes to choose a paddle by, see The Complete Pickleball Paddle Buyer's Guide, and for a side-by-side look at the brands, the complete comparison of the major brands.