As you may have noticed, we’re huge fans of JOOLA as a brand and the products they manufacture. We’ve reviewed a few of their ping pong paddles, so we thought we’d keep the trend going and provide the complete JOOLA Infinity Overdrive review.
The Infinity Overdrive is a table tennis racket packed with power and requires a decent development of technique and skills. That’s why we think this paddle is ideal for a more intermediate to advanced player that is trying to improve his/her offensive playstyle.
| Performance | Speed: 100, Spin: 98, Control: 92 |
| Blade | 7 ply – 5 real wood 2 carbon |
| Rubber | Micron 48 |
| Sponge | 2.2mm |
| Playstyle | Offensive |
| ITTF Approved? | Yes |
| Our rating | 8.8/10 |
Who is it for? | Who is it not for? |
This paddle is definitely a professional grade paddle, so we recommend it to players who have already employed an offensive style of play, and have great control on their attacking and high spin shots. This is because the blade and rubber have been built for speed, so players would need to know how to control this extra pace in shots. | We don't recommend this paddle to players who are pretty new to the game, and haven't quite got the basics of controlling offensive type shots - such as the forehand topspin stroke. We say this because it may be very difficult to keep the ball from flying off the other side of the table at first, because of the paddles high speed. |
Once again, for this review, we’ll focus on the key components of any ping pong paddle, namely: the blade, the rubber, the handle as well as what the paddle specializes in.
If interested, we’ve written a complete ping pong paddle buying guide here – which may help you in determining which paddle suits you best.
The Blade
The Infinity Overdrive blade consists of a 5 plywood combination as well as a 2 ply carbon-kevlar combination. The wooden components consist of:
- Hinoki (fast attack): This is seen as the ‘golden’ wood of blades. It is a delicate, but dynamic wood which suits all styles of play.
- Koto (quick counterattacks): This wood is more nimble and stiff, making it better for faster blocks and quick counterattacks.
- Ayous (precise control): This is a lightweight and elastic wood which is why it forms the heart of many all-round blades. This wood is great for players looking to keep the ball in play and outlast their opponents.
These woods are often used in JOOLA’s other selection of paddles, because of their great results. Both the real wood and the carbon-kevlar give the blade a width of 6.1mm, making it slightly wider than the Infinity Balance.
The carbon-kevlar combination is responsible for giving the blade a large and explosive sweet spot – giving the paddle a noticeable punch in strike. This combo also plays a role in reducing vibrations which means greater consistency and control.
The combination of real wood and carbon in the blade gives this paddle significant speed, making it a delight for an offensive player. The wood and carbon can make this paddle feel heavy at first and may need some time getting used to.
Overall, this is a high-quality blade and is definitely one of the best you’ll find in this price range.
The Rubber
The rubber used for the Infinity Overdrive racket is JOOLA’s Micron 48 rubber. This is seen as tournament-grade rubber and has the ability to provide exceptional spin on the ball. Both sides of the Infinity Overdrive are black, making it a classy and intimidating paddle.
The inverted Micron 48 rubber specializes in professional-grade speed and spin and is great for high-level players who are able to control their shots.
Overall, the rubber is a large reason why the Infinity Overdrive is considered the most professional level paddle in the JOOLA Infinity series. These rubbers can take a while to get used to, but can be extremely effective.
The Handle
The Infinity Overdrive uses the classic flared handle, making it the perfect match for someone who uses the Shakehand grip. This handle is ergonomic, meaning it is designed for both efficiency and comfort.
The flared handle is used often in JOOLA’s paddle builds, and they are well known for their comfort. JOOLA makes it a priority to have comfort as well as performance.
General Overview
We’ve put together a table highlighting both the pro’s and the con’s of the JOOLA Infinity Overdrive:
We’ve also put together some ratings out of 100, for the 3 key characteristics – speed, spin and control.
| Speed | Spin | Control |
| 100 | 98 | 92 |
Conclusion
If you’re a player who thinks he’s gained the skills to be an offensive player, we couldn’t recommend the Infinity Overdrive higher. It has all the necessary attributes to take your ping pong game to a new and competitive level.
The Infinity Overdrive is a paddle used in seriously competitive environments, and we think its one of JOOLA’s most impressive builds. It may not be the best idea to get it as your first paddle, but once you’ve mastered offensive play – we recommend looking at it in the future.
If you’re a more controlled or defensive player, we’ve reviewed some other great options here – all of these are paddles that we think can benefit anyone’s game. Remember – there are many different playstyles, no playstyle is better than another.
I currently use this paddle but it’s time to change rubber. What do you think about the Hurricane 3 NEO rubber on this paddle ? I want to keep the spin and even increase it if possible.
Thank you.
Hey David!
The Hurricane 3 NEO is an absolutely epic rubber. A Chinese-style rubber that is very tacky and doesn’t have too much speed to it. The Overdrive is obviously a fast-paced blade so I reckon going for the Hurricane is a great option, as you’ll have more gear options.
Let us know which one you go for.
I have a question about this racquet and I was wondering if this racquet has the same sponge on both sides, and that it returns the same hit on both sides because some racquets being red and black return different hits, since this has the same colors , I was wondering if it would return the exact same hit on both sides?
Hi Andrea,
This paddle has the same rubber/sponge on both sides, so there’ll be to the feel on each side.
The black on both sides just gives this paddle a more classy look!