gherkin – Pulpconnection

February 20 2026

Gherkin Draco Fourth Session

Gee Why Passion draco, gherkin, paddle, pickleball 0

Other players were using the Draco for sessions two and three so there’s probably about six hours of play time going into session four. Not quite sure if the Gherkin Draco is broken in, but it does feel more consistent (although that could just be me getting used to the paddle).

Some drives still went long but that’s probably me winding up too much. Soft shots at the kitchen have more feel than before, but the pop and power are there when you want it. And yes, the thonk hollow sound is still deafening.

Again, my main gripe is the shape or feel of the handle. Even before adding overgrip, the handle felt chunky. The Bread and Butter Loco and the Draco both sport handles that are 5.25-in in circumference. But the Draco just feels bigger or not as compressible. I’m getting used to it since it doesn’t bother me much, but I feel the paddle would be more maneuverable for me if the handle was smaller.

Going to mainly use the Draco for another week to see if I can feel any more changes with additional play time.

February 13 2026

Gherkin Draco First Session

Gee Why Passion draco, gherkin, paddle, pickleball 0

Big noise, big handle. That’s my first impression of the new Draco pickleball paddle by Gherkin. Had my first session using the Draco, and I liked its overall play. Power from the baseline was effortless as well as the pop from the kitchen line. The ball would fly off the face quickly and cleanly.

I had a put away around head level and the sound of the hit was deafening. Not sure how to describe the sound of the paddle, but it can get loud. One issue I encountered was flat out mis-hitting short shots. I went to strike the ball but totally hit the wrong part of the paddle. I want to say this is due to the handle size. It’s 5.5-in long so hitting two-handed backhands is comfortable. When I first picked up the paddle, I thought the handle felt chunky, and I applied a Pickleball Effects overgrip adding to the 4.25-in grip circumference. I think a smaller circumference would suit me better so that I can rotate and position my hand more easily. I don’t think dwell time, swing weight, or sweet spot size had anything to do with my lack of touch at the kitchen. I just think I need more play time to adjust to this paddle (or look for paddles with a smaller grip circumference).

Supposedly, the Gherkin Draco needs a few sessions to break in. Not sure what that means but guess I’ll feel or notice a change after repeated use. But overall, no complaints with this hybrid paddle.