Franklin Sports of the US has released the C45 Hayden Patriquin, a signature paddle series carrying the name of pro player Hayden Patriquin. The US list price is $229.99 (about 36,000 yen at roughly 158 yen to the dollar; retail prices in Japan are separate). A player still only 20 years old now has a model with his own name on it, and this paddle is less a new product than a working example of building equipment sales around a young star. As the playing population grows in Japan and paddle choices widen across domestic and imported brands, the way player brands and the equipment business connect gives both manufacturers and retailers plenty to read.
A 20-year-old pro gets his own name on a paddle
The C45 Hayden Patriquin series comes in two core thicknesses, 14mm and 16mm. The face uses raw carbon woven at a 45-degree angle to draw out spin and touch. The long, narrow elongated shape targets competitive players who want reach and control. Thermoforming adds frame stability and pop, and the paddle carries approval from USAP (USA Pickleball) and the UPA.
What stands out is that this is not just a player's name stuck on a standard production model. Patriquin developed it together with Franklin, and his own input shows up in the colors and design. Plenty of brands now let buyers get the same model number a pro uses, but putting a player's name on the series itself is a bigger bet on an individual.
Who is Hayden Patriquin
Patriquin was born in 2005 and is 20. He took up pickleball at 13 through his brother and grandfather, and turned pro in 2022 at 16. He rose without a racket-sport background, an unusual path, and plays with a two-handed backhand, heavy topspin and fast hands at the net. In 2024 he beat world No. 1 Ben Johns twice and collected gold medals at that year's World Championship and the Tour Finals. He had already been under contract with Franklin, so this signature model is a natural extension of turning a flagship player into a product.
The point to hold onto is that he is still at the start of his career. This is not a veteran with a long record but a young player who will compete for another decade, and his name is being carved into a product line. For the brand it is a long-term investment, a model that can grow as the player does.
14mm and 16mm, two personalities
Within the same series, core thickness splits the character. The general pattern holds here too: the thinner 14mm leans toward pop and power, the thicker 16mm toward control and stability. Lining up the published specs, the elongated competitive shape is shared while the core thickness sets the intent apart.
| Item | The 14 mm model | The 16 mm model |
|---|---|---|
| Core thickness | 14mm (about 0.551 inches) | 16mm |
| Reference weight | About 7.5-7.9 oz | About 7.6-8.0 oz |
| Shape | Elongated (long and narrow) | Elongated (long and narrow) |
| Surface material | 45-degree raw carbon (T700 carbon fiber) / thermoformed | |
| Overall length / grip length | About 16.4 inches overall / about 5.6-inch grip | Same family (elongated) |
| Recognition | USAP and UPA approved | |
| Price | $229.99 (about 36,000 yen) | |
Note that release timing is listed differently by Franklin's own site and by individual retailers. Some notices give early July shipping, while other shops show different dates for pre-orders opening or stock arriving, and it shifts by region and inventory. If you are considering a purchase, check the date on the primary sales page each time.
Where approved raw carbon stands today
This paddle sits squarely in the current equipment trend. A raw carbon face for spin, thermoforming for stiffness, and approval so it can be used in tournaments: the spec sheet that became standard in the premium tier over the past few years. Spin-generating faces are where brands compete hardest, and the question is how far to push within the limits of regulation and approval (What paddle approval actually guarantees behind the spin rules). The Patriquin model states USAP and UPA approval up front to tell competitive buyers that this is a paddle they can use in tournaments.
At $229.99, the price clearly targets the upper tier rather than beginners. A player's name, pro-grade specs, and approval: those three together give it the face of a tool for serious players.
What businesses in Japan should take from it
For people in the pickleball business in Japan, the interest here lies less in the specs than in how the deal is put together. A young star's name anchors pro-grade specs, premium pricing and the brand's own sales channel. In a market where the sport's popularity is starting to gather around individual players, that structure changes how equipment is sold.
Sponsor money is flowing into pro events, and brands buying the naming rights to the sport itself is accelerating in the US (Amway bought the MLP title, so why put its name on the sport's home stage). A signature paddle shrinks that flow of money down to the level of one player and one product. In Japan, few players can yet sell a product costing tens of thousands of yen on their name alone. That is precisely why manufacturers and retailers should decide early which players to develop and at what stage to tie them to products.
Player brands start to move the market
The knock-on effects on the equipment business run in three directions. First, the premium tier settles. Rather than using a name to push the price up, Franklin places the player model in the same $229.99 band as its regular C45, building the premium shelf into one with players' faces on it. Second, control of the sales channel. Launching first on its own site, as here, lets the brand hold customer data and inventory and sell without depending on wholesalers. Third, the idea of a player's career as a product roadmap. With a 20-year-old, the model can be refreshed as results pile up, pulling fans into upgrades.
Now that pickleball is starting to work as a profession, a player's value cannot be measured by results alone (Will Japan see a coach earning 30 million yen? The day pickleball becomes a job). Equipment selling on a player's name is proof that the player has become an earning asset. For a Japanese brand to reach that stage, it first has to choose a player who can carry the flag, then run exposure and product development side by side over the long term.
Product overview
| Product name | Franklin C45 Hayden Patriquin series |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Franklin Sports (US) |
| Lineup | Two core thicknesses, 14mm and 16mm, in several colors |
| Shape and materials | Elongated / 45-degree raw carbon (T700), thermoformed |
| Recognition | USAP and UPA approved |
| Price | $229.99 (about 36,000 yen at roughly 158 yen to the dollar) |
| Sales | Franklin's official site and other retailers. Check the sales page for release and shipping dates |
Summary
The C45 Hayden Patriquin shows Franklin's willingness to invest by giving a 20-year-old a model of his own. It wraps the orthodox spec sheet of raw carbon, thermoforming and approval in an individual pro's brand and places it in the premium tier. What manufacturers and retailers in Japan can take away is not a discussion of performance but one of design: whose name, which channel, and at what price. Start by picking one young player you can get behind, then map out how to line up their results with a product launch. If you plan to import and stock it, check the price band and approval status, and begin by building a shelf that speaks to competitive players.
