Why Pros Switched to 11SIX24, the Brand a Man Started by Selling 100 Paddles from an Apartment

A giveaway offering a chance to win a new paddle. That was the format of the article US pickleball outlet The Dink published on June 25, 2026. The prize was the new "Ultré Power 2" from a brand called 11SIX24. But what catches the eye here isn't the entry method -- it's the brand's own backstory. Neither a major sporting goods maker nor a startup armed with venture funding, it's a company that began by hand-selling 100 paddles out of a roughly 56-square-meter (600-square-foot) apartment in Washington, D.C., and is now poaching pros from major brands on the PPA Tour. This story is far from irrelevant to Japanese players who invest in their own gear and seek out something better, or to small and midsize gear makers competing with their own products.

The "New Product's Pedigree" Behind the Giveaway

The Dink's promotion is a common campaign, offering 20 prizes over the period from June 25 to July 9, 2026, aiming to drive social sharing and funnel traffic to a purchase path. The centerpiece is 11SIX24's Ultré Power 2, which adopts a flat, square face shape and claims to "combine the reach of an elongated paddle with the stability of a hybrid shape." It's priced at $209.99. It touts lasting spin performance via a 16mm core and a surface treatment called "HexGrit."

The article casually noted in one line that Augie Ge, a player under contract with the brand, had begun switching from the existing Vapor model to this Ultré. As a side note in a giveaway article, it's minor -- but in gauging the brand's true strength, this is close to the heart of the matter. A pro changing the gear they use themselves speaks louder than any sponsorship contract wording.

A Former HubSpot Engineer Who Started with a Cracked Paddle

11SIX24's founder is David Groechel. He studied finance at Michigan State University, spent five years in marketing and AI at HubSpot, and has a background as a software engineer. Before starting 11SIX24, he had also sold two tech startups. He's neither a former elite player from the industry nor the second-generation heir of a legacy maker -- a complete outsider.

The trigger was a personal frustration. Playing four to six times a week, an expensive paddle he'd paid around $220 for cracked in three months. The question of why such a pricey piece of gear was so fragile turned into the idea of "making a paddle myself that's hard to break and doesn't compromise on performance." He launched in spring 2023. At first, from his home apartment -- a room packed with paddles, packing materials, and prototypes -- he hand-sold custom-made paddles, selling out the first 100 between the spring and summer of 2023.

The origin of the brand name is fitting for this person too. Staring at a jar in a game to guess the number of jelly beans, he guessed the exact count: 11,624. That became the company name as is. In late 2023, he connected with a different manufacturing partner in China and realized the "Huarache-X," an elongated model with a curved top and a longer grip. Having found his footing, in mid-2024 he made the decision to quit his day job and devote himself to the company.

The Meaning of the $209.99 Price

11SIX24's flagship Power 2 series is $209.99. While many major brands sell top-tier paddles for over $250, it clearly stakes out a "value" position, holding down the price without sacrificing performance. The founder himself explains the brand's reason for being in these words: "If you're paying over $200, you don't want it to break in a few months."

The strategy of holding down the price while foregrounding "won't break" is different from mere discounting. The point is that it takes precise aim at a clearly existing pool of dissatisfaction -- heavy users who have grown distrustful of high-priced paddles. It finds a gap in the market not from a price list, but from "frustration with the experience."

The Fact That a Pro Switched from a Major Brand

The turning point for the brand was pro adoption. Dekel Bar, who became the brand's first PPA Tour-contracted pro, began using the then-unreleased Vapor Power 2 from early 2026. What's notable is that he had previously used JOOLA -- in other words, he switched from a major brand to an emerging one. On top of that, Augie Ge, who ranks in the PPA Tour's top 20, and promising young player Will MacKinnon joined the contract roster.

The industry's view is changing too. Some US outlets have published analysis positioning 11SIX24 as "the brand to beat in 2025." Review-focused outlets covered the new Vapor Power 2 in hands-on reviews, describing it as going "from an under-the-radar brand to a major player." The founder's stance of handling customer support himself rather than outsourcing it, and not hiding behind auto-replies, also feeds a reputation for prioritizing community. Only when these three -- real use by pros, third-party media assessment, and closeness to users -- came together did it escape being "an unknown brand that merely has a contracted pro."

Implications for Japanese Players and Small-to-Midsize Gear Makers

There is much that Japanese players and makers can learn from this brand's turnaround.

The implication for players is simple. It's worth setting aside, just once, the assumption that "it's a major brand" or "it's expensive, so it must be good" when choosing a paddle. 11SIX24's starting point was the ordinary frustration of an expensive paddle cracking in three months. In practical metrics like price, durability, and spin durability, situations where an emerging brand matches a major maker's top-tier models are actually happening. The ability to calmly read overseas mail-order and review information and choose something that fits your own play style and budget will increasingly serve Japanese players going forward.

The implication for makers -- especially Japan's small and midsize makers who build their own gear -- is even weightier. Without ample funding or the banner of being a famous ex-player, 11SIX24 broke in with (1) a clear resolution of frustration born from real experience (won't break, spin lasts), (2) a position of $209.99 against majors charging over $250, and (3) the closeness of the founder dealing directly with customers. This is a structure common to small makers who compete with their own products, not just in gear-making. Solve the frustration the majors overlooked with a single-point breakthrough, articulate the meaning of the price, and show the maker's face. Even with a small team, when these three come together, there is a real opening to be chosen on shelves lined with majors.

Relatedly, it's worth grasping the current market structure, in which majors' entry and emerging players' contrarian moves are advancing at the same time.Skechers' move into the paddle marketandMizuno's strategy of launching 5 paddle models in the USshow the majors' offensive. On the other hand,US brand FLiK's contrarian paddle strategyshows the way of life of those attacking small and sharp, just like 11SIX24.

Ripple Effects Across the Market

The fact that a brand born in a personal apartment could poach a pro from a major brand is evidence that pickleball's gear market is still fluid. Against the rapid expansion of the playing population, the ranking of brands has yet to solidify. The capital and brand power of the majors, the agility and price of the emerging players, and the evaluative axis of real use by contracted pros all intersect, and a phase in which the barrier to entry is temporarily low continues.

This fluidity is also linked to the moves of overseas brands. Cases have emerged of emerging makers eyeing the world's No. 2 spot expanding into the US, andVietnamese paddle maker Facolos winning the world's No. 2 spot and expanding into the USshows that a paddle supply network once dominated by the US is spreading into Asia too. The 11SIX24-type model -- entrusting manufacturing to partners in China and elsewhere while keeping the brand and customer touchpoints in-house -- fits well with this shift in the international supply network. For Japanese makers eyeing the global market, the idea of separating and linking manufacturing and brand is worth referencing.

Practical Information and Related Links

11SIX24's paddles are currently sold mainly in the US, and from Japan, overseas mail order is the main way to obtain them. The Power 2 series has a baseline price of $209.99, with models of differing shapes such as the Ultré, Huarache-X, and Vapor. As a rough guide, choose the Ultré for a flat shape prioritizing ease of use, and the elongated Huarache-X if you want reach. Before buying, check hands-on reviews from review outlets to see whether it fits the metrics you value (spin, control, power).

The market's overall movement comes into three-dimensional view when you read the related articles together.Mizuno's US paddle launchandFacolos's US expansionLined up together, the three-way struggle among majors, emerging players, and overseas contenders comes into clear view.

Summary

The 11SIX24 story was hidden behind a single line in a giveaway. A former HubSpot engineer hand-sold 100 paddles from an apartment, took on the majors' top-tier models at a price of $209.99, and drew in a pro who had been under contract with JOOLA. The structure of breaking in not with funding or a banner name, but with real-experience frustration-solving, an explanation of price, and the maker's closeness, throws implications directly at Japan's small and midsize makers who build their own gear or food. As a next step, we'd suggest that players compare emerging-brand reviews on a level footing when choosing their next paddle, and that makers try to articulate "what frustration the majors overlooked" and apply it to their own products. Now, while the shelf ranking has yet to solidify, is precisely the opportunity for small makers.

Sources

• The Dink Pickleball - 11SIX24 Power 2 Ultré giveaway
• The Kitchen Pickleball - How 11SIX24 went from an under-the-radar brand to major player
• Speak Pickleball - Case Study: 4 Reasons 11SIX24 Will Be the Pickleball Brand to Beat in 2025
• The Kitchen Pickleball - In-depth review of the new 11SIX24 Vapor Power 2