Volair HexGrit: Volair Licenses 11SIX24’s Grit for the New CMD Paddle

By Jason Regan. I run Regan Family Pickleball from Leominster, Massachusetts, and check every paddle story against the brand’s own store. Disclosure: both Volair and 11SIX24 give our readers 10% off with code RFP, and I am also Engage’s New England territory manager. Engage makes its own grit. Neither brand saw this post.

What is the Volair HexGrit deal?

The Volair HexGrit deal is a licence: Volair puts 11SIX24’s HexGrit surface on its own paddles instead of building a grit of its own. The Dink reported it on October 15, 2026.

Volair founder and CEO Ryan Cohen told The Dink that his team could have built its own grit but chose HexGrit because it is “already established in the market as the best long-lasting grit.” 11SIX24 founder David Groechel said it “validates the technology.”

Volair’s own CMD product page confirms the licence in writing, with “licensed HexGrit™ surface technology” in the description and “HexGrit™” as the surface finish. Terms are not public.

What is HexGrit?

HexGrit is 11SIX24’s durable spin surface, and the brand describes it as patent-pending technology “developed in our own lab.” 11SIX24 says it gives “consistent spin game after game – not just out of the box, but months down the road.”

• Launched: with the Power 2 line. The Dink’s March 2026 launch story described it as a proprietary silicon-carbide surface material.
• Where it is now: 11SIX24 lists it on the Ultré Power 2 ($209.99) and the Jelly Bean 2 paddles ($169.99).
• The problem it targets: sprayed-on grit wears smooth. Our spin durability tiers guide covers how surfaces age.

Pickleball Studio titled its April 2026 Vapor Power2 review “HexGrit is Legit,” but I found no published long-term wear test, so “months down the road” is the brand’s claim, not a measured result.

What are the Volair CMD HYB specs?

Volair lists the CMD HYB as a 16mm hybrid with a floating foam core and a T700 carbon face. These are Volair’s published numbers:

Those swing and twist numbers sit on Pickleball Studio’s hybrid medians, 112 and 6.41 (see our swing weight and twist weight guides), though they’re Volair’s own figures. John Kew’s test data, on our Volair CMD Hybrid page, scores it 9.2 of 10 for spin and 5.6 for power.

Is the Volair CMD USA Pickleball approved?

Volair lists the CMD as “UPA Tournament Approved,” but on October 16, 2026 it did not appear on the USA Pickleball approved paddle list. I checked all 29 Volair entries on USA Pickleball’s list, and the newest were Shift models added in December 2025.

Playing sanctioned events in New England? Check the list before you buy. Our roundup of new USA Pickleball approved paddles will pick it up when it lands.

What does it mean for players?

For players, the deal puts one surface on two brands’ paddles, so HexGrit fans get more shapes and price points.

• Frazier’s new paddle: Volair calls the CMD HYB Dylan Frazier’s new signature paddle. Our Dylan Frazier paddle page tracks his setup.
• Timing: the November 1 ship date lands just as New England players move indoors for the winter.
• Cost: code RFP takes 10% off either brand, about $162 for the CMD before tax and shipping.

Want more options? See our best paddles for spin or the Paddle Finder.

Frequently asked questions

Is Volair using HexGrit?

Yes. Volair licenses HexGrit from 11SIX24, and its CMD HYB paddle lists licensed HexGrit as its surface finish.

How much is the Volair CMD HYB?

Volair’s US store lists it at $179.99 on pre-order, with shipping expected November 1, 2026.

Who makes HexGrit?

11SIX24 developed HexGrit and describes it as a patent-pending surface made in its own lab. It debuted on the brand’s Power 2 paddles.

Is the Volair CMD approved for USA Pickleball tournaments?

Volair lists it as UPA tournament approved. It was not on the USA Pickleball approved paddle list on October 16, 2026, so check the list before a sanctioned event.

Will other Volair paddles get HexGrit?

Volair CEO Ryan Cohen told The Dink the brand plans to use HexGrit on all of its performance paddles going forward.

Sources: Volair’s CMD HYB product page and US store data, 11SIX24’s Power 2 and Jelly Bean 2 product pages, and the USA Pickleball approved paddle list, read October 16, 2026; quotes from The Dink (October 15 and March 13, 2026). Medians from Pickleball Studio.