Paddles

Selecting a Paddle

I have several paddles for sale, all $100 or less. Please ask to demo in class.

Demoing several paddles is the best way to select a paddle.

This can be a simple or overwhelming task. As a beginner, any $40-$60 paddle will work fine. As you progress to an intermediate, you'll probably want to demo several paddles until you find the ideal paddle for you and your game. Sales pitches often point to a paddle having three qualities in varying degrees: Power, Control, and Spin. In general, power and control are inversely related. The thicker (16-20mm) honeycomb polymer core paddles have more control, and the thinner (10-14mm) paddles have more power. 

Beware: Selecting a paddle based on YouTube reviews, what a famous pro players uses, technical specs, or assuming a more expensive paddle is better and you will like it more is fraught with problems and I do not recommend selecting a paddle this way.

Demoing several paddles is the best way to select a paddle.

What a famous pro uses or a reviewer on YouTube thinks is the best paddle you may try and hate. Only by playing with several paddles will you be able to zero in on what works best for you. I played with 20 paddles before deciding on one. I demoed 10 and bought and sold 10 other models. The following are some important specs to consider. Once you narrow down the features below, you can demo paddles that meet these requirements and then pick the one you like the best.

1. Handle length. If you want to use a 2 handed backhand or just hold it with both hands at Ready Position, then a 5.25”-6.00” handle is preferable. There is a small selection of long handled paddles. Most handle lengths are 4”-5”, but most manufacturers make at least one paddle with a longer handle.
   
   

2. Grip diameter. Paddles usually have two different grip sizes but they are not consistent between manufacturers so you’ll need to demo.
   
   

3. Grip shape. Some are octagonal, others are oval depending on the manufacturer. They have a very different feel. Tennis racket grips are octagonal.
   
   

4. Head shape. Some are shorter and wider while others are longer, narrower, and elongated. They have a very different feel when playing so you should try both.
   
   

5. Overall weight. Paddles are generally 7 oz - 9 oz, so find a weight that works for you. Due to the plastic honeycomb construction of almost all paddles except for Gearbox paddles, the stated weights can vary by 0.1-0.5 oz or more so websites will list a weight range for a particular paddle. Note that you can make a paddle heavier by adding lead tape and a bumper guard to it.
   
   

6. Paddle prices range from $40-$330. I’ve played with both a $40 paddle and a $330 paddle and often had found little correlation to price and how much I liked it. I honestly couldn’t tell much difference between a $40 Gamma I bought at Big 5 and a $130 Prince I got from Amazon. Why? Almost all paddles are made of a plastic honeycomb core with a fiberglass or graphite face and a rubber molding around the edge. There are differences between paddle brands and models, but I found the differences to be subtle.
   
   

Demoing

Unfortunately, not many manufacturers demo paddles. It is more common to see a 30 day money back guarantee but this is not really ideal compared to a demo program.

Gearbox has a demo program that costs $20 and allows you to demo 4 paddles for a week. I got 8 paddles through this program and quickly narrowed down my number one paddle with this demo program. 

If you find any other manufacturers that demo their paddles, please send me a link so I can add them to this list.

Local brick and mortar stores: Tennis Town & Country in Palo Alto, CA has a demo program. $50 to demo 2 paddles per week for 4 weeks. The $50 can then go towards a purchase of a new paddle. The Pickleball Exchange in Encino, CA has a half court inside their shop where you can demo paddles. Please email me if you hear about any other stores doing a demo program.

YouTube

The Pickleball Studio on YouTube has some useful information about Pickleball equipment. If you're brand new to the sport and are not familiar with all the different paddle brands, this video can help: Ranking Pickleball Companies From Best to Worst

There are paddles that you might want to avoid including:

1. Diadem Warrior

2. CRBN paddles without a serial number. usapickleball.org has a searchable list of approved paddles.

Questions:

1. Q: How long do paddles last?
   A: Depends on how often you play and how hard you hit, but daily you can find dead spots in the paddle face in 3-6 months. Playing 1-3 times a week, anywhere from 1-2 years before you'll want to replace your paddle. Gearbox SST core paddles last longer but data is not available. Selkirk paddles have a lifetime warranty so that's a consideration when buying. However, they only replace a paddle once, so if your warranty paddle breaks, you'll have to buy a new one. This may be a bit of a shock to tennis players whose racquets last for years and years especially if they don't scrape up the tip of it.

Notes:

1. It's best to have protective tape around the top edge of your paddle since you'll inevitably scrape the top of your paddle when trying to dig a low bouncing shot. 3M electrical tape works well, is inexpensive, and comes in different colors. Home Depot has a whole display of this tape. I use Gearbox Protective Tape, but use the 3M electrical tape over it and replace it after it becomes scraped up. I highly recommend doing the same.

2. Once you decide on a paddle and play with it for months and don't have any complaints, be careful about switching to the latest and greatest new paddle that everyone on the internet is raving about. I had a drill partner do this and his game went far south fast. He switched back to his old paddle, but it took some time to get back to his original consistent game before the switch.

The paddles I'm playing with the most after demoing 30+ paddles are from Gearbox. My go to paddle in 2022 was the Gearbox CX14e. It felt perfect but didn't have that much pop or power. I know elongated paddles feel the best for my playing style. In March 2023 the CX14e Ultimate was launched and fixed the lack of pop and power problem the CX14e had. The Ultimate was now my go to paddle. 

In July 2024 the Pro Power and Pro Control were launched. The Pro Power got a lot of positive media attention but then that quickly changed to point out the quality control and possible design issue with it. The odd "break in" period required was unheard of previously. At $300 with tax the used market became flooded with this paddle. Still, it is sold out on their website in Dec 2024. I bought a used one for $160 and yes, it has amazing power when you hit it right on the sweet spot, but it requires a lot of top spin to get into the court. Moreover, if you miss the sweet spot, it feels absolutely terrible. I don't recommend this paddle but you can demo mine any time. The Pro Control just feels terrible, absolutely no power or pop. The CX14e Ultimate is a better paddle than both the Pro Control or Pro Power in my experience.

In ? 2024 the Pro Ultimate was launched. I bought a used one for $180. I demo'd it before buying and it feels less pop and sounds softer than the CX14e Ultimate. A week long demo sometimes isn't enough since lead tape needs to be added and experimented with before making a final decision. I'm leaning towards the CX14e Ultimate as my go to paddle but we'll see after some extended playing time with the Pro Ultimate.

In November 2024 the Pro Ultimate Hyper wide body was launched. I hate wide body paddles so I didn't even bother to demo it.