How to Choose a Pickleball Paddle

Weight is probably the first and one of the most noticeable aspects of a pickleball paddle. Beginning from the moment you pick it up through the moment until you put the paddle down, you cannot help but notice whether the paddle feels heavy, light or just right. Paddle weight affects everything from power, stability and control to comfort and maneuverability. Paddles are typically categorized into three weight categories: Lightweight, midweight or heavyweight.

There are more than a few advantages to choosing a paddle that weighs less than 7.5 ounces. Here are some of the positives lighter paddles provide:

• Reaction time and maneuverability - Paddles weighing less than 7.5 ounces will be easy to get into position shot after shot and play with hour after hour.
• Short and soft game - Lighter paddles complement finesse shots and the short game in near the kitchen.
• Turnkey fun and performance - Lighter options are great for extremely young or older players since ball pace and spin is usually not excessive.

Some potential drawbacks of using lighter paddles:

• Vibration Control - This ties into paddle comfort. Lighter paddles are easier to swing, which does relate to comfort in between shots. However, light paddles use less material, which means fewer vibrations are being filtered out at contact of the ball.
• Lack of stability - If ball pace and spin becomes excessive and/or ball contact is off center, lighter paddles can feel unstable. Even if your paddle wobbles just a little, the shot result is most often entirely off. This can actually lead to discomfort or an overuse injury. Once the player senses the instability the remedy usually involves a tighter squeeze on the handle. This may cure the stability issue, but squeezing the grip to hard restricts your range of swing motion and thus the quality of your shots.
• Shot depth - Hitting shots from baseline to baseline or producing enough power to pass opponents at the NVZ can be a chore.

With the exception of maneuverability paddles weighing more than 8.3 ounces simply offer a higher degree of everything that lighter paddles provide. A paddle weight north of 8.3 ounces typically afford lots of:

• Stability – Heavier paddles are less apt to slow down, veer off path or wobble in windy conditions or under the pressure of heavy shot pace. They just plow through whatever is in their way.
• Power – The power generated by heavier paddles comes mostly in the form of momentum. In effect, you get more weight from the paddle behind the ball, plus the paddle does not flutter as much at contact of the ball.
• Comfort – More material means your paddle will be heavier and will also do a better job at dispersing or minimizing vibration created at contact of the ball.

If exceedingly heavy, drawbacks may involve:

• Maneuverability - Shot timing can be a chore near the kitchen where reaction time is minimal. Lack of paddle agility may not be apparent for the first couple of shots, but it can become an issue by the time you get to the third and fourth shot of a fast-paced rally or you are playing for an extended period of time.
• Discomfort or even potential for injury - Ideally, you should be able maintain your balance and position while swinging a paddle. If you are thrown off balance at the end of your swing, the paddle is too heavy. Continued use of a paddle that is too heavy can also create some discomfort or worse. Overall there is probably more risk of arm discomfort from using too light of a paddle, rather than a heavy one, due to excessive vibration and instability.

After wood paddles came the first composite paddles which are made from a variety of materials. And the first generation of those paddles were constructed (assembled) using epoxy glues and cold-pressing each layer or piece together to form a single paddle.

Second generation paddle construction is sometimes referred to as:

• thermo-formed
• uni-body
• uni-frame
• single-piece

This method of construction takes the same basic materials, puts them together and places them in a mold. The materials are then either heated up and/or compressed together for specific time which produces a single-piece paddle frame.

1st generation construction is still relevant and very popular today. Power wise, 2nd generation paddles will be a bit livelier. Not to the point where you can compare 1st and 2nd Gen. construction to wood and aluminum baseball bats (respectively), but there is a difference in the amount of energy returned to the ball.

The shape of your paddle is another noticeable aspect of paddle performance. Currently there are two basic shapes (square and rectangular) with a third (hybrid) being a blend of the two standard shapes. Paddles longer than 16 inches offer more reach and power on the swing. Shorter paddles (16 inches or shorter) feel more maneuverable to swing. Many players also indicate that compact paddle shapes also provide a more connected feel to the ball.

Options longer than 16 inches tend to be narrower across the face, which makes the paddle easier for players to roll their shots with topspin. Shorter paddles most often exhibit a slightly wider span across paddle face, which improves stability and the size of the sweetspot while maintaining a high degree of maneuverability. Hybrid designs can be a little over or under 16 inches in length and may feature either more of a square or rectangular paddle face. The common trait tends to be a handle length of 5.25 inches or more.

Currently, polymer polypropylene honeycomb is the most common material used for the core of a pickleball paddle. Polymer provides a plusher feel compared to Nomex and is versatile enough to complement both driving power along with great touch around the kitchen. Thicker polypropylene cores enhance control while a thinner core profile delivers more power. Besides offering all-around playability, polymer cores are also quieter than aluminum and Nomex cores. If you aren't sure which to choose, we recommend picking a paddle with a polymer core for its versatility.

Although less common these days, Nomex honeycomb cores are not entirely retired from use. However, due to the higher decibel level this material produces at contact of the ball, Nomex is not as popular compared to a polypropylene core. Nomex cores are firmer and easily produce the most power but can come at the expense of some valuable control.

Aluminum cores are lighter weight and lower powered compared to polypropylene or Nomex cores. These cores are not as noisy as Nomex, but aluminum still produces more sound than a polymer core. Many junior paddles are still made with an aluminum core because it is easier to keep paddle weight to a minimum with this material.

Thicker Cores - If we are comparing the same core material (polypropylene), but in different thicknesses, the thicker core will be lower powered (more control) compared to the same paddle with a thinner core. A thicker core also does a better job at dispersing vibration, which increases overall paddle comfort. Cores that 15 mm and greater are considered to be on the thicker side. If unsure, we recommend going with a core thickness between 14 mm and 16 mm.

Thinner Cores - In general, thinner polypropylene cores are livelier than thicker cores of the same material. A core measures less than 14 mm thick returns a lot of shot energy (power) back to the ball instead of being absorbed at impact. This equates to easier shot depth with less effort required to generate it. However, depending on the paddle's weight, thinner paddles typically produce more sound, can feel firm and as though the sweetspot is less forgiving. Although paddle power is derived from several aspects, when players consider a paddle to have good "pop" that most often refers to a lively core.

The face covers both sides (sometimes in multiple layers) of a paddle and can be made from a variety of materials. Face material can affect feel, power/control, touch and spin. From most to least powerful we will list and briefly cover the most common face materials:

• fiberglass
• fiberglass composite
• carbon fiber composite
• raw carbon fiber
• Kevlar fiber

Fiberglass - This is a high-quality surface option commonly paired with lower priced paddles. By itself a fiberglass surface adds power, is extremely durable and reasonably spin friendly. A fiberglass composite surface indicates that there is a mix of other materials (like carbon fiber) but is fiberglass dominant. Upping the ante for easy access to spin, paddle manufacturers are now creating fiberglass surfaces that rival the degree of friction afforded with a raw carbon face.

Grip size relates to the distance around the outside of the handle, usually including the base grip. Choosing a suitable grip size is important because the size contributes to the level of stability or agility of a paddle. Smaller grips make a paddle easier to accelerate or swing. However, if too small a paddle will be more prone to feeling unstable and perhaps twist in your hands at contact of the ball. On the contrary, bigger grips make a paddle feel more stable, but if too large for the hand in question can be at the expense of maneuverability and spin production.

Ultimately, the player will benefit from locating just the right grip size! If unsure, a safe choice is, a grip size ranging from 4 inches to 4 1/4 inches. Below is a guideline for choosing the right grip size:

Handle length is the linear measurement from the bottom of a grip's butt cap to the point where the handle merges with the paddle face. Although players can grasp any length of handle, a handle length of 5.25 inches or longer provides enough real estate for one or two hands on the paddle.