According to USA Pickleball there are now nearly 800 distinct brands selling pickleball related goods.

*Many of the latest brands sell only paddles, that’s because it has become easy to purchase pre-made paddles or parts of a paddle and put their brand name on it. *This is not a statement by USA Pickleball.®

We observed players using the top selling paddle brands; some of those brands are endorsed by professionals. Of course, the logic in choosing a paddle that way is: “If the pros use it, it must be a great paddle.” That’s a valid thought.

But let’s be real, the high-level pro could “pickle” most of us with anything in their hand short of a fly swatter.

It makes it even more challenging to choose a paddle when manufacturers categorize them according to a specific performance aspect e.g., power, control, or spin. There are some brands that give a gradual scale rating for each of those aspects… for the same paddle. For the sake of argument, let’s say the manufacturer does have equipment to test those variations; can you feel the difference?

We believe the player controls their paddle, not the other way around. A player will maintain their style of play with any paddle they use. Sure, if you get a new paddle, there will be an adjustment period.

Certainly, you or someone you know: can hit a power shot down the middle, send a controlled shot near the sidelines, and dink effectively. The paddle’s advertised performance has little to do with it.

Paddle weight: how it will affect your game? It’s a topic that can have a variety of opinions. How important is it? For some players, it can make a difference in their game.

The question we asked players most often is: “what does your paddle weigh?” The majority didn’t know. So how did they determine if it’s the right weight for them? If they don’t know the weight, then the only answer is they didn’t think about it.

We briefly touched on just one of the USA Pickleball® rules that keeps the paddle on an equal playing field. There are other limitations e.g., size, surface roughness and drag coefficient.

You may be surprised, weight is not regulated. A paddles weight can play a large role in the way the ball reacts when it is struck.

A lighter paddle will require a faster paddle speed to propel the ball over the net, i.e., you must swing faster. A paddle with more weight will have more power to propel the ball farther with a slightly slower swing speed. That begs the question: is it more physically demanding to swing faster/harder on every shot or swing a little slower with a “heavier” paddle?

So, what is the difference between a light or heavy paddle? Consider this, according to current weight charts, the difference between a light paddle and a heavy paddle is about one and a quarter ounce. To give you an idea, a pickleball weighs just under an ounce, so you can see the difference is not much.

There may have been a time when a paddle was considered light at 8.5-ounces; even higher. Now, a light paddle is at or under 7.4 ounces. What happened?

Every player must decide for themselves what is the right paddle weight for them. You might even ask a friendly Orthopedic doctor for their thoughts.

Color is an important consideration when choosing a paddle; it could even be the number one reason for some. You choose the color of your car or truck because it appeals to you; why not choose an appealing color for your paddle?

There are many paddles being made with attractive colors and graphics.

However, the current trend of many paddle brands is to use the latest carbon fiber surface, which is black. Most brands keep the graphics to a minimum, so the paddle is mostly black.

It makes us think about Henry Ford and the Model T.

Ford said: “Any color the customer wants as long as its black.”

We believe the paddle surface made up of the black carbon fiber may change; trends often do.