2018
PADDLE
GUIDE
How to Find the
PERFECT
PADDLE!
By Jack Bandel
Pickleball is a wonderful sport that requires very little to
get started—except one important item—a paddle! But there are
so many to choose from. A lot of paddle manufacturers offer
dozens of choices. How to make sense of it all? Yes, the right
paddle will let you play to the utmost of your physical ability. On
the other hand, the wrong paddle can hamper your game and
cause you to make unforced errors or miss your targets.
The best thing to do first is to try several paddles to get an
idea of what feels good to you, especially the weight of the
paddle. Go to clubs, tournaments or anywhere there are a lot of
folks playing pickleball, and ask them if you can try their paddle
for a few minutes. Most important is to pay attention to the
weight and how it feels while swinging it. If you like something,
take note of the weight. If it feels too light, it will feel like you
12
have to impart too much energy to hit the ball deep or on put-
away shots and overheads. Try out different shot types such as
dinking, serves, deep groundstrokes and third shot drops. They
should all feel comfortable.
A heavier paddle will provide more power behind your shots,
but it also may take away some of your reaction time at the
net or tire out your arm after several games. Try to narrow your
choices of weight down. One of these should feel “just right”
and allow you to execute all of your shots without causing
weaknesses in any one area.
Then, it’s time to decide on material. Try some graphite
paddles and some composite paddles. Graphite tends to offer
more touch and feel, while composite offers more power and
a larger, more consistent, hitting area. Play with some of each
BASELINE
COSMO PRO WITH GUARD BASELINE
DOMINATOR WITH GUARD BASELINE
FURY PRO WITH GUARD EASTPORT
CHAMPION
Weight: 8.8 oz.
Dimensions: 7.81” x 16.06”
Core: Internal Aluminum Core
Honeycomb
Surface: Carbon Fiber
Price: $85 Weight: 9.1oz.
Dimensions: 7.81” x 16.06”
Core: Aromatic Polyamide
Honeycomb
Surface: Carbon Fiber
Price: $95 Weight: 8.9 oz.
Dimensions: 7.81” x 16.06”
Core: Aromatic Polyamide
Honeycomb
Surface: Carbon Fiber
Price: $95 Weight: 8.6 - 9.1 oz
Dimensions: 15.5” X 8.125”
Core: Polymer honeycomb
Surface: Beautiful Vinyl Laminate
Price: $125
TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM