Pickleball Magazine 3-1 | Page 14

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