you dramatically change the way it
plays. We’d rather say, ‘This is the
shape and material; you choose your
weight,’ and then explain to players
how that will perform. Our Bantam
EX-L, for example, is popular with
tennis players because of its weighted
balance and response, whereas our
Bantam TS-5 is really light.”
Always thinking about the
players, Paddletek’s also looking at
increasing durability in pickleball
paddles, creating legacy pieces that
can be handed down to the next
generation. “Right now, we’re looking
at everything as if we had to start
from scratch and saying, ‘How do we
make this longer lasting?’ How do you
make a five- or 10-year paddle,” Curtis
explains. “When you buy a good tennis
racquet, you can just get it restrung.
What plays as well as polymer but will
still be good eight years from now?
We put more energy into that than
changing the spec a bit and claiming
innovation. If I’m spending $150 on a
new paddle, I want to be able to give it
to my grandkids.”
That drive to solve problems for the
players and not just feed the bottom
line has been the key to Paddletek’s
success since the beginning. And
while the company’s grown and
changed since its reluctant start, so
has Curtis, who is now a pickleball
player who plays mostly with his
family and coaches his son. He’s
even played in his local regional
tournament, where he won silver—
an accomplishment he likes to joke
about. “There were only two of us in
the match,” he notes. “So I came in
second, but I also came in last.” •
For more information on Paddletek, visit
paddletek.com.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 |
MAGAZINE
67