Which Pickleball Paddle should I buy?
Alex walks you through the minefield that is pickleball paddles
Pickleball paddles
We know that buying a pickleball paddle can be quite daunting. With so many brands now selling paddles, each claiming their newest model is the best, it can be very tricky to work out which pickleball paddle to buy. Manufacturers are also keen to include some technological jargon to bamboozle you even more. So what I’ll do is give you a simple, easy to understand, and informative rundown in what to look for. Under each section, I will include a fairly detailed description of what each bit does. It will also include most of the terminology you will see when searching through paddles, so if you are not interested in this, you can skip to the pros and cons bit which will summarise it.
The Paddle Face
The paddle face is the bit which actually makes contact with the ball (hopefully) and it is partly responsible for the feel, control, spin, and power of the paddle. The paddle face normally features has one of three materials. These are either raw carbon fibre, fiberglass, graphite, or a composite of two or more. The two main materials used are carbon fibre and fibreglass, which I will explain more about below. Some provide more power and less spin, while others forfeit some power, for more spin and control. In general, more spin is almost always better, as you can have more variety to your shots, and generate topspin, which can allow you to hit the ball harder if done correctly. More power is not always a good thing depending on what style of game you have, so remember to keep that in mind.
The face material
Carbon Fibre
Pros:
• Very gritty surface, which means more spin, which can result in being able to hit harder if using topspin
• More control, and feel, due to a responsive paddle face
Cons:
• A little less power than some other materials
•. No choice in colour (not that this matters)
Fibreglass
Pros:
• More power
• More choice of colour
Cons:
• Less control, feel, and touch off the paddle face
• Not very gritty so less spin potential
• A slightly louder sound off the paddle face
My recommendation: Raw Carbon Fibre would be my go to. It has incredible spin potential, hence why it is used in the majority of high end paddles, and as I said having more spin is almost always a good thing!
The Core
The core is what is inside the paddle. It is often made of a material called polypropylene, but there are some other materials that are used. Lots of brands will talk about a honeycomb core, which just reflects the structure in which the material in the core is layed out. There are some brands that use other materials, gearbox for instance, and if you are interested in that you can do some further reading but polypropylene is used in most paddles and it performs well. The core is partly responsible for the power, control, touch, feel, weight, noise, and spin, so it’s quite important. Each paddle has different thickness which has an affect on how it performs. Generally speaking, the honeycomb structure is less compressed and dense in thick paddles, so the ball is slightly cushioned upon impact, giving you more control. The thinner paddles are more dense, meaning that the ball flies right off the paddle upon impact.
Thick paddle - 16mm +
Pros:
• Great control, touch, and feel
• Quieter sound (probably a good thing)
Cons:
• Less Power
• Slightly less manoeuvrable
Thin paddle - 14mm -
Pros:
• Great power
‘• Slightly more manoeuvrable
Cons:
• Less control, touch, and feel
• Louder noice upon impact
My recommendation: I would normally recommend a thicker paddle, as most people could do with more control and feel. Many people struggle with the soft side of the game, so more power only becomes useful once you have mastered it.
The Handle
The handle is fairly self explanatory, but it does vary in length which can have quite a big difference. The longer the handle, the smaller the paddle face is, and the shorter the handle, the bigger the paddle face is.
Long handle
Pros:
• More power due to a longer lever
• More comfortable if using a two handed backhand (and familiar for any tennis players)
• More reach at the kitchen line
Cons:
• Marginally less manoeuvrable
• Less margin for error due to the smaller paddle face
Short handle
Pros:
• More manoeuvrable
• More margin for error
Cons:
• Less Power
• Not familiar for tennis players and tricky to hit a two handed backhand
• Less reach
My recommendation: I prefer to use a long handle, as I sometimes hit two handed backhands, and I like the extra power and reach I can get with it too, however this is very much an individual choice, so pick whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Other things to consider:
There are a few other things which affect the paddle, I will give a brief overview of them.
Weight:
This one is fairly self explanatory, the heavier the paddle, the more power it has but with less control, the converse is true for a lighter paddle.
Balance:
The balance dictates where the centre of mass is for the paddle. Almost all paddles are head heavy, meaning more of their weight is distributed towards the head of the paddle rather than the handle. Most paddles are around 41 cm long, so the greater the balance, the more head heavy it is. A more head heavy paddle means more power, and a little more spin potential. But it also means less control, and less manoeuvrability. This is the opposite for head light paddles. A normal balance is around 235mm, so look out for any values that differ greatly from that.
What paddle is for me?
HEAD is a brand partner of Lemon Pickleball. Here are the newest range of HEAD radical paddles below. Beneath the photos I will include a description about them, and what type of game they would suit. We sell these in person, at 10% of RRP, and any purchase will include credit for a free session!
HEAD Radical Tour Raw Ex
Great spin potential
Elongated handle
Great control and feel
Great power
Specifications:
Raw Carbon Hitting Surface
Weight: 230g
Length: 41.9cm
Thickness: 15mm
Balance: 233mm
RRP Price: £140
Our Price: £126
HEAD Radical Tour Grit
Good spin potential
Regular handle
Excellent control and feel
Good power
Specifications:
Carbon Hitting Surface
Weight: 225g
Length: 40.8cm
Thickness: 15mm
Balance: 235mm
RRP Price: £140
Our Price: £126
HEAD Radical Pro
Some spin potential
Regular handle
Good control
Good power
Specifications:
Composite Hitting Surface
Weight: 230g
Length: 40.8cm
Thickness: 15mm
Balance: 235mm
RRP Price: £90
Our Price: £81
HEAD Radical Eilte
A little bit of spin potential
Regular handle
Good control
Okay power
Specifications:
Composite Hitting Surface
Weight: 230g
Length: 40.8cm
Thickness: 15mm
Balance: 235mm
RRP Price: £60
Our Price: £54
