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Choosing a pickleball paddle

Pickleball / Popular

Pick weight, shape, core and face for your game.

What coaches agree on

  • An elongated paddle gives you more reach and power but a smaller sweet spot, while a wider standard or widebody shape gives you a bigger, more forgiving sweet spot at the cost of some reach.
  • A thicker core, around 16mm and up, gives you more control and touch for dinking and resets, while a thinner core, 13mm and under, gives you more pop and power on drives.
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  • A carbon fiber face gives you more control, feel, and spin from its grittier surface, while a fiberglass face gives you more raw power with less spin and a harder feel.
  • A heavier paddle swings with more power and stability but is slower to bring around, while a lighter paddle is quicker and easier to control but hits with less pop, so pick the weight you can comfortably handle for a full session.

Common mistakes

  • A common mistake is picking a paddle because it is powerful, expensive, or pro-endorsed rather than because it fits your game - beginners especially end up with more mishits and a harder learning curve than they would have with a forgiving control paddle.