Hundreds and Hundreds of paddles manufacture in the market. A perfect game happens with a perfect paddle. As pickleball is a paddle sport, the main component is the paddle. Many companies are making great paddles. Choosing the paddle from a bundle of variety is somewhat overwhelming.
As you know selection of the right paddle makes a huge difference in the play, so this article will help you a lot. In this article, we will guide you to choose a perfect paddle for you. You will learn all the aspects to consider when choosing a pickleball paddle for yourself.
Different Types of Pickleball Paddle
When we start learning and discussing different things, sports, equipment, news, or the things which directly and indirectly belong to our life, we make/consider their types an integral part of the conversation and learning.
In the same way, we cannot ignore types of pickleball paddle. In this article, we will minutely discuss paddle types and guide you a little about the role of weight.
To become a good player, you should keep in mind that pickleball paddles have no vast categories like other sports. The thing, which known its types, is its surface and core materials.
These materials play an important role in playing various types of shots. They also have a key factor to increase or decrease the manufacturing price of the paddles.
Based on the surface material, pickleball paddles divide into three main types that are fiberglass paddles, wooden paddles and graphite paddles.
Wooden paddles are the cheapest and heaviest kind of paddle that doesn’t have a good marketplace.
Graphite and fiberglass paddles come in unique features and less weight as compared to wooden paddles.
The most popular paddle among these paddles is graphite because of its lightest weight and durability.
Let’s explore the features of each paddle and the aspects of their preferable selection.
Details of some major types, based on their surface and core materials, are below:
Wooden Paddles
The paddles made up of the heaviest material with the cheapest cost are wooden paddles. The players having the tenacity and stamina to hold a heavy paddle can go for it.
For the ones, who want to spend little for the first time, it’s a good option for them as well.
When you are going to buy pickleball paddles in a large quantity for schools, universities, playing centers etc., you may go for wooden paddles. Where there is more use of a paddle, the people will find the paddles having more life span. The paddles made up of wood are the best choice.
Graphite Paddles
Sometimes, our first priority is to build an association between weight and power. Hence, we prefer to choose a heavier paddle to hit a power smash/stroke.
For this purpose, pickleball paddles are made of Graphite material, which is also called carbon fiber paddle.
It considers as the strong and heavy stuff, which helps you to get more power in stroke through a thin layer of the paddle. This stuff of paddle is available in both weight categories i.e. light and heavy.
The mentionable fact here is that professional players prefer to play with graphite paddles. This paddle is having more cost than a fiberglass paddle. Moreover, it uses by those players, whose preference is to get power than control.
Fiberglass paddles
We will start with the difference between fiberglass paddles, also known as composite, and graphite/carbon fiber paddles.
You should draw your attention towards the fact that both kinds produce paddles of light and heavyweight categories. But, the surface of their material, distinguish them from each other.
This paddle owns fiberglass surface and its cost is less than graphite. Its working is completely different from carbon fiber as its purpose of fame is accuracy.
Fiberglass paddle is the preference of those players, who want to achieve more preciseness than power in pickleball play.
Core Materials of Pickleball Paddles
On the basis of core material, paddles are divided into three further categories. Their names, details and role in pickleball are given below:
Nomex
Nomex is used as core material in these paddles. The paddles are made with hard material but light in weight.
Owing to its lightweight, it can swing easily and faster. The paddles help to hit, fast, brutal, and hard drives/strokes can hit. Among the three core categories, it produces more noise.
Beginners should not purchase these paddles. These paddles should use for outdoor play.
Following consider as best paddles for power-hitting in pickleball:
- Onix Z5 Graphite
- Gamma Atomic 2.0
Aluminum
Their core material is aluminum. They are light in weight and cannot use for power hits. These paddles are also noisy but produce less noise as compared to Nomex paddles.
Moreover, they are the same in weight, but the Aluminum paddle has more swing and less power than Nomex.
Beginners, children, and people having wrist and arms constraints should use Aluminum paddles.
Polymer
The polymer may also call plastic. These paddles have plastic in their core material. They are soft, robust, and stretchy, used for both power hitting and control shots.
Undoubtedly, their cost is more than Nomex and Aluminum, but they are long-lasting. It is strongly recommended to the players, who like to play control and power-hitting simultaneously.
How To Choose A Pickleball Paddle
When you are going to buy a pickleball paddle, these factors are very important to keep in consideration:
- Weight
- Grip size of the paddle
- Price range
Weight
The top priority that should be considered first is the weight of the paddle. It’s not authentic to say that, it is expensive so it will meet the player’s requirement.
The paddle that gives you comfort while holding it and playing with it, will be the best paddle for you to select.
The weight of the paddle ranges from 6 ounces to 14 ounces. It may not sound you a great difference, but when you go for play it matters a lot.
Lightweight paddles are good in a sense, they enhance control over a ball, and you feel less stress on your shoulder or elbow.
For the ones who can tolerate heavy paddles, they are good in a sense, these paddles can hit the ball deep. You may require less effort while hitting the ball harder with a heavy paddle.
When a player is using the heavyweight paddle, there are more chances of being fatigued. You may have less control and slower swing by using it.
Likewise, there are cons to using a lightweight paddle too, it requires a stronger swing. You will find it harder to take long shots while using a lightweight paddle.
Grip Size
The other important aspect is grip size. The player should have a grip circumference that matches his hand size.
To make it easy, we have some standard measurements according to height,
- Players under 5ft 2 inches height have a grip size of about 4 inches.
- Players having 5 ft 3 inches to 8 inches have grip size 4 1/8 inches to 4 1/4 inches.
- The players taller than or equal to 5 ft 9 inches have a grip size of about 4 1/2 inches.
Price range
For a customer, the price range matters a lot. When you are going to buy anything, you will first see the price tag and check does it meet your range or not.
If we categorized the paddle on price range, then wooden paddles are the least expensive.
- Wooden paddle’s price ranges from 13 dollars to 36 dollars.
- Composite paddle costs about 45 dollars to 145 dollars.
- Graphite paddle costs approximately 60 dollars to 145 dollars.
Material
While choosing what Paddle is perfect for you, remember the composition /material used in a paddle matters a lot.
As discussed in this article, the paddles have wood, graphite, or composite composition. Out of these three materials, graphite paddles are the best. Choose the graphite paddle if you want excellent performance and durability.
Core Material
Taking core material into account is also essential for better performance and results. The people who prefer noise-less games must go with polymer. It has newly emerged in the town.
Otherwise, people prefer aluminum and Nomex. Aluminum lacks power, and the Nomex core makes a paddle sounds loud.
The shape of the Paddle
There are many shapes of paddles according to size instructions. According to USAPA officials, the only perfect shape is the one whose length is 16″ and width is 8″.
The paddles with different shapes or standard sizes are not acceptable for tournaments and big championships. The standard shape gives the player power and control and maintains balance and grip.
Final Thoughts On How To Choose A Pickleball Paddle
For being a competitive player, paddle selection also matters a lot. The player should have a grip on his paddle to play well. For this purpose, it’s necessary to know about the types of pickleball paddles.
The factors like weight, grip size, and price range of the player matters a lot. A player should focus on paddles core material while purchasing the paddles, as different core materials, used for different shots. The complete guide about types of paddle is given in this article to make it easy for you to select the one.
I am Michael Wanner, an experienced and educated expert in the field of pickleball. I hold a degree in Sports Science from Cleveland State University, Ohio, USA. My expertise lies in the technical aspects of pickleball and how to play it effectively. I have spent many years playing and coaching pickleball and have a wealth of knowledge to share with my readers. I am a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their pickleball skills and strategies.
