Before You Buy: How to Pick a Pickleball Paddle That Performs

TL;DR:

Choosing the right pickleball paddle is crucial for both beginners and experienced players. Your paddle should match your playing style—control, power, or balance. Consider paddle attributes like grip size, core material, weight, and hitting surface to enhance your performance.

Main Points:

• Importance of the right pickleball paddle
• Basics of selecting a paddle based on playing style
• Three main playing styles: control, power, and balance
• Key paddle attributes for each style
• Adjusting paddle choice as you gain experience
• Collections of paddles for beginners and specific styles (control, power)

One of the best things about pickleball is the low barrier to entry. All you need to do to start playing is get a paddle, head to a local court, and find another player.

You don’t need to worry about stocking a golf bag full of clubs or buying a lot of performance- or safety-related equipment. Yes, pickleball shoes and other gear can help you stay comfortable and perform better on the court. But the requirements are more modest than many other sports.

That said, choosing the right pickleball paddle goes a long way for experienced players and newcomers alike. Your paddle will influence every shot, and different playing styles are better suited to different types of paddles.

Wondering how to choose a pickleball paddle for beginners? You’re in the right place. Don’t just choose any pickleball paddle — pick the paddle that’s right for you.

Where to Start with Choosing a Pickleball Paddle

There are so many different pickleball paddles on the market. Many new players, and even plenty of experienced ones, aren’t quite sure where to start.

Specifics like grip size, core material, paddle weight, type of hitting surface, and much more are all important factors. But spending too much time on each of those specifics might leave you feeling lost.

How to Choose Your Pickleball Paddle Based on Playing Style

Here’s a different way to work through the process of choosing a great pickleball paddle. All you need to do is figure out your playing style and go from there.

There are plenty of distinct styles. Pickleball Today names a total of 30 different ones, just as an example. However, the vast majority fall into one of three overarching categories.

There are three major styles of play in pickleball:

1. Control. Players who prefer control want to precisely place the pickleball on each shot to catch their opponents out of position.
2. Power. Power players want to put some extra emphasis on each shot, putting pressure on their opponents.
3. Balance. Players with a balanced style use a combination of control and power on the court.

Think about how you like to play pickleball. If you’ve never played before, think about how you like to play racket sports or sports in general. Find the style that seems like the best fit and take it from there.

Once you’ve sorted yourself into one of these groups, it’s easier to find a pickleball paddle with the qualities to match.

Certain paddles offer more control, power, or balance through the handle, paddle surface, core size, and other qualities. In our Ultimate Pickleball Paddle Buying Guide, we explain that:

• Paddles for control players should have thick cores (around 16 mm), short handles, a wide-body shape, and a carbon surface.
• Paddles for power players should have a longer handle, thinner core (around 13 mm), elongated shape, and fiberglass surface.
• Paddles for balanced players fall somewhere in the middle. Key attributes to look for include standard-length handles, a core around 14 mm, and a hybrid surface.

Knowing what to look for in a paddle, instead of trying to figure out which of the many individual qualities work best for you, makes picking a pickleball paddle so much easier.

Of course, you don’t have to stop with your general playing style. Your preferences might not perfectly align with these descriptions of general pickleball playing styles.

So, consider these three categories a starting point. As you gain more experience playing, you might find yourself wanting a little more control. Or, you could realize you’re more of a power player than you thought at first.

If that’s the case, you can make some simple changes when you buy your next paddle.

Want more control? Look for a thicker core and shorter handle in your next paddle. Want a little more power? Consider a pickleball paddle with a longer handle and an elongated shape.

Find Pickleball Paddles for All Playing Styles

Ready to get your new paddle and hop on the court? We hope this streamlined approach to choosing a pickleball paddle empowers you to make a confident choice.

If you’re a beginner, you can also consider our curated collection of beginner pickleball paddles.

Want to see paddles that focus on spin and control? This pickleball paddle collection has you covered. What about power paddles? We have a great collection of those, too.