As a fan of tennis great, Björn Borg, I was delighted in 1991 when the Swede decided to make a comeback at the Monte Carlo Open after eight years in retirement. I was more than a bit curious how he would compete. He hadn’t played a tournament in over 8 years, after all, and to top it off, he planned to play with a wooden racket – the same type of racket he used during his dominating career in the 1970’s and early 80’s. By 1991, however, no other professional tennis player gave serious consideration to playing with a wooden racket. Between Borg’s first retirement in 1983 and his planned comeback in Monte Carlo, graphite and other composite frames that were lighter and more powerful had driven wooden rackets out of the game. Yet here was Borg, determined to show the world that talent and determination mattered more than what type of racket he used …
Borg got destroyed.
I grew up playing tennis in the 1970’s and 80’s during this period when racket technology rapidly evolved. My first racket was wooden and I experienced first-hand the improvements that came with a larger racket face (also part of the changes during these years) and the additional power that stiffer rackets provided. Quite simply, the newer rackets made me and other tennis players better.
Like many former tennis players, pickleball has replaced the game of my youth and I feel the same passion and joy for it that I once felt for tennis. I’m also just as committed to improving my game. But unlike the case in tennis, I’ve come to the conclusion that newer paddle technology isn’t usually the answer to improvement. At least not for the reasons paddle makers claim.
Let me be clear, if you’re using a wooden paddle or you’ve been using the same paddle for more than a couple of years, you should purchase a new paddle. Paddles have definitely improved since the game began in the 1960’s. Wooden paddles are heavy, hard on the arm, and don’t grip the ball particularly well. And paddles wear out – especially if you play a lot of pickleball.
When purchasing a new paddle, a lot of factors go into which one is right for you: the width and feel of the grip, the overall weight and weight distribution of the paddle, the texture of the paddle face, and the paddle’s esthetics. But if you’re trying out paddles, the one characteristic that matters least … is power. And that’s the difference between tennis and pickleball technology.
Pickleball courts are small and the ball is light. Even the oldest and newest players typically have the strength to hit the pickleball hard enough to effectively win games. Over and over again, however, I see players drawn to paddles that have more “pop.” And for a lot of 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 players, that additional “pop” translates into one thing – more “pop-ups.”
Pickleball points (especially in doubles) are generally not lost by hitting the ball too softly. Sure, shots often need to be hit deep in your opponent’s court, but they don’t have to be hit hard, just deep. On the other hand, pickleball points are frequently lost by hitting the ball too high. High balls – whether as drives or drops – are pickleball poison. High balls give your opponent the opportunity to hit down on the ball and with angles. That means your shot is likely coming back to you either out of reach or at your ankles. Neither is obviously desirable.
When choosing a paddle, you want one that is light enough to maneuver quickly and one that’s soft enough to allow the ball to compress into the paddle face. This compression will take some power off your shot but the extra time on the paddle will give you more control (including more spin if that’s what you’re looking for). More control with less pop means fewer pop-ups. Fewer pop-ups means fewer losses.
Paddle makers will continue to push the latest and greatest technology but don’t be drawn to the lure of more powerful paddles. This is pickleball after all… not tennis.
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