Does the Paddle You Use Really Matter?

There is a widespread debate in Pickleball: does a better paddle make you a better player? I started this game as a 3.0 and am now playing at 4.0+. I have tried around 100+ different paddles as well. Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Something that people quote all the time when this subject comes up is, "Ben Johns beat people with a slipper! So clearly the paddle doesn't matter" my counter is always, of course, Ben beat some brand new people to the sport with a slipper. It's not hard to beat brand-new people if you have a decent skillset. Do you think Ben Johns wants to play against Matt Wright and Riley Newman with a slipper or wooden paddle? Highly doubt it. 

Whether people want to admit it or not, the paddle impacts how you play the game and what types of shots are possible. No pro will want to use a paddle from 10 years ago in today's modern game. Sweet spot, feel, and spin has drastically improved over past technology. People should be arguing that at what stage of your Pickleball Journey do those paddles attributes start to matter. That's what I'm going to highlight.

The beginner player

If you are brand new to the sport with no racquet sports background, the paddle you use doesn't matter. You can purchase essentially any starter kit on Amazon and be perfectly fine. The only thing I would recommend is staying away from wooden paddles as those are usually heavy and not great for anyone. But seriously, DO NOT stress over what paddle to purchase because it will not make any difference in how you play the game if you are brand new. Your paddle preference will change so much if you regularly play the sport that starting with an expensive paddle doesn't make sense.

The intermediate player

If you are an intermediate player, usually around 3.5 in skill rating, I think you typically start developing a sense of your play style. Whether you like to dink, bang the ball, put lots of spin on your shots, etc. Even at 3.5, I don't think you need to go crazy with your paddle because, ultimately, it's making a relatively small impact on how well you are playing the game. At this stage, you usually find one that you think plays well and stick with it. 

The advanced player

Once you get to the more advanced stages of Pickleball, which are usually 4.0+ ratings, I think the paddle you use can matter and make a difference. At this stage, you have a more well-defined play style, and you are working on developing better mechanics where a good performance paddle can make a noticeable improvement on certain shots. In addition, having the correct type of paddle can improve your unique attributes as a player. 

You need to determine your best skills and then look for a paddle that enhances those skills or fills in the gaps for your weaknesses.

The paddle is rarely going to make or break a player. If you are a 3.5 right now, buying a new paddle won't take you to 4.0. However, I will say that once you get to the 4.0+ threshold, the paddle can make certain shots of yours excel or perform poorly. For example, I'm a player who plays a bit more controlled. I like a softer paddle to block, reset, and perform third-shot drops more easily. However, when I use a power paddle, my blocks, reset, and dinks often get put too high, giving my opponents an easy put-away. If I used it long enough, could I learn to play with a power paddle? Absolutely! But I don't want to change my style to play with a power paddle. 

You'll also notice that as you add certain shots to your game, like top spin drives or roll volleys, getting a paddle that allows you to impart more spin on the ball can make a big difference in how effective those shots are. Just be aware that just because a paddle has a high spin potential does not mean you can utilize all of it. Many lower-level players get hung up on "But this paddle has a high spin rating!" that spin rating doesn't mean anything if you as a player don't have the mechanics to utilize that spin. Am I saying that the right paddle can't help a 3.5? Not at all. I think it can, but usually, the problems I see are attacking prematurely, poor dinking mechanics, ready position, and not that their paddle is too soft or too powerful.

Conclusion

The short answer is, yes, the paddle can absolutely make a difference in how you play. Will getting a new one make you jump up in rating? No, probably not. But to say that the gear doesn’t matter is silly. Giving someone who prefers a light thick core paddle a thin head heavy paddle is a huge mistake and would likely make playing for them more difficult than it needs to be. The problem is that people put too much emphasis on the paddle improving their game.

Demo some paddles and find what generally works well for you, and then get to work on your mechanics.