When technique matches the technology of the new paddles, it’s partnership in performance.

Written By Doug Brenner

Weekly Blog: Order On The Court

Shot making accuracy using the new high tech paddles requires understanding its hitting characteristics. Is it a spin-generating power paddle - which tend to be less forgiving on touch shots — or a thicker control paddle — which offer a softer sensation but require opening up the paddle face to avoid net cords.

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Check your technique on touch shots when using new high tech paddles — it may need fine tuning to match its new dynamics

Pickleball players, even people who are new to the sport, have an interesting fascination with their paddles.

The first questions new students ask me are, “Why do my balls keep hitting the net?” “Where can I play in the winter?” Followed by, “I found a new paddle on sale. Is it any good?”

All players, understandably, are looking for any advantage — they don’t want miss out on the action, but many people can’t get over how expensive high end paddles have become.

“I mean come, on, $250 bucks?! It looks like an overgrown ping pong paddle on steroids, which I can buy for about $50. How come pickleball paddles are so expensive?”

It’s a good question. Even relative to high end tennis rackets which also feature the latest nano fibre technology, the cost of paddles has grown rapidly with the game. A lot of it has to do with the cost of R&D, the use of expensive new materials, and new manufacturing methods used to create longer lasting paddles for control and power.

Looking more closely into the paddle phenomenon, (it’s a massive $250 million market in the U.S), I want to report back on recent blog about the actual impact new technology has on game play.

Earlier, I had made the bold assertion I could quickly adjust my hit to compensate for entry level paddles to the extent where the exhalted benefits of the $300+ paddles would be negligible, 5% to 10% difference maybe, but not the 40 to 60% cost differential.

Easy to say, from someone who has 16 high end paddles in his collection, and whines when his perfectly hit drops hit the net cord despite this investment in equipment.

So I put it to the test this week at one of my classes. And the results were, well, pretty funny. I wish I had it on video.

The students were commenting on my new Lab Project 007 black and red, James Bond paddle and wanted to know what made it so special and hard to get in Canada.

 

Because they were already grouped around for a lesson on hard top spin serves, I suggested we put it to the test.

After explaining the benefits of focusing on skill fundamentals, “Which have a much bigger impact on your game, than new paddle technology. You can’t beat the benefits of practice, drills and lessons.” — I know, crazy eh? I proceeded to hit half a dozen top spin bullets with the 007. Each ball literally springing off the Titanium Mesh weave and landing in, just in front of the baseline every time. The students oohhh, and awwed, with the powerful serves, but it was no biggie.

Demonstrating technique becomes comfortable with practice, and if I miss the occasionally dink, or volley, I just make a quick joke, and move on. I then pulled out several more paddles ranging in price from $79.00, up to the Vanguard at $280.

I started with the base Selkirk Epic, predicting it wouldn’t make that much of a difference on the serve, and hit my drive directly into the net. Now, I now had the attention of the class. I hit another top spin, and it kind of went, blah. And another, into the net again. By the fourth hit, I got the base paddle’s sensation and was able to hit a decent serve, before going back to the Lab 007.

Smack! The ball positively flew off the paddle face in a tight arc again, to dispel my bold assertion that technology’s impact is minimal on game play. Wrong.

But true also. Because the more I adjusted my swing and follow through, with the paddle head held low to contact for more spin, the more consistent and accurate my serve became, albeit with a lot more effort, using the Epic.

So the moral of the story is, instructors should always stay humble. We’re learning as we go along, same as our students.

But also, you can play with an entry level paddle, but you’ll have to work a lot harder to get similar results using a better model.

It’s important to fine tune your technique to build in consistency on whatever paddle you’re using.

Going from a Selkirk Luxx or Vanguard in the XL configuration with a 20mm cushioning core, makes a heck of a difference in how you’re going to hit a close in volley, overhead, or Dink, compared to a 10 mm, or 14 mm Lab 007 in the Invikta shape — extended paddle length — version I’m using.

A big difference, — not necessarily better, or worse, but enough to mean it’s important to adjust your grip slightly, swing path, or paddle angle at contact. These affect spin, control, and power which need to be adjusted to suit the paddle’s characteristics.

Just to be clear in what I’m saying. When you switch paddles, hoping to gain a court advantage by investing your hard earned dollars in the latest technology, it’s important to understand the playing characters of your new paddle. Which takes time, and, ideally, practice outside of actual game play. The more technical these new, expensive paddles become, with the use of exotic carbon, kevlar, titanium materials, the bigger impact they will have on how the ball performs when you hit it; how you’re hitting it.

Which means it could affect how consistently you’re able to hit the ball, if you don’t adjust your technique, and continue to play the same as with your old paddle.

Understanding this, and understanding how to control the ball by using the paddle’s performance, will make the difference in balls flying off the paddle face in a tight spin and landing beautifully where you’re aim it, or catching the net cord on tight volleys and dinks.

The new paddles really are incredible, when technique matches technology. It’s a performance partnership, and part of what makes playing pickleball really special.

Order On The Court Blog: Archive

Doug Brenner

Doug is a NCCP-Certified Pickleball Instructor in Ottawa. He offers adult private and group lessons, including a free 45 minute Introduction and Assessment. He builds a custom 6 week lesson plan for each new student.

https://playtowinpickleball.com
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