A lot of intermediate players upgrade their paddles based purely on surface material (Raw Carbon vs. Kevlar) or core thickness (14mm vs. 16mm), but completely overlook Paddle Geometry.

The shape of your paddle dictates your Twist Weight (sweet spot stability), Swing Weight (speed/power), and reach far more than most people realize.

If you’re trying to figure out which shape actually fits your playstyle, here is a quick technical breakdown of the 3 major paddle shapes on the market:

1. Elongated (16.5" Length x 7.5" Width)

The Concept: Max allowable length for extra leverage and reach.

• The Good:
  • Maximum reach on desperate overheads and ERNEs.
  • Longer lever arm = naturally heavier plow-through and higher pop on third-shot drives and rolling speedups.
• The Bad:
  • Higher swing weight (often 115–125+ depending on static weight).
  • Slower reload speed during kitchen firefights.
  • Smaller, more concentrated sweet spot (lower twist weight, more twisting on off-center mishits).
• Who it’s for: Singles players, ex-tennis players who take full swings, and aggressive baseline power players.

2. Standard / Widebody (16" Length x 8" Width)

The Concept: Max allowable width for sweet spot forgiveness and lightning-fast kitchen reaction.

• The Good:
  • Massive sweet spot and highest twist weight (very stable on resets/blocks).
  • Lower swing weight = fastest hands at the net.
  • Unmatched forgiveness on dinking battles.
• The Bad:
  • Shorter reach (you lose half an inch of court coverage).
  • Less natural whip/power on deep baseline passing shots.
• Who it’s for: Control/reset players, doubles specialists who live in hand battles, and anyone coming from Table Tennis or Badminton.

3. Hybrid (16.3"–16.4" Length x 7.7"–7.8" Width)

The Concept: The modern "Goldilocks" shape that dominated 2024–2026.

• The Good:
  • Aerodynamic tapered/flared shoulders to cut through air.
  • Gives you ~85% of an elongated paddle’s reach with ~90% of a widebody paddle’s sweet spot.
  • Balanced swing weight (typically 110–116).
• The Bad:
  • "Jack of all trades, master of none"—won't give you extreme power like a pure 16.5" blade, nor the absolute mega-sweet-spot of an 8" widebody.
• Who it’s for: Modern all-court tournament players who want quick hands without sacrificing baseline aggression.

Quick Rule of Thumb:

• Struggling with pop-ups and mishits? ➡️ Go Widebody
• Struggling to finish points or generate put-away power? ➡️ Go Elongated
• Not sure where to start? ➡️ Start with Hybrid

TL;DR: Don't just buy a 16.5" elongated paddle because Ben Johns or your local 5.0 swings one. If your kitchen hand speed is lagging or your resets are popping up, moving to a Hybrid or Widebody shape will instantly improve your consistency.

Curious to hear from the sub: What shape are you guys currently maining, and did switching shapes noticeably change your DUPR rating or consistency?

I have a PBL that i am playing with friends I got close to winning last week and I need a new paddle that can help me win. I have been playing for a couple months starting around summer and really a lot more often this couple weeks I have some paddles in mind like the Friday Aura wide body, spartus spitfire, and i found someone with a new aireo cyclone that i can pick up at the same price as all of these. I wanted to know what should i get? I have trouble returning some returns and sometimes i hit the net on some shots and on slams i wished i had alil but more power to finish the shots since I am a xc athlete and dont have as much power in me lol so what do i pick up need a answer quick thanks.

Early research for a possible pickleball apparel idea that leans more into high performance fabrics combined w heritage old money vibes. Not selling anything, no links, just trying to learn from people who actually play.

If you play regularly:

1. What's your biggest frustration with pickleball clothing right now?
2. Does most current pickleball apparel feel too generic, too expensive, too much like repurposed tennis/running gear, or just not functional enough for the sport?
3. What do you wish tops, shorts, skorts, or dresses did better — pockets for balls, sweat handling, fit, freedom of movement?
4. Would you wear something more design-forward / actually good-looking if it still nailed performance (breathable, secure fit, real pockets)? Or do you not care how it looks as long as it works?
5. What's a fair price for a really good pickleball top or bottom?

Honest answers only — including if you think this is a dumb idea. Appreciate it!

The Ultre Power 2's were supposedly going to restock today but is currently still sold out. There was an issue with the shipment, and it will be further delayed. Not sure when it will be atm. No it did not sell out in 1 day.

Please send me some recos. Thank you

Torn between these as my next paddle. For context, I already have the j6cr non cbe and love it. Just wanted the cbe version but heard the ultre is really good and been seeing people use the rpm lately.

Thoughts and suggestions?

for our anniversary she has asked for a pickleball paddle. She is currently using a local venues homebrand paddle she won in a giveaway thing

I am not a pickleball person so im not really sure whats good. And she is a true beginner so she doesn't really know either

I Play lacrosse and I like having good gear so I want her to have something good or decent too

After conversing with chat gpt im leaning towards the slk halo control max, is this an okay choice? Is there an option anyone likes better for a similar price? Any thoughts appreciated

Btw we are in australia so i may not have all the options people in usa have

**update- after browsing reddit people seem to like the luzz glider and friday aura (the aura is the top of my budget btw)

I have two 48-hole samples in hand. The green one feels more matte and the orange one feels smoother.

My first reaction was that the matte surface should create more friction and therefore more control. But hand feel is not the same as paddle contact. Paddle texture, ball material, impact speed, temperature and wear can all change the result.

If you were comparing these two, what would you test first: spin, bounce consistency, wear, sound, or blind player feedback?

One other observation from samples we compared: several 48-hole balls rebounded less than our 26-hole and 40-hole references. After multiple material/process revisions, our current prototype is bouncing much better, but durability and batch consistency still need more testing.

Disclosure: I work with a pickleball equipment manufacturer.

Hi everyone! I’m planning to buy an 11SIX24 Vapor Power 2 and I want to make sure I don’t accidentally purchase a counterfeit.
For those who own or have experience with the Vapor Power 2, what are the things I should check to verify that it’s authentic?

Really love my luzz cannon so far. To me it has a really good balance of power and control, but man does the grit wear off quick. Before this I used a Luzz Inferno and I love that paddle as well, but it can be a bit too poppy and hard to control on drops and resets. Which T1 spin durable grit paddle (blue grit/hexgrit/diamond grit) will have the closest feel to the cannon?

To start off, I play around the 4.0 level and am trying to improve. I play quite often, usually multiple times a week for a few hours each time. I currently use the B&B Loco. I have added ~ 3g to each side and use a Hesacore carbon. My paddle is on the heavier side (never actually weighed it) and I find that I enjoy that feel. It has a lot of power but I would maybe like some more so my drives go further more comfortably. I am also trying to play more aggressively/work on patterns as that’s one of my weaker points I believe.

With a new paddle I plan to:

Potentially add weight (via weighted tape)
Get a Hesacore (or some other grip accessory)

I like the idea of a foam paddle not core crushing, and as pb is my main hobby I don’t mind spending on it.

Currently I’ve got a few paddle ideas in mind:

1. RPM Q2 - I tried it and it truly felt like effortless power, which was nice
2. Proton coyote - new and interested, not full foam, honestly just caught my eye but probably won’t get it
3. Spartacus Spitfire - cheaper, seeing good things, grit durability isn’t the best? (Currently the one I’m thinking about the most)

Overall I don’t know much about the other paddles and am happy to hear all thoughts - even if related to paddle equipment!

I am currently a 4.203 DUPR and looking to buy a pickleball machine. I have practiced with the titan one machine at my local club. I have noticed that when I have the machine shoot at a fixed point, it shoots the ball 3ft left or right and 3 ft short or long or anywhere in between. The balls they have look pretty worn out/scuffed. I get that a pickleball machine won’t be perfect at hitting the exact same spot every time but it shouldn’t be a 3ft difference. I am wondering if this would be due to the balls being worn out? I just ordered 12 lifetime balls so I can bring them to the next time I use the titan one machine to test out if new balls make a difference. I just don’t want to buy a machine that isn’t necessarily close to being accurate.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I have the 11six24 Power 2 Ultré and the J2CR CBE short handle. but I want to buy the Jelly Bean 2 Pegasus. Why? I love the two paddles that I have, and I can only play with one at a time.

It is kind of like the saying among gun owners ... how many guns does a man need? One more than he has!

Please, someone help relieve me of my obsession!

I received the Pakle Fuse elongated last Saturday, and played 1 hour with it today, 2 singles 1 double. I think mine is 8th batch. When I bought this in the early July, the paddle was under sale, it was like 15% or something.

First, I appreciate to PF developers. I asked them if I can receive a lighter weight one because of my injury history. They said yes, and send me 7.75 oz one.

Second, the paddle surface is really gritty. I recently get a new warranty Boomstik elongated, and IMO PF has slightly more gritty than Boomstik, but this is just a personal "feeling" and can be wrong.

Third, I don't know about spin retention, yet. I just played for an hour only today, so it is too early for me to tell or judge about surface grit retention of this paddle. At least I can tell that the surface grit feels the same after an hour of play, even though I played two single games where I hit the ball hard.

Fourth, the paddle showed me some typical characteristics of power paddles.

I feel the paddle is easy to use for attack and offense, and I don't feel any necessity for break-in period for this paddle unlike Boomstik. With a good sweet spot area, the ball directed to the location I wanted in general when I drive, counter, or volley.

However, things are different when defending with this paddle. I felt paddle handle turns when I reset against hard smashes, and the paddle has lighter twist weight compared to Boomstik. And this is poppy paddle, so reset become more challenging. IMO I need to slightly readjust my serve, reset, and dink for this paddle. I was using Boomstik, so I think my readjustment wouldn't be too bad. Lead tape to 4/8 and 5/7 O'clock direction hopefully brings more control. (But maybe 8.0 oz one would offer good twist weight, please remind that mine is light)

I heard the PF hybrid offers better reset and control, but I didn't know about that when I buy PF... :P

Lastly, this paddle has unique hitting sound. But I'm not sure if I like the black rubber grip of the handle. I think I will replace the grip to something else.

With the price slightly above $100, I think PF is a good paddle. Let's see their spin retention. I hope they returned their first batch formula or found a solution for longer grit retention.

So i have a Luzz Canon as my first paddle., and i got the Boomstik raw carbon version from Vietnam because it was pretty cheap there., but ever since using it, it hasnt really fit my playstyle as i end up out a lot., do you guys think BnB Loco elongated is a good option over the J6CR elongated?

Not exactly sure what it is but sounds like it might be new colors for the aura pro. Release is at 1:30 PM ET today.

Hey everyone,

I hope this is okay to post. I'm looking to sell my Titan One pickleball machine. It's located in Massachusetts, but I'm more than happy to ship it anywhere in the U.S.

It has only around 9 hours of use and is in excellent condition. The only reason I'm selling it is because I haven't been using it as much as I expected due to a knee injury.

Brand new, these are about $2,300 after taxes, but I'm willing to let mine go for significantly less to make it a great deal for someone.

If you're interested, feel free to send me a message. I'd be happy to provide photos, videos, answer any questions, or work out shipping. Thanks, and sorry if this isn't the right place!

I've been used Boomstik since early Feb this year. Then I recently got a warranty exchanged one, because the old one developed surface crack parallel to side edge.

But then, my performance dropped after I playing with the new exchanged one. The same elongated Boomstik, but feels way too different.

The first one that I used before exchange, it felt poppy but at least it had good reaction and control with wide sweet spot when countering against fast shots, even from the day 1 with the paddle. After the paddle broke-in, I was able to play better in general, and I was able to reach higher position in the league.

But the one I received after exchange...I tried last night for the first time. Something felt not right. It felt like my counter become shotgun. It hit the net or go out. I don't feel the wide sweet spot against the fast speed up or drives, from this Boomstik. I was still able to bring moderate level of drive and drop. But my defense got wrecked. 60% of volley and block hit the net, 30% of them go out, and 10% gets in. Direction and pace control for defense shots are gone.

I swear to god, the first one before exchange excelled from day 1, I never felt this issue with the previous Boomstik. So I really can't understand this huge difference in feeling for the same Boomstik brand.

Is this normal but happens because the second paddle (the new exchanged one) didn't break in yet? Or is this because slight difference of manufacturing batch?