paddles.
-agreed
-yeah, no joke$200-$300 paddles to hit a wiffle ball … lol
-yeah, no joke
-i know someone who traded a NEW tennis racquet for a NEW selkirk PB paddle
-i got to try it, and i did not like it that much, im glad i did not spend the money for it
$200+ for a paddle is either a long term commitment or a gambling problem
Take this for what it's worth but in my less than 1 week of playing pickleball, I've gotten to try a few different paddles out. I told myself I'd buy a cheap paddle from a large retailer. That paddle broke on day 4. So then I said I'd spend less than $100 on a decent paddle which I tried out tonight. Definitely better but...
The one paddle of the few I've tried that had the "wow" factor was the Diadem Warrior. I like the additional weight and thickness of it but I'm too cheap to pay $200 for a paddle. So now I have something that I can ask for come Xmas.
… and actually seem to play fine. Played even better when I put 1/16 foam rubber on the surface. I posted that R&D here.
How the heck are you doing … hope you are past knee issues. I have seen that Warrior “wow” comment often … sounds like it must be a very good paddle. Our cheap starter paddles haven’t broke in our 5 outings
I hear you … I won’t be buying $400+ worth of paddles for our first winter of Pickleball. I am currently leaning toward buying a couple of head radical elite for $60 each for this winter … at least the grip will feel like a tennis racquet. If we are still hooked on Pickleball next year … can upgrade again later. I would just play with our “rubber enhanced” paddles … but wife is a rules girl.
Our paddles started at 7.8 oz … after tournagrip 7.9 oz. Ironically … after the thin neoprene foam rubber paddles weighed 8.3 oz. I much preferred the 8.3 oz … also the feel of my cheat sheets/Pickleskins/Picklerubbers. Probably most coming from tennis would prefer 8+ oz.
I get how spray on texture would wear off … and who knows how any internal cardboard would break down … but you would think fiberglass or graphite surface would survive. My guess is eventually something like replaceable rubbers like table tennis paddles happens rather than this grit space race. Then the rubbers become our restringing … and ByeByePolyRubbers for me.
She played 4.0 doubles, same racquet for 10 years, fresh restringing of Wilson Sensation before summer USTA … good to go. Could care less about spin. 
The one paddle of the few I've tried that had the "wow" factor was the Diadem Warrior. I like the additional weight and thickness of it but I'm too cheap to pay $200 for a paddle. So now I have something that I can ask for come Xmas.
I was easy on my tennis racquets and lasted forever … this paddle thing is going to be an “adjustment“.
-mainly for protection
I can only imagine just a pure striker type of player. He already crushes it on the tennis court so from what I've seen/heard the center of the paddle...well..i dunno. i give up. just put me in the beer leagueHow does one break a paddle with a 26g wiffle ball?
If the smiley gap in the Selkirk paddle face is legal … can we Dremel a smiley in our paddles?
-i also agree, in "kitchen wars", spin not a factor, too close combat to matter/care much about grit/textureYou might want to comment in the thread I just posted about tennis strokes not meaning much in higher Pickleball doubles. This is all thoughts before I have played much … just by observing play. Right now my eyes tell me the paddle would/could matter a lot for singles, mainly for passing shots. But my eyes tell me not sure how much carbon matters in the doubles kitchen shootout … seems like light and big a.$.$ flyswatter might be best.
-i also agree, in "kitchen wars", spin not a factor, too close combat to matter/care much about grit/texture
-i also would go with the biggest flyswatter paddle i could protect my face with
-for drives and punch/volleys, thats when stability/heaviness comes more into play
I trusted my 4.5 tennis friends on other side of doubles court … not so much newbie Pickleball dude swinging out of his shoes. I think I will pass on the retinal tear thing.
At age 55ish … I played a 28 year old ex-college player that abused my 10.5 oz racquet. He picked it up one day and said … “oh ByeBye … this will not work against me .. you need a heavier racquet”. No sh.!.t … so I started experimenting with new racquets. His 12.5 oz was too heavy for me. Eventually settled around 11.5 … the Volkl I have now. I would not go back to lighter. 13 oz … whoa … that’s a club.
I actually love how they feel now.
@mikeler
-did you demo some?
-the indoor club in my area had some nice ones and i got to try it
-but i also try all sorts from the people i play with
-i really do wanna try a wood paddle, it should feel inetersting
-people dont like it when i say "your first paddle should be something that looks good 2 you"
-your first paddle should be something under $50, no joke
-you dont know what type of PBplayer you are yet!,
-just buy something that looks great and you can have fun with
-what good is buying a $150-200 one if you have to switch a few months after to something you'll think youll play better with
-i went from a $20 to a $40 paddle, liked everything about them ,(leaded of course) until i got an offer to sell them
-i jumped at a great offer from wilson (about $120/each retail, i paid about $60), but now im looking for DA-ONE!!
-my main PB padle is going to be a christmas gift to myself
-thats my only hesitation on this paddle
Also … there was no need for my (and others) paddle rubbers suggestion. I would bet a lot of $ he already has that prototype/s … and/or provide any reasons for not going that route. He is talking the exact right language with “dwell time“, vibration, feel … just a matter of time before paddles advance past the ping pong sandpaper surface era.
Somebody, stop him!!!
