Are There Pro Stock Paddles??

[mnttlrg]

Disclaimer: I know very little about Pickleball, but I know a lot about tennis.

A lot of pro tennis players use pro stock rackets with totally different specs (usually flexier / heavier / thinner beams / smaller head sizes).

What do the top pros use for Pickleball paddles, and how far apart are they from what the regular retail folks use? My local guy mentioned that some of the top pros will go a lot heavier with their paddles.

What models / specs do the top players tend to choose? Are they drastically different choices between singles and doubles specialists?

Anything and everything you can tell me would be much appreciated. I want to dive right into the deep end.

Thanks!

 

[treo]

The best player tells exactly how he sets up his paddle, unlike top tennis players. He helped design his paddle as well as his new paddle by his new sponsor Joola. His paddles have a texture that wears off so he uses a new one for every tournament so he can get extra spin. Most pros who come from tennis like the textured paddles for more spin like the Joola, CRBN and Electrum. Other pros have mentioned the paddles lose power over time so they use a new one every tournament or month.

 

[StringGuruMRT]

Thank goodness no... Last thing we need on these boards are arguments how Ben John's ACTUAL paddle is not available to the public, and how unfair that is...

 

[1HBHfanatic]

-as stated so wisely by @StringGuruMRT " Thank goodness no... "!!!

-its a simple paddle mini-tennis pass time!, like put-put to golf, no need for PROFESSIONAL equipment!!

-i was not able to find the video of a guy playing pickleball with a frying pan!!, he was playing better than the other guy using his own paddle

 

[Ronaldo]

Shirley, this paddle has stood the test of time,

 

[nvr2old]

Shirley, this paddle has stood the test of time,

Are you Leslie Nielsen? (eg "why do they keep calling me Shirley?")

 

[Ronaldo]

Are you Leslie Nielsen? (eg "why do they keep calling me Shirley?")

Just call me Roger!

 

[nvr2old]

Yup haha!

 

[treo]

I'd like to see someone sell a $30 raw materials kit so we can make our own paddles.

 

[mike schiffer]

You can't be serious

 

[djNEiGht]

wow!

 

[treo]

I believe the foam circles in the Gamma are for noise reduction as well as the foam edge on the Joola as it is quieter than most paddles. The Engage uses balsa wood in the handle just like the homemade paddle.

 

[TennisLogic]

Omg the nightmare starts here too

 

[Bud]

You can't be serious

Correct. I'm Bud.

 

[AnthonyTeaDough]

Adding to this thread - although there aren’t any pro stock paddles in the same sense as pro stock tennis racquets, it’s highly speculated that the top pros have paddles with illegal amounts of grit on them. First found out when Joola was going after CRBN and their original line of paddles, but then the Joola paddles used by top pros (I’m pretty sure I remember Ben John’s being mentioned in the mix) failing the same grit test.
Joola’s way of sniffing out smaller competition, but having it backfire in their face lol.

 

[Ronaldo]

Someone should add stick-um to a paddle. As a gag

 

[Bud]

Shirley, this paddle has stood the test of time,

Surely, you jest

 

[Arjuntino]

Disclaimer: I know very little about Pickleball, but I know a lot about tennis.

A lot of pro tennis players use pro stock rackets with totally different specs (usually flexier / heavier / thinner beams / smaller head sizes).

What do the top pros use for Pickleball paddles, and how far apart are they from what the regular retail folks use? My local guy mentioned that some of the top pros will go a lot heavier with their paddles.

What models / specs do the top players tend to choose? Are they drastically different choices between singles and doubles specialists?

Anything and everything you can tell me would be much appreciated. I want to dive right into the deep end.

Thanks!

Couple of reasons:
1) pickleball paddles wear out after ~1-2 years for rec play. But tennis rackets can last 10-20. Years. So turnover is higher, which reduces the need for marketing new ideas.

2) It's also early in the lifespan of the game. From a marketing pov. In 5-10 years, there probably will be. Once they start announcing "new technologies." Once they get to Crbn version 5. And stop producing crbn version 1, then there will probably be prostocks.