PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Background: I'm a tennis player, very new to pickleball. After my first time playing, I was curious about the paddles and how they're constructed. After watching some Youtube videos on how paddles are manufactured and doing some research on how long paddles last, I think the opportunity is there for disruption in the industry. I have a materials science background (PhD).
Idea: Scalable 3d printed unibody pickleball paddles with Carbon DLS technology. Print the honeycomb core and overall frame of the paddle in one piece, and make it such that the composite or raw carbon fiber hitting surface can be clipped on/off and replaced when worn out. This new manufacturing paradigm addresses multiple pain points. Typically, advanced players will dispose of their paddles after several months due to loss of friction on the paddle surface and loss of stiffness in the honeycomb core. I was told that pros dispose of their paddles after a single match. This is incredibly wasteful and makes pickleball a more expensive sport than it should be. I was shocked when I saw paddles selling for $200+, as much as a tennis racquet. 3d printing enables construction of a much more durable core; you can even select specific materials to achieve the desired hitting response. Moreover, you have the flexibility to custom design and rapidly prototype the structure of the core, larger hex cells for more power, smaller ones for more control. Besides saving money, disposable hitting surfaces would enable another degree of player customization that currently isn’t available on the market, similar to what tennis players do with strings. Say you want more spin. Instead of buying a new paddle, just swap out the hitting surface for another one that is more spin friendly. Or let's say you want to try a fiberglass or aramid fiber hitting surface. Instead of buying a brand new paddle, you can take your existing one and just swap out the surface. Every racquet sport I know (including table tennis) has replaceable hitting surfaces, except for pickleball and padel. I'm surprised nobody has done this yet.
TLDR: Reduce human labor, improve paddle longevity, create a new market for replaceable and interchangeable hitting surfaces. Pickelball friends, what do you think?
Idea: Scalable 3d printed unibody pickleball paddles with Carbon DLS technology. Print the honeycomb core and overall frame of the paddle in one piece, and make it such that the composite or raw carbon fiber hitting surface can be clipped on/off and replaced when worn out. This new manufacturing paradigm addresses multiple pain points. Typically, advanced players will dispose of their paddles after several months due to loss of friction on the paddle surface and loss of stiffness in the honeycomb core. I was told that pros dispose of their paddles after a single match. This is incredibly wasteful and makes pickleball a more expensive sport than it should be. I was shocked when I saw paddles selling for $200+, as much as a tennis racquet. 3d printing enables construction of a much more durable core; you can even select specific materials to achieve the desired hitting response. Moreover, you have the flexibility to custom design and rapidly prototype the structure of the core, larger hex cells for more power, smaller ones for more control. Besides saving money, disposable hitting surfaces would enable another degree of player customization that currently isn’t available on the market, similar to what tennis players do with strings. Say you want more spin. Instead of buying a new paddle, just swap out the hitting surface for another one that is more spin friendly. Or let's say you want to try a fiberglass or aramid fiber hitting surface. Instead of buying a brand new paddle, you can take your existing one and just swap out the surface. Every racquet sport I know (including table tennis) has replaceable hitting surfaces, except for pickleball and padel. I'm surprised nobody has done this yet.
TLDR: Reduce human labor, improve paddle longevity, create a new market for replaceable and interchangeable hitting surfaces. Pickelball friends, what do you think?
