It lastly occurred: Like half the world, I dove into the pickleball craze. In the event you’d requested me a couple of years in the past if I’d ever play, I’d most likely have rolled my eyes, however now—a 12 months into studying the game—I think about myself a full convert.
Essentially the most essential factor to leveling up your pickleball sport (after buying some cute outfits for the courtroom, after all) is an awesome paddle. In keeping with Worldwide Pickleball Educating Skilled Affiliation (IPTPA) licensed pickleball teacher Jennifer Azevedo, “you’ll be able to personalize a paddle to your particular wants as a participant. Missing in mobility? Get a paddle that’s a bit larger and longer to assist attain the ball. There are alternatives to assist virtually each side of the sport that may be missing,” she says.
Despite the fact that I perceive the worth of a superb paddle, I balked when the teacher of my intro class advisable a selected set that value over $100. As a beginner who wasn’t certain if I used to be going to stay with the game or not, I wasn’t able to shell out that a lot—so I went searching by myself, utilizing suggestions from mates who already performed and on-line critiques to information me.
After weeks of looking out, I lastly landed on the Niupipo Pickleball Paddle Set from Amazon. These paddles had been extremely rated by hundreds of individuals, comparatively reasonably priced, and claimed to have options I used to be in search of. Certain, they weren’t essentially the most aesthetically pleasing, however I imagine in prioritizing operate over kind relating to sports activities gear.
The set comes with two paddles, a carry bag, and each indoor and out of doors pickleball balls (sure, there’s a distinction). Right here’s what occurred after I put it to the check.
The specs
The paddles are USA Pickleball Affiliation–permitted, which Azevedo says is “one thing you’ll want as you start to look into match play,” as officers will truly examine your paddles for the stamp of approval.
The paddle faces are made from fiberglass and comprise a honeycomb polymer core, which the model’s web site says helps scale back noise. Your entire paddle head can also be wrapped in an edge guard to assist stop harm and chipping if the paddle scrapes the bottom, which I’ve to say is fairly efficient—there’s barely a scratch on mine after a 12 months’s value of use.
Unique picture by SELF author Esther Carlstone
The way it feels
The very first thing I seen after I unboxed the set was how light-weight the fiberglass paddles had been. Weighing solely 7.8 ounces every, they’re a lot lighter than those from one other model I purchased for some members of the family, considering I’d get them a cute set. I’ve additionally performed with a good friend’s wood paddles, which really feel like cement in my hand in comparison with my Niupipo ones.
