In a previous article, we discussed how it might not be appropriate to rate pickleball paddles into the mutually exclusive categories of “power” and “control”.  We then developed an alternative technique to categorize paddles, where a paddle’s “power” rating is...

Dichotomy (noun), dī-́ʹkä-tə-mē – A division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or parts.  In common pickleball parlance, paddles are classified according to the amount of power or control they exhibit when striking a ball.  These classifications may...

In a previous article, we looked at the trampoline vibration mode of a pickleball paddle and attempted to model it like a tennis racquet, with a rigid outer frame and a compliant center.  Since the calculated equivalent stiffness of the...

Conventional knowledge suggests that pickleball paddles behave like tennis racquets, which have strings that are supported by a rigid outer “frame”.  When striking the ball, the strings stretch and deform like a trampoline, thereby storing the kinetic energy of the...

Conventional wisdom suggests that paddles with higher weight, lower stiffness, and higher PBCoR (Paddle/Ball Coefficient of Restitution) ratings will have greater power than paddles with lower weight, higher stiffness, and lower PBCoR ratings.  As we know, this is not always...

In a previous article, we discussed how the dynamics of your pickleball paddle contribute to the speed, power, and accuracy of your shots.  In particular, we discussed the importance of the paddle trampoline mode and its frequency relative to the...

In several previous articles, we have shown that paddle power and topspin capability go hand-in-hand (see for example, Can Topspin Enable a Faster Serve?)  In an effort to limit paddle spin capability (and indirectly paddle power), the USAP established limits...