In previous articles, we discuss how the amount of “pop” or “reactivity” of a pickleball paddle is related to its face stiffness. In general, paddles with softer faces will provide more power and ball velocity because of the so-called “trampoline effect“. The downside of a power paddle is that the ball must be hit near the sweet spot to avoid a potential mis-hit. Stiffer paddle faces will therefore provide more control, accuracy, and predictability. A hybrid paddle will have a face stiffness somewhere in between a power and control paddle. Specialty paddles will have very soft faces to absorb or isolate vibrations to the player’s arm (to minimize the potential for tennis elbow, for instance) or to reduce noise transmitted to the environment.
This article compares the measured face stiffness of several different paddles in an effort to classify them as power, control, or hybrid paddles. We will continually update this post with new paddle information as we receive and test more paddles. An explanation of the testing methodology and rationale for ranking the paddles is provided below.
Table 1. Paddle Stiffness and Classification
| Paddle | Average Face Stiffness (lb/in) | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Diadem Vice | 209 | |
| Ronbus EV2 | 243 | Specialty |
| ProKennex Pro Flight | 675 | |
| CRBN 2X | 802 | |
| Ronbus R3 Pulsar | 816 | |
| CRBN 1X | 856 | |
| TMPR Tantrum LX | 860 | Power |
| TMPR Terra TC-16 | 881 | |
| TMPR Expanse LX | 883 | |
| Selkirk Invikta Power Air | 885 | |
| TMPR Terra LX | 915 | |
| TMPR Tantrum XT | 917 | Hybrid |
| Selkirk Omni Amped S2 | 953 | |
| TMPR Oculus LX | 971 | |
| Selkirk Labs Project 003 | 1003 | |
| TMPR Tantrum GXT | 1040 | |
| Bread & Butter Filth | 1054 | Control |
| TMPR Terra TC-13 | 1081 | |
| Vulcan V530 Power | 1083 |
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Testing Methodology
The USAPA paddle standard requires no more than 0.005” of displacement of the paddle face under a load of 6.614 lbs and 0.010″ of displacement of the paddle face under a load of 11.023 lbs. This corresponds to a stiffness of 1323 lb/in and 1102 lb/in, respectively. According to the USAPA, paddles that have a stiffness less than the specified values may exhibit a “trampoline effect”, whereby the rebound of the paddle face after striking the ball will add speed and energy to the ball, thus giving the player an unfair advantage. There is no upper limit on the paddle face stiffness.
Using the lowest paddle stiffness of 1102 lb/in, all of the above paddles are in violation of the USAPA test standard! How could this be? As outlined in our article about delamination testing, the USAPA test applies the load directly through the paddle, thereby measuring the stiffness of the core, and not the bending stiffness of the face. In reality, when the paddle strikes the ball, the deformation of the paddle face undergoes a trampoline vibration mode as shown in the video below.
Paddle Trampoline Mode
Pickleball Science has developed an alternative test that may better measure the bending stiffness of the paddle face. This methodology involves use of the fixture shown in Figure 1 together with a force-displacement gauge. The three spherical steel balls provide support to the paddle face, allowing it to bend unconstrained along the longitudinal and lateral axes. Each ball is separated by a distance of six inches, forming an equilateral triangle.
As shown in Figure 2, the paddle is centered on the three balls, where the gauge applies force at the center of the paddle where the displacement is measured. The paddle face stiffness was obtained by measuring the displacement at the center of the paddle when forces of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 lbs were applied. Dividing the force by the displacement yields the paddle face stiffness in lb/in.
Paddle Classifications
As shown in Table 1 above, the paddles fall into four stiffness categories as described below.
- Specialty Paddles are characterized by a face stiffness that is below 800 lbs/in. The paddles in the 200 lb/in stiffness range have foam (EVA cores) and are too soft to be approved by the USAPA. These paddles are effective in reducing the high frequency “ping” noise from the paddles when striking a ball. The ProKennex paddle is designed with low stiffness and high damping to absorb dynamic impulse forces and vibrations which may cause muscle or tendon damage, such as “tennis elbow”.
- Power Paddles are characterized by a face stiffness in the 800 lb/in range and will maximize the trampoline effect to provide the most power and ball speed. In general, a paddle with a lower face stiffness can generate more power than a paddle with a higher face stiffness. The downside of these paddles is that the ball must be hit near the sweet spot to avoid mis-hits. Power paddles might be ideal for skilled players who have consistent stroke mechanics and rely on power and ball speed in their games.
- Control Paddles are characterized by a face stiffness in the 1000 lb/in range and will provide the highest degree of accuracy and control. While these paddles may have lower power for hard serves and groundstrokes from the baseline, they should behave similar to power paddles for soft shots and dinks. Control paddles might be ideal for players who have a “finesse” game and focus on shot placement instead of speed. Control paddles might also be ideal for players who do not hit the ball consistently at the sweet spot and are still in the process of developing their skills.
- Hybrid Paddles are characterized by a face stiffness in the 900 lb/in range and will be more “forgiving” than power paddles, yet more reactive than control paddles. These paddles might be a good compromise for intermediate players who are improving their skills, but are not yet hitting the ball consistently at the sweet spot. They therefore might be a good “all-around” paddle for indoor and outdoor play.
Future Articles
The paddle face stiffness is an important characteristic on which to select a paddle, but players should also consider the paddle’s swing weight and spin capability. We compared the swing weights of several paddles in “Paddle Selection: Swing Weight“, and will look at paddle spin capability in a future article.
