With the myriad of different paddles and brands on the market, it is no wonder that players remain confused by the numerous choices that are available. Because we have limited time and budget to try out the different paddles, we must rely on paddle reviewers to help make our purchasing decisions. We are all familiar with numerous articles with headlines such as “This Year’s Best Paddles” or “The Ultimate Pickleball Paddle Buyer’s Guide”. Although it is understood that the ultimate purpose of such articles is to sell paddles, how reliable is this information?
Typical pickleball paddle reviews follow an unwritten “script”. First, they regurgitate the manufacturer’s claims and specifications related to materials, geometry, construction, weight, etc. Then one or more “experts” tells you how these paddle design characteristics translate into improving your game. Many of their claims are over-hyped and impossible to substantiate, such as “incredible touch”, or “improved consistency”, or “outstanding control”. Other claims are not backed by any objective evidence, test data, or analysis, such as “larger sweet spot”, “greater power”, or “more spin capability”.
In reality, a player’s abilities must be ideally matched to his/her paddle. For example, although a top pro or expert with advanced skills may endorse a certain paddle, his/her success in using that paddle may not necessarily translate into success for a recreational player with average abilities. If typical paddle reviews are not relevant, where does an average pickleball player start? Where can players get unbiased, objective, data-based information on paddles that will allow them to make informed purchasing decisions?
Look no further. Pickleball Science has taken a different approach to paddle reviews, where we will test, analyze, and rank paddles based on essential characteristics, such as swing weight, power (stiffness), and spin (friction). As we will see in our reviews, while the different paddle characteristics are inter-related, paddles will often have certain characteristics that will enhance power, control, or spin. This allows players to mix and match those paddle characteristics that complement his/her abilities and style of play.
In our first article of this series, we will look at the Swing Weights and Sweet Spots of several paddles. In a subsequent article (Paddle Effective Weight), we discuss an alternative method to describe a paddle’s swing weight and compare different paddles. In another article (“Paddle Technical Comparisons“) we provide the weight and stiffness characteristics of several different paddles. Let’s first review the swing weight and sweet spot and how they are measured.
Paddle Swing Weight and Sweet Spot
We described swing weight in our article, “Paddle Weight vs Swing Weight”. In short, pickleball paddle manufacturers usually provide a paddle’s static weight, which is just the weight of the paddle when you place it on a scale. Since pickleball is a dynamic sport, a more relevant characteristic involves how heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. A paddle’s swing weight is determined by its mass moment of inertia, which is an indication of a paddle’s resistance to rotation.
A closely related characteristic to a paddle’s swing weight is its so-called “sweet spot” (or more precisely its “center of percussion”). In a series of articles beginning with “What is the Sweet Spot?”, we demonstrated that the sweet spot is the point on the paddle where no matter how hard you strike the ball, the reaction force going back into your wrist and arm will be zero. By hitting the ball at the sweet spot, your shots will come off the paddle with maximum velocity, power, and accuracy. The sweet spot location can be found by knowing the paddle’s center of mass location, its mass moment of inertia, and the paddle pivot point, which we assume to be underneath the center of your palm (Figure 1). If you grip your paddle at the end of the handle, the pivot point will be roughly 2” above the end of the handle.
High or Low Swing Weight?
Do you prefer a paddle with a high swing weight or a low swing weight? There are certain advantages and disadvantages of each. High swing weight paddles are desirable for several reasons:
- They will appear to be more powerful than low swing weight paddles. The higher swing weight translates into greater momentum that can be transferred from the paddle to the ball, resulting in greater ball speed.
- They will appear to be more stable than low swing weight paddles. The greater momentum will better resist rotation when the ball strikes the paddle, making your shots more accurate.
- They will appear to have larger sweet spots than low swing weight paddles. Because the greater momentum is less prone to unwanted rotations, the paddle is more forgiving and accurate even if the ball is hit off center.
While all of this sounds good, you wouldn’t want to just pick a paddle with the highest swing weight for several reasons:
- It may require more arm strength to swing, which may slow down your swing speed, and thereby reduce the velocity of your ground strokes.
- It may be more difficult to maneuver, which may slow down your reaction time for volleys at the kitchen line.
- It may take a toll on your muscles and joints, resulting in greater fatigue and high potential for arm injuries.
Players with limited arm strength, slow reaction times, or arm ailments, such as tennis elbow, wrist arthritis, or rotator cuff tears may opt for a lower swing weight paddle. Until they fully develop the mechanics of their swings, beginners should start out with a low swing weight paddle.
Paddle Swing Weights
Knowing the above information, how does one go about selecting a paddle based on its swing weight? Does your current paddle have a high or low swing weight? Why would you want to change and would you go lighter, heavier, or stay the same? Since there is no information on paddle swing weight anywhere, where do you start?
Pickleball Science has calculated and compiled the swing weights of several paddles shown in Table 1. Although it was possible to measure the swing weight using a test apparatus such as a bi-filar pendulum, we found it difficult to keep the paddle face oriented in a vertical plane to measure the swing weight about the pitch axis. We therefore calculated the swing weight using the methodology described in “Where is the Sweet Spot?”, which is a little time-consuming, but it will yield a highly accurate estimate of the paddle swing weight and sweet spot location. It was assumed that you will grip each paddle near the end of the handle, where the pivot point (center of your palm) would be 2” above the end of the handle. As we described in our article, “How Large is the Sweet Spot”, the sweet spot is defined by an ellipse with its center at the center of percussion (cP) that encompasses the center of mass (cG) and area center (cA). In Table 1 we estimated the sweet spot size by doubling the distance from the cP to the cG for each paddle.
Table 1. Paddle Swing Weights and Sweet Spots
| Parameter | Static Weight (oz) | Swing Weight (oz-in2) | Center Locations from End of Handle (in) | Sweet Spot Diameter (in) | ||
| Mass (cG) | Percussion (cP) | Area (cA) | ||||
| ProKennex Pro Flight | 7.1 | 408 | 8.8 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 3.5 |
| Selkirk Invikta Project 003 | 7.7 | 483 | 9.0 | 10.9 | 11.4 | 3.9 |
| TMPR Terra TC-16 | 7.8 | 485 | 9.1 | 10.8 | 11.0 | 3.3 |
| Vulcan V530 Power | 8.2 | 521 | 9.3 | 10.8 | 10.3 | 3.0 |
| Selkirk Omni Vanguard | 8.1 | 524 | 9.3 | 10.9 | 10.6 | 3.4 |
| Selkirk Invikta Power Air | 8.0 | 524 | 9.3 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 3.5 |
| CRBN 2X | 8.4 | 527 | 9.3 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 2.7 |
| Diadem Vice | 8.2 | 540 | 9.3 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 3.7 |
| TMPR Tantrum LX | 7.7 | 551 | 9.9 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 2.5 |
| Engage Pursuit MX 6.0 | 8.0 | 567 | 9.8 | 11.1 | 11.5 | 2.8 |
| TMPR Terra LX | 8.5 | 579 | 9.6 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 2.6 |
| CRBN 1X | 8.3 | 579 | 9.6 | 11.2 | 11.5 | 3.1 |
We will continue to expand the list of paddles as we continue to receive paddles for testing of their swing weights, sweet spots, power, stiffness, friction, and spin capability from manufacturers. Please Contact Us if you would like a specific paddle analyzed or tested.
DISCLOSURE: Some of the embedded links in our website are affiliate links, meaning that at no cost to you, Pickleball Science will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Purchase of merchandise through these affiliate links will help support the website so that we can continue to provide meaningful content to our readers. For the TMPR paddles, please use coupon code PSCIENCE10 to recieve a $10 USD discount on your paddle.
Observations
Table 1 shows the swing weight and sweet spot data for several paddles sorted according to their swing weights. Paddles with swing weights less than 500 oz-in2 are considered to be low swing weight paddles, and those with swing weights greater than 550 oz-in2 are considered to be high swing weight paddles. Paddles with swing weights between 500 and 550 oz-in2 are considered to be medium swing weight paddles. As we discussed in our article, “Paddle Weight vs Swing Weight”, paddles with a high static weight will not necessarily have a high swing weight (and vice versa). For example, the TMPR Terra TC-16 paddle has a static weight of 7.8 oz with a low swing weight of 485 oz-in2. The TMPR Tantrum LX has a lower static weight of 7.7 oz with high swing weight of 551 oz-in2.
Paddles with sweet spot diameters greater than 3.5 in are considered to have large sweet spots, and those with sweet spot diameters less than 3.0 in are considered to have small sweet spots. Paddles with sweet spot diameters between 3.0 and 3.5 in are considered to have medium size sweet spots. As shown in Table 1, paddles with larger swing weights tend to have smaller sweet spot diameters; however, this should not be a problem because the larger swing weights make these paddles less prone to unwanted rotation. The size of the sweet spot is more important for paddles with lower swing weights.
As we can also see from Table 1, there appears to be a correlation between the location of the cG relative to the end of the handle and the magnitude of the swing weight. Paddles with cG offsets less than 9.2 inches tend to have low swing weights and paddles with cG offsets greater than 9.5 inches tend to have high swing weights. Paddles with cG offsets between 9.2 to 9.5 inches appear to have medium swing weights. It is not yet clear whether it is possible to generalize the swing weight magnitude based on cG location since the sample size of Table 1 is too small. We will continue to see if there is a correlation as we expand our table.
Using this Information
When evaluating paddles for swing weight, for the time being you should ignore power and spin, as we will evaluate those characteristics in a future article.
- First and foremost, the paddle must not feel too light or too heavy when you hold it with your normal grip. It must also feel well balanced. Your motions should be fluid and require minimal effort for serves, groundstrokes, volleys, and overheads and determine how easy it is to switch from forehand to backhand strokes. Do you find yourself having to change your grip for any of your strokes? This might indicate that the paddle swing weight is too high for you.
- When striking the ball, you should note whether the paddle has a tendency to rotate about the pitch and roll axes (see Figure 2). These rotations may indicate that have not yet figured out where the sweet spot is, or that the sweet spot is too small for your style of play (i.e., the paddle is not “forgiving” enough). Another issue may be that the handle is not sized properly for your hand or that it is too slippery. We will discuss different pickleball paddle grips in another article.
- You should also look at the accuracy of your shots. If you are a right-handed player and are pulling the ball to the left, it might indicate that the paddle is too light and your swing speed is too fast. Conversely, if you are pulling the ball to the right, it might indicate that the paddle is too heavy and your swing speed is too slow.
- Although we have not calculated the swing weight about the yaw axis (see Figure 2), you should also try rotating the paddle upwards (with the face towards the net) to give you an idea how maneuverable the paddle is for putting topspin on the ball.
In general, if the paddle feels too light for you, you can easily increase the swing weight by adding weighted tape to your paddle. If the paddle feels too heavy for you, the only thing you can do to reduce the swing weight is to grip the paddle higher up the handle. If that doesn’t feel comfortable, you cannot reduce the swing weight by adding weighted tape to the paddle, even if you add the weight near the handle, as it will only change the balance. We will discuss weighted tapes in another article.
Future Articles
In a subsequent article (Paddle Effective Weight), we discuss an alternative method to describe a paddle’s swing weight and compare different paddles. In future articles, we will discuss alternative methods for quantifying the power and spin capability of a pickleball paddle and put these measures together to compare the performance characteristics of several different paddles.
