Paddle Buying Guide
How to choose a paddle
Every spec on a paddle listing is a trade-off. Here is what each one actually does to the ball — and how to work out which side of each trade you want.
There is no best paddle, only the one that suits how you play. Four things decide almost everything: core thickness, face material, shape and weight. Get those right and the rest is detail.
1. Core thickness — the biggest decision
Nearly every modern paddle uses a polypropylene honeycomb core. How thick it is changes the paddle more than anything else. Thicker absorbs the ball and gives control; thinner springs it back and gives power. Tap through the three:
16 mm — control
If you are unsure, 16 mm is the safer start. Control is easier to learn on than power, and a bigger sweet spot forgives the mishits every developing player makes.
2. Face material — where spin comes from
The face grips the ball. Its material and surface texture decide how much spin you can generate and how the paddle feels at contact.
| Material | What it does | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Fibreglass | Flexes and springs back, returning more energy. Livelier and louder, with less bite on the ball. | Power players, and budget-friendly first paddles. |
| Raw carbon fibre | Stiff and textured. The raw weave grips the ball, which is why it is the default for spin and control. | Most intermediate and advanced players. |
| Kevlar / aramid | Dampens vibration and softens feel while keeping a gritty surface. Usually blended with carbon. | A soft touch game without losing spin. |
| Hybrid | Carbon over a fibreglass base — grip on top, energy return underneath. | Spin players who miss the pop of fibreglass. |
Grit wears outSurface texture creates spin, and it fades with play. A paddle that has lost its bite has not broken — it has worn. Cleaning the face with a paddle eraser keeps the texture working longer.
3. Shape — reach against forgiveness
Rules cap length plus width, so every millimetre of reach is taken from width. That is the whole trade. Tap a shape:
4. Construction, weight and grip
Thermoformed and unibody
Older paddles were cold-pressed — a core glued between two faces with an edge guard holding it together. Thermoformed paddles are heat-moulded as one piece, often with handle and frame formed as a single unit. Stiffer, hotter off the face, and noticeably more powerful, which is why a thermoformed 16 mm can still hit hard.
Foam-injected perimeter
Many current paddles inject foam around the inside of the frame. It enlarges the usable sweet spot and steadies the paddle on off-centre contact — the main reason recent paddles feel more forgiving than those from a few years ago.
The two numbers nobody prints
Most paddles weigh 7.3 to 8.5 oz. That figure is static weight and tells you less than you think. Swing weight is how heavy it feels mid-swing — more power and stability, slower hands at the net. Twist weight is how well it resists twisting on off-centre hits; high twist weight is what people mean when they call a paddle forgiving.
You can add weight, never remove itBetween two paddles, take the lighter one. Lead tape lets you add weight and tune balance later. The same rule applies to grip size — an overgrip builds a handle up, but nothing makes it thinner. A 5.5″ handle matters most if you hit a two-handed backhand.
5. What this looks like on the shelf
Six paddles we stock, and the idea each one demonstrates.
6. Answer three questions
Not a substitute for hitting with one, but it will narrow the field.
Every paddle we stock has been played with by our own team before it earns a place in the shop. Still unsure? Tell us how you play and we will point you at two or three.
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