Going to a Premium Paddle: What to Expect
I started playing pickleball like many others—without much knowledge and without realising how addictive the game would become for me. My only reference was a YouTube video I watched briefly the night before, just to understand the rules and basics of the game.
I rented a paddle from the court and began playing. The house or club paddles are usually quite basic, often made from a plywood base, which produces a loud slapping sound when hitting the ball. As a newbie, this was great because it felt like I was hitting the ball well. The short handle was slightly uncomfortable, but I didn’t know any better and continued to enjoy the game.
After about ten sessions of using court-rented paddles, I decided it was time to invest in my own paddle, especially after noticing that the rented paddle grips had started to smell quite sour (think the inside of a well-used boxing glove). My first stop was Shopee, but there were so many generic paddles, and I wasn't sure about their quality. So, I began reading reviews on the best paddles for beginners moving to intermediate play.
The top recommendations were the Ronbus R1 (which I couldn’t ship to Malaysia, but lucky for you, we have them in stock at Picklefox) and the Six Zero Sapphire (which could be shipped). When my Six Zero arrived, I put an overgrip on it, recalling my tennis coach's advice from my junior tennis days: never play with a new racket off the original grip. Holding and swinging the Sapphire, it immediately felt different—so well put together.
On the first day with my new paddle, I still had to rent some for the others playing with us. Trying the club paddle first, I could really feel the difference when I switched to the Sapphire. It was night and day. My shots had so much more power and spin right off the bat. The Sapphire isn’t even a spin paddle, yet I could slice the ball better, and both my game and my wife’s game improved just by using a better paddle. After the game, we looked at each other and then at our paddles, and we knew we had made the right choice.
As resellers, we have the opportunity to test demos for all the paddles we stock. My second wow moment came when I tested the Infinity Edgeless Double Black Diamond from Six Zero. In the weeks following my Sapphire acquisition, my game had improved - I was consistently hitting powerful shots from the baseline and was comfortable at the kitchen. With the DBD, I still performed well at the baseline, the paddle offering a more muted sound and incredible feel of the ball. You could almost sense the ball compress and explode off the paddle. It just felt,.. plush. The real magic, however, was at the kitchen. The control it provided allowed me to pinpoint where and how much power I imparted, significantly improving my accuracy and consistency. The number of successful shots I made into the kitchen increased by at least 50% just by having that much more control.
As my journey continues, I’m excited to share more about my experiences with this amazing game we all love.
If you're keen to try one, write to us and enquire about getting a demo. The best way to feel the difference is to start by using your own paddle (or a rented paddle if that's what you use) for about 5 minutes, then use the demo. You want to have them back to back to really see the difference in shots, feel and comfort. Also limit your demo to one or two paddles for each game. Trying a bunch at a time may sound like a good idea, but you'll never get comfortable enough before switching, and because you have choice, you will keep wanting to swap them to try something new.