It lastly occurred: Like half the world, I dove into the pickleball craze. In case you’d requested me a couple of years in the past if I’d ever play, I’d most likely have rolled my eyes, however now—a 12 months into studying the game—I contemplate myself a full convert.

Essentially the most essential ingredient to leveling up your pickleball recreation (after buying some cute outfits for the courtroom, after all) is a terrific paddle. In line with Worldwide Pickleball Instructing Skilled Affiliation (IPTPA) licensed pickleball teacher Jennifer Azevedo, “you’ll be able to personalize a paddle to your particular wants as a participant. Missing in mobility? Get a paddle that’s just a little larger and longer to assist attain the ball. There are alternatives to assist nearly each facet of the sport that could be missing,” she says.

Although I perceive the worth of a very good paddle, I balked when the teacher of my intro class beneficial a particular set that value over $100. As a beginner who wasn’t positive if I used to be going to stay with the game or not, I wasn’t able to shell out that a lot—so I went searching by myself, utilizing suggestions from pals who already performed and on-line opinions to information me.

After weeks of looking out, I lastly landed on the Niupipo Pickleball Paddle Set from Amazon. These paddles had been extremely rated by 1000’s of individuals, comparatively inexpensive, and claimed to have options I used to be searching for. Certain, they weren’t probably the most aesthetically pleasing, however I consider in prioritizing perform over type relating to sports activities gear.

The set comes with two paddles, a carry bag, and each indoor and out of doors pickleball balls (sure, there’s a distinction). Right here’s what occurred after I put it to the check.

The specs

The paddles are USA Pickleball Affiliation–authorised, which Azevedo says is “one thing you’ll want as you start to look into match play,” as officers will really examine your paddles for the stamp of approval.

The paddle faces are manufactured from fiberglass and comprise a honeycomb polymer core, which the model’s web site says helps scale back noise. All the paddle head can be wrapped in an edge guard to assist stop harm and chipping if the paddle scrapes the bottom, which I’ve to say is fairly efficient—there’s barely a scratch on mine after a 12 months’s value of use.

The way it feels

The very first thing I observed after I unboxed the set was how light-weight the fiberglass paddles had been. Weighing solely 7.8 ounces every, they’re a lot lighter than those from one other model I purchased for some relations, pondering I’d get them a cute set. I’ve additionally performed with a buddy’s picket paddles, which really feel like cement in my hand in comparison with my Niupipo ones.