How we get the data and scores

Specs

Every number comes from the paddle’s brand: its own website, or its official regional site. When a brand doesn’t publish a number at all, we use a retailer’s listing and say so on the paddle’s page (6 of 60 paddles right now). If nobody publishes a number, the page says “Not published by brand” instead of guessing.

When a brand gives a weight range, we show the range and use the middle of it for sorting and filters. Brands that publish in grams and millimetres are converted to ounces and inches.

Brands name their shapes differently, so we also sort every paddle into one of three shapes using the same rule for all: at least 16.3 inches long and no wider than 7.6 inches is Elongated, 7.9 inches or wider is Widebody, and anything in between is Hybrid.

We don’t use brand ratings like “Power 9/10”, and we don’t copy numbers from independent testing labs. Swing weight and twist weight appear only when the brand publishes them itself.

Play-style scores

Power, control, hand speed and forgiveness scores are estimated from specs. Nobody tested the paddles to get them. We use only the numbers the brands publish: weight, length, width, core thickness and what the core is made of.

For each spec, we work out how far a paddle sits above or below the average of all 60 paddles on this site.
Each score adds those up with the weights below.
The results are spread from 1 (lowest on this site) to 10 (highest on this site).

So a 10 means “highest among these paddles”, not perfect. Add or remove paddles and the scores shift a little.

Score	What goes into it
PowerHow hard the ball comes off the face on drives and smashes	Weight (heavier): 40% Length (longer): 30% Core thickness (thinner): 20% Foam core (yes): 10%
ControlHow easy it is to keep dinks and resets soft and placed	Core thickness (thicker): 50% Width (wider): 30% Honeycomb core (yes): 20%
Hand speedHow quickly you can move it in fast hands battles	Weight (lighter): 60% Length (shorter): 40%
ForgivenessHow well it handles hits away from the center	Width (wider): 60% Core thickness (thicker): 40%

These follow common rules of thumb: heavier and longer paddles hit harder, lighter and shorter ones move faster, thicker cores feel softer, and wider faces are more forgiving. Things the specs can’t tell us, like surface grit and how the paddle actually feels, aren’t scored. Spin isn’t scored for that reason.

The play-style name on each paddle (like “Driver” or “All-rounder”) comes from its highest score. If its four scores are within 3 points of each other, it’s an All-rounder.

How the quiz protects beginners

If you’re new (not started yet, or under 3 months), the quiz and the paddle checker only pick paddles that buying guides agree are easy to learn with:

Not elongated. Wider faces have a bigger sweet spot.
8.2 oz or lighter. Heavier paddles put more strain on new players’ elbows.
A 16 mm core. A 14 mm core only if you asked for power. Never 13 mm or thinner.
A forgiveness score of 5 or more.

If your elbow or wrist gets sore, we stick to 7.9 oz or lighter with a 16 mm core, at any level. If you ask for power as a beginner, you get the strongest paddle that still follows these rules.

Photos

Paddle photos are the brands’ own product photos, shown from their websites and credited on each page.

Prices and stores

Prices come from 10 stores that sell in the Philippines: official brand stores, authorized dealers and known pickleball retailers. Last checked October 25, 2026.

Copies of popular paddles are common on Shopee and Lazada, often at a third of the real price. We don’t list those sellers. If a famous paddle is selling for a few thousand pesos from a seller you haven’t heard of, it’s almost certainly not the real thing.

Found a mistake?

Specs and prices change. If something here is wrong, message us and we’ll fix it.