Beginner Pickleball Paddle Guide

I am a beginner, What Pickleball Paddle Should I get?

This is one of the most common questions when starting playing Pickleball.

  1. Do not spend more than $50 on your first paddle

  2. Go with a name brand, a brand that has been in the racket sport business: SLK, Core

Why not get the expensive Brand X super paddle to start?

Different paddles suit different playing styles. High end paddles are seldom general purpose. It is best to figure out your personal playing style before committing a lot of money. A high end paddle can also affect how you learn and develop.

 

SLK Neo

This is my current (2023-2024) favorite beginner Pickleball paddle - if you buy the two paddle set. I have seen it at $59 on Amazon. That is $30 per paddle, and it comes with a bag and some balls. If you can find. friend to share the purchase, this is the best deal. The paddle is well made. It is relatively light weight with a smallish handle. You can always add weight to a paddle, and wrap the handle to increase it size. You cannot take away weight or make the handle smaller if you start with a heavier / larger handle.

 

Aieoposo Paddles

If you want the cheapest but fairly good paddle, I like the Aieposo brand. It is a lessor known brand that seems to be making some quality paddle for general use. Their starter paddles are very affordable and have held up during testing for me.

Core Reaction

The Core brand is increasingly making it’s mark as a high value Pickleball brand. Their beginner paddle changes over time, currently it is the Reaction. Sometimes you will find the True Aim, which is a similar paddle, all very affordable.

 

PCKL Paddles

PCKL is another smaller brand that has good beginner paddles, especially their starter set. If you can share the paddle with a friend, you can get a fairly good paddle for a reasonable price.



 

Selkirk SLK Latitude 2.0 Bundle

If you want to spend a little bit more, the Latitude 2.0 bundl e is a small upgrade from the NEO. These are particularly good value if you buy the bundles / sets version. Sometimes they are available from Costco at a lower price as well.