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Paddle Hack: The best paddles for ½ the price, seriously

Paddle Hack: The best paddles for ½ the price, seriously

PLUS: Almost a BILLION dollars needed to meet pickleball court demand

Welcome back, Kitcheners.

Read time: 4 min

Is it me, or are new pickleball paddles being dropped on the daily?

Yeaaa... I know the feeling. The faint tinge of buyers’ remorse. The fatigue. The hollow disappointment of never being able to keep up with the latest and greatest.

The honey moon phase with your Selkirk paddle you bought a couple months ago is already wearing off. And shamelessly, you are already thinking about dropping the dough on another. (Oops)

So what to do with the “old” to make room for the “new”…without breaking the bank?

We’ve got you. Just keep reading. 🤓

TODAY’S MENU

Daily Scoop: Hack: The best paddles for ½ the price
News Stash: Over $900 million needed to build courts for booming pickleball demand. Couple's hunger strike aims to silence pickleball "torture".
Sizzling Skills: Ben Johns’ tips to go from a 3.5 to 4 and a 4.5 to 5
Kitchen Talk: Pickleball date, help! Barbie plays pickleball.

DAILY SCOOP

Hack: The best paddles for ½ the price

I love to save money. Especially when it comes to buying pickleball paddles.

Because these days…

A singular “high-end” paddle is now costing you and me upwards of $2 to $300—that is, if we want to be taken seriously on the courts (and trying our best to avoid the eyes of those 3.5-4.0 players judging our equipment... you know exactly what I’m talking about).

So how do you keep up your paddle game WITHOUT having to spend an arm and a leg on a brand new paddle?

Easy. You buy USED paddles.

And before you judge too quickly yourself, let me explain.

(This is where I blow your mind 🤯)

If you didn’t know, companies test hundreds of paddles before any of them ever hit the market.

Sometimes, people use a paddle once or twice, decide it is not for them, and return it.

Other times, the packaging or finish is not perfect, and even though the paddle has never been used, it is deemed unsellable at full price.

What does that mean for these paddles?

Hundreds of perfect gems are stockpiled in storage, collecting dust, even though they were only used a handful of times.

So now, to recoup some of the cost, companies are selling lightly used and tested paddles for a fraction of the retail price.

I’m talking about the Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta Pickleball Paddle for just $180 compared to the retail price of $250.

$70 off a lightly used pro paddle? I’d say that’s a steal.

Or how about a JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16 Pickleball Paddle for just $130 compared to the retail price of $250?

Again, pretty great, if you ask me.

Where can you find these hidden gems? Great question.

Legit websites like totalpickleball.com use a grading scale from A to C so you know exactly what you are getting for the price.

Here are some other popular, reputable sites to visit if buying used is something you’d like to try out for yourself:

➔ Pickleball Central

➔ The Pickleball Exchange

➔ Just Paddles

And to add, if you are going to buy off of online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp, we suggest that you give the paddle a test spin before you hand over the cash.

This guy got scammed once and got lucky another time buying local, so please do learn from his mistakes.

So great news for you if and when you are in the market for a “new-ish” top-of-the-line paddle…

And don’t want to foolishly spend your hard-earned money on a brand new paddle that will surely be scuffed the second you start playing…

But still want to keep up with the paddle trends…

Please.

Try one of the sites above, play with style, and secretly scoff at those who think you paid top dollar for the best paddles on the market.

Win. Win.

NEWS STASH

Over $900 million needed to build courts for booming pickleball demand

Happenings: Jeff Bezos… the Sports & Fitness Industry Association estimates over $900 million is needed to construct enough new courts and facilities to meet current and future demand. HELP, please.

The Numbers: With participation up 158% since 2019 to 8.9 million players last year, major cities lag far behind in infrastructure, while regions like the South Atlantic see over 1.9 million participants.

The Why: Fueled by the pandemic and investments from celebrities like LeBron James, pickleball has been America's fastest growing sport for years, and insiders predict continued momentum, pointing to the critical need for accessible public courts and spaces to enable future growth.

Couple's hunger strike aims to silence pickleball "torture"

Happenings: A Chilliwack, Canada couple are staging a hunger strike to protest noisy pickleball courts adjacent to their home.

The Complaint: Rajnish and Harpreet Dhawan say the constant "popping" of balls since the courts were installed in 2019 has caused them anxiety, sleeplessness, and other health issues. Despite pleading with the city for decommissioning or noise limits, the Dhawans feel their complaints have been ignored while pickleball players flout guidelines.

Drama: Claiming discrimination and "abuse" from the unrelenting noise, the couple will hunger strike until the city provides relief, even if that means "death over continuing to live as second class citizens."

McEnroe's theatrics steal show in pickleball face-off with Brees

Happenings: Retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees and 63-year-old tennis legend John McEnroe faced off in a pickleball exhibition match during the NOLA Pickle Fest on August 12th, 2023.

The Game: The competitive athletes split singles and doubles victories in the event benefiting Brees' charity. McEnroe entertained the crowd by reviving his famous on-court theatrics and outbursts.

Who won? While both stars displayed their ongoing athleticism, McEnroe's antics stole the show at the inaugural New Orleans pickleball tournament.