Pickleball equipment guide

Want to play pickleball, but don’t know what equipment you might need? You’ve come to the right place.

While many pickleball venues will have equipment that you can hire on-site, if you’re playing more regularly, you might want to consider getting some for yourself.

There are two main pieces of pickleball equipment you will need – a pickleball paddle and a pickleball ball.

Pickleball paddle

The most important bit of kit for any pickleball player is the paddle.

The paddle is made up of a handle and a large flat surface are, which is used to hit the ball over the net and to your opponent.

The core and the surface of the paddle can be made from different materials to suit your playing style. The material you choose can give you more power, accuracy, control, etc. For example, when it comes to surface materials you can have:

• Fibreglass pickleball paddles – gives you more power
• Graphite pickleball paddles – gives you more control
• Carbon Fiber pickleball paddles – gives you more power and control

Pickleball paddles come in different weights as well, which can suit your game.

• Lightweight paddles (up to 205g) – helps with control and reactions
• Midweight paddles (205g -240g) – helps with power and control, the perfect choice for beginners
• Heavy paddles (over 240g) – helps generate more power

You might also want to think about the thickness of your pickleball paddle’s core. Core thickness tends to range from around 11mm to 16mm – thicker cores will give you more control, while thinner cores create more power.

It’s all about getting the right balance that works for you and having a paddle that compliments your style and how you want to play the game.

Pickleball ball

The pickleball ball is made of plastic, is completely hollow and is covered in holes.

Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors and there are two different balls depending on where you’re playing:

• Outdoor – heavier ball with 40 holes, more adapted to windy and outdoor conditions
• Indoor – lighter ball with 26 holes, more suited to smoother indoor surfaces and last longer

The holes on the ball are there for a very good reason – to help the ball travel through the air. The airflow through the ball means that it moves consistently and stays true to where you aim your shots. Clever right!?

Pickleball kit

All you need is some sportswear and a comfy pair of trainers and you’re ready to play pickleball!

However, if you’re looking to play more regularly, there are a couple of additionally bits of equipment that you might find useful:

• Pickleball trainers – while you can play in almost any pair of trainers, if you’re playing more often, a specific pair of pickleball shoes can help with your stability, movement and speed on court
• Paddle bag – if you’ve got a paddle of your own, you might want to consider getting a paddle bag to carry it around in. These are great when you have extra bits of kit as well
• Grips – these are used on your paddle handle to help stop it from slipping out your hand during a rally