Best Pickleball Paddles For Intermediate Players 2023
We bring you everything you need to know about picking out the best pickleball paddle if you're an intermediate player
Pickleball continues to grow in popularity as more people continue to pick up a paddle for the first time.
The sport has seen a huge increase in traction over the last couple of years and millions of people (36.5 million in the USA in 2022 to be precise) are playing it.
You don’t need much equipment to start playing pickleball, but a good paddle is essential and of course, the quality of your paddle can affect your performance on the court.
In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about picking out the best pickleball paddle if you’re an intermediate player. We’re going to focus on the main things you need to know about and also pick out five of the best options on the market right now from a range of brands.
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s begin taking a look at some of the main things to bear in mind when shopping for a good pickleball paddle.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Picking A Pickleball Paddle – Things To Consider
First things first, let’s define what we consider an ‘intermediate’ player to be. For the purposes of this guide, we consider an intermediate player who has good general technique and understanding of the sport, but who is also still working on improving their game.
In other words, an intermediate player has passed the ‘beginner’ stage of their journey and is now on their way to further improving their game. If you’re still at the early stage of your pickleball journey, you can check out our separate guide to the best pickleball paddles for beginners.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
If you’ve done any research for yourself, you’ll know that not all pickleball paddles are created equal and there are lots of options out there. To make things a bit easier, here are some of the key things to bear in mind when shopping for a paddle.
• Weight and Dimension – These are perhaps the two most important factors to consider when shopping around for a pickleball paddle. If you’ve already been playing pickleball, you should have a general idea of the size and weight of paddle that will suit you best. Generally speaking, heavier paddles are better for power, while lighter paddles may be better for spin and control. That being said, we do suggest popping into your local sportswear store and holding a few paddles in your hand to get a feel for the weight and size you’re after. Some experts suggest a paddle weight of 210 to 235 grams but this will vary from person to person. It’s also worth considering the size of paddle best suited for your game. The paddles we’ve featured below come in a range of different face sizes.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
• Material and Construction – It’s also worth taking the time check the material the paddle you’re looking at is made from. Most popular paddles use polymer ‘honeycomb’ cores for stability, and a textured paddle face to help with spin. Honeycomb cores are typically the most popular type of construction and so it could be worth checking that your paddle of choice features this material.
• Grip Size – During our research, we found that most pickleball paddles come with a standard grip size circumference of 4.25 inches (10.8 cm). If you require a larger grip size, then check to see if there are any other options available from the site you’re shopping from. If there are no other options, then it’s easy enough to buy some overgrips and widen the grip this way. If you’re unsure, your local racket sports store should be able to help.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
• Price, Style and Colour – Lastly, it’s worth shopping around to see what deals and promotions are on offer. Generally speaking, if you’re looking for more of an intermediate level paddle rather than a beginner option, you can expect the price to be a little bit higher. The paddles we’ve listed below were all available on Amazon at the time of writing. While not as important to some people, it’s a good idea to look at the different style and colour options on offer to find one that suits your preferences. Most of the paddles we’ve featured below are available in a range of different colours and styles as well as the ones pictured.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Best Pickleball Paddles For Intermediate Players – Our Selection
So, now that we’ve covered some of the main things to bear in mind when shopping for a pickleball paddle, it’s time to reveal our pick of some of the best options out there for intermediate players at the moment.
As we mentioned above, we do recommend popping down to your local racket sports store to hold and test out a few paddles for yourself, as nothing compares to having an actual paddle in your hand to get a feel for it.
1) Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
We’ve placed the Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro (Amazon link) as the top option on our list. Highly rated on Amazon, this paddle has been designed to provide control, power and accuracy. This paddle has been designed to provide precision and speed, which could suit strategic players the best. It has a honeycomb polymer core and a textured graphite surface. At the time of writing, this paddle had an average rating of 4.6 out of five stars from more than 570 reviews on Amazon.
2) Joola Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
Next up is the Joola Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16 (Amazon link). Joola is the official sponsor of professional pickleball player Ben Johns and this is his signature paddle. This paddle features a special carbon friction surface (CFS) to help maximise spin and has a reactive polypropylene honeycomb core for consistency. It’s a little bit on the pricey side but is a great option if you’re looking for a high-quality paddle as an intermediate player.
3) Selkirk Amped Epic
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
The Selkirk Amped Epic (Amazon link) is the next pickleball paddle on our list. This paddle uses a fibreglass face and a polypropylene X5 core, which has been designed to reduce vibrations for a smoother feel during play. This paddle has a long handle with a large surface area to create an optimal blend of power and control. It’s highly-rated, with an average rating of 4.7 stars on Amazon at the time of writing.
4) Onix Graphite Z5
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
The Onix Graphite Z5 (Amazon link) is the next option on our list. This is the brand’s most popular paddle and has more than 4,000 reviews on Amazon. As well as being available in a wide selection of different colour styles, this paddle has a nomex honeycomb core and a handle shape similar to that of a tennis racket. Onix market this paddle as being suitable for all levels of players, from beginner to advanced.
5) Head Extreme Pro
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
The final option on our list is the Head Extreme Pro (Amazon link). Head have a long history of producing high-quality tennis rackets and the brand also makes a number of pickleball paddles. The Head Extreme Pro features a diamond paddle face shape and a composite hitting surface. It’s been designed to provide a balanced blend of power and control and had a rating of 4.5 out of five stars on Amazon at the time of writing.
How We Chose The Best Pickleball Paddles
If you’ve done any research for yourself, you’ll know that despite pickleball being a relatively new sport, there are a quite a few different brands and paddles to choose from.
To compile this guide, we did our own research online, checking manufacturer websites and reading customer reviews online on retail website such as Amazon, to find the best-rated products at the time of writing. We then narrowed down our selection to five paddles.
Although we hope this guide has been useful, we do recommend doing some of your own research online to help you find the paddle that’s likely to be the best one for you.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Anything Else To Bear In Mind?
As mentioned above, we recommend visiting your local racket sports store to hold and try out a few paddles for yourself before making a final decision. This will allow you to get a feel of what you’re looking for and also provide the opportunity to get some tailored advice from store staff.
If you’re shopping online, it’s a good idea to read some customer reviews and also familiarise yourself with the returns, refunds and exchanges policy on the site you’re shopping from so you’ll know where you stand if you’re not happy with your paddle.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
So, that brings us to the end of our guide to the best pickleball paddles for intermediate players. We’ve covered some of the main things to bear in mind when shopping for a pickleball paddle and have also picked out five of the top options on the market right now from a range of brands.
We’ve placed the Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro (Amazon link) as the top option on our list, but all of the paddles we’ve featured on this page are good options with plenty of positive reviews on Amazon.
