Two pickleball paddles printed with a blue constellation pattern on a dark face, shown with two orange balls, two blue balls and a black zippered carry case.
Two black pickleball paddles printed with a pink, purple and teal low-poly network pattern, shown with a zippered carry case, two orange balls and two blue balls. Two pickleball paddles printed with a blue constellation pattern on a dark face, shown with two orange balls, two blue balls and a black zippered carry case. Two black pickleball paddles printed with neon magenta and blue triangles, shown with four yellow balls and a black zippered carry case. Two pickleball paddles printed with a purple constellation pattern, shown with four yellow balls and a black carry case with a clear front panel. Two black pickleball paddles printed with a blue light spiral, shown with four blue balls and a black carry case with a clear front panel. Two pickleball paddles printed with a magenta light arc over a deep blue face, shown with four pink balls and a carry case with a clear front panel holding a paddle and balls. Two white-edged pickleball paddles printed with a pastel rainbow triangle pattern and wrapped white grips, shown with two orange balls, two green balls and a black carry case. Two paddles with a blue and magenta network pattern, each face carrying a printed wordmark, shown with a clear-front case holding a third paddle, two orange balls and two blue balls. Two paddles with a blue and magenta network pattern and wrapped black grips, shown with a black carry case tied with a red ribbon, two orange balls and two blue balls. A paddle with a blue and magenta network pattern shown against a blue background, beside four photographs of a park lawn, a paved path, an outdoor court and a running track.

Starter Set

Regular price $79.95

Everything two people need to play this weekend.

Color: color-12
  • Ships in 48 hours
  • 2-year warranty
  • Free shipping $50+
  • 30-day play test

Compatible with

Ships together
Grid of eight neoprene paddle covers in different solid colors, one shown with a paddle and two balls resting on it.
Neoprene Paddle Cover From $16.00
Twelve dotted-texture teal balls packed inside a black mesh drawstring bag.
Outdoor Balls From $14.00
A net with an orange top edge and blue end panels, shown set up on turf and on a plain background with its supporting frame.
Portable Net From $39.00
Paddle dimensions Length 14.6 in. Width 7.1 in. Handle 4.7 in. 14.6 in 7.1 in 4.7 in
Paddle dimensions

Specs
Shape Standard — 14.6 in × 7.1 in
Face material Poplar wood
Average weight 9.9 oz ± 0.4
Handle length 4.7 in
In the box 2 paddles · 4 outdoor balls · 1 carry bag

About this paddle

Who it's for

This is the set for two people who have never played and want to start this weekend. One person buys it, two people play. It suits a beginner learning the swing, a family that plays a few times each summer, and anyone who wants to find out whether they like the game before committing to a carbon paddle.

How it plays

Wood plays honest. The face does not spring the ball back at you, so a soft shot stays soft and a dink drops close to where you aimed it. That is why this is a control set rather than a power one: it rewards a clean, unhurried swing and teaches you to find the center of the face. Miss the center and you feel it straight away.

The core

There is no honeycomb core here and no layered composite. These paddles are solid poplar wood, and the wood does the work a core does in a composite paddle. We publish no thickness for them: we do not yet have a figure we would stand behind, so the line stays off the page until we measure it ourselves.

The face

The hitting surface is poplar wood. It is smooth, it is stiff, and it gives a crisp, audible contact that tells you where on the face you struck the ball. There is no grit coating and no fiber weave generating spin for you: what you put on the ball, you put there yourself.

Shape and reach

Each paddle is a standard shape: 14.6 in long and 7.1 in wide. That is the balanced profile, with enough face to forgive a shot and enough length to reach a ball at the kitchen line. The handle runs 4.7 in, long enough to get a second hand on the grip if you like a two-handed backhand.

Weight and balance

Each paddle weighs 9.9 oz ± 0.4. It is a substantial paddle, and for a beginner that helps rather than hinders: mass steadies the head through contact and keeps a hard drive from twisting the face out of line. We do not publish swing weight or twist weight for this set, because we have not measured them.

In the box

The set contains:

  • 2 paddles
  • 4 outdoor balls
  • 1 carry bag

Both paddles are the same, so nobody gets the better one, and the bag holds the whole set together. One thing to pick up on the way out the door.

Care and lifespan

Wood and standing water are not friends. Wipe the faces dry after a damp session, and do not leave the paddles on wet grass or in a car through a rainstorm. Store them in the bag rather than loose in a trunk, where the faces get scraped by everything else in there. Kept dry and kept in the bag, a wood paddle stays flat and true.

Questions about this paddle

How many people can play with this set?
Two. It comes with two paddles, so it covers a singles game straight out of the bag. For doubles you would want a second set. The four balls serve either way.
Is a wood paddle a real paddle?
It is, and it is how a lot of players hit their first ball. Wood is heavier and less lively than a composite face, which is exactly why it teaches well: it makes you swing cleanly and find the center of the face. Move to carbon when your swing has earned it, not before.
How thick are the paddles?
We do not publish a thickness for this set. We do not have a figure we can stand behind yet, and we would rather leave the line off the page than print a number we cannot defend. Every measurement we do show here, length, width, handle and weight, is one we are confident in.
Are the four balls indoor or outdoor?
Outdoor. They are the pattern for asphalt, concrete and any court with air moving across it, which is where most people learning the game end up playing.
What is not included?
A net. This is two paddles, four balls and a carry bag. If you do not already have a court with a net on it, that is the piece you will need to sort out separately.
How heavy is each paddle?
9.9 oz ± 0.4, per paddle rather than for the whole set.

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