Our Story
Finding the Right Paddle
Shouldn't Be a Guessing Game.
Austin Hardy
Founder · PPR Certified Coach · Pro Player · 12+ Years Coaching
Like a lot of players, I spent years trying to decode paddle spec sheets and reading reviews that felt more like marketing copy than real feedback. The problem is that specs only tell half the story. Swing weight and twist weight give you a useful baseline — but they can't tell you how a paddle feels when you're resetting from the transition zone at 4-4 in the third game.
As a pro player and PPR-certified coach with over 12 years of experience, I knew there was a better way to evaluate gear. So I built Pickleball Playbook Reviews with one goal in mind: help players find the right paddle for their game — not just the one with the best numbers on paper, but the one that actually performs where it matters most. On the court.
Every review on this site is tested in person, filmed on a real court, and written to give you the honest picture — what it's good at, what it isn't, and who it's best suited for.
The Process
How We Review Paddles
Every paddle goes through the same three-step process before we record a single frame. No shortcuts, no guessing.
Measure the Specs
Before anything else, we measure static weight, swing weight, and twist weight using standardized testing equipment. These numbers give us an objective baseline and allow for direct, apples-to-apples comparisons across every paddle in our database.
Break In the Paddle
Every paddle gets 5–10 minutes of deliberate warm-up before the real review begins. We work through every type of shot — drives, dinks, drops, and resets — to properly break in the surface and get a consistent, representative feel before we start evaluating.
On-Court Review with a Drilling Partner
With the paddle properly broken in, we run structured drills alongside a partner to evaluate three key areas: power and spin off the baseline, touch and control at the kitchen, and firepower in transition exchanges. Everything you need to know to decide if a paddle fits your game.