Is Pickleball Paddle Thickness Really Important?
As the game has changed over the last few years so has the requirements that players are looking for namely, power and control. The ability to hit with speed as well as control critical dinks at the net that demand touch is a bit of a balancing act for many paddle manufacturers. The answer to having both of these qualities in a paddle is for the most part found in its thickness.
What Makes Paddle Thickness Desirable?
With the game evolving more and more demands are being placed on the performance of the paddle’s capabilities. Players want a soft touch for dinks, while at the same time power to drive the ball cross-court with speed & precision. Many manufacturers believe they have the answer to this by virtue of how thick they actually make the paddles. In a general interpretation, thickness allows the ball to have greater “dwell time” or sit time on the surface of the paddle. As the ball nestles into the surface it then can slingshot off the face like a trampoline effect. The great part is that this effect works well in heated volleys as well as dink rallies, where touch and nuance matter most.
Keep in mind we’re not talking about the surface itself or the materials that make up the surface but just the thickness of the paddle, we’ll save that discussion for another day.
How You Play or How You Like to Play Determines the Right Thickness
The old saying “one size fits all” does NOT apply here. That’s because of a number of factors. Some are physical and some are behavioral, as in how you play. Which is to say, that even if you are small in stature you still might find that a thicker paddle suits your game well. Or conversely, a big or larger person might like a paddle that’s not so thick.
How Thick is Enough?
Because of the subjective nature of how players play the game, it’s hard to say what thickness is best but from what we’ve seen out on the courts it seems that the sweet spot-on thickness is 16mm (0.63 inches or just a bit more than 5/8”). It’s the thickness that World #1 player Ben Johns uses along with many other pros and amateurs these days. That said, the best recommendation is to try one from a friend who has one or you’ll find that many resellers have very generous policies on trial paddles. Once you do that, you’ll know for sure if there’s a fit for you.
Thick As Mud or So It Seems
In general, paddle thickness is a personal preference however, when many players get a hold of a thicker paddle they are usually pleased with the amount of power and control they achieve by virtue of its ……well, girth (sorry got tired of saying thickness).
Some Recommendations/Suggestions
Another good read on this topic is featured on ThePickleballStudio.com, where Chris Olson offers his insights and opinions on thickness.
If you go online to any of the popular pickleball retailers you can specifically look for paddles at varying thicknesses and this helps narrow your search in the ever increasing number of paddles on the market.
One source we recommend is JustPaddles who has a terrific search engine to help you view all the possibilities.
