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Showerthought: my $9 pickleball paddle vs my buddy's $180 one, who actually got the better deal?
Bought a cheap $9 paddle at a garage sale in Tucson last spring just to see if I even liked the sport, and 14 months later it's still my main one. My buddy dropped $180 on a carbon fiber paddle and swears the spin control is worth every penny, but he's also lost to me 3 times now. Part of me thinks gear only matters once your skills plateau, and part of me wonders if I'm just being cheap and holding myself back. Where do you all draw the line between saving money and actually needing to upgrade?
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brianm274d ago
The line "gear only matters once your skills plateau" is close but not quite it. It's more about where your game is weak. A cheap paddle can absolutely carry you if you're just dinking and blocking, but once you're trying to add topspin drives or slice serves, the cheap face just can't grab the ball. Your buddy losing to you doesn't prove the paddle is useless, it proves he hasn't put in the hours. Honestly 14 months on a garage sale paddle is impressive, but you might be surprised what a $40 to $60 paddle does for your spin without jumping straight to carbon fiber money.
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