The truth is paddles are almost never "good" or "bad". But they are good or bad for your particular play style. A paddle fitting quiz helps me understand what type of game you have and what you're looking for in a paddle so I can recommend the 3 very best paddles for you.

I have play tested over 80 paddles to date from brands large and small. Not every paddle made the cut, so I trimmed the list to the 33 best paddles from my testing. I use this "best of" list to pull recommendations for you.

I'm on the court almost every morning testing new paddles. It's not great for my game… but it's the only way to separate the good, the bad and the ugly from paddles out there. I'm a 4.0+ rec player myself, I've written over 30 in-depth reviews on Pickleheads and learned which paddles will elevate your games – and which ones will hold you back. I don't like every paddle I test, and I'm not afraid to call a paddle out if it will help you make a better buying decision.

I base my recommendations purely on the paddle's performance and its fit for your game. We do have affiliate relationships with many – but not all – of the brands we recommend. This affiliate revenue allows us to stay in business and continue making reviews, but it has no impact on how I score and recommend paddles. Here’s how it works.

My goal is simple - to help you find a paddle that complements and improves your game. I know firsthand what it's like to play with a mediocre paddle and have your game stagnate. No fun! I've also seen players go up a level almost immediately after getting the right paddle. So that's what I want for you – and I review every single paddle I can get my hands on to ensure I'm making the best picks I can.