How Pickleball Paddle Weight Affects Your Play

I have recently brought some Engage demonstration paddles to the courts for my Pickleball friends to try out.  It's so interesting to see them test out different paddles to determine which one they prefer. A lot of the focus is on the weight of the paddle so let me dive into this aspect in detail for you.

Pickleball paddles come in three different weight ranges.  Light weight paddles are those under 7.3 ounces.  Mid weight paddles are 7.3 to 8.4 ounces and heavy weight paddle are 8.5 ounces and above.  The advantage of a light weight paddle is you can be quicker at the net and have more controlled shots.  However, you have less power when you hit the ball.  This means if you are small in stature you actually may not want a light weight paddle as you have to do more work to generate the power.  Most players use a mid weight paddle as it offers a good balance between power and control.  I'm not that big, but I don't have any issue generating power as this is natural for me from my racquetball days.  Heavy weight paddles have plenty of power but you do tend to give up control.

It is really difficult to manufacturer Pickleball paddles so they have the exact same weight every time.  This is because small differences like a bit more resin or a bit less grip do matter.  But can most players tell if a paddle is 0.1 ounces or 0.2 ounces different?  Try balancing a penny on your paddle.  Can you really tell your paddle is heavier with the penny on it?  A penny weighs about 0.1 ounces.  Chances are you cannot tell the difference unless you are at least a 4.0 player.  Now if you really can tell your paddle is heavier when you put a penny on it, then most Pickleball manufacturers will let you order a specific weight like Engage Pickleball does.  However, if you request a paddle weighing 7.7 ounces it may be 7.6 ounces or 7.8 ounces.  Still the slight difference in weight is not likely to impact your game.