What Pickleball Paddle Should I get?

This is one of the most common questions when starting playing Pickleball. If you are a beginner, check out the beginner’s Pickleball paddle guide.

Joola Paddles

Joola is a well know paddle sports company. I personally use several different Joola paddles, and I am a Joola rep. If you are interested in one of the paddles listed below and you are one of my current or past students, I can get you the paddles at a discount, as they almost never discount them on retail sites. Just contact me instead of purchasing directly from the Joola site.

In general these are the choices, more details below:

intermediate/advance beginners: The CAS version of the Hyperion are very good. There is a 13.5 and a 16mm version, with different colors.
Advanced intermediate all the way to pro:
- Scorpeus and Perseus: There are four versions depends on thickness and shape. These are their latest paddles and they are very good
- Hyperion C2: These are basically the Scorpeus and Perseus in the Hyperion shapes. Same prices as the others. If you like the aero-curve shape, get these.
- Gen 3S paddles - as of August 2024 there is a huge controversy with the original Gen 3 paddles. The new Ge3S paddles are the top of the line model but they are just UPA-A approved and not USAP approved.

Joola Ben Johns Hyperion CAS 13.5mm and 16mm

These CAS 13.5mm and 16mm version in the Ben Johns Hyperion line is a (relatively) more affordable Hyperion. What you are loosing compare to the top of the line model is the surface is technically less spinny. I think for the price difference this is a good deal, retail at $120.

Buy on Amazon

Joola Perseus and Scorpeus

These are the 2023 top of the line paddles from Joola. The Perseus models, 13mm and 16mm, have the elongated shape. The Scorpeus models, 14mm and 16mm, have the regular square shape. You should choose one of the four versions depending on your play style. The 16 mm is more balanced with power and control. The 13 mm version is more power focus.

I currently am using the 13mm Scorpeus (the Anna Bright) version.
Check out the Amazon links or contact me for demos and discounts.

JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus Pickleball Paddle with Charged Surface Technology for Increased Power & Feel - Fully Encased Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle w/Larger Sweet Spot - USAPA Approved. 14mm Core Buy on Amazon

JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus Pickleball Paddle with Charged Surface Technology for Increased Power & Feel - Fully Encased Carbon Fiber w/Larger Sweet Spot - USAPA Approved. 16mm Core Buy on Amazon

JOOLA Anna Bright Pickleball Paddle - Carbon Fiber, Charged Surface, USAPA Approved, 14mm Buy on Amazon

JOOLA Collin Johns Scorpeus Pickleball Paddle w/Charged Surface Technology for Increased Power & Feel - Fully Encased Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle w/Larger Sweet Spot - USAPA Approved. 16mm Core Buy on Amazon

Joola Essentials

This is a great starter paddle. I have played with 3.0 players that are still using this paddle. If you think you are going to play at least one season of Pickleball, this is the one to start. More info on the Joola site here. MSRP is around $59

Joola Vision

The Vision is the “longer” version of the Raduis with a grip (handle) length of 5.5 inches. There is a 16mm and a 14mm version. Comparatively the thinner version has more power and the thicker one has more control. The Vision retails for around $170. More information on the Joola site here.

Joola Hyperion

The Hyperion line of paddle is Joola’s current top of the line model. Retail at $220. There are several variations of this paddle:

The “Ben Johns” line are the original. The “Simone Jardim” line are the same as the Ben Johns except they have a smaller grip size, by 0.125 of an inch. Both lines have a “swift” model that is slightly lighter than the regular model. Finally they come in 14mm or 16mm, the 14mm is more balanced towards power, and the 16mm is more balanced towards control. Confused? Reach out to me and I can let you try them out to decide which one is best for you. More information on the Joola site.

Portable Pickleball Net

Buy on Amazon

If you need to bring your own net to play, this one is quite nice. Affordable and so far it is holding up well.

Joola Essentials Pickleball Net

The Joola net is slightly more expensive, retail at $150 (before discount by me) but it is better quality.