THE 5 BEST PICKLEBALL PADDLES FOR SPIN – ULTIMATE GUIDE
Pickleball continues to BOOM in popularity both domestically and internationally. In fact, in recent years, the pickleball craze has extended its reach to some of the furthest corners of the globe, leaving many wondering which are the 5 best pickleball paddles for spin!
With the increase in popularity comes an increase in both competition from other pickleballers and pickleball product availability. Not familiar with paddles in the first place? Be sure to take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Pickleball Paddles before reading this post! Let’s take a look at the results of both of these increases in turn.
The 5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – Overview
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With more competition, pickleballers who were once the dominant players may need to look to technology to prevail over the up-and-comers are their local club.
Alternatively, those at the bottom of the rankings may realize that a little extra technology may help them move up the ladder quite quickly – maybe finally beating that troubling adversary! Necessarily, many will look for a pickleball paddle capable of producing a great deal of spin to gain an edge!
Of course, with more and more pickleballers seeking out a spin oriented pickleball paddle, the number of manufacturers offering such a product are coming to the table with greater and greater number of pickleball paddles for spin!
But, with the greater amount of demand, and the corresponding increase in supply, how do we know which is the best pickleball paddle for spin? Knowing that spin is important won’t get you very far. You’ll want to know which models of paddle are at the top of the mountain!
More importantly, you’ll want to know WHY these particular paddles are commonly believed to be the best pickleball paddles for spin. For this, you’ll need an understanding of which specific features are so critical for enhancing a pickleballer’s spin and why!
If you can master the ability to discern one paddle’s spin features from another’s, you’ll be able to quickly sift through new pickleball paddles as they come onto the market and you’ll know whether its time to make an upgrade!
Let’s start by taking a look at the top 5 pickleball paddles for spin in 2020. We arrived at the list below after conducting an exhaustive review of the current spin oriented pickleball paddles in the market place.
We evaluated pickleball paddles of different weights, grip sizes, compositions, faces, shapes and numerous other factors to ascertain which combine to create the undisputed best pickleball paddles for those looking to add an element of spin to their pickleball game!
Let’s take a look!
5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – The Definitive List
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5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – The Winner
The Face
Boasting of a “Specialized ‘Proprietary’ Fiberglass”, the manufacturer behind this model understands the importance of spin to a pickleballer’s game.
Aside from the fiberglass underpinnings, this particular model uses a highly unique “skin” (the material that covers the face and physically touches the ball) that is textured to create a bit of a “roughness”, allowing the player to apply spin to the ball with the proper swinging technique.
The Surface Area
While a textured face is great, combining it with an appropriately sized surface area is a necessary piece of the equation. The surface area, after all, is going to directly impact the sweet spot of the pickleball paddle.
Measuring in at 15 1/2″ long x 8 1/8″ wide, and built as the classic “wide body” pickleball paddle, this model is perfectly suited to allow the pickleballer to impose spin by “coming across” the pickleball and sending it into the corner of their opponent’s court at a high rate of spin and speed, almost certainly resulting in a “winner”.
The Weight
Weight is an important consideration in terms of maximizing spin. After all, a paddle’s weight is going to impact how quickly a pickleballer is able to “swing through” the ball and impose spin.
This model is your typical “medium” weight paddle, in the 7.8 – 8.3 oz range. This weight is perfect as it allows for an increased swing speed (necessary for spin), while still allowing the paddle to have some mass behind the swing to impose a greater impact.
The Grip Size and Feel
Grip size is important in terms of providing a pickleballer extra ability to “flick” his or her wrist – an important part of the swing technique. This model comes with a standard 4 1/4th inch grip circumference. This is in the middle of the typical grip size range (if not a bit on the small side).
Remember, you can always “build up” your grip size by using an over-grip, but you can never decrease the size of your grip, so make sure you buy right the first time!
Also, the grip is built of tacky, yet cushioned material, allowing the pickleballer to hold the paddle just tightly enough so that it doesn’t slip out of his or her hand, but just loosely enough so that the wrist isn’t constrained from creating the “flicking” motion necessary to impose spin. It is built in a spiralized manner and with differing texture to help align the pickleballer’s fingers with proper placement!
The Core
Saving the best for last, the core is literally the “heart” of the paddle and of great importance to a paddle’s ability to create spin.
This paddle is built of a unique Polypropylene / Polymer Honeycomb, which is exactly what you want to see in terms of allowing a paddle to apply a little bit of spin by “holding” the ball for just a bit longer than would a more reactive paddle be capable of!
5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – Runner Up
The Face
When trying to put spin on the pickleball, you need to look at the material that is actually going to make contact with the ball itself (the “face” or “skin”). This model of pickleball paddle uses textured graphite the assist in its spin creation.
The texture helps “grab” the ball and apply spin as part of a spin shot where the proper technique is used.
Also, while it doesn’t assist in spin creation, the paddle comes in yellow, green, purple, blue or red design that is sure to align your appearance with the quality of your game!
The Surface Area
Reminder, a paddle’s specifications are important in terms of determining whether it will be a good candidate for enhanced spin shots. This model comes in at a total length of 15 7/8ths inches with a width of 8 inches across.
This is a great “wide body” paddle in terms of creating an increased surface area without being so big as to potentially jeopardize the sweet spot – an important factor in impacting your ability to hit spin!
The Weight
If you are going to attempt to hit spin, you need to ensure that the weight of the paddle aligns with the range needed to hit spin shots. This particular paddle weighs in as a “medium” weight paddle, in a range of 7.6 – 8 ounces, with the variance depending, in part, on the size of the grip that the paddle comes with.
This “medium” tiered category is perfect for allowing you lightweight maneuverability to create good swing speed (necessary for spin shots), while style providing you a little bit of mass so that your paddle can apply some momentum to the ball and get it spinning!
The Grip Size and Feel
The manufacturers behind this pickleball paddle must be players, because they offer a TON of different grips sizes such that it can fit nearly every hand size! What a great perk!
They offer “standard” (4 1/4th) and “thin” (4 1/8th) grip sizes in varying weights (~7.5oz to ~8.0oz).
This allows for players with differing hand sizes to customize the paddle weight and grip size (via addition of overgrips) to their exact liking.
The Core
The core is essential to creating a heightened amount of spin. The manufacturer behind this paddle boasts of a, “Tempest Smart Response Technology (SRT) Core” which is a fancy way of saying that the core is built with Advanced High Grade Graphite Polymer and Composite Honeycomb.
Remember that the classic honeycomb design is ideal for providing the user with an enhanced element of “feel” in their shots, which is a critical component behind any good spin shot!
5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – Third Place
The Face
If you want to spin the pickleball, you need to start with a face that is built to allow you to create spin in the first place. Seems obvious, right? You’d be surprised how often its overlooked!
This particular model does just that with what they call a, “proprietary FiberFlex fiberglass face” capable of providing “unidirectional” spin.
Any face that features an element of texturized fiberglass is going to be a top tier candidate in terms of being able to “grab” the ball and get it spinning rapidly!
The Surface Area
If you are going to try to create serious spin, you need an appropriately sized surface area. This model of pickleball paddle is 15.75” long and 8” across, resulting in a huge hitting area for a classic wide body paddle size. This is large enough to enhance your sweet spot without being so wide as to actually diminish it.
The Weight
When it comes to spin, you want to find a good balance in terms of paddle weight. Too light? You’ll be able to create paddle speed, but your paddle wont be able to deliver the blow necessary to get the ball moving.
Too heavy? You’ll be able to get a good pop on the ball, but you’ll be unlikely to have enough “paddle head” speed to really get the ball rotating like you want it to be! This model is in the “sweetspot” in terms of weight, at 7.9oz – 8.4oz in weight!
The Grip Size and Feel
A grip is an often overlooked contributor of spin to a pickleball shot. Why? Because the size of the grip is going to impact how a pickleballer is able to cock and twist his or her wrist to create the quick “flick” necessary to really get the ball turning.
This model comes with a 4 1/4th inch grip which is relatively common as “standard”. While you can “build up” the size by adding overgrips (about 1/16thof an inch per overgrip used), you can never go smaller. Be sure you measure correctly the first time!
The feel on this grip is nice. High marks in terms of user comfort.
You can see that it is built of the preferred spiralized wrapping, while adding elements of texture such that it remains in the firm grip of the pickleballer at all times during game play!
The Core
The core is critical in terms of whether a paddle is going to be able to create spin. Too soft of a core and you’ll never have any power. Too hard of a core and you’ll never generate any spin.
This model of paddle uses a Polypropylene Polymer Core which is very common in “spin” oriented paddles. It is ideal in terms of “middle ground” between power and control, erring slightly towards the “control” (i.e: spin) side.
5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – Honorable Mention
The Face
Any good spin shot is going to start off the same spot: The Face. You’ll notice that the face on this model looks quite a bit different from several of the other top models for spin. That is because this model is built with 100% pure, high quality, carbon fiber.
If you look closely, you can see the carbon fiber representation on the paddle skin.
Carbon fiber skins have become increasingly popular with players seeking optimal spin in the last several years – this model is a good example of a manufacturer who has done it right!
The Surface Area
A sufficient surface area is a very commonly overlooked area in terms of importance to the end result of creating optimal spin. This paddle paddle face measures 8″ wide by 10 1/4 ” long (including the grip, the total length of paddle is 15 1/4″).
This puts in smack dab in the middle in terms of your typical “wide body” pickleball paddle design. Paddle dimensions of this kind are great in terms of getting you plenty of surface area (just in case you don’t hit the sweet spot every time) without becoming so wide as to take away from the sweet spot’s “feel” when you hit it dead on!
The Weight
If you want to hit spin, you need to find a paddle that falls into the “medium” weight category. This model of paddle fits it perfectly, weighing between 7.8-8.2 ounces, depending on grip size and width.
This is going to be light enough so as to not prevent the pickleballer from necessary wrist action (think, a “flick” of the wrist), while not sacrificing too much power as is often times the problem with the lighter models of pickleball paddle.
The Grip Size and Feel
If you do not have an appropriately sized grip, you’ll never be able to create the amount of spin that you are after. Too small of a grip, and your fingers will overlap, causing you all kinds of problems in addition to the inability to hit spin. Too big of grip, and you won’t be able to be flexible enough in your wrist to create the required “flick”.
This model has a grip circumference of 4 1/8″, which is on the “small” size in terms of what you typically see as standard. This is a good thing! If you require a larger grip, just make sure to build it up one layer at a time (1/16th inch at a time) by applying a quality pickleball overgrip!
The grip length is 5 1/4″ which is an ideal size for the average pickleballer. Not so compressed as to require a smashing of the fingers together. Not to big as to take away surface area from the face. The grip uses a lightly spiralizing upward design with ribs and dimples to ensure a nice marriage with your grip pressure!
The Core
The ability to create spin begins and ends with the core of the pickleball paddle. This particular model does it self a favor in terms of spin creation by using what the manufacturer refers to as “QuadCore” polymer honeycomb.
Honeycomb is what really separates pickleball paddles from, say, a ping pong paddle (rubber) or tennis racquet (strings), and a polymer core is great for its added element of control, a top of the line feature in any true spin shot. After all, the more control you have, the more spin you can work into your shot!
5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – Honorable Mention
The Face
The second most important thing, after proper swing technique, in terms of creating spin on a pickleball is the face of the paddle.
This particular model uses a graphite face (slightly different than a fiberglass or carbon fiber face) with a slight degree of texture which helps to “bite” the pickleball and get it spinning rapidly!
The Surface Area
An appropriately sized surface area is important in terms of giving you the ability to create spin without diminishing your sweet spot. This particular paddle, a little bit “taller” than your classic wide body shape, measures ~16.5 inches long (~4.25 inches of which is the length of the grip) and ~7 inches wide.
While the longer paddle does give you a little extra length, it could come at the expense of creating spin – depending, of course, on your skill level!
The Weight
Spin is going to be directly impacted by the weight of the paddle. This model weighs in at 7.75oz, which is exactly in the middle of the range that we typically suggest if you are going for spin.
It is not “too light”, which would put you at risk in terms of being able to combine a little power into your spin shot, nor is it “too heavy”, which would put you at risk in terms of not being able to “put” the proper amount of paddle-head speed into your shot. A perfect balance for spinners!
The Grip Size and Feel
You need to make sure that your grip isn’t so large as to disallow you from being your wrist into play, yet not so small that your fingers begin to overlap one another. The grip circumference for the above pickleball paddle is 4-1/8″. We like when manufacturers offer smaller grips, since you can “build up” with an overgrip to get to the exact circumference required by your hand size and strength.
You’ll see that this paddle uses the preferred upwards spiralizing grip design, with light dimpling and texturization. It is lightly padded as well.
The combination of these three factors helps the pickleballer to not “over-squeeze” the paddle, which would be detrimental to his or her ability to create spin. The wisely designed grip ensure that you can a good hold of the paddle without feeling like you mush squeeze too tightly!
The Core
If your paddle doesn’t have the right core, you’ll never be happy with the level of spin that you are seeking to create. The manufacturer of this paddle uses what they refer to as “NeuCore Technology” claiming that it has “drastically increased cell size and paddle core depth help to enhance predictability and responsiveness.”
If you translate this into layman’s terms, they are stating that the larger “honeycomb” cells incorporated into their design allow you to apply more spin to the ball. This aligns with our experience as well, as this one can really get the ball spinning when you make the proper contact!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do I Need to Spin a Pickleball?
Every pickleballer needs to have a variety of shots to pull from in his or her own shot selection. Just like there are times when it is important to hit a power shot (e.g.: when your opponent is out of position and you need to power the ball into the open court before they can recover), there are times when spin is your better answer!
You can hit spin in a number of different ways and combinations, but the prevailing spins are topspin, backspin and sidespin. We go into the importance of each type of spin and in what situations you need to hit which in the sections below. For now, just know that a pickleballer with an inferior spin game will likely be defeated by an opponent who has developed a greater mastery of the spin techniques!
Why Composite is Typically your Best Bet for Spin?
We mention it in the paddle reviews that we have laid out for you above, but perhaps you didn’t catch it the first time around. The rule of thumb, in pickleball, is that a paddle with a composite face or skin (usually featuring fiberglass of some quantity) is going to prevail over a wooden or graphite competitor, but why?
The secret is in the way that a composite paddle reacts to, say, a wooden pickleball paddle. The components of a composite paddle do two things.
First, they allow a pickleball to “sink” just a little further into the face of the paddle, allowing the ball to “stay” on the paddle for just a split second longer, and thus providing the pickleballer with a greater ability to impose spin on the ball.
Second, the composite material is usually “roughed up” (think sandpaper, but not nearly as extreme), allowing the texturized surface to “grab hold” of the ball and place more spin on it!
Why Graphite is Typically Better for Power, not Spin?
If you read the section above, you might have guessed that a graphite paddle is going to be the opposite of a composite paddle. Well, this is somewhat true, at least when it comes to the hardness/rigidity of the face of the pickleball paddle.
A graphite paddle is going play “harder” than a composite paddle. Why? This is because the graphite is much denser than the fiberglass, causing the pickleball to bounce more hardly (or quickly) off of the face of the paddle, as opposed to “sinking” into the face as is the case with a composite model.
While the graphite face can still feature some element of texturization, this is only 1/2th of the equation. Of course, graphite paddles are not ALL bad, and some are quite skilled at creating spin from them! Just know that they are more appropriate for one seeking more “power” as opposed to more “spin”!
Why Technique is So Important to Spin?
So you’ve purchased a spin oriented pickleball paddle? Great! You are well on your way to becoming a more diverse pickleballer, at least in terms of your shot selection. But did you know that you’ve only completed half of the puzzle in terms of pieces needed to become a more advanced spin player? Ok, so what is the other half?
The second piece is swing style or, more accurately, swing technique. Think about it with an easy example. If you wanted to spin a pool ball, what would you do? You would hit the side of the ball, with force, to get it spinning on its axis. If you wanted to hit is without spin, what would you do? You would hit it dead center so that it only rolled forward, and without spin!
The same concept applies when hitting a pickleball, at least if you want to create some serious spin! Instead of hitting the “side” of the ball, think of it more as “coming across the ball”.
For instance, if you want to hit side spin (or a “slice”), you would want to brush the face of the paddle quickly across the ball, “grabbing” the ball as the face comes across and creating spinning action.
If you hit the ball “flat” (e.g.: head on, like the pool ball example above), you won’t be transferring any motion (other than forward motion) from your paddle to the ball! Technique is everything!!
When to Hit Spin and What Kind to Use?
So you have read this article and are absolutely convinced of two things.
First, you know that spin is VERY important to developing your game as a “complete” pickleball player.
Second, you know that you MUST get the correct kind of paddle and use the PROPER kind of technique to get the ball spinning. So that’s everything, right? NO!!
You need to know WHICH kind of spin to use during certain occasions! Let’s take a look at each of the common spins and the circumstances in which to use it.
Top Spin.
This is the type of spin that most pickleballers are familiar with. It is created by brushing “upwards” on the ball and creating “forward and downward” spinning ball that dives into your opponent’s court and “jumps” off of the surface with a good amount of pace.
This type of shot is IDEAL for when playing in windy conditions, as the ball will work to keep its forward (and downward) trajectory, regardless of wind direction. You’ll need extra talent when the wind is blowing from behind you, however, or you will hit a top spin shot out of the back of your opponent’s court, resulting in a lost point.
Back Spin.
This is also somewhat familiar to most pickleballers, even if they haven’t quite yet figured out how to hit it with predictable results. This is the type of shot created when a pickleballer “cuts” underneath the ball, resulting in a back spin that decreases shot speed, but also vastly decreases the height of the bounce once it lands in the opponent’s court.
This is an IDEAL type of “finesse” shot for use when your opponent is nearer to his or her baseline (the back line of their court, furthest from you) and may not be able to make it to the net in time to hit the ball back over the court.
The backspin will cause the ball to just barely float over the net, at a slow rate of speed, and with almost no bounce upon contact with the ground. This type of shot makes it very difficult for your adversary to (1) make it to the ball in the first place, and (2) get “underneath” the ball to knock it back over the net if they get to the ball at all!
Side Spin.
This is somewhat of an “other” category when it comes to spin, because it can take one of many different forms. This type of spin is created when a pickleballer “slices” the ball to get it spinning in a “hard right” or “hard left” manner.
The timing on the shot can be tricky, and so can the swing speed. Master both and you’ll have a tremendous weapon! Side spin is great for a couple different situations.
The first, and most obvious, plays a part for a player who wants to be consistent in windy situations. If you have a hard right to left wind, you would want to spin the ball to the right, such that the ball spins into the wind and thus has a better chance of counteracting the wind and landing in the adversary’s court.
The second situation is for scoring a quick point on an out of position opponent. If your opponent is drawn off to the left side of the court, you should hit a shot hard to the right to force them to run the extra distance to try to make the return.
But don’t just hit it to the right, hit it to the right and compound the effect by adding some right spin! The impact of the spin will be two fold.
First, the ball will travel in a more exaggerated left to right motion while in the air.
Second, upon landing, the ball will bounce more dramatically to the right, potentially throwing off an opponent’s timing and bringing them even further off the court than the were before!
How to Get More Spin?
Now you know that you need to be able to hit spin shots to be a great player, you know that you need to get a spin oriented paddle and work on your technique in order to consistently makes these type of shots, and you even know WHEN it is appropriate to hit each kind of shot.
What else is there to know, right? How to get more spin, of course!
There are two features that are more important than the rest in terms of creating EVEN MORE spin. The first is the size of your grip and the second is the paddle weight.
If you buy a paddle that has too big of a grip size, you’re not going to be able to flick your wrist hard enough to create spin – its as simple as that.
For this reason, if you want to create the maximum size of spin possible, we would suggest that you go one grip size LOWER than your true grip size.
Remember, you can always “build up” your grip by using over-grips (if you do in fact want to go larger), but you can never make your grip smaller once you have made your initial purchase. Keep this in mind when you are evaluating one paddle against the next.
Paddle weight is equally important. Above, we spoke about the importance of finding a “medium” weight paddle, something very close to 7.75oz in weight.
While a lighter paddle may technically be able to deliver more spin because of the greater swing speed you may be able to achieve, you won’t be able to put any “mass” behind the short, which is an important element in actually driving the ball forward with spin (which is what you want).
Also, if you go with the heavier type of pickleball paddles, you’ll likely be unable to get the “head speed” necessary to brush across the ball to really get it spinning. Slow head speed = slow spin. Its as simple as that! Look for a medium weight paddle and you will NOT be disappointed!
Can a Spin Paddle also be Powerful?
There is a “best of both worlds” situation where you can have both spin and power. In fact, the paddles that we’ve highlighted for you earlier in this article fit into this category. Look for a paddle that is built with a composite (ideal) or textured graphite (second best) face, as these are the best for “biting” into the ball to get it turning rapidly.
A graphite face is, typically, going to be a little more powerful (and thus have a little less spin), than will a composite face. However, with the proper technique, and with lightly textured graphite, a player with a graphite paddle can be very dangerous in terms of spin creation!
Conclusion
So there it is folks, you now know EVERYTHING there is to know about the best pickleball paddles for spin! We had a brief overview containing all sorts of basic information about important considerations for those who are looking to add more spin to their shots!
We discussed issues of face, surface area, weight, grip size and feel, as well as the importance of core material. We discussed why each of these was so important in terms of the impact that they have upon the ball as it leaves the pickleball and travels to the opponent’s court.
We then looked at the top 5 pickleball paddles for spin oriented players and discussed the specifics of each, making comparisons among each of them so that you can decide whether one would be a good fit for you and your pickleball style!
We also included a brief question and answer section where we posted some of the most common questions that we receive from other pickleball enthusiasts. It is our hope that these answers, and all of the other information included on this pickleball forum, is helpful in crafting you into the finest and most competitive pickleball player you can be!
Comments
So what do you think? Do you agree with our recommendations in terms of the top 5 pickleball paddles for spin? Perhaps you have a couple of other paddles that you’ve found to be a good fit or your game and you’d like to share them with the group?
Maybe you’ve tried out one of the showcased models and would like to share your opinion about some of its pros and cons? Be sure to share your thoughts and opinions with us by posting on the Comments board below! We read and reply to every comment and absolutely LOVE interacting with the pickleball community!
One reply on “The 5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin – [Ranked] in 2020 – In Depth Review and Guide”
[…] the last honorable mention in our 5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin post, so this paddle is also a particularly good spinner. We’ll break down all the details that […]