Pickleball paddle
A solid, flat paddle used to hit the perforated plastic ball in pickleball.
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Overview
A pickleball paddle is a solid, stringless bat larger than a table tennis bat but smaller than a tennis racquet. Its flat face is used to strike the lightweight, perforated plastic ball that defines the sport.
The paddle’s size and solid surface suit the shorter court and slower ball, giving players control for both soft dinks near the net and firmer drives.
Good to know
- Bigger than a table tennis bat, smaller than a tennis racquet.
- Used with a light, perforated plastic ball.
- The flat face suits both soft touch shots and drives.
Where it’s used
Sports that use pickleball paddle:
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Playing surfaces
- Hard courtA rigid acrylic, concrete or asphalt court that gives a true, consistent, medium-paced bounce — the standard multi-use outdoor surface.
- WoodAn indoor sprung timber or parquet floor — grippy, consistent and lightly cushioned; the classic surface for indoor court sports.
- ClayA soft, granular racquet-sport surface of crushed brick, stone or shale that slows the ball, gives a high bounce and lets players slide into shots.
Knowledge Atlas
Rules
- LetA call that stops a point and has it replayed without penalty, used across several racket sports.
- Two-bounce ruleA pickleball rule requiring both the serve and the return to bounce once before players may hit the ball out of the air.
- TravelingA basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.
- Double dribbleA basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
- GoaltendingA basketball violation for interfering with a shot while the ball is on its downward path to the basket or above the rim.
Tactics
- Set-piece playRehearsed routines from a dead-ball situation such as a corner, free kick or throw-in used to create chances.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Counter-attackWinning the ball and moving forward at speed to attack before the opponent can reorganise their defence.
- Fast breakPushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.
- Serve and volleyAn attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Equipment
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-09
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