The Confidence Behind a Paddle

So I’m still learning all the terms that describe the characteristics of a pickleball paddle – power, pop, dwell, twist weight, swing weight, and more. But one missing characteristic is confidence, more specifically the player’s increase (or decrease) in playing confidence when using the paddle.

This is by no means a measurable attribute but something you see and experience. My niece is also a pickleball beginner but started playing a few weeks after the rest of the group. It’s natural for every beginner to experience moments struggle and success, and of course, increased playtime will improve your game.

But something noticeable happened when she switched from a beginner’s Selkirk from Costco to my Bread and Butter Loco, a 2025 paddle of the year contender. Her game became more aggressive. While her growing skill level isn’t outpacing the performance of the Loco, you could see that her hits were more sure as the paddle responded to what she attempted. The form may be off and the shot selection not ideal, but she was trying to shape her shots, and the Loco was giving her better outcomes. Because the paddle responded to her, her confidence in her shots went up which in turn  translated to a more confident and aggressive game.

In the most recent session, she was at the kitchen line putting away every pop up and defensively, returning drives and dinks. So while getting a higher performing paddle to match your improving skill level is important, hopefully you experience that intangible confidence boost from the paddle.