Best Wooden (aka cheap and vintage) Pickleball Sets
7
Why Buy Wooden Paddles
The short answer: they’re cheap. All the paddle sets on this list are srsly budget frndly. None come in at more than $75 (for four paddles, balls, and a carrying case 😍) and most are significantly cheaper. Of course, you can splurge on the Beamer of paddle brands and get a new Kinetic stick made out of space age polymers. But you gotta ask yourself, “is this too much paddle for me?” and “Who do I think I am getting a $200 paddle when I’ve only played pickleball once?”. You probably can’t even tell the difference unless you’re a 4.0 player or above. There are some good reasons for buying an expensive paddles when you’re a beginner:
- You have a lot of cash to burn.
- You don’t mind looking like a poseur.
- You really are dedicated to getting better and plan to devote a lot of time, resources and energy to the sport of pickleball (good for you, high five buddy).
- You’re just looking for a paddle for yourself and don’t want a set for the whole fam or friend group of fellow pickle noobies.
- Weight: this might be a legit reason to skip wood and go straight to carbon fiber or graphite. Wood paddles tend to be heavier which could be rough for beginners because they don’t have the wrist strength to weild a large weapon. Definitely keep weight in mind and shoot for paddles under 13oz.
So what are some good reasons for buying a wooden 🥒⚾️ paddle set? Well I’m glad you asked.
- Fiduciary Fidelity and Fiscal Finitude: fancy words for cheap. We live in a materialist culture, I’m super susceptible to it: if someone tells me their racket is made of recycled carbon fiber from NASA test jets, that it’s the same paddle Andre Agassi used to win the Pickleball Slam, that it not only offers increased spin and speed but much better control and comfort. Marketing speak can make you think the paddle will solve every problem you ever had. But deep down you know as well as I do that it just ain’t so. I absolutely guarantee you that an pro pickleball player ranked in the top 500 could mop the floor with you, even if you had the latest CRBN racket and all they played with was a plastic clipboard. I’m not joking. The hard truth is it takes hundreds of hours of practice to start to get the feel for the ball to understand what a fancy pants racket can do for you. And let me tell you something else, once you fall down that rabbit hole of thinking a paddle can make you a better player, you will ALWAYS be wondering if it’s you or the paddle. You miss an easy dink, “dang, maybe I should switch to Selkirk,” you try to smash and it goes sideways “I think I need more titanium fibers interwoven with the carbon on my next racquet.” It never ends, and the equipment manufacturers never want it to end. But there’s a way out, I’ve seen it. If you can become competent using a 15$ wooden paddle and trust your kinetic coordination to put the ball close to where you want it to go with nothing more than seven-ply Baltic Birch, then you will build confidence in yourself. You will feel the game and become enmeshed in its rhythms and tempo, unconsciously understand what you need to do on the court and stop second guessing your equipment.
- Great way to get the whole family, friends or workgroup started in the sport. For under $200 you could get eight people into pickleball. How awesome is that?
- Wood is easier on the environment. Let’s face it, the earth ain’t getting any cleaner and the runoff from production methods of aluminum, titanium, graphite and carbon fiber contributes a lot more than simply lacquering up some birch.
Top 4 pack paddles sets
6
NuiPipo Set
Great set for colorblind new players
7
Boulder Poplar Paddles
Made near Boulder, Colorado
Top 2 pack paddles sets
Hi there, I'm Peggy. A retired woman who has played tennis all my life. Tennis has been my passion since I was a child , and I've competed at various levels throughout my life. But now, I'm reluctantly taking up pickleball. I used to hate all you loud, wiffle ball battering pickleballers but I'm slowing coming around.
I've always been someone who takes care of their health by eating well and staying active. My lean build is a testament to my dedication to tennis, which has kept me in great shape over the years. Although I'm a bit hesitant about pickleball, I'm looking forward to trying something new and keeping up my fitness.
As someone who has been deeply involved in tennis for most of my life, it's hard to imagine playing anything else. However, I understand that pickleball has a growing following, and I'm willing to give it a try. Who knows, maybe I'll even come to enjoy it as much as I love tennis.
I've always been someone who takes care of their health by eating well and staying active. My lean build is a testament to my dedication to tennis, which has kept me in great shape over the years. Although I'm a bit hesitant about pickleball, I'm looking forward to trying something new and keeping up my fitness.
As someone who has been deeply involved in tennis for most of my life, it's hard to imagine playing anything else. However, I understand that pickleball has a growing following, and I'm willing to give it a try. Who knows, maybe I'll even come to enjoy it as much as I love tennis.
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