Getting the right pickleball paddle can be tricky if you’re a beginner. Graphite is a popular material for paddles because it’s lightweight and provides good power. But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to know which one to choose. In this article, we’ll recommend the best graphite pickleball paddle for beginners.
Table of Contents
Best Graphite Pickleball Paddle for Beginners
SLK Latitude Pickleball Paddle | Graphite
Reliable and proven technology paired with the G4 Graphite face gives you a consistent hit and feel every time you hit the ball.
1. Selkirk SLK Latitude Graphite Pickleball Paddle For Beginner
The Selkirk paddle is the very definition of reliable and stylish when it comes to the best graphite pickleball paddles. The paddle is suitable for beginner and intermediate players. It is great for competitive play.
The paddle finds a great balance between control and power. The paddle can help you get better at your dink and third-shot drives. You’ll be assured of balance and comfort when you use this paddle. It is a widebody paddle that ensures there is a great sweet spot. It has a great grip and cushioned handle to absorb any shock. Additionally, this Selkikrk paddle has a polymer core, ensuring it is durable and quiet and offers you a great balance of touch and power.
Pros
- Great spin
- Balance between power and control
- Ideal paddle grip
- Offers value for the price
- Lightweight
- Highly durable
Cons
- Non-responsive customer care
2. Niupipo Graphite Pickleball Paddle
This graphite option is one of the best pickleball paddles for beginners. Its honeycomb core gives the paddle unmatched strength to spin the balls. Surprisingly the paddle is lightweight and offers the players the desired stiffness.
Additionally, the paddle finds the sweet spot in balancing control and power. The paddle ensures that you put in the right amount of force, making your shots more accurate. The handle is also sweat-absorbent and well-cushioned to act as an extension of your hand. It is a widebody paddle, ensuring you have a bigger sweet spot.
Pros
- Power paddle
- Increased control
- Lightweight
- Great spin
- Built for comfort
- Budget pack that comes with one bag, four balls, and two paddles
- Great maneuverability
Cons
- Less durable
3. ONIX Stryker 4 Graphite Paddle
With this paddle, you enjoy a larger sweet spot, ensuring you are not missing any balls. It has an oversized paddle, increasing the chances of the ball hitting the sweet spot. With its polypropylene core, you are assured of consistent hits. Manufacturers designed the paddle for beginners and intermediate players. However, beginners are set to benefit the most from the large sweet spot.
Additionally, the graphite face delivers power and touch, ensuring all your balls go across the net. The Onix Stryker is a lightweight paddle ideal for a player looking for a combination of power, touch, and forgiving paddle. It’s lightweight, ensuring you are at optimum speed and maneuverability. If you prefer quiet paddles, then this should be your go-to paddle.
Pros
- Enhanced responsiveness
- Highly forgiving
- Offers speed and maneuverability
- Lightweight
- Quiet paddle
- Consistent touch
Cons
- Sacrifices on control
4. Gamma Sports 2.0 Pickleball Paddles
If you are a player looking for a paddle that offers good touch, more power, and great control, then Gamma is the brand for you. With its textured graphite face, you are sure to get consistent hits. Interestingly, it is a midweight paddle, ensuring that you can land great dinks and third-shot drives. Its weight also ensures maximum maneuverability and accuracy.
Its honeycomb core ensures that it is highly powerful and gives control to beginners and advanced intermediate players alike. The paddle handle is sweat-absorbent and highly cushioned, designed for maximum comfort.
Pros
- Cushioned grip for comfort
- Combination of touch and power
- Mid-weight for more control
- Great maneuverability
- Enhanced responsiveness
Cons
- Small grip
5. XS XSPAK Pickleball Paddle
The value pack paddle set has a graphite face, ensuring that it offers a beginner more control and accuracy. The paddle is great for all level players, beginners and advanced alike. It has a polymer honeycomb core, ensuring it is quiet and soft.
Additionally, the core material ensures that it is highly durable and has enhanced power. It uses proprietary edge guard technology, ensuring you play with your paddle for many years. The paddle will likely stand out in the field due to its professional design. Also, it is lightweight, ensuring that you don’t worsen any arm injuries you might have.
Pros
- Great maneuverability
- Quiet paddle
- Great control
- Highly durable
- Ideal for all level players
- Value set
Cons
- Small grip
Factors to Consider When Buying Beginner Graphite Pickleball Paddles
When looking for the best graphite pickleball paddle for beginners, you should consider these four key factors:
Weight
Paddles are classified into three categories; light paddles (less than 7.2 ounces), mid-weight paddles (up to 8.4 ounces), and heavy paddles (8.5oz and above). Typically, beginners are advised to go with lightweight paddles. This is because they offer better swing, enabling you to precisely hit the ball as planned. Lightweight paddles are ideal for when you want to and softballs due to the amount of control they give. Therefore, if drop shots and dinks are your preferred type of play, you should get a lightweight paddle. Additionally, a lightweight paddle would be ideal if you are getting into pickleball from ping pong or racquetball.
If you are a beginner, you should choose mid-weight paddles. This paddle offers a great balance between control and power.
Heavyweight paddles are for players who prefer power to control. However, getting a heavier paddle will require more energy to drive the ball and, therefore, can cause fatigue. Heavyweight paddles are ideal for singles, as players don’t land drop shots and dinks.
Grip Size
The smallest grip in the market is 3.62 inches, and the largest is 4.5 inches. Paddles with smaller grips help you maneuver your wrist better, enabling you to get more power and spin. Notably, you can only get the ideal grip size by holding the paddles and trying them out.
Core Material
Nomex is a core material designed to give you power and durability. Nomex cores are typically hard and loud. They are great for competitive players who get motivated by the noise produced by the ball hitting the paddle.
The aluminum core material is designed to offer you maximum touch and soft touch. Aluminum is typically soft and lightweight, ensuring that you get maximum maneuverability as well. However, aluminum cores largely sacrifice power.
Polymer paddles are the most popular, designed to give you a soft feel and durability, and it is a quiet paddle. The paddles are relatively quiet and lightweight. The downside of polymer paddles is that they lack power compared to Nomex paddles, and they are ideal if you value control over power.
Material Used
The materials used in paddle construction include graphite, wood, and composite. Wood is highly durable. However, it is the heaviest and cheapest material used in paddle construction. Beginners usually prefer them due to their pocket-friendliness. We advise you to invest in a better paddle if you want to play pickleball regularly.
You can also choose composite paddles, which are highly textured therefore offering maximum spin. They are also lightweight, giving them more maneuverability and workability. Their prices vary widely, and you will likely find a composite paddle in your budget.
Graphite paddles are premium paddles designed to give you precise shots and great control. These paddles are ideal for competitive and professional players.
Frequently Asked Questions About Graphite Pickleball Paddles For Beginners
Q1. Why go for graphite paddles?
Graphite paddles are the ones most likely to give you value for the price. You won’t play with them a few times, then they break. They are thin but very sturdy therefore serving you for more games. We advise you to invest in graphite paddles if you take pickleball as a professional game.
Additionally, it would be best to choose graphite paddles because they give you great ball control. However, the downside is that you will have to sacrifice power.
Q2. Where can I find pickleball games around me?
Pickleball is fast becoming popular. Therefore, finding pickleball games in your area is easy. You can find pickleball tournaments on USA Pickleball.com, where events are listed and games are enlisted based on abilities and ratings, ensuring you don’t play with players, not of your level. The events also have age brackets. Therefore, you play with people your age.
Conclusion
Graphite paddles are a powerhouse for control and spin. They should be part of your collection. You can carry your graphite paddle when playing doubles to help you land precise shot drops and dinks.
They might hurt your pocket a little bit. However, the value they offer matches their price. Additionally, they are ideal for all-level players. Also, if you want to look more professional and intimidate your opponents before the game starts, carry your graphite paddle. The downside is that they highly sacrifice power; therefore, we suggest other options if your ball doesn’t get across the net.
We understand it can be a hustle looking for the right paddle. To make things easier for you, we have attached a buying guide to help you. The products presented by our experts are the industry’s best. However, there is still a lot more to explore.
