The 5 Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin and Control

A great pickleball paddle is crucial in ensuring you win a pickleball game. It is an excellent addition to your skill and can advance you considerably. The USA pickleball association ensures that pickleball manufacturers make and assign different power levels, spin ability, and response levels, among other things, to their products. As a result, you can get a paddle that will give you the advantage of great spins, while others will be more forgiving, giving you consistent shots.

We understand that it can be a challenge looking for the right paddle, especially since the market is oversaturated with options to choose from. So, for advanced players, we will give you options that will offer you great spin and control to help with those drives and soft balls.

Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin and Control

Best Overall

JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm Swift Pickleball Paddle

The CFS pickleball racket had an advanced Carbon-Flex5 textured face for increased spin. The elongated paddle help harness it’s power for more control

The paddle is used by Ben Johns, one of the top-performing pickleball players in the world. This should tell you a thing or two and make you broader when buying the paddle. When it comes to the spin and control category, Ben Johns is a top performer.

They constructed the face using carbon friction, ensuring that the ball does not slip or the material overtightens. Additionally, Ben Johns is also a top performer in the power category. The Ben Johns design reduces the drag caused by the wind, ensuring your drives are powerful enough. The handle is shock absorbent, ensuring that the paddle works as an extension of your hand. This is hands down one of the best pickleball paddles for advanced players and beginners alike.

Pros

  • Unmatched control and spin
  • Shock absorbent handle
  • Great design that reduces drag
  • Non-slip features
  • Durable product

Cons

  • It does not reduce tennis elbow

2. TMPR Oculus XT

TMPR is an industry giant, and its paddles are fast rising in popularity and their latest paddle is certainly one of the best pickleball paddles for spin and control on the market. The paddle has a rounded head, ensuring that your shot has enough power and control. It is ideal for beginners due to its large sweet spot. The paddle has an oval face, ensuring its sweet spot is more significant than usual. Therefore, with this paddle, you can say goodbye to uncontrolled edge hits.

Although a player of any skill level can use it, an advanced player will have the power of a god with this paddle. The paddle can help you with your softballs and third-shot drives without sacrificing power. The handle has vibration-dampening technology, ensuring that you are entirely comfortable playing. Additionally, the paddle is lightweight.

Pros

  • Impressive control
  • Affordable
  • Shock absorbing technology
  • Grit surface for a spin
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Few color options available 

3. TOPP Reacher Graphite Blade

As the name suggests, this paddle will help you reach shots that would be hard to reach with a standard paddle. It has an elongated handle that gives you more control of the ball, helping you return shots that would have otherwise made you lose. Also, the pickleball paddle is lightweight.

They made the graphite blade face using material that ensures a satisfying and quiet output. The pickleball paddle also gives you unmatched spin, ensuring that you have greater control of your game. However, the paddle is a premium one and, therefore, likely to hurt your pocket. However, the quality will overcompensate for the price.

Pros

  • Elongated to reach high balls
  • More spin and control
  • Good grip
  • Lightweight
  • Power paddle

Cons

  • Costly
  • Not ideal for beginners

4. Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Review

When it comes to perfect pickleball paddles, Selkirk cannot miss the list! Selkirk is a company that made a point to remake all their paddles following customer input. As a result, they have built various paddles for various reasons. This specific paddle is thier best pickleball paddles for spin and control. The paddle will give you consistent dinks, drives, serves and returns.

The paddle ensures that the ball goes smoothly through the air, resulting in less drag. Additionally, Selkirk makes their paddles with a hole in the neck, ensuring that air does not create drag. All these features go a long way in increasing your level of control.

The paddles do not move with an edge guard like most traditional paddles. Notably, the edge guard is usually the first sign of degradation in a paddle. Another outstanding feature of the paddle is that it is long-lasting, more than your average paddle.

Pros

  • Unmatched power, spin, and control
  • Perfect for dinks
  • Highly maneuverable
  • Highly durable
  • Great shape

Cons

  • Not ideal for beginners

5. Prince Response Pro

Most customer reviews say that the Prince Response Pro is lightweight and workable. It is a favorite among customers because its face is large enough for any player. Consequently, this paddle is one of th best pickleball paddles for beginners and advanced players. Additionally, the paddle gives players a good amount of the sweet spot to work with.

The Prince Response Pro is also a top performer in spin and control. The structure is in such a way that it distributes the paddle’s weight evenly, giving the ball a more accurate response. For these same reasons, the paddle offers the player great spin. Most of the paddle’s weight is in the handle rather than the face.

The paddle is ideal for beginners because it is incredibly forgiving. The manufacturers had tennis rackets in mind when making the design; therefore, they have a sinking effect creating a perfect sweet spot. Many players claim that the paddle has helped them get better at pickleball.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Ideal for all level players
  • Highly forgiving
  • Paddle for spin and control

Cons

  • Some players complain about the handle size

Best Pickleball Rackets for Spin and Control – Buyers Guide

Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin and Control

Material

The paddle material makes all the difference since it is the part that makes contact with the ball. Based on your preferences, there are several options to choose from. First, there is the option of wood. Wood was the original material used to make paddles; however, in recent years, wooden paddles have gone extinct. Wooden paddles are not likely to give the best experience. However, plywood paddles have been rising, mainly because they are lighter than hardwood ones.

They also make the paddles with polymer plastics. Polymer plastic paddles are incredibly lightweight and very popular. There are both cheap ones and on the premium side as well. A quality polymer paddle is likely to give us stunning results.

Graphite is the third material used in manufacturing paddles. These paddles produce shots with greater consistency and speed than other options in the market. Also, graphite paddles are high-performing paddles, but they cost a fortune. Consequently, professional players often use them.

Manufacturers also use composite to manufacture paddles. Composite is like polymer but of higher quality materials. These paddles are durable and light. These paddles are ideal for professional players looking for paddles that offer value but at a lower cost.

Core Construction

There are several materials that manufacturers use on the core. The material used on the core is vital because it determines how the ball reacts to the paddle and the general feel of the whole unit.

Aluminum is the material primarily used in making the core of paddles. Aluminum cores are lightweight and responsive, offering the player excellent game control. Additionally, they are long-lasting.

Nomex paddles are durable, hard, and loud. Consequently, highly competitive players like it a lot. Manufacturers also use Nomex to make cores.

Paddle types

You can also select your paddle according to its shape and type. There are edgeless paddles, which tend to have high workability and big sweet spots. They are highly forgiving, therefore, suitable for the learning player.

There are oversized paddles that are generally bigger than usual. These oversized paddles usually have more extensive surfaces, which is excellent for the game experience. There is also the option of elongated paddles, which the manufacturer designed to offer you extended reach.

Conclusion

By now, you can tell that a paddle is not just a paddle; there is so much consideration before purchasing one. Buying a paddle that will not work against your natural skill set is crucial. Some paddles work best as power hitters; others spin a lot, with others offering precision.

Some manufacturers have put spin and control at the center of their construction; therefore, the above reviews come in handy. Additionally, several manufacturers currently offer paddles; therefore, you will likely need clarification. However, if you are still deciding what kind of paddle you might like, we have provided a buying guide to help you decide.

Different players have different needs when it comes to pickleball. A more forgiving paddle will help you get better at the game if you are a beginner. Paddles with a big sweet spot can help beginner players get more consistent shots and minimize edge hits. Players who mostly rely on dinks and third-shot drives to win rallies can rely on thicker paddles. Players who want to drive power shots can use lightweight paddles.