Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin

But let’s be clear, you do not have to put insane amounts of spin on the ball to be a great player!

I never thought about spin for the first 2 years playing pickleball as I progressed from a 4.0 to a 5.0 level player. But I realized it could add new weapons to my arsenal by learning this skill.

What are the benefits of putting spin on the ball?

Spin gives you additional shots that are difficult for your opponents to handle by:

• Keeping your opponents guessing.
• Letting you hit the ball harder without the ball landing out.
• More consistent and harder to return baseline drives.
• More aggressive serves.

All these can result in free points! If you want to learn more, check out these free lessons on how to effectively use spin:

• Fundamental Series: The Slice Push Dink (3.5-4.0)
• Fundamental Series -The Topspin Push Dink
• The Best Topspin Push Dink Drills
• The Best Slice Push Dink Drills
• The Topspin Groundstroke

Tips for using spin in pickleball:

1. Don’t overdo it! The last thing you want to do is “chop” at the ball to generate spin. These exaggerated motions are not high percentage shots, and more importantly, they aren’t necessary! This leads us to tip number 2…
2. Let the paddle do the work! All paddles can impart spin on the ball and your natural stroke often puts plenty of rotation on the ball. You should use a modest high to low motion (for backspin) or a low to high motion (for topspin). When it comes to spin: LESS IS MORE.
3. Use a paddle designed for spin! As mentioned in tip number one, we don’t want to use exaggerated chopping motions because these are incredibly difficult to control. So a paddle built to generate spin creates rotation on the ball and keeps your shots under control.

What type of paddle face generates the most spin?

When you are executing that low to high (topspin) or high to low motion (backspin), a rough paddle face “grabs” the ball creating rotation.You can create this “roughness” with a variety of materials including carbon fiber, graphite, fiberglass, T700 (a form of carbon fiber), wood, etc.

How long does the grit last on a pickleball paddle?

The most overlooked factor when purchasing a paddle for spin is “how long will this spin surface last?” The amount of spin “out of the box” and the amount of spin as short as a week later can vary dramatically. 

It’s a little known fact that many pro players are using a brand new paddle each tournament (if not twice a tournament). These players want the high performance spin and consistency you get “out of the box” before wear and tear quickly lowers the performance level of the paddle.

The surface of the paddle will wear down (yes, even if it is not an overlay material). This will depend on how often you use the paddle, but we have found it can be a quick drop off even for players playing only 1 or 2 times a week. You can expect a significant decline in spin performance from most pickleball paddles after just 1 to 2 months if you play moderately to frequently.

We’ve recently developed the ProSpin+ technology that not only generates insane RPM on the ball, but it will keep that spin potential 6 months later! We believe you shouldn’t have to buy a paddle every month for top tier spin!  These paddles give you:

1. Maximum spin
2. The longest lasting spin surface on the market

We have implemented this prospin+ technology on 2 of our latest paddles: the Project 003 and the Vanguard Power Air.

You can check out the independent review of the Vanguard Power Air to learn how this spin compared to others on the market and if the spin potential stood up over time:

So What is the Best Spin Paddle in Pickleball?

It's different for each person and there's no definative answer! But as mentioned at the top of this article, here are our top 4 suggestions for best pickleball paddles for spin:

1. The Vanguard Power Air Invikta
2. The SLK Omega Max
3. The Selkirk Labs Project 003
4. The Vanguard Power Air Epic