Regardless of the sport, your equipment can make a significant difference. While you account for the difference in performance, you should also consider how awful it would be to continue to replace it if it breaks. These tips for maintaining your pickleball paddle ensure you have a premium paddle for the long haul.
Use a Good Bag
If you have something that’s valuable and somewhat vulnerable, you want to do your best to protect it from wear and tear. Musicians use cases to store and carry their equipment around to ensure they stay in tip-top shape. Similarly, having a top-notch bag can do that with your pickleball equipment.
Keeping your paddle and other accessories in a pickleball bag keeps your paddles safe from breaking when you head to the pickleball court. Pickleball bags have special compartments to house these paddles, keeping them from having contact with other things rattling around.
Wipe It Down
What you do before and after your paddle can go a long way in increasing its lifespan. You can do this by giving your paddle a thorough wipe-down.
Look around for a cleaning towel or kit to clean your paddles. It’s important always to wipe your paddle and handle after each game. Wipe off the paddle with a damp microfiber cloth or a light glass cleaner. This practice will help you avoid buildup that might alter the paddle’s traction.
Use an Overgrip and Edge Guard
You often hear amateur golfers and even baseball players talk about needing a better grip on their clubs or bats, respectively. A robust and relaxed overgrip can do wonders for your comfort, but it also will give your paddle’s thin handle an extra layer of defense.
Additionally, your paddle’s edges are vulnerable to chipping without an edge guard. This guard may compromise a fraction of your paddle’s surface area; however, the minimal loss is worth the gain when you can extend your paddle’s longevity.
Don’t Wait To Fix a Damaged Paddle
Even with the appropriate precautions, your paddle won’t remain blemish-free, especially if you play regularly. The adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” only makes sense strategically. However, you shouldn’t hesitate to repair the paddle from a practical perspective.
The more you play with a compromised paddle, the worse it will become over time, so don’t hesitate to react accordingly.
Celebrate Safely
In closing, let’s return to our musician example from before. An axman may slam their guitar to the ground after killing a solo in celebration. While that looks awesome as all get out, and you might want to spike your paddle on the court, you’re better off sticking to a more mundane celebration. This advice also holds true if you tend to have a temper and throw your paddle after a mishit or a bad call.
Following these tips for maintaining your pickleball paddles should give you years of good usage, particularly if you go with
pickleball paddles from Fromuth Pickleball. As the online retail partner with MLP, we stock the top paddle brands the sport offers, including Six Zero, Joola, GearBox, Paddletek, and more!