When all your gear is in order and you have dealt with any anomalous occurrences that can cause your game to slip, or just cause you uncomfort, then you can be sure your game will improve.
Today we are going to talk about pickleball and what accessories you can buy that will help you improve your game and your general experience when playing.
If you have learnt to understand the game and are now looking for products that can help you take your game to the next level, you have come to the right place.
Keep reading to learn more about pickleball, as well as some accessories that can really help your game improve as well as making it more enjoyable. Find out below, what our favorite pickleball accessories are!
What Is Pickleball?
The name pickleball can be a bit confusing and doesn’t necessarily lend itself to clarity. However, beyond its interesting name, pickleball is pretty easy to understand.
Just imagine a cross between table tennis badminton, and full court tennis, which is played on the smaller badminton court.
Pickleball is a simple game that is just a smaller version of tennis, with slightly larger paddles that is the kind of game everyone can play.
It’s less athletic than badminton or tennis but is great to play outside unlike table tennis.
Basically anyone can play pickleball as it is not too demanding on your body but is still great for both physical and mental exercise.
This fact, in addition to the game’s unique mix of strategy and athletic skill, has made it one of the fastest growing sports in the US.
Basic Pickleball Gear
While the sport is super easy to play, you will of course need to gather a few basic bits of equipment in order to play with friends and practice on your own.
If you have been borrowing your friends gear, but decided you want to pursue the sport, then this is a good starter pack.
Pickleballs
Unsurprisingly, you will need a pickleball that is approved by the USA Pickleball Association.
To be clear, if you are playing in a tournament you will need to check with the director about specific pickleball requirements for that tournament.
There are two types of pickleball, one for indoor and one for outdoor play. The indoor ball has softer and lighter plastic with fewer but larger holes, helping the ball’s physics be suited for indoor surfaces.
While the outdoor ball has more holes in order to help the ball’s flight when in the wind.
This ball was designed for optimum performance in outdoor play.
While there are other balls out there this one for ONIX is particularly noted for its durability, created using an injection molded process.
Moreover, the holes are all the same size rather than varying in size, meaning its flight in the air will be much better, as well as the bounce physics.
They are a little more expensive than other brands, but arguably more durable.
Not only is Selkirk a company made by pickleball players, rather than a company simply jumping on the bandwagon, but the Amped Epic is specifically good for shaping shots, and getting accurate hits on the ball.
If you want to splash out on an accessory that can really improve your game, this is worth the money and is a great mid-weight option for those who want a paddle that can help shape shots.
Moreover, the polypropylene honeycomb design reduces fatigue on arms by absorbing impact well.
If you're a beginner who wants to give the sport a try, but doesn’t want to break the bank just yet, this paddle is ideal.
Head’s engineering prowess in paddle making is demonstrable in their tennis rackets and for a reasonable price you can get a pretty lightweight paddle that performs really well and doesn’t restrict play much.
These accessories are extraneous purchases for those intermediate players who want to reduce variables in their game.
Gloves
Consistent playing can both lead to a fatigued hand and arm that will reduce performance in the moment and lead to injuries restricting play in the future.
Depending on where you play pickleball you may also want to keep your hand warm to improve your grip.
These gloves not only keep your hands warm when playing, helping you keep a tight grip on the paddle, but also have additional grippy features on the material of the glove.
This glove is made specifically for paddle sports, and is a single glove for your serving hand. The padding in the glove helps reduce hand fatigue and leads to less impact injuries.
They aren’t ideal for keeping hands warm, but better if you want something grippy and padded.
Having a pair of performance sports socks can help you improve comfort when playing, reduce blisters, and generally lend themselves to better performance.
For a reasonable price, this three pack of performance socks have been proven to reduce blisters, have sweat wicking ventilation, reduce foot fatigue and keep feet dry and fresh.
With these socks you can help prevent potential injuries and fatigue that comes with persistent playing, as well as improve helping your performance while playing by keeping your feet dry and protected.
Pros
Sweat wicking
Comfortable
Prevent injuries
Cons
Limited sizing
Headbands
Headbands can help reduce sweat going into your eyes and help you play better as a result.
Made from nylon, these wrist bands are cool and have a comfortable feel that doesn't squeeze your wrist.
Ideal for reducing sweat on your hands, while being pretty much unnoticeable.
Pros
Don’t feel tight
Sweat wicking technology
Cons
More expensive being a branded product
Books
Studying some books on pickleball can be a key to understanding the game as a beginner, but also helps you improve your game as an intermediate player.
While the official pickleball rules sanctioned by the USA Pickleball are available in PDF format for free, you may want to have the physical book to sit and study so you can play free from doubt.
The rules can change slightly each year, so it can be best to check for updates, but for a general rule book this 2022 revised edition is great and stands up.
This is a really accessible book on the sport that is readable and written by a pickleball veteran.
This is both ideal for beginners who want to understand the game more, and for more practiced players who want to study the game and learn how to improve their game and take the sport to the next level.
Pros
Written by a pickleball expert
Offers theory behind the sport
Cons
Can be outdated
Final Thoughts
As you can see there are plenty of accessories, for a new sport, that can allow you to really improve your game by preventing things that can hinder your game, as well as presenting unique opportunities to improve your game as a result of your gear.
Check them out today to improve your pickleball game!
Hello, I’m Damien Dansel and I have been playing pickleball for almost six years now. It all began in my first year of college when I was drowning in coursework and finals. I needed a stress reliever, but none of the usual suspects were working.
That’s when I saw that the pickleball court was free. I had a paddle, a ball, and a dream, and plenty of stress to unload. I encouraged some of my friends to come and play with me, and eventually, we even started a pickleball club at our college.
I started this site to get more people clued in and excited about pickleball. Please, take a look around and get as excited about this underrated sport as we are!
