Collin Johns practicing dinking.
Pickleball was the sport of the summer.
While the sport is easy to learn, there are a lot of details that go into making a pro, including their paddle.
Professional players like Collin Johns have paddle sponsors and have even designed their own paddles.
"I never thought that I'd have a paddle with my name on it," Johns said.
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There are several factors of a paddle that can affect playing style, including weight, length, and grip size, according to this pickleball paddle buying guide from Net World Sports.
"The dimensions are really important because, generally speaking, people miss hit the ball left to right rather than up or down," Johns said. "You want to give yourself more width."
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If you like to volley a lighter paddle is favored and if you like to play groundstrokes, a heavier paddle is recommended.
A standard paddle is typically lighter, allowing for more speed and a larger sweet spot.
Whereas an elongated paddle is typically heavier with a smaller sweet spot.
The USA Pickleball National Championships are in Farmers Branch, Texas at the Brookhaven Country Club from Nov. 5 through Nov. 12.
