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You are currently viewing The Best Pickleball Paddle for Spin Shots and Control

The Best Pickleball Paddle for Spin Shots and Control

Hitting a forehand top spin pickleball shot back at your opponent is insanely gratifying but to do this you will need the best pickleball paddle for spin. Pickleball is an exciting game that is presently picking pace as the fastest-growing sport globally. It is an active game that can be played with ease and is suitable for all ages.

If you are an enthusiastic pickleball player, you will probably hear the word 'spin' frequently as people discuss pickleball or pickleball racquets. One of the best skills you could pick up is to hit ball spin to increase your chances of winning in the pickleball game.

With this in mind, it essentially comes down to your paddle choice in pickleball. So, making the right choice on your pickleball paddle is vital to help you create the spin with ease. But are there certain pickleball paddles that will better give you the spin on the ball? The simple answer to that, yes!

The Industry's Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin on the Ball

The right paddle will help create the perfect curve and improve accuracy. Ultimately, you need to master control of the amount of spin on your shots. Pickleball paddles come in a wide range of lengths, styles, widths and made of different materials, but most players would agree that the difference in texture on the paddle face makes a huge difference.

With hundreds of paddle brands to choose from, different combined factors give you different advantages for specific styles.

1. Engage Encore Pro Pickleball Paddle

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Top spin pros popularly know the Engage Encore Pro paddle. The Encore Pro paddle has a polymer core, which provides more dampening and limits the power. When combined with advanced liquid graphite, you get a superior texture surface for more spin control. It highly ranks as one of the best pickleball paddles highly recommended for its variety of useful features, which include:

  • It weighs 7.8 to 8.3 ounces (8 ounces), making it a medium-weight paddle
  • It is 15.5-inches long
  • It comes at 8 1/8-inches wide
  • It gives you a medium-sized 4 1/4-inch grip
  • It has a polymer honeycomb core
  • The surface made from liquid graphite

As a leading USA-based brand, Encore produces excellent pickleball paddles for both beginners and professionals. The Encore Pro paddle has impressive features making it the top choice for maximising spin.

Overall, it gives you a great grip that is comfortable and allows you to play for long without suffering from hand exhaustion.

Pros:

  • The structure and grip gives you maximum power and control.
  • It is suitable for all levels of players.
  • It gives you an effective ball placement.
  • It offers a comfortable grip.
  • It has a large sweet spot that is more forgiving.
  • It has a great grip for better comfort.

Cons:

  • It is relatively heavy.

2. ProLite Rebel PowerSpin Composite Pickle Paddle

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The ProLite Rebel PowerSpin shares a lot of features with its ProLite Crush Powerspin paddle counterpart. Both use the polymer core and SPINtac fibreglass surface. However, the Prolite Rebel is a tad longer than the Crush PowerSpin plus, the edges are a little rounder.

Despite the similarities, it is narrower by 1/16-inches. Plus it comes in a whopping 16 inches, which is the longest the USAPA allows. Yes, it’s against the rules to have your paddle any longer than this.

The paddle length adds to its stature, making it one of the best pickleball paddles for spin. Why? You'd wonder. Well, a longer paddle gives you more ability to generate more force as you whip through that ball spin. 

The perfect example being the top spin forehand return of serve. The spin and power capabilities of the Prolite Rebel paddle are truly remarkable.

Here's a closer look at the details of its structure:

  • It weighs 7.5-8.1 ounces
  • It is 16-inches in length
  • It is 7 13/16-inches in width
  • It gives a 4 1/2-inch grip
  • It has a polymer core
  • It also includes a SPINtac fibreglass surface

The fibreglass surface and polymer core give you such phenomenal control over the pickleball. This is one of your best paddle options if you want to incorporate backspin or top spin into your serve.

The rounder edges and longer structure offer one of the largest sweet spots for players. It also gives a more forgiving surface, making it a fantastic option for those just starting to practise the spin technique or beginners.

Before selecting the paddle, you have to consider the fact that it has a relatively thicker handle, which is 4.5 inches wide. This means a little struggle to maintain the firm grip on the paddle, especially if you have small hands.

On the flip side, the grip is contoured for extra comfort. Consequently, for players with large enough hands, the handle feels just right in your grip.

Pros:

  • It offers a lightweight option if you want more control.
  • The longer paddle design offers more power and reach for better spin.
  • It has a very comfortable contoured grip.

Cons:

  • The thick handle may not work well for all players.
  • It will need a slight adjustment or break-in period.

3. Prince Spectrum Pro Pickleball Paddle

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It is worth noting that this is the same paddle that the Pro player Simone Jardim used to win the triple crown in 2018. She won the Women’s Doubles Championship, the US Open Women’s Singles crown, and the Mixed Doubles Championship.

A whopping three gold medals in just one tournament using the same paddle. The Response Pro is so good at grabbing and manipulating the ball, in large part, due to its two rudimentary design elements; its gigantic sweet spot and its unique oval shape.

Its extensive sweet spot is probably one of the largest sweet spots you will ever play with. You will rarely have a bad hit or miss a hit on the Prince Spectrum Pro paddle’s face. A larger sweet spot assures you a more accurate and on point hit.

The paddle is more accurate and on point even on advanced shots such as the deep, top spin return to baseline. The structure details include:

  • The paddle has a fibreglass face
  • The paddle core is made of a honeycomb woven polymer
  • Its average weight is 7.8-8.3 ounces
  • The paddle width is 8 ¼ inches
  • The paddle length is 15 ¾ inches
  • It has a grip circumference of 4 ⅛ inches or 4 ⅜inches
  • It has a grip length of 5.5 inches

It has an oval shape that Prince uses as its trademark shape. The oval shape helps create a well-balanced paddle with just the right amount of 'head heaviness' when hitting the top spin.

A paddle that is 'head heavy' means that the paddle's weight is moderately distributed towards the head top of its paddle face. This is an imperative consideration when looking for a pickleball paddle for spin.  

This paddle also has a relatively thicker polymer core compared to most paddles. A polymer core is a standard rating right now in the industry; however, what makes the Response Pro paddle so unique is that its polymer core is much thicker than in most. This, in turn, gives you more control.

Pros:

  • It is a great paddle both for beginners and experienced players.
  • It is one of the best paddle choices for power and spin.
  • It gives you more pinpoint and accuracy.
  • It has an outstanding placement even on deep serves.
  • It has a large sweet spot.

Cons:

  • It is relatively pricey.
  • It lacks a little touch at times.

4. Onix Composite Z5 Pickleball Paddle

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The Onix Composite Z5 paddle is probably one of the heaviest paddles you will find. The weighty stature is most ideal for a player looking for more power. It is the top choice, all thanks to these features that include:

  • It weighs 8.4-9.2 ounces
  • It is 15 1/2 inches long
  • It is 8 1/4 inches wide
  • The grip handle is 4 1/4 inches
  • It has a Nomex core
  • It is made of Fibreglass surface

The extra weight is because of the Nomex core, a heavy, dense material that has smaller honeycombs making up the honeycomb core. This is one of the most durable quality core options.

Each primary feature has been purposely built to contradict the other. For instance, there are design elements that add power, and then there are others that take it away to give the player more control. From this, you can trust that the Onix paddle has such exceptional balance.

The features give you good ball control with a comfortable grip size. The handle is relatively long, but then again, not too long to play using one hand.

Notably, the wider structure gives the paddle more resistance to the wind. Wind resistance and the extra weight of the paddle may tire the player's arm quickly, especially if the game is intensive.

This paddle is most recommended for intermediate or advanced players who are used to playing with heavier paddles since the weight takes a little getting used to.

Pros:

  • Its primary features purposely contradict each other for balance.
  • It gives you wider features for more ball control.
  • It has a Nomex honeycomb core to add on the weight on its hitting surface.
  • It has a heavy paddle weight that is most ideal for a player looking for more power.

Cons:

  • A heavier paddle may tire you out fast.

5. Onix Graphite Z5 Paddle

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The Onix Graphite Z5 is the graphite version of the Onix Composite Z5 paddle. Similarly, it has exceptional balance and a honeycomb core, but with the graphite face instead. The main features include:

  • It weighs 7.5-8.2 ounces
  • It is 15 1/2 inches in length
  • It is 8 1/4 inches in width
  • It has a 4 1/4 inch grip
  • It has a Nomex core
  • It is a graphite paddle

The Graphite Z5 has similar dimensions and a core material that you'll find on the Onix Z5. Generally, with a graphite surface, graphite paddles are much lighter than composite paddles. This makes the graphite paddle a great alternative if the composite paddle is a little too heavy for you.

The graphite surface and Nomex core clearly show that the Onix Graphite Z5 is ultimately built for power. Even with all this, the Onix still keeps its weight at 7.5 ounces, for its lighter version and 8.2 ounces, for its heavier version. The graphite surface also helps add a little more texture to its surface to help with the grip and spin serves.

The result is a much better balance of power and control. The only issue you might experience is wind resistance. A wider design makes your paddle less aerodynamic.

However, skilled pro players can account for this and adjust their playing style.

Pros:

  • This graphite paddle is much lighter than its counterpart.
  • It is best suited for both the beginner and advanced player.
  • It offers the optimal balance in accuracy, control and power.
  • It comes in a span of colours and stylish designs.
  • It has a 5-inch handle grip size to give extra reach.

Cons:

  • The wide surface design increases the wind resistance.

Factors Players Should Consider to Get the Best Pickleball Paddle for Spin

A. Surface Material

For more spin in your shots, the surface of the paddle is an important feature to consider. A liquid graphite paddle surface offers more texture that helps give you a grip on the ball for the right amount of spin.

Graphite offers a smoother surface, which somewhat limits the ability of pickleball paddles for spin. Spin control by fibreglass surfaces, also known as composite surface such as SPINtac fibreglass, gives you a surface that almost grabs the ball, which gives you an optimal spin control.

B. Shape and Dimension

The pickleball paddle's dimension directly determines the position and size of its sweet spot. To give the ball more spin, ensure that you hit the ball using the sweet spot of your paddle.

A longer paddle or one that's oblong-shaped gives you more reach. The extra reach is most useful for high-intensity games that need you to cover more space on the pickleball court.

C. Core Material

The paddle's core provides different levels of bounce and cushioning. A firmer core gives you less power and a loud pop when you hit the pickleball.

The three main core material options include:

  • Aluminium cores - incredibly light, offer less power, have more control and provide more kickback as you receive the ball
  • Nomex cores - are hard, produce more noise once you hit the ball, offer less power and superior control
  • Polymer cores - have a softer material, offer much more bounce, have a quieter hit, and give the player more power

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Pickleball Paddles for Spin

1. Which is better between the graphite or composite pickleball paddle?

Composite paddles fall in the mid-range of price; however, they come in different weights and sizes. Graphite paddles are relatively pricier; however, they provide the lightest option that can be light and powerful.

2. What weight of the pickleball paddle should I use?

Using a lightweight paddle will need you to generate more swing speed compared to the heavier paddle for the same power (Mass * Acceleration=Force). However, a lighter paddle will give you a faster reaction time.

Ultimately, this isn't to say that the lighter pickleball paddle is always better. Construction materials of the paddle surface and core material will play a huge factor in the weight. The construction can change the playability of your paddle by giving you either a higher power or more control.

Roy Howard

Hi everyone, I'm Roy - the owner of this Tennis Blog. I've been a semi-professional tennis player for 5 years and had some experiences in a few tournaments. I now love to play tennis in my free time and coach the kids on the tennis court. I hope I do make some good advice to all of my readers here! Many thanks and please enjoy my blog!