What are the Top Racquets for Paddle Tennis?
People love to play different types of sports during their leisure time. Playing sports helps to rejuvenate your mind and body and keeps you fit and healthy. When you talk about sports, different types of images pop in your mind. You think about rugby, soccer, cricket, baseball, tennis and so on. There are some sports that are played according to different seasons. One of the rather popular sports that is played during the winter season is platform tennis.
This sport was mainly played in the Northeast from Maine to Virginia. It was also played in some parts of the Midwest, such as from Ohio to Montana and even Canada. Fessenden Blanchard and James Cogswell, who simply loved tennis, decided to build an outdoor, all purpose, recreational deck right above the snow line in 1928. This gave birth to platform tennis.
Top Platform Tennis Racquets List
When it comes to platform tennis racquets, there are quite a few varieties in the market for you to choose from. Most of you may sometimes wonder which racquet will actually help to improve your ball spinning skills and which manufacturer has the best products in the market. Here are some of the best platform tennis racquets that you will find in the market.
1. Wilson Blade Smart Gruuv Racquetball Racquet
When it comes to tennis, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. is one of the biggest names to reckon with. It has been in this business for more than 100 years and proven its commitment to creation and distribution of high quality sporting products several times. Wilson Sporting Good Co. also has a wide range of platform tennis racquets with the Wilson Blade Smart Gruuv Racquetball Racquet being one of the best.
This racquet comes with Smart Density Foam that features two distinct EVA foam densities in one paddle. This helps to strike a proper balance between control and power. This product also comes with Wilson’s special Gruuv technology that optimizes feel and spin with the help of angled holes. This also maximizes ball contact on the surface of the paddle and lets the edges grab the ball more easily and effectively.
This racquet also comes with a No Grit Zone that establishes unparalleled comfort by simply getting rid of the rough grit texture from the bottom of the paddle. The amount of grit on the surface of the paddle gets tripled due to the Killer Grit Technology. This also helps the user get an extra fee and control for the ball. Enhanced spin is possible thanks to the LH Technology. This is mainly through an advanced hole-drilling process that also maximizes the sizing of the hole.
- Provides two distinct EVA foam densities in a single paddle
- Additional grit on the paddle surface gives an extra control and feel for the ball
- Offers a proper balance between control and power.
- The grip needs to be upgraded
2. Viking Re-Ignite Prodigy GG Platform Tennis Paddle
When it comes to platform tennis, another major manufacturer of platform tennis racquets is Viking. Their new VIKING Re-Ignite Prodigy GG (Gradient) Platform Tennis Paddle features a rather striking new look. It comes with bold and vibrant gradient colors that are used from a modern color palette. It is good for you to know that all the paddles are hand painted that gives every racquet its unique look.
The VIKING Re-Ignite Prodigy GG (Gradient) Platform Tennis Paddle happens to be the lightest of all Re-Ignite family of racquets. It features the same low core density, Viking’s proprietary Vibration dampener, and extra eight holes enhancement. If you have a slow swing speed, the VIKING Re-Ignite Prodigy GG (Gradient) Platform Tennis Paddle will be the best choice for you. It will also allow you better stability and greater control due to an oversize paddle.
- Superior resistance under persistent force
- Water absorbent
- High impact strength and ductility
- Strong resistance to extreme temperatures
- Not applicable
3. Wilson Blade Lite Gruuv Platform Tennis Paddle
Wilson Sporting Goods Co. has another great platform tennis racquet for its users and the have named it as the Wilson Blade Lite Gruuv Platform Tennis Paddle. It happens to be a limited edition paddle coated racquet that comes with a pink and shark blank design. This racquet is designed in such a way that users can enjoy a perfect mix of excellent paddle maneuverability, lightweight power, and incredible feel.
This product also comes with Wilson’s innovative GRUUV technology that features angled holes with different edges that help to grab the ball for an enhanced feel and more spin. The Lite Density Foam gives a responsive and lively paddle surface to help you enjoy easier depth on shots. The racquet comes with a No Grit Zone that establishes unparalleled comfort by getting rid of the rough grit texture from the bottom of the paddle.
- Comes with a Lite Density Foam that maximizes responsiveness
- Killer Grit Technology triples the amount of grit on the paddle surface to enhance control and feel
- Has a bottle opener at the base of the handle for those who wish to have a drink in between a game
- Not applicable
4. VIKING OZ Lite GG (Gradient) Platform Tennis Paddle
This is another platform tennis racquet from the house of Viking. The VIKING OZ Lite GG (Gradient) Platform Tennis Paddle has been especially designed for beginners and intermediate players who are improving in their game. Junior players may also use this racquet. It comes with a medium density core, as well as a mid-sized head. The product is designed in such a way that it provides a nice blend of control and power in a super lightweight design for superb maneuverability.
The VIKING OZ Lite GG (Gradient) Platform Tennis Paddle comes with a forward Grit Guard, which is basically a grit-free area right above the handle of the paddle. This provides the user added comfort when it comes into contact with your hand.
- Suitable for beginners, improving intermediate players, and junior players
- Provides a proper mix of power and control to users
- Easy to maneuver due to its lightweight design
- Most users find the 4-1/4” grip too small
5. VIKING Valknut O-Zone Pro L.E. Paddle
When it comes to tournament and league level platform tennis players, most of them prefer to use an O-Zone Pro racquet. It has a weight of just 375gm that makes the VIKING Valknut O-Zone Pro L.E. Paddle almost 10gm lighter than its previous models. This platform tennis racquet is designed to provide proper control to players with a high swing speed.
The mid+ core density offers a nice balance between control and power. On the other hand, the smaller head size offers enhanced all-around maneuverability. One of the unique features of the VIKING Valknut O-Zone Pro L.E. Paddle and all of its previous models is the longer handle. This lets players enjoy a better grip on a two-handed backhand.
- Longer handle for better grip
- Provides a neat balance between control and power
- Better all-around maneuverability
- Better suited for players with a high swing speed
- Some players might still find the handle to be too short
6. Wilson 2017 Blade Smart Paddle
It was during the fall of 2017 that Wilson introduced the Blade family of platform tennis racquets. This product comes with a smaller head size that measures to around 80 square inch. This small head size helps offer better maneuverability. The Wilson 2017 Blade Smart Paddle is designed for the competitive players who prefer lower swing weights or less head weight. As a result of this, they enjoy faster paddle positioning, as well as more aggressive play.
The newly introduced Large Hole Technology by Wilson is used in the Wilson 2017 Blade Smart Paddle. This technology helps to increase the size of the holes in the paddle head. As a result of this, it further decreases head weight and drag while enhancing access to ball spin.
- Small head size provides better maneuverability
- Allows faster paddle positioning
- Lets you play aggressively
- Not meant for beginners
Factors That Make Platform Tennis Paddles Different
When it comes to platform tennis paddles, there are quite a large variety available for you to choose from. Choosing the right one for your sport may not be as simple as you may think it to be. Here are some factors that basically differentiate the different types of paddles that are available in the market.
Density
There are many players who like to play with plenty of spin and also like to try controlling the ball with deft drop shots. At the same time, you will come across players who power through their shots and prefer to play with spin and power. Whatever be the type of player, the density of the paddle is one of the most crucial factors to consider.
- High Density: Players with experience and the willingness to hit with extra power will always opt for a platform tennis paddle that has a high density.
- Low Density: On the other hand, there are some players who like control, maneuverability, and spin while playing platform tennis. If you fall under such a category of players then you will go for a paddle that comes with low density.
Weight
After density, the weight of a platform tennis paddle is the next crucial factor that differentiates between different types of paddles. With proper weight, you also need to consider its corresponding center of gravity. There are several professionals of the game who will agree with this point. It is important for a paddle to be heavy and light in the head. This basically means that the weight of a paddle should be more towards the handle and lesser towards the head.
Using a paddle that comes with a proper weight distribution will help you play with tremendous power. If you play with a racquet that is lightweight or comes with a heavy head, it will simply result in various types of physical injuries for you, such as tennis elbow. Such injuries may be extremely painful and discouraging. Thus, while shopping for a platform tennis racquet, always choose one that comes with its center of gravity more towards the handle. Using such a paddle will help you with your game.
Head Size
When it comes to head size, there are three primary categories to it. These are oversize, midsize, and small or standard size.
- Oversize: The first in the line are the paddles that come with an oversized head size. These large sized paddles are especially designed for beginners. This is because such players will prefer to use a paddle that comes with a large head size that will also offer a corresponding large sweet spot. Playing with a large sized paddle helps beginners pull off good shots as you encounter frame hits and miss hits less often. However, it is important for you to remember that the bigger the paddle, the heavier will it be for you to play with. This will make you take longer to react to snap shots.
- Midsize: Paddles that come with a midsized head will generally be used by intermediate and advanced level players. Such paddles cater to larger sweet spots and easy maneuverability.
- Small Size: Paddles that come with small sized heads are usually used by highly advanced players of the game. Such players normally generate their own power and always prefer to use a more easily manipulated head.
All the platform tennis racquets that are described above are some of the best in the market. However, the best of the lot was the Wilson Blade Smart Gruuv Racquetball Racquet. This paddles comes with Wilson’s GRUUV technology that optimizes feel and spin through angled holes. As a result of this, the racquet maximizes ball contact on the surface of the paddle. It also comes with Smart Density Foam that strikes a proper balance between control and power. The Wilson Blade Smart Gruuv Racquetball Racquet also comes with Killer Grit Technology that triples the amount of grit on the surface of the paddle. This provides extra feel and control of the ball.