If the words zero-zero-start make your heart skip, your eyes light up, and your knees bend a tiny bit, chances are good you have a pickleball paddle in your hand. The sport, born in 1965 on Bainbridge Island just outside of Seattle, has taken the country by storm, with millions of Americans picking up paddles to have some serious dinking fun.

I was a bit late to the pickleball party. In 2022, I was assigned to write an article for my local paper about “taking up pickleball.” Thanks to some patient tutelage from my elders at the gym, I have been an ardent pickleball patron ever since!

I kicked off my pickleball pastime with a basic graphite paddle purchased online. After a few months I went to a sporting goods store for a new paddle—I could tell by the plunk of the ball hitting the paddle it was time—and picked up a forgettable brand. Within weeks, the tape on the handle gave way, leaving my palm sticky. Ugh! I returned it within 90 days, pitched in another 25 bucks for an upgrade, but the same thing happened.

Fast forward to March 2024 when I got this ProXR paddle with its easy-to-see-in-the-paddle-box pink handle and a handy zip-up protective cover. The carbon surface has just enough grit for spin and traction action. It fits my palm perfectly and shows no sign of degradation from sweat or near-daily usage. The “sweet spot” seems larger than what I’m used to, so I have had to reel in my lobs to ensure they stay in-bounds.

To that end, I wanted to see what a stronger player than me would feel about this paddle. Fortunately, my frequent partner Glen Mattox was willing to switch paddles with me for a few matches. He said the ProXR is slightly heavier than his paddle and “the ball comes off it extremely solid.” He said a “power game” would benefit from this paddle (pink or not!) and you can also spin the ball because there’s “good surface on it.”

While I mostly play indoors, I gave it a whirl at an outdoor court as well and liked it even better! The heft of the paddle proved helpful in hitting ball into the wind. The paddle is also so easy to clean with a damp cloth, even with quite a bit of dirt stuck to it. In addition, the brightly colored handle is easy to keep track of on the stairs outside the court while waiting to play.

Overall, I am very happy with this paddle and would recommend it to other pickleball players who want to up their game without breaking the bank.

Karyl Carmignani recently joined the staff of GETTHEPICTURETRAVEL as our East Coast Correspondent. Karyl is a freelance writer, as well as an accomplished photographer, happily residing in Lancaster, PA. She writes about a variety of topics for LNP, the local newspaper. From child actors to senior puzzlers to collectors and council meetings, Karyl deftly covers a broad range of subjects. We are looking forward to many upcoming articles from this talented writer and photographer. She can be reached by email at: karylc2020@gmail.com