Paddle Modifications for Top Pros is the Latest Issue in Pickleball’s Paddle Mess

*Update 2:15 pm EST, January 3, 2023: Please note that Carl Schmits, Equipment Standards and Facilities Development, has provided response to some content of this article in the comments section.*

*Update 2:20 am EST, January 5, 2023: The Pickleball Studio released a podcast episode yesterday with lots of nuggets on the paddle controversy. You can listen here.*

There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in professional pickleball that never sees the light of day. It’s a world that most consumers of pickleball, including here at NML, will never be privy to. However, every now and again, we stumble across some information that catches our attention. It is not always the case we publicize this information but, as many of you may know, sometimes we do. This is another one of those publishing occasions.

This particular story for us began on December 4, 2022, when an individual in the Facebook group, The Kitchen – A Pickleball Community, posed a question to the group. The question related to a paddle that the racquet club the individual works at got their hands on. The individual claimed it was one of Catherine Parenteau’s personal paddles, a Paddletek Tempest Reign Pro. The following is a screenshot of the entire post:

Despite all of the hullaballoo surrounding illegal paddles in 2022, this was the first we had heard of a paddle company altering one of its paddles in such a way that deviates so substantially from what is sold to the public. 

The Facebook post stated that Parenteau’s paddle was “clearly raw carbon fiber and had a ton of grit to the paddle face.” Naturally, we took this post with a grain of salt, including whether this was even Parenteau’s personal paddle, but it was something worth looking into. Senior pro stalwart and Paddletek sponsored player, Rick Witsken, commented on the post and appeared to be unfamiliar with any such practice by Paddletek. Grain of salt and Witsken’s comment aside, the author of the post seemingly had no reason to put out a false story about Catherine Parenteau. We have since learned that the author of the post deleted the post of his own volition.

In the aftermath of Crbn-Gate, we learned quite a bit about the unspoken secrets about pro pickleball paddles. For example, it was (and still probably is) commonly accepted that paddle companies will provide their pros with their grittiest paddles in comparison to the ones sold to the general public.

At this point, we can draw the conclusion that USA Pickleball likely turns a blind eye to many paddles that may not meet the standards it has set. We saw this with the lack of follow-up on JOOLA paddles following the Crbn-Gate controversy in light of the Donn Paben video and JOOLA President, Richard Lee’s, video where he unofficially and unintentionally posted himself testing a paddle that did not meet USA Pickleball Standards – he did the math wrong.

At a minimum, there is a serious lack of transparency in USA Pickleball’s procedures for keeping paddle manufacturers accountable. There continues to be little, if any, follow-up from USA Pickleball after a paddle has been approved. Once a paddle has been approved, any paddle manufacturer, from the big guns like JOOLA and Paddletek to your local, small-scale company, is essentially free to make modifications to paddles post-approval with limited fear of repercussions.

The hammer was laid down on Crbn because of the uproar from pros and paddle companies pressuring USA Pickleball to clamp down on what were almost certainly illegal to very illegal paddles. It is important to remember that the Crbn-Gate situation did not result from any standard follow-up procedure from USA Pickleball.

One person who goes by PB & J Pickleball on YouTube, has put out a series of videos where he conducts unofficial paddle tests. A number of these paddles have failed the unofficial tests, including the JOOLA Ben John’s Hyperion CFS 16mm, Crbn 1 16mm, Electrum Pro, Diadem Warrior Edge, JOOLA Radius 16mm, JOOLA Solaire, and Electrum Pro II. We are not aware of any steps USA Pickleball has taken to address the possible concerns of these paddles being illegal.

The PPA took a crack at paddle legality accountability by implementing their Paddle Compliance and Testing Policy following the Crbn fiasco. The policy is flawed in many respects. Nevertheless, the PPA put a mechanism in place by which players can keep one another accountable and challenge what they believe to be an illegal paddle. Since the policy was implemented, we have only seen one challenge and it did not go well.

Anna Leigh Waters challenged the JOOLA paddle Parris Todd used to beat her in singles at the Orange County Cup. The challenge was unsuccessful. It was not only a bad look for Anna Leigh from a sore loser’s perspective, but it was also suspect in that her mixed doubles partner, Ben Johns, is JOOLA’s top sponsored player. What did Anna Leigh and her team think they knew about the JOOLA paddle Parris Todd was using when the challenge was made? The PPA never released the results of the challenge by Anna Leigh.

Bringing this back to the origin of this story, our digging has led to confirmation with respect to the question posed by the author that piqued our interest. We can confirm that we have heard from multiple reliable sources that Paddletek provides special surfacing on its paddles for Catherine Parenteau and Andrea Koop, and possibly others. We should be clear that Parenteau and Koop are the only two players that were named specifically to us. Our understanding is that Parenteau has gone back and forth between using a modified, special surface (added grit) paddle in 2022, eventually returning to the special surface paddle that has not been approved by USA Pickleball.

Ironically, Anna Leigh Waters is Paddletek’s marquee player. In our follow-up on this potential controversy, we have not received any information specifically about Anna Leigh Waters using special surfacing for her paddles from Paddletek.

While Parenteau and Koop are the two players that were specifically named to us in terms of pros who use modified, unapproved paddles, this information coming to us about paddle controversy raises more questions about the number of players out there using paddles that either have not been approved by USA Pickleball or would fail the USA Pickleball paddle testing process.

The first question that may come to mind for readers is why there have not been more player challenges if it is an open secret that there are illegal paddles out there. This is a question we do not have an answer for. The best we can come up with, which is simply a hypothesis, is that players do not want to be in the Anna Leigh Waters position where they are wrong about a paddle. Whistleblowers are not often met kindly by their peers, especially when they get it wrong. A player contemplating using the paddle challenge policy may not want to risk being a pariah in the small, intimate pro community. 

An inherent flaw in the PPA’s paddle compliance policy is that it falls on the players to keep others accountable. It should not be left to the players to hold one another accountable. It should be on the regulator, USA Pickleball, and/or the tours to ensure paddles are compliant.  

Unfortunately, in all likelihood, the tours have no interest in being paddle watch dogs. They care about keeping their pros and sponsors happy. A lot of sponsorship money for tours comes from paddle companies, which is also likely why USA Pickleball turns a blind eye to what is going on in front of them.

What will be the result of this article? Probably nothing. If the Crbn-Gate fiasco did not change anything, except for Crbn, we do not have confidence anything will be done until power players in the pickleball world leverage their influence to effect change. This is an integrity question that continues to head down the slippery slope of the system slowly being taken advantage of.

This is not a question of what the rules should be. It’s that the system is being gamed in a manner that is providing a benefit to the elite in the sport. The elite few who have sponsors willing to skirt the rules in the hopes of furthering the success of those they have significant financial investment in. 

It’s time for this to stop and for the entities that have the ability to effect change in pro pickleball to figure this out to ensure a level playing field for all players.

Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below or email us at nmlpickleball@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook too!

103 thoughts on “Paddle Modifications for Top Pros is the Latest Issue in Pickleball’s Paddle Mess

  • January 2, 2023 at 7:07 am
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    Spot on! Even the honest pros have to stay silent as their partners & teammates are doing it. USAP needs to man-up; we know the PPA never will.

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    • January 2, 2023 at 9:05 am
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      This is correct about the pros. It ultimately should probably fall to what is supposed to be an independent governing body

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      • January 4, 2023 at 9:00 am
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        How ’bout some integrity from the players, hold them accountable? ppa does whatever they want….ok. Everyone else should adhere to the rules….shouldn’t have to be paddle whipped to do so!!

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        • January 13, 2023 at 6:06 am
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          Yes. There should be standards that paddles must meet. Paddles should b randomly tested at all pickleball tournaments. Each player should b placed in a random pool. Then at each tournament a certain # of player paddles should b tested. A random pool guarantees impartiality. And keeps all players on their best behavior.

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        • January 13, 2023 at 12:06 pm
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          The pickleball community may consider a testing basis for all paddles including testing before tournaments with the tournament paddle to be used; what’s to keep anybody from altering their paddle face, not that hard to do to add more grit or grip to the face.

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          • January 24, 2023 at 5:05 am
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            At the very least, could they require that paddle companies submit new paddles for testing and that is kept on hand at the major tournament as the “control”? Then test some basics against the control paddle on-site? If there is a concern, slap a label on it to go through full testing post tourney? If it fails, incorporate large fines and suspensions?
            But ultimately the power is with the people who buy paddles. The community can re-publish which companies have failed the testing and commit to a one year buying ban until they get their paddles back in line. If you start the petition and give the paddle companies notice, something like 3 months to put legit paddles in the hands of pros or risk losing customers en masse. If your neighbor shows up with a paddle from the boycotted company list, offer them a spare to play with as a sign that the people will not play against known cheating paddle manufacturers in every day play. Yep, I know that is a hornets nest but controversy has to be met with controversy to negate it. Either your neighbor will still kick your ass or they won’t. But at least you felt like you had a shot…

          • January 25, 2023 at 7:34 am
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            That is an interesting thought. We think the issue there is that there is no objective measure in that case and there is necessarily going to be some variance, particularly in grit. The bigger issue could be deflection (i.e. the core of the paddle) and that is most difficult to test.

            It may very well be that paddles are in line from a manufacturing perspective but they are giving pros clearly modified paddles that are not available to the public, and not approved by USAP.

          • September 7, 2023 at 5:09 pm
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            This can be very bad for the game if it gets out of hand. It will turn people off if the equipment rules are not enforced. People want the rules to be fair and not give anyone an unfair advantage. All paddles should be tested with a simple friction meter before and during each match. Too much of an advantage to have a super gritty paddle.

        • January 4, 2023 at 11:32 pm
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          Lots of comments from USAP. The question is where has action been and where will it be

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        • January 8, 2023 at 2:34 pm
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          As money purses increase, so too should oversight…the pros and the sponsors are human after all. This is just part of the growing pains experienced during such growth.

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      • January 6, 2023 at 3:31 pm
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        Treat pickleball like nascar. The paddles get turned in at the end of the match. They go thru testing to make sure everything was on the up and up during the match. If they do not comply the results are modified accordingly. Fairly easy to implement and will keep players on their toes to comply…

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        • January 6, 2023 at 4:49 pm
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          Why at the end of the match and not before the match? Seems like a waste of time to play a whole match and then scrutinize the paddle.

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          • January 7, 2023 at 8:34 am
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            I like the idea of after the match, they can do detailed testing including checking if the internals have been messed with.

          • January 9, 2023 at 10:49 pm
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            See the comment to Jim but doing that much live testing is difficult to do efficiently and accurately. As long as players know they will be tested potentially, that is what could solve the problem in our view.

        • January 9, 2023 at 10:49 pm
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          John Davison from the Pickler Podcast has brought this up and we have used his idea as an option in the past. The issue for this is ability to test that many paddles live and do it accurately.

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      • January 8, 2023 at 2:33 pm
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        As money purses increase, so too should oversight…the pros and the sponsors are human after all. This is just part of the growing pains experienced during such growth.

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        • January 9, 2023 at 10:50 pm
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          It definitely his. Hoping bringing some of this to light will push change forward at some point.

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    • January 4, 2023 at 8:46 am
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      Cheating is cheating and is bad for the sport.

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    • January 4, 2023 at 9:00 am
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      If illegal equipment is used by some and not policed I have no interest in paddleball!

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    • January 10, 2023 at 9:58 am
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      Your fighting against money and profit. The most powerful force of nature…human nature. Good luck.

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    • January 13, 2023 at 6:05 am
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      Yes. There should be standards that paddles must meet. Paddles should b randomly tested at all pickleball tournaments. Each player should b placed in a random pool. Then at each tournament a certain # of player paddles should b tested. A random pool guarantees impartiality. And keeps all players on their best behavior.

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      • January 15, 2023 at 11:32 am
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        Random testing would help. They need to figure out how to do all the testing, not just surface grit testing too.

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  • January 2, 2023 at 7:12 am
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    Too means also or more than is good.

    Grammatical errors indicating a writer doesn’t know the difference between to/too/two in the first sentence is a bad look….

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    • January 2, 2023 at 8:18 am
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      The grammar check told them they couldn’t end a sentence with a preposition. So they chose the non-prepositional form. ha, ha. Just use the reader and then you won’t ever be irritated by the speech recognition errors.

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      • January 4, 2023 at 8:46 am
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        Cheating is cheating and is bad for the sport.

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        • January 5, 2023 at 6:26 pm
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          Agreed. When I was engineering legit paddles that fall within every aspect of the rules,I ripped a part many of the “USAPA APPROVED ” paddles for a starting point. After running numerous tests I was floored at how many don’t actually fall within the guidelines. If there is no accountability to the tools (paddles, balls) used to play the sport, then it can never be an Olympic sport and the sport is not necessarily about talent. Either all begin on same plane and it’s the skill of the players that make the difference or pickleball should simply remain a non-profit based activity. Additionally, when I was searching for a factory to work with, during conversation many would openly say “we make it this way to pass test, then we make it other way because players will be able to spin ball better and get better deflection = more sales” – never worked with those factories and was thinking of turning them in, but whats the point. At end of the day, there needs to be a governing body that holds all paddles accountable otherwise why even have an approval process? Let them all have “corked bats” and take steroids. The rules for the paddles keep growing, including no rubber allowed inside, no surface texture unless it’s a decal or bump less then 5 microns etc etc. The game at its core was built on the honesty policy – It’s like the kitchen line call, if your toes are on it your out when hitting the volley, but players never call it on themselves & often will quickly pull foot back after hitting ball. At some point the rules have to mean something and apply to all.

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          • January 5, 2023 at 8:25 pm
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            A lot of very good points here. Hard agreement

      • January 4, 2023 at 1:26 pm
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        Not ending a sentence with a preposition is a mythological rule.

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        • January 12, 2023 at 6:14 pm
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          Looks like ben Johns is playing with a new paddle(project persius) that does not have the graphic like his current signature Hyperion paddle. Wonder how much more grit this paddle has ? Usapa and ppa can’t seem to do their basic duty of a level playing field for all pros. Was this paddle tested yesterday ? Why allow a paddle that nobody else has access to ? Just ridiculous . He was ripping serves yesterday…wonder how much of that was because of this paddle that no other pro had access to ? I think Selkirk, Franklin also do this. But why allow a paddle that only 1 player has access to ? Test it in rec play. Not pro tournaments

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          • January 15, 2023 at 11:31 am
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            Who knows? These are getting added to the paddle list late in the game or even after the tournament starts. It is fine for players to have their own paddles that aren’t publicly available so long as it is legal.

  • January 2, 2023 at 7:29 am
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    Proofreading too, could be at fault. I think NML is two lawyers. They can spell. You have too much free time. Good luck to you.

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  • January 2, 2023 at 8:25 am
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    Grit is not the only thing. There is also speculation about deflection – hardness/softness of a paddle. This can also be modified and isn’t rly tested ever, but rumors of paddletek messing w this.

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    • January 2, 2023 at 9:07 am
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      There are probably other things that can be done. We just aren’t aware of any specifics

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      • January 3, 2023 at 7:18 pm
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        I love how the double secret probation if the path they choose to use. People are showing videos of paddles that fail testing but no response at all. The most important thing about communication is the transparency…..things appear opaque. If the USAP is acting correctly they are certainly doing it in a way that looks suspicious. When one of your own says a paddle is illegal in a video and you do not follow up or show your testing methods it looks suspect. The appearance of being suspect is more important than your actual actions! USAP and the tours should be open and transparent and right now they are not.
        Either way NML keep the posts coming! We love em!

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        • January 3, 2023 at 8:17 pm
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          This is very correct. To get credit for actions, one must be aware of said actions. Even just a statement. It’s unclear if these actions are occurring as is stated

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      • January 4, 2023 at 9:03 am
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        In general, pickleballers are ppl who want to be more than they are and less than they’re capable of….

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        • January 4, 2023 at 1:27 pm
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          Not ending a sentence with a preposition is a mythological rule.

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        • January 4, 2023 at 1:29 pm
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          I’m perfectly happy with being what I am.

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    • January 2, 2023 at 10:25 am
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      Rumors? I wouldn’t be posting rumors,….

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      • January 2, 2023 at 11:10 am
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        We are not posting rumors. What is in the article is information we are very confident in as fact

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      • January 3, 2023 at 7:19 pm
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        I love how the double secret probation if the path they choose to use. People are showing videos of paddles that fail testing but no response at all. The most important thing about communication is the transparency…..things appear opaque. If the USAP is acting correctly they are certainly doing it in a way that looks suspicious. When one of your own says a paddle is illegal in a video and you do not follow up or show your testing methods it looks suspect. The appearance of being suspect is more important than your actual actions! USAP and the tours should be open and transparent and right now they are not.
        Either way NML keep the posts coming! We love em!

        Reply
  • January 2, 2023 at 8:25 am
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    How different does a paddle have to be to be re-qualified by USAP? We also know that Gearbox has silently made a change to their surface in the back half of 2022 with apparently no re-qualification. Are the rules murky here? Seems like something that could have been mentioned in the article as well…

    I will say that I’m surprised more people have not been aware of this already. It’s obvious to the naked eye that the paddles are raw carbon fiber because of the “chalk dust” look they get which does NOT happen on the standard wave/reign pros. I thought it was essentially an open secret but I guess not…

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    • January 2, 2023 at 9:09 am
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      We weren’t aware of the Gearbox thing. That seems problematic too. Any modification that makes any change to how the paddle plays from the approved version seems like it should have to be approved again.

      Open secret amongst those in the know or those who have a focus on paddles. Neither of us are big paddle guys but clearly looks to be more well known than we were aware of

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      • January 4, 2023 at 9:06 am
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        you should really get in touch with the folks who approve the paddles…..IF ur going to comment on it!!

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        • January 4, 2023 at 2:05 pm
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          We have done our due dilligence for the information in the article

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  • January 2, 2023 at 8:33 am
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    NML: Did the original poster show a close-up picture of the paddle they had from CP? You can’t really get a close-up in the streaming videos. Refs are told not do to the hand brush across paddle face anymore but some of them still do. It’d be great if a ref could post their experience.

    The Pickleball Studio and John Kew reviews on youtube both have said they notice the inconsistency in the grit with carbon fiber. You would definitely expect the pros to get the grittiest. Even John Kew said he hoped the Black Ace he was to receive from Fromuth would be very gritty.

    I’m hoping that JW gets some “special” Carbon paddles from Franklin because Studio’s review of it was very bad. If he does and beats Collin’s brother with it, then that won’t last.

    Odd that Paddletek has no problem putting the USA Approved sticker on one of their specially made paddles.

    USAP used to have the rule that you couldn’t use a paddle that was not available to the general public. But they removed that rule a long time ago. So paddle companies could always get a paddle specially approved for 1 pro player. So I guess there’s always going to be a loophole for the pros to get what they want. And in Tennis it’s always been that way from my understanding. The raquet used by their top pros can’t be bought.

    Love what you are doing to shine the light.

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    • January 2, 2023 at 9:13 am
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      The original poster did not show a close up. Odoth in the comments here says that you can tell by the way in which paddles get dirty. The refs are unlikely to say anything but it would be interesting if they do the hand brush still at the pro level

      Pickleball Studio, Chris Olson, posted on Instagram confirming some general truth to what our article says. He’ll be talking about this topic on his next podcast.

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  • January 2, 2023 at 9:41 am
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    The equipment people are a joke. First was the prokennex spin. The paddle has clear ridges both by looks and feels. The equipment people got on Facebook and claimed that there were just photoshopped for effect and not actually there. Next you have the best paddle (Jamie Foxx) and based on their own measurements posted on their own website the paddle is out of spec (24in total in length+width) but the equipment people approved it. Losers

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  • January 2, 2023 at 1:01 pm
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    100% not shocked. and I bet the abuses are widespread.

    the tempest reign pro is known to be a control paddle. and has never been known to provide the spin that raw fiber paddles do. CP and AK are also not known to be power players. if you put non power players armed with non power paddles you get poor results. not suprised. they both look like they have a lot of lead on their paddles as well.

    Rubbing your fingers on a paddle before every match is a stupid performative formality that is being abused.

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  • January 2, 2023 at 1:07 pm
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    Thank you for your time, great information. Nothing new on CP, we already know she has zero integrity, no morals, and now is most likely a cheat (I will not buy products that sponsor her; Paddletek, Takeya, Jigsaw, Skechers, change).

    USAPA, IMO, is a joke (including their tournaments). And they have already proven themselves incompetent. What does Donn Paben or Carl Schmits do anyway? There should be a USAPA rep at every sanctioned pro tournament checking paddles, with a neutral party. It is basically, IMO, a company that creates no waves, no ruffling of feathers, and does NOT stand up for honesty, integrity, and high standards. They have proven that! And as with most happenings at any business, nothing will get done; honest players are few and don’t want to be singled out, paddle companies (like almost all companies) disavow and continue until public pressure.

    And as far as the PPA, they are dishonest, have little integrity, and IMO, are the biggest problem with the advancement of pickleball as a professional sport. Presently, pickleball is NOT a professional sport; too many different rules, zero standards, etc.

    And I HTF I didn’t make any spelling errors. Some people… Never mind. I use Grammarly, a typing assistant BTW (free or paid).

    Thank you again. You are starting off the new year with great content. 🙂

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      • January 5, 2023 at 6:25 pm
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        If Paddletek is at the center of this problem are people going to look at all players at the top level using their paddles mostly ALW?

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  • January 2, 2023 at 4:28 pm
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    A few answers for the cynics, and an open offer of communication to NML to prevent inaccurate speculation in the future. Most of this has been published previously, but I’ll repeat it here.
    The volume of new brands/manufacturers this year doubled from 2021, with >230 in ’22, and the number of new paddle introductions increased by over 40% year on year – 540 new paddles for the year, requiring the onboarding of the new entities, and ensuring paddles and balls meet stringent specs. Because of the flood of new paddles, specifically those with a higher friction carbon face, we are scaling up our compliance sampling program, upgrading the technology used for both certification and compliance testing, and testing a paddle control process similar to that of the ITTF – this was piloted at Nationals with over 150 pro paddles being tested for compliance. Note; regarding paddles shipping into the general market that do not meet the original passing specs, on discovery a confidential process is initiated with that manufacturer to ensure the issue is addressed. Feel free to drop us a note at equipment.usapickleball.org . Carl Schmits/USA Pickleball; Eqpt Standards/Facilities Development

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    • January 2, 2023 at 6:02 pm
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      Awesome that you took the time to reply. Big kudos. Explosive growth brings with it lots of new issues and questions. Good luck!

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      • January 2, 2023 at 6:05 pm
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        Agree, very interesting and thoughtful reply!

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    • January 2, 2023 at 8:22 pm
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      Hi Carl, thanks for commenting. We are curious what specifically you are referring to as inaccurate speculation.

      Also, do you have any comment on the apparent alteration to paddles of Paddletek pros?

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      • January 3, 2023 at 4:53 am
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        With the following statement, it’s clear the QA policy designed to apply to manufacturers isn’t well understood, nor prior to Nationals has been applied specifically to pros prior to competition : “We are not aware of any steps USA Pickleball has taken to address the possible concerns of these paddles being illegal.” & “At a minimum, there is a serious lack of transparency in USA Pickleball’s procedures for keeping paddle manufacturers accountable.”   We will improve our communication of policy here.
        The following “statements” are not accurate (w/ comment following),
        It is important to remember that the Crbn-Gate situation did not result from any standard follow-up procedure from USA Pickleball. (“off-the-shelf” market sampling is common practice in many sports, and forms the basis of USAP compliance process)
        “There continues to be little, if any, follow-up from USA Pickleball after a paddle has been approved. Once a paddle has been approved, any paddle manufacturer, from the big guns like JOOLA and Paddletek to your local, small-scale company, is essentially free to make modifications to paddles post-approval with limited fear of repercussions.” (Recalls of major brand’s paddles have been driven by this process in the past (prior to NML’s launch), and the result of CRBN’s excursion demonstrates otherwise.  There have been three other specification excursions identified in the past with very limited market populations, resulting in less visible corrective actions. )
        “At this point, we can draw the conclusion that USA Pickleball likely turns a blind eye to many paddles that may not meet the standards it has set. We saw this with the lack of follow-up”  (This statement with it’s following mfr references, as well as the following PB&J-test focused paragraph is inaccurate in that followup confidential market sampling and lab testing either yielded a passing result, or a corrective action plan designed to address the scope of the issue .  As it’s a confidential process, the public will not see the result unless there is a full (or partial) recall or withdrawal of certification.)
        “A lot of sponsorship money for tours comes from paddle companies, which is also likely why USA Pickleball turns a blind eye to what is going on in front of them.” (The integrity inference here is just irresponsible, and incites trolling.)

        I’ve spent time responding to this early this morning, at the expense of supporting a manufacturer ecosystem of over 500 members, new facilities looking for USAP guidance, and development of an acoustic program to address a growing issue in municipalities and HOA’s. We’ll do better. Please do better.  Just ask.

        Carl Schmits/USA Pickleball; Eqpt Standards/Facilities Development

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        • January 3, 2023 at 11:16 am
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          Thank you for providing some additional context.

          – We agree improving communication and transparency is key. This is a big takeaway for us in terms of the theme of the article.

          – Regarding “off-the-shelf market sampling” being common practice, the Crbn situation appeared to be unprecedented and swift action even with other similar issues out there on the market. While the procedure used in the Crbn situation may have been part of standard procedure, the manner in which it was implemented and the reasons for taking action at the US Open event specifically was unique from what we can gather.

          – We are curious which major brand paddles you refer to that have been driven by the process (prior to the blog’s launch). With respect to the 3 other specification excursions, is this pre or post-Crbn? If these examples are all in the past, it means less to us that the process has resulted in corrective action taken historically. If those 3 instances are post-Crbn, it then speaks once again to the need for more transparency.

          – It is good to know that some steps are being taken, but is there a specific reason for the process being confidential? We may have missed it but we have not seen any statements that some of these known brands for being on the border are being looked into. Our biggest concern is how the Crbn situation is such an outlier and still appears to be that way. Again, this is a transparency concern.

          – Our understanding of the Nationals situation is that paddle testing for pros was voluntary, except for those who played on Championship Sunday. Notably Parenteau played on Championship Sunday, but this represents one day, for one player, or one event for the entire group. Regardless of voluntary nature, what was being tested? Was it grit only? Do the cores of paddles get checked too or any other specifications?

          Again, thank you for taking the time to respond and provide some transparency on the process as a whole. Overall, the transparency aspect is the biggest takeaway for us regarding the aspects of the article you have identified. With that being said, the primary information in the article should probably fall more on the tours and MLP to come up with a standard process for their events.

          We have updated the top of the post to note that you have provided a response to some of the content in the article.

          Reply
        • January 4, 2023 at 1:14 pm
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          why are you posting comments on a BLOG?

          Why don’t you DOCUMENT your process and publish all your data on your own website?

          why is USAP always Reactionary rather than PROactive?

          USAP needs to PUBLISH procedures data and results.

          Stop posting comments on blogs and start getting ahead of this issue. It’s not going away. And it’s only going to get worse.

          Reply
        • January 5, 2023 at 7:36 am
          Permalink

          The paddle of the winner of the event should be collected at the end of the event and examined and tested if needed. Not a big deal save the undertow of $$$$$ you allude to, which is spot on. They need take their lead from NASCAR and how they keep it honest.

          Reply
          • January 5, 2023 at 1:28 pm
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            Frank: Not a bad idea if gambling comes into the sport. I assume gamblers don’t want to be “gamed” with any kind of shenanigans going on. Let them risk their money fair and square.

          • January 5, 2023 at 8:22 pm
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            This would be good. Or at least every once in a while

      • January 3, 2023 at 5:00 am
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        I failed to respond to the PTK question – they presented all pro player paddles for compliance testing at the outset of Nationals; all were tested, passed, and were marked with non-transferrable, serialized stickers that were required to be presented to officials. Players and officials both were confident in the chain of custody and testing/identification process. This process does need to scale across the 50-ish pro events this year, stay tuned.

        Reply
    • September 7, 2023 at 5:32 pm
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      Carl, Carl, Carl. That was such a weak response. This is REALLY bad for the sport. Corrupt.

      Reply
      • September 8, 2023 at 6:34 am
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        Which one John? You’re about 8 months late. We’ve implemented paddle compliance testing at all pro events this year to ensure the athletes are using legal paddles – over 2500 seperate tests.

        Reply
  • January 2, 2023 at 6:04 pm
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    “the racquet club I work at recently got their hands on one of CP’s personal paddles”

    Huh? Was it confirmed used in a tournament, or was she at the club teaching, visiting, training etc? It seems obvious to me that the top players may test new, unreleased paddles from their sponsor.

    “Anna Leigh Waters challenged the JOOLA paddle Parris Todd used to beat her in singles at the Orange County Cup. The challenge was unsuccessful. It was not only a bad look for Anna Leigh from a sore loser’s perspective, but it was also suspect in that her mixed doubles partner, Ben Johns, is JOOLA’s top sponsored player. ”

    I don’t get the dig at ALW. The post is otherwise full of snark about JOOLA and bemoaning the fact that pros aren’t going to stand up for what’s right for fear of making waves… and when one does, you label it a “bad look” from a “sore loser”?

    Reply
    • January 2, 2023 at 8:43 pm
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      The theme of the article is pointing out that we have confirmed instances of pro players modifying their paddles outside of specifications and this is a bad trend of potentially illegal paddles in the sport

      The AL story is important because she challenged the JOOLA paddle. She would not have done that unless she and her team thought something was wrong, especially when her mixed partner is their marquee sponsored player. It’s not a dig.

      Also, we noted that an inherent flaw in the policy for PPA is that it falls on the players. So it should not be on the pros is our point about that

      Reply
  • January 3, 2023 at 6:43 am
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    Interesting speculation. So aside from the impropriety of having pros covertly using non USAPA approved paddles are we now in the pro stock paddle era similar to tennis? Unfortunate if so IMO.

    Reply
  • January 4, 2023 at 6:02 am
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    NML, you’ve asked some questions about our paddle testing program at Nationals which have merit. As the author of our policy and Head Referee at Nationals, I was fortunately involved it it’s development. I’d be happy to schedule a time to discuss how we developed the program and why. It would be much more efficient for you (and me) to sit down and answer whatever questions you have. I’ll try and get Carl to join us, if you’d like. I’ll also be glad to give you a copy of the FAQ’s we developed that describes the program. It’s not secret. We think it set a new and important standard for testing to address some of the issues of transparency you bring up. But, just like Carl, I can’t respond effectively to comments here back and forth. If you’d like to set up a time to talk, please contact me at my email below. But that obviously means NML will have to be a little more transparent. I’ll need to know who I’m talking to. 🙂

    Reply
    • January 4, 2023 at 6:24 am
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      Their identities are known & have been spread around the pickleball community.

      Your and Carl’s comments (especially Carl) show how disconnected you really are which furthers the lack of trust in USAP and 100% transparency.

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      • January 4, 2023 at 7:28 am
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        Chad, please share with me where my comments show how disconnected I am. I never said they weren’t transparent at NML, only that they would have to be more transparent with me if they want to understand what the Nationals paddle testing program was designed to do, how it set a new standard for paddle testing, how it worked and what the results were. We were quite open with all of that, including who did the testing and what their qualifications were. It was a first for our sport. Was it perfect? No, but I’d like to think it’s a good start. I have no idea how to call or email the folks at NML, which is why I’ve opened the door to further dialogue. I can’t do more than make that offer. The folks at NML have an open invitation to call or write me. I’d like to think that most would see that as someone who is making at attempt at engendering or at least interested in improving the trust factor. Heck, I’ll make the same offer to you. My email is easy to find on the USA Pickleball website.

        Reply
    • January 4, 2023 at 11:26 am
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      Hi Mark, thanks for taking the time to reach out and provide some further insight. We are a bit unsure of how this has devolved into a narrow discussion about Nationals paddle testing though. In our view, that’s a small part of the equation. While it is good that the steps at Nationals were taken, there has still been limited explanation provided about the specific steps that have been taken and are being taken since the Crbn situation other than adding the paddle testing at Nationals.

      In terms of our contact information, just about every post of ours at the bottom includes our email address where you can contact us – nmlpickleball@gmail.com. We are happy to discuss further so feel free to reach out and we can go from there. Our email address and all social media platforms can be found in the “About NML Pickleball” section of this blog. If you would like more information about who you are responding to, the “About NML Pickleball” section includes a link to our podcast appearance where we revealed our identities approximately 10 months ago. Thanks again and appreciate the efforts to communicate.

      Reply
    • January 4, 2023 at 11:58 am
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      Have you ever thought of making the entire process more transparent? You are now soliciting one on one’s with semi anonymous bloggers? When is USA Pickleball as an organization going to step up and LEAD the sport?

      I said this after last year’s US OPEN. USAPB is so far behind the curve in testing and transparency. Instead of posting comments on this blog CREATE A WEBSITE and post data, facts, and information that informs the pickleball community.

      Reply
      • January 4, 2023 at 12:23 pm
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        Get out of here with your reasonable suggestions! This is the internet!

        Reply
        • January 4, 2023 at 4:00 pm
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          I said semi! 🙂

          Reply
      • January 7, 2023 at 7:10 am
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        Mark Peifer and Carl are children and it shows by their defensive responses that take no ownership. The only people they are fooling are themselves.

        If Mark is so dense that he can’t figure out how to click an “about me” or “contact us” section to communicate like an adult/professional businessman then he shouldn’t be in the seat. Especially considering that’s how the USAP website works. He’s a failure.

        I wouldn’t doubt there is further corruption within the organization.

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        • January 9, 2023 at 10:50 pm
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          Not being able to find information about us when it is on the website prior to making a comment about our transparency is not ideal.

          Reply
  • January 4, 2023 at 3:20 pm
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    Frankly I don’t see a workable solution. Paddles can be modified after approval at the tournaments, not to mention way before. This is a cat and mouse/wack a mole situation that can’t be fixed. Keep the standards for the size and let the surface grittiness thing go.
    I get that you want the sport to come down to skills and not the tools, but even then with the no spin serve rule, the need to keep trying to “equalize” everything is getting out of hand.

    Reply
    • January 4, 2023 at 11:31 pm
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      Random testing. It’s not that difficult. However, the hard part might be reliable testing on site. The whole point of sports is to have an equal playing field and let the best person or team win based on the more or less equal conditions created. To say stop trying to equalize everything is contrary to the purpose of competition and rules to ensure fair competition

      Reply
      • January 5, 2023 at 2:45 pm
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        “Random testing. It’s not that difficult.” Apparently it is, which is why we have this controversy now. “the hard part might be reliable testing on site.” – That’s my point. All four (or two) paddles would have to be tested before every match and of course retested if they swap out a paddle mid match. That’s the only way to actually be certain. Players could even have a low grit one side of their paddle and a high grit other side, which would bring the average into compliance. More whack a mole problems.
        My example of the spin serve being illegal is along the same lines of trying to over equalize things to “ensure fair competition.”
        Everyone that wants to, could learn the spin serve. Perfectly equal.
        Everyone that wants to jack up their paddle grit, could. Perfectly equal.

        Reply
        • January 5, 2023 at 8:23 pm
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          Fair on the clarification. The problem is that there are always going to be rules to some degree and you have to enforce those rules or else some will find a way to deviate to gain an advantage

          Reply
  • January 4, 2023 at 6:52 pm
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    Wow! The PickleballStudio youtube video really blows it out of the water. Instead of Mark and Carl commenting on here, they should seriously consider the “8 in a row” failures from some paddle manufacturers. If the flagrant violations are not dealt with or if the USAP tries and the PPA decides to ignore anything they put in place, it’s going to be noticeable just how the focus on money/dominance has changed the sport.

    Reply
    • January 4, 2023 at 11:32 pm
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      Good podcast for sure. We have shared on our socials

      Reply
  • January 12, 2023 at 6:16 am
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    If they were never transparent about the investigation into the paddle that Anna Leigh challenged, the article should not state she was “wrong” about the paddle. There’s no way to know if they won’t be transparent about what they found. It’s corruption. Whenever there’s money involved you’ll never get the truth…

    Reply
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