The Dink Pickleball

The Dink Pickleball Logo
Pickleball Lives Here
Are Certain Pickleball Paddles About to Be Banned?
Paddle Testing

Are Certain Pickleball Paddles About to Be Banned?

by Jason Flamm on

Scroll through the USA Pickleball Approved Paddle list and you'll see something very interesting. Or, better yet, you'll not see something.

The new generation 3 paddles from JOOLA – the Perseus 3, Scorpeus 3, Magnus 3, and Hyperion 3 – have all been removed from it.

Savvy pickleballers noticed it overnight and posted a video showing that they were once, in fact, on the list:

Thursday morning, another paddle went reportedly missing, the new Paddletek TKO-CX.

As far as we know, no announcement has been made yet about the sudden removal of these paddles.

The Carvana PPA Tour X account tweeted:

The situation seems fluid as pro and rec players continue to call for better power regulations with new pickleball paddles.

What's wrong with the paddles?

As we've been reporting for a few weeks now, there is growing concern among pickleball players that the latest paddle releases are too powerful and, consequently, dangerous to use.

Wednesday night, pickleball pro (and PicklePod co-host) Zane Navratil announced that he found himself on the business end of one of these paddles, and he was not too happy about it.

ICYMI, here are two articles from last week explaining the issue with some of these new paddles:

Are Pickleball Paddles Too Powerful?
The Dink recently interviewed Chris Olson, the widely-accepted authority on pickleball paddle reviews, to get his perspective on whether paddles are becoming too powerful.
The Dink PickleballJason Flamm
Is Pickleball Paddle Manufacturing Facing a Potential Crisis?
The latest wave of pickleball paddles to hit the market are causing quite a stir, mostly because of the increase in power they provide. We shed light on the hottest topic in the sport.
The Dink PickleballJason Flamm

What will happen next?

Until USA Pickleball provides an explanation, we don't know. However, we do know that many leagues and tournaments, for pros and amateurs, rely on USA Pickleball to dictate equipment and rule standards for play.

On Thursday, the United Pickleball Association (UPA) announced that it has formed a new governing body, adding another wrinkle to the developing situation.

Major League Pickleball & PPA Tour Announce USA Pickleball Competitor, New Governing Body
The United Pickleball Association announced that it has severed ties with USA Pickleball and will create its own governing body, which will oversee rules, regulations and equipment standards, among other things.
The Dink PickleballJason Flamm

Removing these paddles that cost several hundred dollars to purchase could have huge ramifications for recreational, league, and tournament players (both on the amateur and pro level).

It remains to be seen whether a recall, an exchange, or just a good old-fashioned Oopsie is in the works.

Regardless, the fact that these paddles are now being scrutinized and potentially banned after receiving the "USA Pickleball Approved" stamp is not a good look for the sport.

Stay tuned, more to come

We will keep you updated as this story continues. This will certainly not be the last time we hear about these paddles or others being removed from our sport.

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed on all things pickleball.

Jason Flamm

Jason Flamm

Jason is a writer from St. Louis. He’s been a coach in several sports and is currently working on his pickleball coaching certification. He loves to teach and share his passions.

Read more