How Well Do You Know Your Paddle?

1. THE FIRST WOODEN PICKLEBALL PADDLE WAS MADE FROM

A) Plywood

B) Oak

C) Maple

2. THE AVERAGE PICKLEBALL PADDLE WEIGHS ABOUT AS MUCH AS

A) A frying pan

B) One D battery

C) Two oranges

3. IN GENERAL, THE LIGHTER THE PADDLE, THE MORE ________ YOU GET.

A) Power

B) Control

C) Shoulder rotation

4. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A TYPE OF GRIP IN PICKLEBALL?

A) Continental

B) Semi-western

C) Gaffer

5. WHAT IS A PING-PONG PADDLE CALLED IN ASIA?

A) Bat

B) Racket

C) Sweep

6. ACCORDING TO THE 2021 USA PICKLEBALL/IFP OFFICIAL RULEBOOK, A PICKLEBALL PADDLE’S THICKNESS

A) Cannot exceed 15 mm

B) Is not restricted

C) Cannot exceed 20 mm

7. IT’S BEST TO CLEAN YOUR PICKLEBALL PADDLE

A) With a soft, damp towel and then dry it immediately

B) In the top rack of a dishwasher

C) With a glass cleaner immediately after playing

8. AN OVERGRIP IS

A) An aggressive hold a player has on their paddle

B) A thick adhesive material that’s applied directly to the paddle’s bare handle

C) A thinly padded clothlike material wrapped around the existing grip of the paddle

9. THE MAN WHO INVENTED THE COMPOSITE PICKLEBALL PADDLE WORKED FOR THIS COMPANY

A) NASA

B) Boeing

C) Disney

10. BEFORE BARNEY McCALLUM DEVELOPED THE FIRST WOODEN PICKLEBALL PADDLE (THE M1), HE DEVELOPED AND TWEAKED THE GAME USING THIS

A) Ping-Pong paddle

B) Tennis racket

C) Both of the above

Answer Key: 1. A) Barney McCallum, one of the three founding fathers of pickleball, fashioned the first dedicated pickleball paddle out of plywood cut with his band saw. 2. C) Fun fact: Orange juice has been proven to aid in rehydration and recovery after exercise. So go ahead and squeeze “a pickleball paddle’s weight” of oranges into a glass for some post-match hydration! 3. B) As the ancient pickleball proverb goes, “Quicker hands bring increased paddle control; and lighter paddles bring quicker hands.” 4. C) Gaffer. A gaffer is someone found on a movie set. 5. A) Bat. Though the International Table Tennis Federation states that the official term is racket, those same rackets are known as bats throughout Asia. 6. B) Although paddles should not exceed a combined length and width of 24 inches, there is no restriction on paddle thickness. 7. A) Household cleaners can leave a residue, and we shudder at the thought of a paddle in a dishwasher (just don’t…please). For peak performance, stick with plain water and a damp cloth. 8. C) As opposed to a replacement grip, which replaces the original grip of the paddle, overgrips go over the existing grip and are easy to remove and reapply. 9. B) Arlen Paranto, a Boeing industrial engineer, made the first composite pickleball paddle from a composite material found in airplane floor panels. 10. A) But it wasn’t long before the founders began cutting custom paddles from wood with a band saw.