8 Best Pickleball Paddles for Beginners in 2025

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In anticipation of writing this article, I purchased ~50 beginner pickleball paddles to test and provide you feedback.

Now, I am a pickleball paddle fanatic, and I was a beginner not too long ago, so I thought it would be helpful to share the best pickleball paddles for beginners with you.

My favorite option was just released in 2025, so I will cover that option extensively.

8 Top Pickleball Paddles for Beginners

1. Best Beginner Paddle: The Doctor Pickleball Surgical Control review
2. Runner Up Beginner Paddle: PBVMURTG Pickleball Paddle review
3. Second Runner-Up Value: Fanovae 3d Pickleball Paddle
4. Best Overall Regardless of Price ($10 off with code: bepickleballer): Vatic Pro Prism Flash 16mm
5. Best Runner-Up: Anything Sports Carbon Fiber Paddle
6. Best <$10: Litakon Premium Fiberglass Pickleball Paddle
7. Best $50 – Franklin Sports Pickleball Paddle
8. Best Beginner Set: Selkirk Pickleball Paddle Set (One of my favorites is the Costco set, which is slightly different from this set)

Let’s go through my deep dive for each beginner pickleball paddle. Also, these are my ratings for the paddle(s).

Now, let’s look at my favorite beginner paddles that helped take me to the next level.

1. Best Beginner Paddle in 2025: Doctor Pickleball Picklebal Paddle

When I look for a beginner paddle, I want a paddle that provides control. As I have improved, I want more of a power paddle, but when you begin, I believe it’s all about getting control where the ball is going.

The Doctor pickleball surgical control paddle provides just that and it was released in 2025, so this paddle is brand new with some cool technology.

First, the paddle has a 20mm paddle thickness which is slightly larger than a 14mm and 16mm paddle. That extra 4mm provides ample control on your shots to help you improve faster.

In addition, I want to share a story about 4 recent games with this paddle. I explain this in my deep dive review.

• Game 1: I started with a $10 pickleball paddle and lost the game 11-6.
• Game 2: After a solid loss, I played with around an $80 carbon fiber weave pickleball paddle and barely won the second game 12-10.
• Game 3: I played with my #1 favorite pickleball paddle, the Joola Ben Johns Hyperion CFS (which is around $150-$200), and won the game 11-8.
• Game 4: I decided to play with the Doctor Surgical Control pickleball paddle, and had my best game yet. I won 11-3, In the game, I felt that I had such control of all of my shots. The grit on the paddle grips the ball, and the 20mm paddle thickness gives ample control to get your shots where you need them to fall.

In terms of price, this paddle usually retails at around $70, but I just checked the website below and Amazon, and you can find this paddle for under $50 right now! I’m not sure how long this price will last though.

You won’t find many reviews though because this paddle is literally brand new.

You can also use Amazon prime, purchasing directly on the company’s website.

Finally, I absolutely love the design. Check out this picture.

Let’s cover another great budget paddle option.

2. Runner Up Best Beginner Paddle: The PBVMURTG paddle

The PBVMURTG paddle has been one of the most interesting beginner paddle experience.

Why do I say that?

You may not believe this, but I played with a $200 paddle recently against my friend this morning who is probably in the 4.0-4.5 DUPR range. He beat me 3 games in a row, but then I switched to this PBVMURTG pickleball paddle in game 4, and won the game 11-3. I could not believe it.

I loved this paddle so much I wrote an entire review on the paddle. It’s an amazing paddle that has incredible value.

The unboxing experience was a pleasant surprise, with the paddle arriving in a sturdy box, along with a cover, carbon fiber cleaner, and grip tape—extras you’d rarely find at this price point. When it comes to performance, the paddle felt solid, offering decent control, spin, and power, thanks to its carbon fiber face and 16mm thickness.

While it has a smaller sweet spot and feels a bit stiff compared to more expensive paddles, it still holds its own, especially when compared to my old Anything Sports paddle.

For under $35, this PBVMURTG paddle is IMPOSSIBLE to beat!

Please note that the link below helps support this website and allows me to write unbiased reviews as I get approximately $1.31 if you purchase this paddle through the link.That said, please do not feel like you have to use it!

Here are some my favorite PBVMURTG pickleball paddle pictures.

3. Second Runner-Up: Fanovae 3d Pickleball Paddle

The Fanovae pickleball paddles are absolutely incredible. The PowerMax series has multiple different versions and I have tested them all.

I loved these beginner paddles so much that I wrote an entire review covering just how well these paddles played for spin, control and power.

What’s amazing is each of these paddles have a unique unboxing experience with really nice accessories.

Of all the paddles, I liked the 3D the most as it provided both spin and control that were awesome. It’s seriously competitive with the current overall best beginner paddle, and this paddle is often under $50.

4. Best Overall Regardless of Price: Vatic Pro Prism Flash 16mm

I rate my favorite beginner pickleball paddles based on 4 key components to beginner pickleball paddles including: 1) value 2) paddle size 3) paddle weight and 4) paddle ability.

This is my favorite beginner pickleball paddle that has been beating out my Joola Ben Johns Hyperion and my SixZero Double Black Diamond. I have started winning more games against friends I had never beaten.

The paddle has a great carbon fiber face, providing power and control in my play. Carbon Fiber paddles can last 3+ years, significantly longer than wood and fiberglass paddles.

This paddle is just under $100, and you can use the Vatic Pro discount code: BePickleBaller for an additional $10 off the final price. I also appreciate that the paddle comes with a nice cover.

If you consider the Vatic Pro Prism paddle, you decide between a 14mm vs 16mm paddle. That defines the thickness of the paddle, and if you are an intermediate or advanced player, you may opt for 14mm while a beginner may opt for a 16mm thickness.

When I first purchased this paddle, I purchased the 16mm thickness, but I just ordered the 14mm thickness today, so I plan to write an article covering that.

5. Best Runner Up: Roore Pickleball Paddle

I love the carbon fiber 16mm as a beginner to interemediate pickleball paddle.

This is a carbon fiber paddle in the $60-$70 after using the code: bepickleballer.

While the paddle height and width are not as large as my other paddles, I appreciate that you get to test out a carbon fiber face at a fraction of the price.

I played a session with this paddle, and I absolutely loved the control and spin on this paddle. It may not have as much spin as other paddles, but overall, it was a fantastic paddle at a great price.

Let’s look at my favorite beginner cheap paddle.

6. Best Very Cheap Pickleball Paddle (Under $10)

The Gyothrig Pickleball Paddle is one of the least expensive pickleball paddles that I could find, which means that you can test out pickleball at a low price. I appreciate that this pickleball paddle maintains a 4.3 rating based on over 80+ reviews and also has a pickleball paddle cover.

I like how this paddle is still similar to paddles in the $10-$25 range but doesn’t seem to be marketed as heavily as other paddles. That said, you may want o check the price.

Did you know I purchased two sets of paddles at different prices, just to find out that I think the paddles were manufactured by the same company?

Fail.

Let’s go over my favorite $50 beginner paddle next.

7. Best $50 Beginner Paddle – Franklin Sports Pickleball Paddle 

Now, this is a 10mm thickness paddle, so it’s a bit thinner than what I would go with as a beginner. That said, the grip size is 5 inches, and this paddle is made of polypropylene, which has the same feel as carbon fiber. which helps grip the ball, providing more control.

The Franklin paddle is also 8 ounces, which I find a fine weight for beginners.

If you like paddle design, I appreciate how this paddle has an image of the sweet spot, making it potentially easier to understand where you need to hit the ball.

8. Best Beginner Set

I purchased this Costco pickleball set from Costco, and I have to say that the quality was much better than I anticipated. It was on the higher end of the price point that I’d want for a beginner paddle, but it’s an awesome set of 2 paddles, perfect for 2 beginners wanting to get started.

I don’t put much value on a free bag as they are generally poor quality, but this bag seemed to be overall better quality.

Generally, pickleball balls in combination sets appear to be poor quality, but these also seem to be decent-quality balls.

Overall, my opinion is that this Selkirk pickleball is the perfect set for beginners.

Where To Purchase Beginner Paddles

The two best places that I’ve found to purchase beginner paddles are JustPaddles, best paddles on Amazon, or directly on the company’s website.

JustPaddles is my overall favorite as they provide a 10% coupon code that can even be used for used and blemished paddles. If you are looking for a very cheap paddle, I found that Amazon generally has the best selection of cheap paddles in addition to expensive paddles.

What I Look For In A Beginner Paddle

Due to the fact that there are thousands of paddles out there from which to choose. Do you choose a 14mm or 16mm pickleball paddle? Do you spend $5 or $200 on a paddle? How does the Onix z5 paddle compare to the Friday pickleball paddle?

In my opinion, your first and most important question to yourself is: Do I think I will like pickleball or do I have no idea?

1. If you have no idea whether you like the game, I would probably opt for a very inexpensive beginner pickleball paddle to minimize your investment.
2. If you think you are going to enjoy the game, then it may make sense to go with a pickleball paddle that is higher quality for the beginner.

Let’s look at the list.

Value

When I was a beginner, I wanted to understand whether I liked the game before making the investment. I personally didn’t want to purchase a $200+ paddle, just to have it another thing I have to store at my house.

That said, I want a paddle that is functional to make sure that the paddle isn’t detracting from my potential enjoyment of the game.

As such, I want to find the best paddle at the best value.

Paddle Size

If your paddle size is too small, you may have a difficult time hitting the ball in the sweet spot, which is the area on the face of the paddle where the pickleball ball comes off most consistently.. If you can’t hit the ball well in the sweet spot, you may be more frustrated with the game when you could have enjoyed the game.

So, I am generally looking for both a longer length and a longer width of a pickleball paddle for beginners.

Paddle Weight

Generally speaking, the more weight of the paddle may provide more power, but it may be more difficult to move around the paddle effectively.

As such, for a beginner, I would prefer a pickleball paddle that is slightly lighter or in the medium weight.

Paddle Ability

There are paddles that are inexpensive, have the right size and weight, but just don’t have the right ability. For example, I got this paddle below from purchasing a pickleball net. I generally have low expectations of a paddle if it comes with something else that I am trying to purchase (aka a pickleball net)

The paddle may look nice, but I have seriously questioned it’s ability recently.

Are You Ready For Your Beginner Paddle?

Your pickleball paddle as a beginner is a key element of your success to the game. My position is that finding a paddle that is inexpensive yet functional, and has the right weight and size can help elevate your pickleball game from a beginner into a pickle “baller” (pun intended). Unfortunately some paddles such as the Anything Sports carbon fiber pickleball paddle no longer is available, so it’s good to look at other paddles.

I reviewed so many paddles that didn’t make the list such as the Niupipo pickleball paddle and the Head Radical Elite paddle, but there were only a few paddles that could make this list.

Finally, you may also be looking for the best outdoor pickleball balls and the 3 grips of how to hold a pickleball paddle.

Hopefully, one of these 4 best pickleball paddles for beginners can be of service to you.

My Favorite Pickleball Paddle Articles

1. 14mm vs 16mm Pickleball Paddle
2. Vatic Pro Prism Flash 14mm vs 16mm
3. Pickleball Paddle Set Costco
4. Best Pickleball Paddles For Kids
5. Pickleball Paddle Quiz
6. Head Radical Elite Pickleball Paddle Review
7. Niupipo Pickleball Paddle Review
8. JustPaddles Review
9. Friday Pickleball Paddle Review

Other Favorite Articles

1. Best Pickleball Portable Nets
2. Pickleball Drills for Kids
3. Pickleball Team Names
4. How to Play Pickleball
5. Best Material for Pickleball Paddle
6. My First Pickleball Tournament