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I went on a paddleholic spree earlier this year, and one of my biggest questions was what paddles do pickleball pros use. If a pro is using a paddle then it must be a good paddle, right?
So, I searched what Ben Johns uses and purchased the Joola Hyperion CFS 16mm, which I believe he was using at the time.
That said, it may be curious what the top 10 professional men and women pickleball players use, so let’s dive right in. Let’s start with the top 10 men, and then move to the top 10 women.
Please note I am using the “PPA Tour’s Top Players” list, and will plan to update this regularly.
Also, I care most about what players use in tournaments. That is where I feel the players put their “paddle with their mouth is”. 🙂 What the players actually use is how I ranked the top pickleball paddle brands in the world.
Top 10 Men’s Pickleball Paddles
1. Federico Staksrud
According to his PPA tour profile, Federico uses the Joola Perseus, but thanks to this Reddit thread, I did some additional sleuthing. Here’s a picture of Federico playing with an unnamed paddle.
From the comments, I found that this is a Joola Perseus 16mm Mod TA-15. Apparently, the paddle looks similar to this Joola paddle, but I am curious why this paddle only has a 4.0 rating.
Upon further digging, one comment mentioned that the paddle broke, but one reviewer mentioned that the paddle played similarly to the Joola Generation 3’s that got banned.
2. Ben Johns
Per PPA, Ben Johns is using the JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus CFS 16 Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle, but I watched him play in a recent tournament, and here’s the shot I saw that does not look like that paddle above.
Upon a closer up image, I could definitely confirm that is it not what the PPA tour website states.
Confirmed, Ben Johns currently uses the JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus 3S UPA-A Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle. I could not confirm whether he uses a 14mm or 16mm pickleball paddle.
It’s currently a $279.95 pickleball paddle, so it’s not for the faint of heart.
3. Connor Garnett
Connor Garnett is from Seattle, Washington. He played D1 tennis at Santa Clara University before becoming a professional pickleball player. He’s insanely good with 15 medals thus far.
Connor Garnett has his own paddle, which is the ProXR Connor Garnett Signature Middleweight Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle. It’s a beautiful paddle with Raw T700 Carbon Fiber Face and Honeycomb Polypropylene Core material.
It has a 5.0 rating on JustPaddles, and you can get 10% off with the pickleball paddle discount code: bepickleballer.
Let’s look at a familiar household name next: Tyson McGuffin.
4. Tyson McGuffin
Tyson McGuffin is no stranger to the limelight. His YouTube channel commands over 30,000 subscribers, and is currently ranked #4 in singles pickleball. In January 2024, Tyson signed a contract with Joola (no surprise), so let’s see what paddle he uses in tournaments.
Here’s a shot of Tyson playing in the Las Vegas Cup in August 2024
As you can see, Tyson is playing with JOOLA Tyson McGuffin Magnus 3S Pickleball Paddle. I am not sure if it’s a 14mm or 16mm.
This is the officially USAP-approved paddle. Here’s the approved paddle list if you are ever curious whether your paddle(s) are approved.
When I checked it last, I found that this paddle was out of stock, but here’s the official Joola link if you’re interested to get notified when it’s back in stock.
5. Christian Alshon
Per his website, Christian Alshon grew up in Boca Raton, FL, but only started playing pickleball in June, 2022. This happened two weeks after winning the Division III NCAA tennis championship.
I only became familiar with him recently after Duong and Alshon handily beat the Johns brothers in doubles.
So, he’s another guy with a tennis background. Alshon is currently sponsored by Paddletek. As you can see in this picture, he plays with the Bantam TKO-C.
Paddletek’s Bantam series boasts a combination of power, spin and reach. It uses PT-700 unidirectional RAW carbon fiber along with a Bantam core to give max power and spin capability.
Most of my paddles are between 14mm and 16mm, but you can find a 12.7mm Bantam paddle.
I have followed the young Quang Duong for a while now, so let’s cover his paddle next.
6. Quang Duong
As of 2024, Quang Duong is just 18 years old and is sponsored by Selkirk. He grew up in Torrance, CA and actually got his start in the Selkirk Emerging Pros program. Apparently, he’s defeated Ben Johns twice in 2024. Duong also came from a tennis, but he also plays paddle tennis and swims.
From the picture below, you can see that Duong appears to be using the Selkirk Invikta pickleball paddle. Apparently, this paddle took 2 years of research and development to create. The paddle currently has a 4.7 rating based on 471 reviews.
Let’s cover Dylan Frazier next.
7. Dylan Frazier
Dylan Frazier started playing pickleball when he was 14 years old. He is the only top 10 player without a high level tennis background. He started as a 3.5 player, competing and climbing his way up until he reached the PPA tour.
Dylan Frazier is currently using the Selkirk Project 02 paddle. It may be the most expensive paddle on the list, retailing at over $300.
8. Jack Sock
We are currently on a roll with Selkirk athletes, so let’s continue with Jack Sock. Jack Sock is currently sponsored by Selkirk. Jack may have the best tennis background of anyone in the top 10. He’s received four Grand Slam doubles titles as well as winning an Olympics gold in the mixed doubles in 2016.
That’s insane.
Here’s a picture of Jack Sock’s Selkirk paddle from a recent tournament. This does not look like Sock’s Luxx Control paddle, so I am still digging in which paddle this is.
9. Jaume Martinez Vich
Next, we have Jaume Martinez Vich, who is sponsored by Six Zero. I own a Six Zero Double Black Diamond, and it’s definitely a great paddle.
Here’s a picture of Jaume playing with a Six Zero paddle at a recent tournament. You can use the discount code: bepickleballer at JustPaddles to get 10% off a Six Zero paddle.
10 Christopher Haworth
Finally, let’s talk about Chris Haworth. As of 2024, Chris Haworth is sponsored by Babolat. He was the first major athlete to sign with Babolat.
Per JustPaddles, Hawworth is currently using the Babolat STRKR+ Carbon Fiber Pickleball Paddle. The paddle has a thin 13mm polypropylene core. It’s an interesting-looking paddle that I would love to try out someday. You can use the code: bepickleballer to get an additional 10% off if you choose this paddle.
Should you buy a pickleball paddle that the pros use?
Not necessarily.
Professional player’s paddles may be quite a bit more expensive, and have technology that is difficult for beginner players to handle. For example, the pros may play with a 10-12mm paddle designed for power, while a beginner may find the best beginner paddle that helps them control where the ball goes.
My Ben Johns Hyperion 16mm CFS is still one of my favorite paddles, and now I have around 30-50 pickleball paddles.
Conclusion
Top professional pickleball players play with a variety of paddles from various top brands.
Hopefully, this article allows you to compare what professionals use to judge whether you want to purchase one of these paddles.
Please take our free pickleball paddle quiz if you are having difficulty deciding which paddle is best for you.