Adding weight to your pickleball paddle is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to change how your paddle plays, but where you put that weight can make a HUGE difference.

In this video, we break down the different ways you can add weight to your paddle, including lead tape, tungsten tape, tuning tape, reusable weights and cap coins. Then we discuss the different zones of the paddle and how adding weight to each area can change the stability, swing weight, power, hand speed and sweet spot of your paddle.

We’ll also show you two of our favorite weight setups that you can use as a starting point for customizing your own paddle.

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How weight changes paddle performance

These are the most common ways adding weight changes how a paddle feels and plays:

  • More power: Any weighted tape added above the bottom corners of the paddle will lead to an increase in power. How much of an increase depends on how much weight and how high up it’s placed.
  • More stability: Adding weight anywhere along the sides of the paddle will lead to an increase in twist weight, which measures how easily a paddle twists when pressure is applied near the outer edges (like when you mishit a shot). A higher twist weight will generally make the paddle feel more stable on those off-center hits.
  • Bigger sweet spot: Adding weight alters the size and location of a paddle’s sweet spot.

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Common weight setups

Top corners (10 and 2): This setup will lead to a high increase in twist weight (stability) and a moderate increase in swingweight. It’s a popular setup for players who want an increase in power and a bigger sweet spot.

Paddle throat: This is where a lot of pros (including Ben Johns) add weighted tape. It leads to a moderate increase in twist weight (stability) and a low increase in swingweight. So you’re getting the benefits of stability without the decrease in hand speed.

Top only: This will lead to a very high increase in swingweight (it will feel noticeably slower in the hand) and a significant increase in power. A lot of singles players add weight to the top of their paddle to generate more pace on their passing shots. Singles players also don’t necessarily need as much maneuverability because hands battles are far less common in singles.

Handle/end cap: The main goal here is to make the paddle feel more maneuverable. For players who are happy with their paddle’s power and stability and want to prioritize hand speed, this is a good option.

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The JOOLA Pro V is one of the highest-performing paddles on the market right now.

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