The best pickleball paddles for drives and serves
This page contains affiliate links. The Kitchen may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
One of the first things our paddle reviewers ask themselves when they’re trying a new paddle is, “What is this paddle good at?”
In general, most new releases these days will be good at something — sometimes multiple things.
But with so many different options and materials being used — polypropelyne, EVA foam, EPP foam, MPP foam, etc. — there’s a wide range of performance and feel characteristics. Some are very powerful, some feel stiff, some feel plush, some grab the ball better than others, and so on.
We believe we’ve reached a point in pickleball equipment where fitting your paddle to your play style is more important (and easier) than ever. Are you a player who relies on power or focuses on the soft game? What are your best shots and your worst shots? Do you want a paddle that makes your good shots even better, or a paddle that can cover up some of your weaknesses?
These are all questions that players should be asking themselves before they buy their next paddle.
In this article, we’re focusing on paddles that excel on drives and serves — specifically when it comes to power and spin. So if you’re somebody who might classify yourself as a “Banger” or have Banger tendencies, this list is for you.
We’ve separated these paddles into three tiers:
Best in class: If the assignment is to execute drives and serves at the highest level possible, this is the paddle we’d reach for right now.
Elite: All of these paddles are exceptional on drives and serves. Maybe you’re looking for a certain brand or price point. We bet there’s something in here that fits your needs.
Very good: While these paddles didn’t make the elite tier, they are still very, very good on drives and serves. We’re talking Top 15-ish out of hundreds and hundreds of paddles that we’ve tested.
So if drives and serves are something you want to put an emphasis on in your game, you can’t go wrong with any of the options below.
Last updated: August 2026
Check out our other “best of” lists
– Our Top 13 paddles on the market + in-depth reviews for each one
– The best shoes for pickleball players
– The best pickleball paddles for power players
– The best pickleball paddles for control players
– The best pickleball paddles for spin
– The best pickleball paddles for dinks and drops
– The best pickleball paddles under $200
– The best pickleball paddles under $150
– The best pickleball paddles for beginners
– The best pickleball paddles for intermediate players
– The best pickleball paddles for advanced players
– The best bags designed specifically for pickleball
BEST IN CLASS
RPM Q2
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 15% off.
ELITE
Luzz Inferno2 M1
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 15% off!
RPM Friction Pro V2
Use code “KITCHEN” for 15% off at checkout.
Proton Project Coyote
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 15% off!
Friday Aura Pro
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for $10 off.
Enhance MPP Turbo
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for $20 off.
FLiK F1
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off!
VERY GOOD
Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik
Use code “INF-KITCHEN” for a credit toward a future purchase.
Six Zero Black Opal
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off.
Honolulu J6CR
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off.
11SIX24 Power 2 Series
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for $10 off.
Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off!
Bread & Butter Loco
Use code “KITCHEN” at checkout for 10% off.
