The Kitchen’s top pickleball paddles for singles
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Singles pickleball is an entirely different beast compared to doubles. It’s technically the same sport, but the shots you need to succeed in singles are much different than what leads to doubles wins.
There’s more of an emphasis on big serves and passing shots, and very little dinking or “cat and mouse” play in modern singles.
Because of those differences, many players at higher levels use different paddles for singles and doubles. So if you’re somebody who plays a lot of singles, you might consider using a specific paddle that will help you execute the shots you need in singles games.
Below you will find our top picks for singles paddles, based on our experience and feedback from pro players and high-level amateurs.
This page will be updated monthly as new paddles are released and we get our hands on the latest and greatest technology in the sport. In many cases, using code “KITCHEN” at checkout will get you a discount — using our code also helps us continue to produce this type of content.
Last updated: September 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 for drives and serves
– 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
JOOLA Agassi Pro V
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Several top singles players on the PPA Tour, especially on the women’s side, are currently using the Agassi Pro V in singles. The list includes Kate Fahey (ranked No. 2), Brooke Buckner (ranked No. 4) and Lea Jansen (ranked No. 5).
The Agassi shape is a great fit for players coming over from tennis, because the sweet spot is shifted further toward the top of the paddle and it has a handle that is plenty long enough for players who like to hit a two-handed backhand. The elongated shape also helps singles players reach more balls when they’re outstretched.
Learn more about the development of the JOOLA Pro V series here.
Watch: Brooke Buckner and Kate Fahey talk about why they prefer the JOOLA Pro V Agassi.
The RPM Q2 was designed in collaboration with popular paddle reviewer John Kew. It delivers big power, excellent spin and a firm feel on contact. It’s currently No. 1 on our list of the best paddles for drives and serves — two shots that are crucial in singles.
11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 Series
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This one goes against the stereotype of needing power in singles. The Jelly Bean 2 features a softer, denser EMA foam core with sneaky power, wrapped in the brand’s popular “HexGrit” surface.
That combination allows players to be very aggressive with their shots from the baseline — both drops and drives — and have ultimate control in terms of shot shaping and placement. So if you’re somebody who plays with more finesse in singles rather than simply blasting away, this is a very good option. If you want more power, the 11SIX24 Power 2 is also a very good option for singles.
The Jelly Bean 2 also comes in four shapes and three incredible colorways that set this paddle apart from almost everything else on the market.
Check out our full review of the 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 Series here.
Chris Haworth — the No. 1 men’s singles player on the PPA Tour — switched to Luzz at the beginning of 2025 and has used the Tornazo for much of the year.
The full-foam core provides a firm feel with great spin and power, although not as much power as the Luzz Pro 4 Inferno.
Many singles players, including Haworth, actually prefer a paddle with lower power because it allows them to “swing out” more freely without balls sailing long.
The Proton Project Coyote was released in August and has already generated a lot of buzz among paddle reviewers and players. It’s a “Gen 3” build that delivers great power and a predictable response off the paddle face, making it a good option for a wide variety of play styles.
Proton also introduced a slightly different throat taper with the Project Coyote, which is something a lot of Proton players had been asking for. We think this is the best Proton paddle yet and could still move up our list as we spend more time with it.
Check out our full review of the Proton Project Coyote here.
The 16mm RPM Friction Pro V2 is the signature paddle of James Ignatowich, who founded the paddle company in 2025.
The V2 is an updated version of the original Friction Pro paddle, which became one of the most popular paddles on the market toward the end of 2025. Ignatowich compares the V2 to an iPhone update — he made a few small tweaks to the original that improve feel and add dwell time. It delivers a very satisfying feel on contact and generates elite levels of spin (measured in Revolutions Per Minute, or RPM) thanks to a gritty surface.
Shaping the ball on serves, third-shot drives and heavy topspin drops is made easy with this paddle.
This paddle features an intricate core design with multiple layers and cutouts that allows the paddle to absorb and transfer energy to the ball in a more controlled way.
It has more of a “pocketing” effect on contact compared to many other foam paddles, which makes it a breeze to shape the ball on shots from the baseline. It also maintains the top-end power that full foam paddles have become known for over the past year.
Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X
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Paddletek’s latest release is an elongated full-foam paddle that has already been adopted by several pro players, including Top 10 sincles players Christian Alshon and Connor Garnett — and had great results immediately after making the switch this spring. The 14mm version of this paddle delivers great power and pop, while the 16mm version offers a more consistent and stable feel.
The Engage X2 is designed with a “Quad-Density Foam” core and a “Micro-Weave Carbon Fiber” face for more dwell time and increased spin.
Pro player Eric Oncins switched to the Engage X2 in early 2026 and has been playing great in both doubles and singles so far this year.
“This paddle has been unreal the past few tournaments I’ve been playing with it,” Oncins said in the spring. “It has helped me a lot, especially with the firepower.”
Since joining Franklin in early 2026, Anna Leigh Waters — the No. 1 ranked singles and doubles player on the women’s side — has mostly used the C45 hybrid as her preferred paddle. The long handle offers plenty of room for two-handed backhands, and the curved top makes it very whippy through the hitting zone.
It’s also extremely lightweight out of the box, which means players have a lot of room to customize it to their weight preferences. More weight = more power on serves, passing shots and putaways.
You can find our complete breakdown of the different C45 shapes here.
Our testing process
Our paddle reviewers (all 5.0+ players) work with other high-level players in their area to test paddles on a variety of shots. This testing involves several hours of drills and 5.0+ games in an effort to determine how the paddle impacts performance in real-world scenarios.
We use the Life Time LT Pro 48 pickleball for our testing.
