See the full list of paddle brands approved for PPA Tour, MLP events

Alex Lantz

Director of Content

Last Edited

Sep 10 2025

Category

News

The United Pickleball Association of America is now requiring full certification for paddles in order for them to be used at the pro level on the PPA Tour and in Major League Pickleball.

Previously, the UPA-A -- the governing body of the PPA Tour and MLP -- had been granting paddles and paddle brands provisional approval or interim certification, which was based on paddles having already received USA Pickleball certification.

As of Sept. 1, the organization has moved entirely away from recognizing USAP certification, and the UPA-A now has its own paddle testing and certification process, which is being done at the Pickle Pro Labs facility in south Florida.

The Pickle Pro Labs testing process is extensive and has been in development for many months -- and all paddle brands had been made aware of the Sept. 1 deadline well in advance.

Paddles are tested for power and spin and also undergo "destructive testing" to make sure that they don't show a notable increase in power or spin after a "break-in" period. A paddle is only granted full certification if it passes both before and after destructive testing.

This is a much more comprehensive process than the paddle testing that has been done on-site at PPA Tour and MLP events in the past. So some paddles that previously had been passing on-site testing have not received full UPA-A certification.

This change is sure to be a topic of conversation at this week's PPA Tour Cincinnati Showcase, as some players will be forced to switch paddles if the paddle they normally use is not on the updated list of approved paddles, which you can find here.

So far there are 21 paddle brands and 85 specific paddle models that have received full UPA-A certification. More paddles are being tested at the lab each day, and the list is being updated regularly. Here is the list of approved brands as of Sept. 9:

Adidas
CRBN
Engage
Facolos
Franklin
Holbrook*
JOOLA
Lotto
Luzz*
Nox*
Onix
PaddleTek
PIKKL
ProKennex
Proton
ProXR
Selkirk
Six Zero
Sypik
Volair
Warping Point*

* = Blackout only: Must use blackout paddle with no logos/identifying marks at pro PPA Tour and MLP events. This is for companies that have not paid the tour's broadcast marketing fee, which the tour charges companies in order for paddles to be allowed with visible logos. This fee is because the tour is providing the stage and TV broadcast for players and their equipment to be seen by fans.

But even though a brand is on the list, not every paddle model from each brand has been granted approval. Some notable models from top brands that have not received full certification include:

-JOOLA Magnus Pro IV 16mm
-JOOLA Scorpeus Pro IV 16mm
-Proton Series Three - Project Flamingo
-PIKKL Hurricane Pro
-Multiple PaddleTek 12.7mm models
-Selkirk Project Boomstik widebody
-Selkirk Project Boomstik elongated with MOI clamps (the elongated model is only approved for use without the MOI claps because that's how the paddle was originally submitted for testing, according to the UPA-A. The MOI clamps were then added later, and the paddle has not been approved with the clamps.)

Notable brands that have either not submitted paddles for testing or have not passed include:

11six24
Babolat
Diadem
Gearbox
Gamma
HEAD
Honolulu
Vulcan
Wilson

All of those paddle brands have paddles that are still approved for use by USA Pickleball and therefore can be used at the amateur level.

On-site testing of paddles is still being conducted at all PPA Tour/MLP events. Only paddles with full UPA-A certification will be tested and allowed for play.

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