How PaddleScore works
Every paddle score combines what many reviewers say, not what one of them says. Here is everything that goes into it. The only thing we don’t publish is the exact arithmetic, so nobody can game it.
In one minute
- 1
We choose reviewers carefully
Our editors select reviewers who disclose their brand relationships and test paddles through real play. Once a reviewer is in, every review they publish of a paddle we cover counts, good or bad, and each one is linked so you can check it yourself.
- 2
We put them on one scale
A 4 out of 5, an 8.5 out of 10 and a B+ all become a number out of 100. Reviewers who don’t give a score are rated from what they wrote: an AI model rates the review against published anchors, and an editor reviews every rating and decides the number that counts.
- 3
We weigh each review
Independent, long-term testing counts more. Paid, sponsored or brand-supplied reviews count less. The factors are listed below.
- 4
We even out tough and easy graders
We compare each reviewer with others on the same paddles, so a paddle isn’t lucky or unlucky in who happened to review it.
- 5
We publish in dated snapshots
A score changes only when an editor publishes a new dated snapshot and approves it by name. Nothing moves on its own in between, and the date and the approver are shown at the foot of the rankings.
How we choose reviewers
Our editors hand-pick every reviewer. To be included, a reviewer must:
- 1
Disclose brand relationships
Sponsorships, affiliate codes and free paddles are stated publicly where viewers can see them.
- 2
Test through real play
Games or drills over several sessions, not unboxings or spec readouts.
- 3
Give a clear verdict
A score, or a written verdict clear enough to rate against our published anchors.
- 4
Have a track record
At least 5 published paddle reviews before we add them. Reviewers inactive for 12 months stop being added to new scores; their past reviews still count.
- 5
Publish criticism
Their reviews name real weaknesses, not only strengths.
We pick reviewers, not reviews. Once a reviewer is in, every review they publish of a paddle we cover counts, including the ones a brand won’t like. We never choose which of their reviews to use.
Core reviewers meet every criterion with a long, well-documented record of testing. Their reviews count a little more, and they’re marked on their profile. For everyone else, our editors set the weight from the depth of their testing and their track record, and review it regularly. Newly added reviewers count a little less at first.
What counts more or less
Every review starts equal. These factors raise or lower how much it counts. On each paddle page, the explanation next to a review shows which ones applied.
Counts more
- Tested 30+ days Moderate
Long tests catch what first sessions miss, like dead spots and core wear.
- Bought it themselves Moderate
Paid for the paddle with their own money instead of using a review sample.
- Publishes lab measurements Small
Measured swingweight, twistweight or spin, so claims can be checked.
- Core reviewer Small
Meets every one of our criteria with a long record of careful, well-documented testing.
Counts less
- Owns part of or works for the brand Large
Equity in the brand, or employment by it.
- Signature or co-designed paddle Large
The reviewer has their own paddle with the brand, or helped design one.
- Paid or sponsored review Large
The brand paid for this review.
- Exclusive brand sponsor Large
The reviewer is on the brand’s team or has an exclusive deal.
- Brand ambassador Moderate
Free gear and perks from the brand.
- First impressions only Moderate
Reviewed after a few sessions.
- Reviewer on probation Moderate
Recently added or under review. Counts less until our editors have reviewed more of their work.
- Brand-specific affiliate deal Small
An exclusive or unusually generous commission deal with that one brand.
What about discount codes and review samples?
Nearly every reviewer gets review paddles from brands and funds their testing with discount codes across dozens of brands. We show both on each reviewer’s page, and neither changes how a review counts. A special deal with one brand does. Reviewers who buy a paddle with their own money get a bonus.
What if a reviewer doesn’t give a score?
Many of our most trusted reviewers don’t. Two of our editors each rate the reviewer’s verdict out of 100 without seeing the other’s rating. If they’re close, we use the average; if not, a third editor decides. It counts the same as a published score. Podcast discussions aren’t counted as reviews.
Keeping it fair
Tough and easy graders
Some reviewers give almost everything a 9. Others rarely go above 7. We compare each reviewer with others on the same paddles and even out the difference, so a generous grader can’t lift a paddle on their own.
Early scores stay cautious
With only a few reviews, a paddle’s score starts close to its brand’s track record and moves toward what reviewers say as more reviews arrive. One glowing review can’t put a paddle on top.
Relationships have dates
A sponsorship only affects reviews published while it was active, and covers the whole brand family, including sub-brands. A review published before a paddle’s release is marked as early access; like any review sample, that doesn’t count against it.
Getting a score
A paddle gets a score once 3 different reviewers have reviewed it, and at least one of them has no ties to the brand. Until then it’s listed as “Waiting on reviews” with no number.
If a reviewer makes several videos on one paddle, like a first look and a long-term follow-up, they count as one review led by their most recent verdict.
We currently include reviews published since January 2025, and may add older reviews over time. Podcasts, multi-topic show episodes, unboxings and short clips aren’t counted. Roundups and comparisons count only when they give a clear verdict on a paddle.
What the bands mean
Bands compare paddles with each other, so they stay meaningful even when reviewers are generous. They say where a paddle sits among the ones we rate, not whether we think it is any good: every paddle here is one reviewers chose to cover, so the bottom of the list is still a paddle worth its place. Each score is shown in its band's colour, so the colour marks a position in the list and not a pass mark. While few paddles are rated, bands are marked provisional, because adding one more can move another paddle's band — and so its colour — without its score changing.
- Standout· the top 15% of rated paddles
- Strong· better than half of rated paddles
- Solid· in the lower half of rated paddles
- Lower tier· the bottom 15% of rated paddles
Tournament approval
Each paddle's page says which governing body approves it for tournament play — USA Pickleball, UPA-A, both, or neither. It is recorded separately from the score and never feeds into it: approval says where you may use a paddle, not how well it plays. Where we have not verified a paddle's approval we say that instead of guessing, because a reader checking eligibility before an event needs to know the difference between "not approved" and "not checked". Approval is confirmed against the governing body's own list, not the brand's marketing, and it is granted per shape — so a series page reflects the shapes we have checked.
What we never do
- Take money from brands for scores, placement or removing reviews.
- Let our own affiliate earnings touch the score. We may earn from shopping links; the score is calculated without them.
- Leave out a review because it’s negative. Once a reviewer is in, every review they publish of a paddle we cover counts.
- Mark a paddle down for its age. Older paddles are scored on the same reviews as new ones.
Reviewer or brand? See something wrong?
Send a correction about a disclosure, a missing review or a score. We reply within a week.