PICKLEBALL PADDLES, THE NEXT GENERATION, MY CHOICES PART 4/4

PICKLEBALL PADDLES, THE NEXT GENERATIION MY CHOICES

                            PART 4/4

             Coach Joe Palmere Jr. ©

What's The Next Generation of Pickleball Paddles Would Be Made of?

KEV;AR CORE & CROSS-LAID CARBON FIBER SHEETS

Let’s begin at the very “Core of this subject.” One possible core material that really attracted my attention was Kevlar. Kevlar aramid is used for high-performance composite applications where lightweight, high strength and stiffness, damage resistance, and resistance to fatigue and stress rupture are important.

Kevlar’s resistance to squashing and compression creates a more solid core material with a reduced core thickness to half that of Nomex, fiberglass or aluminum cores. This would increase ball feel and ball control, and power when needed. Solid core paddles are trending today, due to their large sweet spot and non-protrusive edge guards.

Some may argue that Kevlar would reduce a paddles capability to take pace off the ball. Possibly!  But taking pace off the ball with a composite paddle requires recoiling just as the ball makes contact to soften the landing. The same would apply with the Kevlar Core.

The surface of the Futuristic Paddle would consists of one (1) layer of micro thin “Standard 3MSI modulus carbon fiber laid cross ways to one (1) layer of Ultra-high 135 MSI, laid in the opposite direction, to serve as the surface material sandwiching the Kevlar Core on either side.

Carbon fiber is used primarily for reinforcement and / or functionality of composite materials, made with resin, ceramic or metal as matrix. Carbon fibers are extensively applied to a large variety of applications with supreme mechanical characteristics (specific tensile strength, specific modulus) and Standard modulus carbon fiber is the most commonly used grade across industries. The sweet spot of the paddle would encompass the entire surface area.

FLAX LINEN CORE & CARBON FIBER SHEETING FACE

The next combination of industrial materials for building the Futuristic Paddle would be a “flax linen” core, sandwiched between the same one (1) layer of “Standard 3MSI modulus carbon fiber laid cross ways, to one (1) layer of Ultra-high 135 MSI, laid in the opposite direction, to serve as the surface material sandwiching the Kevlar Core on either side.

Flax linen dry composite core reduces weight and increases vibration damping properties, Combining these two synthetics would provide ball control and less power for playing the soft finesesse game at the net.

The Futuristic Paddle’s handle would be oval shaped carbon fiber, with three finger groves and an optional thumb rest near the throat. The handle would be integrated into the surface and core material.

The exterior side of the handle will be carbon fiber filled with the same solid core material, extended down below the carbon fiber surface material. The size and shape of the handle would be formed by layering of carbon fiber strips atop the extruded surface material to form an oval shape grip.

The handle is now an extension of the face and will provide more touch and feel on the ball. The oval grip should conform more towards the continental grip used in pickleball.

Grip circumferences of 3 7/8”, 4”, and 4 14” would be optional.

Size. The combined length and width, including any edge guard and butt cap, shall not exceed 24 inches (60.96 cm). The paddle length cannot exceed 17 inches (43.18 cm). There is no restriction on paddle thickness. Size.

The combined length and width, including any edge guard and butt cap, shall not exceed 24 inches (60.96 cm). The paddle length cannot exceed 17 inches (43.18 cm). There is no restriction on paddle thickness.

The sweet spot of the paddle would encompass the entire surface area.

Carbon Fibre Reinforced Aluminium Sandwich Composites*

Mechanical Properties Evaluation of the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Aluminium Sandwich Composites

Strength-to-weight ratio

Compared to 6061 aluminum, 3D printed carbon fiber has a 50% higher strength-to-weight ratio in flexure and 300% higher in tension.

Flexural Strength

In a three-point bending, 3D printed carbon fiber is 8x stronger than ABS and 20% stronger than the yield of aluminum.

Flexural Stiffness

3D printed carbon fiber filament is 25x more rigid than ABS and 2x more rigid than the rest of Markforged’s reinforcement fibers.

This combination would be totally experimental until it was thoroughly tested on the courts in the hands of players.  Depending on the amount of texturing on the face of this paddle, it could out perform or underperform any other materials.

One  superpolyamides alone may produce the paddle of the future.  I would like to see an all carbon fiber paddle, in a solid form. The carbon fiber sheets would be cross laid, as many as 10, but their sheer design would only produce an over-all paddle thickness of 1.8".  I would expect this paddle to be all ball control, light and lacking backcourt power. 

I have just scratched the surface of what could be in store for us a few years down the road.  Paddles have come a long way since the all wood homemade paddles used by the Pritchett's when the game was invented.  But in 55 years Nomex, Polymer and Aluminum cores, topped with Graphite, Fiberglass or  Polymer  is as far as we have gotten. 

The END