Why Pro Pickleball Players Are Choking Up on Their Paddles

They can use anticipation and footwork to compensate for the slight reduction in reach while the vast improvement in maneuverability and hand speed is worth its weight in gold.

In episode 104 of the Pickleball Effect podcast, hosts Braydon and Kyle get into something puzzling happening on the pro tour, particularly among male doubles players: they're choking up on their paddles.

Guys like Gabe Tardio, Ben Johns, Andre Daescu, Christian Alshon, and Federico Staksrud have all been seen holding their paddles an inch or so higher above the butt cap, most often up at the kitchen line.

To find out why, Braydon did what any curious pickleball enthusiast would do: he grabbed two elongated paddles, measured their swing weight, cut an inch off the butt cap, and measured again.

The result? An astonishing 22-point drop in swing weight. Not 10 points. Not 15. Twenty-two.

"I could not believe it," Brandon says.

He tested a second paddle and got the exact same result. The math checks out: choking up an inch on an elongated paddle drops the swing weight from the average range of 119-120 down to a feather-light 98 or below.

Why does this matter?

It all comes back to hand speed.

When the ball is getting faster and everyone's getting stronger, pros need quicker hands at the net. An elongated paddle gives them power from the baseline, but choking up provides the maneuverability they need at the kitchen.

For top pros like Tardio or Alshon, the compromise seems like an easy one – they can use anticipation and footwork to compensate for the slight reduction in reach; but the vast improvement in maneuverability and hand speed is worth its weight in gold.

If it works for them, it could be worth playing around with for you, too. The next time you hit the court, be mindful of not just how, but where you're gripping your paddle handle. Chance are, you could be choking up a little more yourself.

Feature image via IG