The International Pickleball Manufacturers Association is excited to share that we are teaming up with a group of specialized engineers and industry experts to tackle one of the growing concerns on the court: paddle degradation and “hot paddles”.
We are currently working to develop a diagnostic and testing device specifically designed to identify the most common and detrimental paddle issues:
- Delamination
- Foam Core Packing
- Core Crush
Not just a pressure test
While pressure tests are a common starting point, our research shows they often fail to capture the full data set needed to determine if a paddle is truly out of spec. A paddle might pass a surface pressure check but still be structurally compromised or “dangerous” to players due to the internal core being compromised.
Our Design Philosophy
Our objective is to design an affordable field tool that can be reliably used by any club or association to scan for potentially unsafe paddles.
What’s Next?
We are still in the development stages, but the results from our team are looking very promising.
At IPMA we are committed to ensuring that every player—from the local park to the pro circuit—is playing with equipment that is safe, fair, and consistent.