Prolite Sports

Paddle Tips

Do I Need a New Paddle?

Playing with an old worn out paddle will affect your game. Your paddle has a distinctive sound. Do you hear new sound coming from your paddle? Is your paddle soft around the middle or the top edges? Here is how to check your paddle ...

Place your hands on the sides of the paddle with your thumbs on the face of the paddle.

Press down hard with both thumbs around the paddle's sweet spot and around the top edges.

If you detect soft spots it's time to buy a new paddle.

How Do I Choose a Paddle?

Pro-Lite has several models! So which one do I choose? Your choice depends upon your hand size and your swing motion.

Hand Size

If you have a large hand size try the models with the smaller face but longer handle. The Pro-Lite Aero-D, Power and Classic paddles will accommodate a larger hand.

Swing Motion

Swing motion is distance that the paddle travels by moving your arm back and raising your paddle and then swinging down through ball contact and then back up on your follow-through.

If you have a long swing motion, then try the lightweight Pro-Lite Blaster, Magnum, Enforcer, Aero-D or Classic paddles.

If you have a short swing motion try the Pro-Lite Power paddle. It is a little heavier and is designed for the player who "punches" the ball. You still may want to use the lighter weight paddles, especially with indoor play.

Take Care of Your Paddle

Taking good care of your paddle will extend its life. Here are some tips ...

Do not slap the net, your leg or any other surface with the paddle.
Try not to take "divots" by scraping the ground. This action will eventually cause breakage at the "neck" of your paddle. Just look at your edge guard at the top of the paddle. It will tell you if you take too many "divots."
Do not slap the edge of paddle on the ground.

These are sure ways of breaking the paddle at the neck. And it doesn't happen instantaneously. It usually happens after you have hit an overhead or a hard smash at the net. Why? Because the culmination of all the misuse results in weakening the neck of the paddle.

Other helpful hints ...

Wash the paddle face with a mild soap and water - The Pro-Lite Paddles have a beautiful finish. So wash it and it will look like new! And you will gain more spin on the ball too! Just take a damp cloth and add a very small amount of soap. Wash the face and wipe clean with a dry cloth.

After a while the edge guard may come loose. Use Elmer's Ultimate Glue to glue the edge guard back onto the face. It's sold in most home improvement stores. Do not use a Silicone glue because it takes 24 hours to cure and really doesn't work very well.

Store your paddle in a safe place. Cover the face so that it will not get scratched.

Don't let water get inside the edge guard. It will destroy the paddle's core.