In the 2024 Pickleball Paddle Awards, standout paddles are recognized across various categories, including value, control, power, and all-around playability. From the best budget-friendly options to the top-performing paddles, these awards highlight the paddles that impressed the judges the most, with the Honolulu J2K 16mm taking home the top honor.
Amazing Pickleball Paddles
- Value Award:
- Elongated Shape: Friday Original Paddle wins for its unbeatable price of $45, ideal for beginners and a solid choice for competitive play.
- Hybrid Shape: Vatic Pro and Prism Flash 16mm win for a second year, offering great control and value.
- Wide Body: 11 624 Pegasus Jelly Bean 16mm (formerly Monarch Jelly Bean) takes the award for offering excellent performance and value at $90.
- Control Category:
- Elongated Shape: Hirace X Jelly Bean 16mm stands out with great customizability and control.
- Hybrid Shape: Honolulu J2Ti wins for its sweet spot and larger control area, edging out the Vatic Prism Flash.
- Wide Body: Voltaire Mach 2 Forza 16mm is praised as the ultimate control paddle with an incredible sweet spot.
- All Court Category:
- Elongated Shape: Bread and Butter Shogun makes waves with a strong feel and modern titanium design.
- Hybrid Shape: Honolulu J2K wins for overall versatility, blending offense and defense.
- Wide Body: Pickleball Apes Pulse V earns top marks for its forgiving sweet spot and all-around playability.
- Power Category:
- Elongated Shape: Yola Hyperion 3S 14mm wins for its balance of power and sweet spot, despite not being USAP-approved.
- Hybrid Shape: Spartus Olympus edges out the Chorus Fire HX with a superior feel and off-center shot forgiveness.
- Wide Body: PaddleTech Bantam ESQC 12.7mm is a standout power paddle with great spin and versatility.
- Most Improved Company: PaddleTech takes the award for its turnaround, bringing high-quality paddles like the ALWC and TKO models into the market.
- Flop of the Year: Eola Gen 3 and Rockne AeroBlade paddles are called out for durability issues, high prices, and poor performance.
- Paddle of the Year: The Honolulu J2K 16mm wins Paddle of the Year, recognized for its versatility, great feel, and strong performance across all areas.
News in Brief: 2024 Pickleball Paddle Awards
The 2024 Pickleball Paddle Awards recognized top performers across categories. The Honolulu J2K 16mm won Paddle of the Year for its versatility. Other winners include the Yola Hyperion 3S for power and the Hirace X Jelly Bean for control. PaddleTech earned Most Improved Company, while the Eola Gen 3 was labeled a flop.
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