Pickleball Central Sacramento Vintage Open: The Pickleball Central Sacramento Vintage Open gave fans and players a unique experience by bringing back wooden paddles for competition. The event, held in Sacramento in 2025, featured professional athletes playing with paddles that have not been common since Arlen Paranto introduced the composite paddle in 1984. None of today’s professional players had ever competed with wooden paddles, making this tournament a rare and exciting change.
Old-School Paddles, Old-School Tactics
The biggest difference with wooden paddles was the loss of power. Players found it much harder to hit winners with drives, overheads, or quick speedups. This shifted the focus to dinking, lobs, and smart angles. Years ago, the third shot drop was considered the most important shot in pickleball, but power paddles pushed the game toward drives and speed.
At the Vintage Open, there were more third shot drops than seen in years. Rallies were longer, patience was tested, and players needed careful shot-making. Instead of blasting through opponents, they had to earn points with strategy and consistency.
Long Games and Close Matches
With less power available, matches became closer and more drawn out. Players often had to fight off several match points before winning. All four bronze medal matches went to three games, and Saturday’s semifinals stretched late into the evening.
Because wooden paddles create less spin, roll dinks and topspin shots were harder to use. That reduced the chances of forcing errors. As a result, long dink rallies became the standard, and most games were closely contested from start to finish.
Veterans Find an Edge
Players with more experience and a style based on control rather than raw power thrived. The men’s doubles semifinal showed this clearly. JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier defeated Andrei Daescu and Collin Johns by relying on drops, dinks, and patient play.
Federico Staksrud claimed victory in singles, Jessie Irvine won two medals, Lea Jansen earned two medals, Collin Johns returned to the medal podium, and James Ignatowich also secured a medal. For many of these players, the return to a slower, skill-based game played to their strengths.
Future of Wooden Paddle Events
The Sacramento Vintage Open was designed as a one-time event. No other Professional Pickleball Association tournaments in 2025 will use wooden paddles. Organizers hope the Vintage Open can return in 2026 with even more players joining.
The event showed that pickleball can still offer variety and connect fans with its roots, even as modern equipment and power-driven styles dominate the game today.
News in Brief: Pickleball Central Sacramento Vintage Open
The Pickleball Central Sacramento Vintage Open brought back wooden paddles for professional play, reviving older strategies and longer rallies. Veterans and finesse players gained an edge as matches stayed close and intense. While this was a one-time event in 2025, organizers hope the unique tournament will return in 2026.
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