Pickleball Gear

Pickleball PB105DT Diller Wood Paddle - 1 Paddle - lauxsportinggoods

Pickleball Paddles

Selkirk Sport Pro S1 Balls USAPA Pickleball - lauxsportinggoods

Pickleball Balls

Selkirk Sport SLK by Selkirk x The Holderness Family Pickleball Bundle - lauxsportinggoods

Pickleball Sets

Pickleball uses a small but specific gear stack. To play your first game, you need three things: a paddle, a ball, and a court with a net. Everything else - bags, grips, eye protection - is upgrade territory.

For a starter setup, look for a midweight composite paddle, a few outdoor balls (which work on most public courts), and a paddle cover to keep things tidy in your bag. A USA Pickleball-approved ball matters once you start playing in leagues or sanctioned tournaments; for backyard or open-play rec, any decent outdoor ball will do.

As you find your style - whether that's drives from the baseline or dinks at the kitchen line - you'll start swapping in gear that matches: lighter or heavier paddles, elongated or standard shapes, indoor balls for gym league, tournament-grade balls for sanctioned play. This collection covers all of it.

Pickleball Gear FAQs

Three things: a paddle, a ball, and access to a court with a net. That's the minimum. Most beginners pick up a 2- or 4-paddle starter set that includes a few balls - it's the simplest way to walk onto a court ready to play. Once you decide you're sticking with the sport, the natural next purchases are a paddle cover, a small bag, and a few extra balls in the color and type matched to where you play (outdoor for asphalt or concrete courts, indoor for gym floors).

The ball is what changes - outdoor balls have 40 smaller holes and a harder shell for wind and rough surfaces, while indoor balls have 26 larger holes and a softer feel for gym floors. Paddles are the same indoors and out; there's no such thing as an "indoor paddle" or "outdoor paddle." Shoes can shift slightly (court shoes designed for hard outdoor surfaces vs. gym-floor traction), but most players use the same gear in both settings and just swap balls.

For most beginners, a starter set is the better first move. You get a paddle, a few balls, and sometimes a cover, all matched and ready to play, without having to research individual products before you even know whether you'll like the sport. If you've already played a few times and know what you want - a specific paddle weight, an elongated shape, a particular ball type - picking pieces individually gives you more control. The crossover point is usually after a season of regular play.

For backyard or occasional rec play, regular athletic shoes are fine. For consistent play - especially indoor league - court shoes are worth the upgrade. Pickleball involves lots of side-to-side movement, quick stops, and lateral pivots that running shoes aren't built for; running soles flex front-to-back and can roll on a lateral push. Court shoes (the same kind used for tennis, racquetball, or volleyball) have stiffer lateral support, non-marking soles for indoor play, and reinforced uppers in high-wear spots. Indoor and outdoor court shoes are tuned differently - indoor soles are gummier for traction on gym floors, while outdoor soles are tougher to handle asphalt and concrete.

Recently viewed