Is It Possible to Play Competitively with a Wood Paddle?

Wood paddles are usually synonymous with 'beginner paddles' in the pickleball community due to their low cost, heavy weight and supposed lack of finesse. But ask Jeremy Rosenstein's opinion and you'll hear a different story!

Jeremy works as a sports videographer for the NBA, WNBA and Big Ten Athletics. He's taken his wood paddle from practice to tournament play many times, and despite receiving funny looks from the competition, no one doubts his paddle's viability once he's standing on the winners' podium. He's an advocate of player skill determining the outcome of matches rather than the quality of one's gear, but he also believes that the power and defensive capabilities of wood paddles deserve more attention.

Listen to Jeremy's story and let us know if you change your opinion on wood paddles:

My name is Jeremy Rosenstein and I'm known as 'The Guy with the Wooden Paddle' at every tournament I attend. Competitive players comment and make fun of the fact that I use the wooden Swinger paddle to the best of its ability. They all ask questions and have the same doubts, wondering why I'd use a 'cheap beginner's paddle.' What they don't know is that I started playing with this precise, well-crafted paddle from the very beginning of my pickleball journey and have never wanted to trade it out!

My choice in paddle shows that this sport is not about using something that will give you a crazy power advantage, but that you can make the most out of your own talents and footwork. For me, that means using a paddle that is fundamentally sound and solid on any outdoor/indoor surface. I have hundreds of photos at tournaments and round robins where I've won with my Swinger paddle and no one can believe that I come out victorious with a basic, blue-collar paddle.

I hope my experiences can promote this paddle and put it on the map for other players. It's gone up against the most powerful composite paddles with their honeycomb cores and outshone them. I learned how to hit hard consistently while also harnessing its finesse capabilities for angled volleys and deadening dinks. This paddle isn't only suitable for schools and clubs looking to get something at a great price, but for recreational/tourney players as well.

Some players believe the best paddles are those with all the bells and whistles which cost a pretty penny, but since 2014 I've been playing with the same durable Swinger. It's stood the test of time and you know the ball will come off the face consistently. It provides stellar slice and spin variety shots. There's no edge guard to cause mis-hits. The paddle has a simple design with a wrist strap that provides security and a comfortable grip you can rely on even in the midst of sweaty, steamy indoor and outdoor tourney conditions.

It has won me so many trophies, medals, positive recognition and accolades. People can't help but talk about 'the guy with the wooden paddle' at tournaments all over the midwest and beyond. They see for themselves how the Swinger brings shot-making ability and reliability to my game—and it could do the same for theirs with hardly any money out of pocket.

I hope my experiences shine the light on wood paddles, especially the Swinger, and their viability for players of all levels.