Why Add Lead Tape to Your Pickleball Paddle?

 I hear a lot about players who want to add lead tape to their pickleball paddles. As a former golfer and tennis player I had heard of this addition in other sports as well. I was not sure what the objective was for pickleball players, so I decided to investigate.

I asked a couple of friends about this who play. Joe is a “taper” and Marlene is not. The conversation we had was interesting.

Joe felt that taping primarily added weight to the paddle, thereby increasing the “wallop” power in the shot. Joe felt the tape also adds stability to the paddle and limits the amount it twists on a shot: think ocean liner versus kayak in some waves.

Joe heard that this was supposed to expand or shift the sweet spot but had not noticed that result in the balance of the paddle. The weight might also enable a heftier spin to the shot, but this came with the need for more strength and finesse to execute the shot.

Marlene was not a fan of the additional weight, primarily due to the fatigue it generated in the arm and shoulder. Weighed down, Marlene felt a loss the mobility to execute some of the quick flicks and lunge shots. As someone with mild arthritis and a history of bursitis or “tennis elbow” she was wary to overtax her joints or injuries.

This certainly gave me several things to ponder about how I like to play and achieve. I have an older paddle, so I decided to experiment on it with just a small amount of tape. My online research showed that the position of the tape on the rim would create different effects. I tried a few spots and did not find it felt quite right. I’m also an impatient person and trying the tape in a whole bunch of positions, getting each side just the same, and learning to adjust my swing afterwards was frustrating to me. I play for fun and social time, and I don’t want to get frustrated. So, for me, I decided to just use the “no tape” paddle. I wanted to just get out with friends and enjoy. But after this exercise I can totally appreciate why others might want to use lead tape and achieve that perfect enhancement.