Lead tape

I’m a forty year tennis player so I was pretty confident about what I like in a racquet (grip, balance, string, tension, etc.), so it’s been interesting to pick up pickleball and have to start from utter ignorance again (except maybe for the grip which is comparable). I started applying lead tape early based on YouTube advice but felt I lacked the skill to notice any difference.

Fast forward a year and I decided to try a different paddle from the Six Zero Ruby I have come to love. I wanted to stay with a Kevlar face so I went with the highly recommended Honolulu J7k. Found the face way too firm and it gave me tennis elbow after my very first session with it. Picked it up again a couple of times after that to see if I could “break it in”, but to no avail. On a whim I tried two pieces of lead tape at the throat and it transformed the paddle! Now it feels plush and like it’s picked up dwell time. I had another friend try it and he felt the difference too, so I don’t think it’s just me.

I’m only posting this because I was so surprised and thought it might be something others might want to try if they’re initially dissatisfied with a new paddle.