Is My Pickleball Paddle Delaminated?

Delaminated pickleball paddles have become a hot topic in the sport and now professionals are starting to weigh in on the issue. In this article, we’ll go over what paddle delamination is, how to check if your paddle is delaminated, why it is becoming such a big issue in the sport.

What is a Delaminated Pickleball Paddle

A delaminated pickleball paddle is one where the face or surface of the paddle has become detached from the core. As a paddle is used, its possible that the face can become “unglued” from its core and is now delaminated. Paddles that utilize a thermoformed manufacturing process appear to be the most impacted from recent claims of delamination.

The thermoformed manufacturing process has become popular in recent years, especially as edgeless paddles became more popular. Thermoforming is a common manufacturing process that has been used for things like carbon fiber bike frames or car parts.

The process involves sealing the surface and core of the paddle with a piece of carbon fiber around the edge inside of a custom mold. The mold is put under high temperature and pressure that helps to bond the components together to create a strong and durable paddle.

Unfortunately, a small percentage of thermoformed paddles that are popular among pro players are becoming delaminated during gameplay. Players are hitting harder and generating more spin than ever, and pickleball paddle durability is being put to the test.

How to check if your paddle is Delaminated

Checking to see if your pickleball paddle is delaminated isn’t very scientific unless you have access to tournament level testing. The PPA uses an ultrasonic bond tester on-site at its tournaments. The test takes about 5 minutes and determines if there is any space between the face of the paddle and the core.

Your pickleball paddle sounds different

One way you can check to see if your pickleball paddle is delaminated is that it sounds different when you hit the ball. After playing with the same paddle for awhile, you get used to the sound it makes when you hit the ball. If that sound starts to get louder or higher pitched, its possible that your paddle might be delaminated. The video below shows the sound difference between how a normal paddle and a delaminated one sounds.

You’re hitting the ball harder than usual

One of the reasons why delamination is such a big issue is that it causes the “trampoline effect”. This can cause the paddle to produce a harder shot than would have been expected from the factory. If you’re hitting bigger shots that also sound louder than you’re used to, there is a chance your paddle is delaminated.

Why Delamination in Pickleball is a big deal

Pickleball Paddle delamination is a big deal because of the “trampoline effect” it causes. The trampoline effect happens due to the space created between the face and the core of the paddle when they detach from each other. This space allows the ball to sit in the paddle longer and then spring off of the face, similar to a trampoline.

The trampoline effect can increase the speed at which the ball comes off of the paddle. This allows for players to hit harder shots than wild otherwise be possible with a paddle that isn’t delaminated.

This extra pop from delaminated paddles can create an unfair advantage. This unfair advantage is why official pickleball rules state that using a delaminated pickleball paddle is illegal.

the paddle’s hitting surface shall not contain delamination, holes, cracks or indentations that break the paddle skin or surface

There has been some speculation that players and manufacturers are deliberately using or producing delaminated paddles, but there isn’t any credible evidence that this is the case. It is more likely that this is a quality control issue that needs to be addressed at the manufacturer level.

Conclusion

Delaminated pickleball paddles is likely to be temporary issue in the history of the sport. Pickleball is seeing tremendous growth in recent years, and paddle companies are rapidly developing new equipment. This equipment is being put to the test by both professionals and recreational players and quality control issues are bound to happen.

Paddle companies are quickly looking into these issues and altering their manufacturing process to help address these issues. Many companies are also offering customers to return paddles that might be impacted for new and improved models.

Lastly, don’t forget that pickleball paddles are consumable equipment. They aren’t designed to last forever and do wear out overtime. Just like tennis racquets need to be restrung after a certain period of time, frequent pickleball players will need to replace their paddle.