It’s a versatile control pedal, and while it’s certainly capable of plenty of power, it’s perfect for someone looking to improve the consistency of their playing.

A cheaper option: SLK Valkyrie ($80) The Dauntless is about half the price and doesn’t have any new tech, but is a very solid option for someone looking to buy a pedal to play once a month or on vacation. You get a fiberglass face and a polymer core, so you won’t have the stiffness to create a lot of topspin, and it won’t last as long, but Selkirk makes good pedals with a comfortable grip and well-distributed weight. This pedal is very similar to the SLK Evo, which was the first serious pedal I bought with my own money and have always liked (you get a carbon fiber face for more spin). Current edition of Evo).

More power: A beginner player who wants more power should check it out. Jojolimone Shark 002 ($100). (It’s also classified as a control paddle, but I’m not a masher and rarely like paddles made for that style of play.) It has a face that uses carbon fiber and Kevlar for optimal spin. While this is a traditional thermoformed third-generation pedal and doesn’t have a full foam core, it does have a foam injection on the frame that helps dampen vibration and balance out the striking surface while still offering what I would consider plenty of strength.

Best Expert Paddle Right Now: Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X

new Pedaltech Honey Foam TKO-X ($250) is my overall favorite pedal after testing this year’s offerings from a dozen new brands. Paddletek paddles are known for being poppy, and previous generations have been my go-to for power players. The Honeyfoam series, which is the full release version of Reserve I tested last year, the Goldilocks pedal is perfect because it balances what Pedaltech has always done well and the advantages of foam core. It’s a pedal that makes you swing with confidence—power and precision in equal measure. No other pedal I’ve tested has as much pop as this one without sacrificing any control.

Photo: Martin Seizmer

TKO-X uses three different types of foam. The core is a low density foam. The bottom of the pedal has a dense EVA closed cell foam that helps with energy return and shock absorption. Around the outside of the pedal is a third type of foam that helps create a sweet spot. The face is raw carbon, which offers great spin.

A cheaper option: Onyx Hype X ($90) doesn’t have a big and forgiving sweet spot like I’d like as a beginner, but its thermoformed honeycomb core has plenty of pop while playing consistently. It’s a popular budget choice for advanced players for a reason, as it’s under $100 but has a carbon fiber face and weight distribution to favor hard strikers.

Other interesting new pedals

Here are some of the more innovative pedals I tested this year.

Photo: Martin Seizmer

Reload.: If you’re serious about spin, you know that the first thing to fail on any pickle pedal is the textured carbon fiber face. The brittle texture, which spins the ball at surprising angles, wears off in at least 50 games with a single paddle, at which point you lose until you rebuild your paddle. Reload fixes this problem. For $200, you’re basically getting three pedals and the option to buy fresh for $22 to $25. The paddle reloads very easily, and I had no issues with applying new paper or the adhesive sheet tearing.

Photo: Martin Seizmer

SXY PKL: Another way to make pedals green is to make them from natural materials (if you played pickleball in the days before it exploded in popularity, You’ve probably played with a wooden paddle.). The SXY PKL nods in this direction with its bamboo face (the core is carbon). It looks like nothing else on the paddle court and captures the attention of spectators. The face of the bamboo is surprisingly crisp and feels like fine-grit sandpaper to me. It’s a solid pedal, though for $200 you can get better performance, if not more spectacular looks.

Scorpion Pioneer Plus LED: Want to beat the summer sun by playing in the evening, or just want to get some attention on the court? The Scorpion LED pedal ($100 for a two-pack) charges through a USB-C port in the base of the handle and lights up in two dozen colors. It costs $50 per pedal and plays like a $30 pedal, but I’ve used worse. It has a honeycomb core and a fiberglass face, so don’t expect much curvature. It contains balls, or is attached to it. Franklin’s glow-in-the-dark ball.