Evolution of Pickleball Paddle Construction: Gen 1 vs Gen 2 vs Gen 3 vs Gen 4
When pickleball was first invented in 1965, the paddles were made of wood. While you might have grown up playing with wooden paddles in gym class or still have an old school paddle, pickleball paddles have evolved tremendously just within the past few years. The newer generation of paddle has become more high-powered, lighter, grittier, and durable. This improvement, is due to advancements in paddle technology and construction. First I'll briefly explain how paddles are generally constructed and some terms to familiarize yourself with. Then, I'll share with you my knowledge on the evolution of pickleball paddle construction. From the earliest days of Gen 1 to the latest advancements in Gen 4, each generation has brought significant improvements in performance and durability.
Gen 1: Cold Layered / Sandwich
If we think of wood paddles as Gen 0, the next generation of paddles can be classified as cold layered or sandwich-style paddles or Gen 1. Typically Gen 1 paddles have a 14mm or 16mm polypropylene (PP, essentially plastic) core that has a honeycomb pattern. Then two layers of material, typically carbon fiber, fiberglass, or graphite, are sandwiched on both sides of the core and pressed together. An edge guard is usually wrapped around the layers in order to protect it, although some people for edgeless paddles. This type of paddle construction is possible the most popular for good reason--this tried and true method makes the paddles highly durable and it was the standard for many years. One thing that Gen 1 paddles usually lack is pop, or high exit velocity off the face of the paddle.
Gen 1.5: Cold Layered with Edge Foam
In the next stage, paddle manufacturers began to inject foam around the edges of the paddle, underneath the edge guard. The foam-injected paddles are said to have a larger sweet spot, helping you reduce mis-hits. Additionally, the foam helps protect the paddle if it accidentally gets hit on the ground, improving durability.
Gen 2: Thermoformed
While Gen 1 did improve durability and ease of use, it didn't necessarily provide any major improvements in performance. The introduction of thermoforming process in Gen 2 paddles bought about a sizeable improvement in paddle performance. In short, thermoforming uses a hot press instead of a cold press used in Gen 1 paddles, to compress the sandwiched materials together into one combined piece (unibody). While this may not sound all that groundbreaking, thermoforming the paddle materials can give the paddle more pop, which the Generation 1 paddles were lacking. In addition, thermoforming can also increase power, or plow-through ability, and the size of the sweet spot. One major downside of the thermoforming process is that due to this high heat involved, the polypropylene core can become brittle and break easier. When the plastic core breaks or begins to chip off, we refer to this effect as core crushing or delamination. When the core crushes, the paddles often become overpowered past the limits set by pickleball governing bodies, making them unfair and dangerous to play with.
Gen 3: Floating Core / Foam Core with Inserts
Generation 3 brought about another large increase in power with advancement of suspending the core in foam or using foam in the core (with inserts or honeycomb structure). The foam provides a trampoline-effect, allowing the ball to slingshot off better. The introduction of these paddles brought about much controversy and uproar in the pickleball community as to whether pickleball paddles had become too powerful.
Gen 4: 100% Foam Core
The latest generation of paddle uses a high-density foam to form the core entirely. This makes the paddle more durable, as there is no core to crush and the foam doesn't not noticeably compress with usage, and more powerful. CRBN was the first company to release a full foam core with their TruFoam Genesis line in 2025.
Whether you're a casual player looking to improve your game or a competitive player seeking the latest and best equipment possible, the evolution of pickleball paddle construction offers something for everyone. Because of this sport's rapid growth, technological and manufacturing developments in this space occurring faster than most can handle or stay up-to-date with. Follow me and stay tuned for the latest advancements in technology and design as the world of pickleball continues to evolve.
Sincerely,
Pickleball Chef
