Racquet Network Clubhouse

Those of you who have been following my blog lately are aware that we have been conducting tests with a radar gun in order to determine whether or not the Apike pickleball paddle is as “dangerous” as some people claim.

At this point, we haven’t reached any conclusions. We are continuing to gather and publish data.

Today, we tested three more players. Kevin Doucet is a world class squash coach and the best pickleball player in Calgary. Dom Saliani has played in USAPA tournaments in Arizona and elsewhere. Hugh Tebo spends his winters in Arizona, his summers in Canada and much of his life on pickleball court.

All three players were tested under exactly the same conditions with the same paddles, the same ball and the same radar gun. Hugh Tebo chose to go one step further and to include his favorite Pro Lite Magnum Force in the test.

Here are today’s results:

Kevin Doucet

Plays most often with: Apike
Average speed all paddles: 49 mph

Highest speed in this test: 58 mph (Elite)
Lowest speed in this test: 40 mph (Swinger)

Average speed (Apike): 54 mph
Average speed (Predator): 46 mph
Average speed (Elite): 50 mph
Average speed (Swinger): 47 mph

Hugh Tebo

Plays most often with: Pro-Lite Magnum Force
Average speed all paddles: 35 mph

Highest speed in this test: 41 mpg (Elite)
Lowest speed in this test: 23 mph (Swinger)

Average speed (Apike): 36 mph
Average speed (Predator): 33 mph
Average speed (Elite): 34 mph
Average speed (Swinger): 32 mph
Average speed (Magnum Force): 40 mph

Dom Saliani

Plays most often with: Apike
Average speed all paddles: 33 mph

Highest speed in this test: 40 mpg (Swinger)
Lowest speed in this test: 23 mph (Swinger)

Average speed (Apike): 35 mph
Average speed (Predator): 34 mph
Average speed (Elite): 31 mph
Average speed (Swinger): 31 mph

At this point, we are not drawing any conclusions from the data. We are simply publishing it so that those who are following can see it. We are also asking readers to keep in mind that all of our testers are swinging at the ball as hard as they can in order to generate maximum speed. Rarely, if ever, would any player swing this hard during a game. If they did, the ball would land out more often than it landed in.

Related posts:

1. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Apike?
2. Is the Apike Pickleball Paddle Dangerous?
3. Pickleball Tournament Spikes CK Levels