Paddle Accessories

Accessories are where a paddle stops being a product and starts being yours. Three of the items here (grip, lead tape, cover) change how a paddle plays or how long it lasts more than most people expect, and all three cost a fraction of a paddle upgrade. If you are unhappy with a paddle you already own, work through this page before you replace it.

Grips and overgrips

The cheapest change with the biggest effect on feel. A replacement grip goes on the bare handle and sets the base size and cushioning. An overgrip wraps over the top, adds tack, absorbs sweat, and is what you replace every few weeks.

The practical rule on sizing is to build up rather than down. Most modern paddles ship in a narrow band around 4 1/4 inches, and you can add wraps but you cannot make a handle smaller without stripping it back. A grip that is slightly too small still lets you generate wrist snap on a roll or a flick. One that is slightly too large will not, and it is a common cause of hand cramp late in a session.

There is a second, less obvious effect: every wrap you add puts mass in the handle, which lowers swing weight and makes the paddle feel faster in a hands battle. Strip a wrap and the paddle feels heavier and more head-led. That alone is worth experimenting with before deciding a paddle is wrong for you.

Lead tape, the actual tuning tool

Lead tape lets you move a paddle's balance without changing the paddle. Where you put it matters far more than how much you use.

• 3 and 9 o'clock raises twist weight, which is how strongly the face resists rotating on off-centre contact. This widens the effective sweet spot and makes mishits land in rather than spray wide. It is the highest-value placement for most players and it barely slows the paddle.
• 12 o'clock raises swing weight, adding plough-through on drives and serves. It costs you hand speed at the kitchen, so it suits baseline players more than net players.
• In the handle or under the grip lowers swing weight and makes the paddle feel faster and more manoeuvrable.

Add in small increments and hit between changes rather than loading it all at once, because a few grams is a noticeable difference and the effect is hard to unpick if you change three things together. There is a full walkthrough in grips, overgrips and lead tape explained. See lead tape cut for paddles.

Covers and edge guards

The least glamorous item here and the one that protects the most value. A raw carbon face is the entire reason a modern paddle grips the ball, and that grit is a consumable. Keys, zips, boot floors and other paddles sand it flat faster than actual play does. A neoprene cover is the difference between a spin paddle that keeps its bite for a season and one that goes smooth in a few months.

Edge guards do the other half of the job, protecting the perimeter from court scrapes on low volleys and from the knock that starts a delamination at the edge. We stock Pickld covers, Six Zero and JOOLA covers, and Pickleball Labs clear edge guards.

The order to buy in

1. A cover. Protects the face, which is the part of the paddle that wears out.
2. Overgrip. Fixes handle size and sweat, and quietly adjusts swing weight.
3. Lead tape. Once you know what you want the paddle to do differently.
4. An edge guard. If you scrape the court on low volleys, which most kitchen players do.

Common questions

Also here: pickleball bags for carrying it all, Pickleball Labs training aids, and Trivss wellness. Or go back to paddles, balls and the full equipment range. Background reading: protect, train, carry.