Counterfeit Paddles Are on Notice as USA Pickleball Launches Onsite Testing for Amateur Events

The full-scale initiative rolls out next week and will test paddles for power and spin – while paying particularly close attention to any knockoffs trying to pass as the real thing

For the first time in its history, USA Pickleball is requiring onsite paddle testing at its amateur events.

After more than a year of development and collaboration, the new field-testing initiative between USAP and third-party testing lab Pickleball Instruments will roll out over the next two months, beginning with the 2026 Golden Ticket Tournament next week in Glendale, Arizona.

Testing will monitor paddle properties – think deflection and spin – but also its manufacturer and point of origin, with the express intent of flagging and monitoring potential counterfeit products.

“Equipment integrity is fundamental to fair competition,” said Carl Schmits, Chief Technical Officer of USA Pickleball.

“This field-testing platform gives us the ability to verify performance standards, increase transparency, and lay the groundwork for identifying counterfeit equipment, all while empowering players with meaningful data about their paddles.”

Later this year, the initiative will expand more broadly to clubs and competitive venues nationwide.

Paddle Data in the Palm of Players' Hands

At participating events, all paddles used in competition will be subject to onsite testing to verify compliance with USA Pickleball standards.

Pre-testing will also be available to reduce any potential delays.

The testing process, says USAP, should take less than five minutes per paddle.

This initial phase of testing will evaluate several key paddle properties:

• Deflection
• Coefficient of friction
• Overall weight/balance

We're told a surface roughness test will also be available.

Going forward, additional performance data will be layered into the protocol, including PBCoR and enhanced spin measurements.

According to USAP:

"Field-testing results will include built-in tolerances that account for natural changes in paddles over time due to normal use."

Tested paddles will receive an RFID sticker that both signifies it's passed testing and also stores its results for future reference.

Pickleball Instruments plans to release a mobile app to bolster the effort by March, "enabling players to track how individual paddles change over time and providing added confidence that all competitors are using compliant equipment."

USAP is slated to be the first adopter of the mobile-based system, putting key paddle data directly into players' hands.

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'Full Counterfeit Identification Capabilities'

Onsite paddle testing is just the beginning.

The long-term vision, says USAP and Pickleball Instruments, also includes a framework to begin identifying any counterfeit paddles coming through their events, a growing concern within the sport.

The first line of defense is the testing itself; many counterfeit paddle brands forego the expense of quality assurance, nor do they care how powerfully their paddles can hit a ball.

Any paddles falling outside of spec will be weeded out before they have a chance to hit the court.

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The next layer involves leveraging cooperation among manufacturers, factories of origin, and distributors to enable "full counterfeit identification capabilities," says USAP.

“We are excited to launch this end-to-end secure paddle verification chain that ensures paddles being played with are legitimate,” said Steven Stafford, an engineer at Pickleball Instruments. 

Adds Dan Roberts, Pickleball Instruments engineer:

“Amateurs deserve to have the same equipment data the pros have. Pickleball can lead the sports world in providing real information about how equipment performs at all levels of competition."

USAP's new paddle-testing program will debut at the Glendale Golden Ticket Tournament next week. Additional events will follow as the national rollout continues.

As equipment inventory increases, USA Pickleball and Pickleball Instruments plan to make testing kiosks available at tournaments and clubs across the country, extending access to recreational and competitive players alike.