"Full disclosure, I am in no way sponsored by Dollar Tree to say these things although I would not shy away from it if the opportunity presented itself."

Reddit user and very rad artist Tyler enticed his son to join him on "a boring business trip" with the promise that they'd play some pickleball upon arrival.

But when a paddle was errantly left at home, the duo had to improvise.

"A mile from the hotel we found a paddle (and ball) for roughly $1.25 at the Dollar Tree," Tyler said in a now-trending Reddit post. "That should tell you everything — but oddly, it doesn’t."

Tyler said the slime-green, all-plastic paddle (pictured above from the Dollar Tree website) became an instant oddity on the courts, attracting onlookers and even a few challengers, no doubt assuming anyone wielding such an abomination would be make for an easy win.

Here's the thing, though: Tyler didn't hate it.

It looks like a toy… or maybe a kitchen utensil. But it’s not. It’s a weapon of psychological warfare.

As for the on-court playing experience, Tyler has some thoughts on what he affectionately began calling the "Green Goblin":

Spin: 0/10

Non existent. No matter how much I tried, I could not put top-spin on the ball. The faster you realize this, the quicker you will be able to adapt to this paddle.

Power: 3/10

Now here’s where it gets fun, the sweet spot. I’m not sure if it technically qualifies as one. It’s about an inch wide and sits roughly half an inch above the handle. That’s it.

Deception: 10/10

Opponents didn’t know what to make of it. When I first pulled the Green Goblin out of my bag, people looked at me like I stole something from a child. I felt their paddle pity. But once I started sending them wildly inconsistent shots, their smugness turned into confusion… then frustration… then, possibly, envy.

To be crystal clear, this paddle is about as far from USAP-approved as humanly possible. But would Tyler play with it again? "Absolutely," he concedes.

Wild-Looking Paddle Granted Approval by USA Pickleball

Crazy paddle design receives USA Pickleball approval.

The Dink PickleballThomas Shields

The comments fully endorse the Green Goblin madness:

• "Sold. Where’s your affiliate link and discount code?"
• "I just bought two of these for my friend's kids a couple days ago. I might have to give them my paddles to play with instead after reading this review."
• "Looks amazing, but out of my price range. Are there Alibaba clones of this?"
• "What’s the twist weight? Did you try adding any weights to open that sweet spot? Perhaps a hexacore overgrip? Maybe a unicorn sticker or two."
• "Might be the best pickleball post I’ve ever read."

Above all, you've got to admit the price is hard to argue with.

Ultimately, says Tyler, "If you’ve got decent hands and a twisted sense of humor, it’s a blast."

Feature image via Reddit