Equipment

The official paddleball ball is an unpressurized black ball with a small hole, slightly larger and heavier than a racquetball. Early in the sports history, many of the better players honed their paddles and guarded their designs. Other playersmost notably Bud Muehleisenstarted with commercial paddles by Spalding or Marcraft, and modified them to meet their personal preferences. Old tennis rackets could be cut down into paddles, and these paddle rackets as they were called gave a player such an advantage over a standard wooden paddle that a new game evolved from it.

Competitive paddles are still made in small shops, but the technology has advanced beyond early paddles. Modern paddles combine polymer foams, high strength metals, graphite and epoxy resin. Paddles are made in home shops by craftsmen such as eight time national champion Mike Wisniewski of Bay City, Michigan, who builds a few paddlesmore than needed for personal use, but not enough to be considered a manufacturer. These Wiz paddles are well enough made that they are often kept on display when not in use. A few small manufacturers notably Hillbilly Paddles produce hundreds of paddles per year.