Overview
- Launch starts at the 2026 Golden Ticket Tournament in Glendale, Arizona, after more than a year of development with Pickleball Instruments.
- All paddles used in competition will be tested on site in under five minutes, with optional pre-testing offered to reduce delays.
- Initial checks measure coefficient of friction, deflection, and weight/balance, with a surface roughness test available and PBCoR and spin metrics slated for later phases.
- Paddles that pass receive RFID stickers that store results, and a Pickleball Instruments mobile app is planned by March to let players track changes over time.
- USA Pickleball and Pickleball Instruments plan to expand testing kiosks to tournaments and clubs nationwide, and paddles outside specifications will be removed from play, according to reports.