Data Driven Characterization of Power

Unlocking Power: Why Rotational Mass is Your Paddle's Secret Weapon

Deconstructing Power: How We Built the Coretek Paddle Calculator
Here at Coretek Pickleball, we're obsessed with pushing the boundaries of paddle design. From our home base in DFW, Texas, we're constantly exploring new materials and manufacturing techniques. But great design isn't just about feel and intuition; it's also about data.

That's why we're excited to introduce our latest project: the Coretek Paddle Power Calculator. This tool, now live on our blog, is the result of an in-depth data science project aimed at answering a single question: What truly makes a paddle powerful?

Today, we want to pull back the curtain and show you how we built it and what it tells us about the physics of a powerful shot.

The Journey: From Data to a "Smart" Calculator
Our goal was to create a model that could predict a paddle's power (in MPH) based on its core specs.

Step 1: The Data
We started by gathering a massive dataset of over 100 different pickleball paddles from across the market. For each paddle, we recorded key metrics like weight, swingweight, balance point, and core thickness.

Step 2: The First Attempt
Our initial approach was simple. We tried to predict power using just the most obvious features: weight and swingweight. The result? The model wasn't very accurate. It told us that these features alone don't tell the whole story.

Step 3: Engineering Smarter Features
This is where the real data science comes in. We realized we needed to look at how these features interact. We created new, "engineered" features to capture the complex physics at play:

Rotational Mass: We combined swingweight and balance point to measure how much power is generated through the rotation of a swing.

Pseudo-Density: We created a ratio of Weight / Core Thickness. This became our way of measuring how dense and solid a paddle's core is.

Step 4: Finding the Right Model
With our new, smarter features, we tested several types of advanced predictive models. A clear winner emerged: a model called a Gradient Boosting Regressor. This powerful algorithm was able to find the subtle patterns in the data, resulting in a model that could explain over 52% of the variation in power—a huge leap in accuracy!

How the Calculator Thinks: The Physics of Power
The calculator on our blog is a simplified version of our best model. It takes your inputs and, behind the scenes, calculates the same engineered features to estimate power. Here are the key lessons it learned, translated into paddle physics:

1. Density is King
The single most important factor in predicting power is our "Pseudo-Density" feature (Weight / Core Thickness). A heavier paddle with a thinner core creates a denser, more solid hitting surface. It acts less like a trampoline and more like a brick wall, transferring significantly more energy directly to the ball.

2. The Thickness Trade-Off
The model's second biggest takeaway is that thicker cores reduce power. While thicker cores are fantastic for providing a larger sweet spot, more control, and a softer feel, they do so by absorbing more of the ball's impact. This cushioning effect, great for your touch game, naturally subtracts from raw power.

3. Weight and Swingweight: The Fine-Tuning
Of course, the overall mass (Weight) and how that mass is distributed (Swingweight) are still crucial. They provide the fundamental force behind the swing. However, the model showed us that their effect is fine-tuned by the paddle's density and thickness.

What This Means for You
Our new Power Calculator is more than just a fun tool. It's a window into the science of paddle design. It shows that creating the perfect paddle is a game of trade-offs. The raw power of a thin, dense paddle might be perfect for a banger, while the soft touch of a thicker, less dense paddle is ideal for a control player.

We invite you to try out the calculator. See for yourself how a small change in thickness or weight can impact the power equation. At Coretek, we'll be using these insights to continue our mission: engineering the next generation of high-performing paddles, right here in Texas.

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