The Reality of Power

We collected data from over 350 paddles and trained an AI model. This model only considered measurable physical properties of paddles. We were able to predict power in a way the correlated strongly with measured peak power. Our findings were that power comes from predictable and measurable factors. We did not find evidence of extra power from paddle face elasticity but admittingly weren't looking for it. 

1. Executive Summary

Analysis of the paddle database reveals that not all physical properties contribute equally to a paddle's power. To accurately predict and adjust a paddle's power score, engineering efforts should be focused on three primary drivers: Weight, Swingweight, and Twistweight. These factors have the most significant impact on performance, whereas other properties like Thickness and Balance have a much smaller, almost negligible, effect.

2. Feature Impact Analysis (Ranked by Importance)

The following is a breakdown of each feature's contribution to the power score, based on the predictive model's coefficients.

Primary Power Drivers (High-Impact Features):

• 1. Weight (oz): (Coefficient: +0.053)

  • Finding: This is the single most influential factor. For every ounce added to the paddle, the power score increases substantially.
  • Engineering Focus: To build a more powerful paddle, increasing the overall mass is the most direct lever to pull. Conversely, for control-oriented paddles, reducing weight is the most effective way to decrease power.

• 2. Twistweight: (Coefficient: -0.038)

  • Finding: Twistweight has a strong negative relationship with power. As Twistweight increases (meaning the paddle is more stable and resists twisting on off-center hits), the power score significantly decreases.
  • Engineering Focus: This reveals a critical design trade-off. Engineers must balance the desire for power with the need for stability and a larger sweet spot. A high-power design will likely have a lower Twistweight, and vice-versa. This relationship is crucial for defining a paddle's play style.

• 3. Swingweight: (Coefficient: +0.008)

  • Finding: Swingweight has a clear positive impact on power, making it the second most important feature for increasing power.
  • Engineering Focus: While overall static weight is the primary driver, Swingweight is a close second. Adjusting the distribution of mass to increase Swingweight will reliably boost power, even if the static weight remains constant.

Secondary Power Drivers (Low-Impact Features):

• 4. Thickness (mm): (Coefficient: +0.003)

  • Finding: A thicker paddle face has a very slight positive impact on power.
  • Engineering Focus: While the model shows a positive correlation, the effect is minimal. Significant changes in thickness are required to produce a noticeable change in power. This should be considered a fine-tuning property, not a primary driver.

• 5. Balance (mm): (Coefficient: -0.001)

  • Finding: A higher balance point (more head-heavy) has a negligible negative impact on the power score according to the model.
  • Engineering Focus: This factor has the least influence in the model. While important for the "feel" of the paddle, engineers should not expect to make meaningful changes to power by adjusting balance alone.

3. Conclusion & Recommendations

To efficiently design paddles and accurately forecast their power, concentrate metrology and design adjustments on Weight, Twistweight, and Swingweight. These three variables account for the vast majority of a paddle's power potential and its core playability trade-offs.

Based on the predictive model we developed, here is a plain text summary of which paddle brands are predicted to be the most powerful and the engineering reasons why.

Summary: Brands with the Highest Predicted Power

Our analysis indicates that the brands predicted to be the most powerful are ProKennex, Diadem, Six Zero, and Legacy Pro.

These brands rank at the top not just because of their reputation, but because their design philosophy aligns perfectly with the "power formula" that our predictive model uncovered from the data.

The "Why": It's All in the Formula

The model determined a clear recipe for generating power. The most critical factors are:

1. High Static Weight: This is the single largest contributor to power. More mass equals more force.
2. High Swingweight: How the weight is distributed is also crucial. A higher swingweight makes a paddle feel heavier to swing and generates more power on impact.
3. Moderate (or low) Twistweight: The model found a strong negative relationship between twistweight and power. This means paddles designed for extreme stability (high twistweight) sacrifice raw power.

The brands predicted to be most powerful consistently engineer paddles that excel in the first two categories. Their models tend to have higher-than-average static weights and swingweights. They successfully maximize the primary drivers of power, while managing the trade-off with twistweight, resulting in designs that the model identifies as having the highest potential for power.