Paddletek
The company that introduced the polymer honeycomb core now standard across the sport.
United States · Founded 2010
- HQ
- Niles, Michigan (paddles still hand-crafted there)
- Country
- United States
- Founded
- 2010
- Leadership
- Family-owned; entity is Paddletek Pickleball, LLC
The story
Paddletek's claim to significance is foundational: it introduced the polymer honeycomb core in 2010, now the default construction across essentially the entire sport.
In 2019 the company executed a full brand relaunch, the "New Era of Paddletek," reorganizing a sprawling catalog into three intelligible lines, and in 2024 it moved into raw carbon faces across the range.
Shape decoder
| Model / shape | Category | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave Pro C | Widebody | - | Standard / classic, large egg-shaped sweet spot |
| Tempest TKO-C | Elongated | - | 16" overall length with a 5 1/4" handle |
| Bantam GTO-C | Hybrid | - | - |
The -C suffix denotes the carbon-faced version of a model.
Surface technologies
- PT700 unidirectional Raw Carbon · Across the 2024+ lineup.
- Graphite and composite faces · On legacy models.
Core technologies
- ProPolycore · The trademarked polymer honeycomb core, developed to dampen vibration.
- Bantam core · The power core.
- Tempest core · A graphite-based core that absorbs more ball energy for control.
- Honeyfoam · The current foam-hybrid series.
Series and models
Bantam (power), Tempest (control), Phoenix (all-court balance), Honeyfoam. Supporting tech: SRT, TVC, GVD.
Worth knowing
Claims its core technology appears in over 80% of premium paddles sold. Has expanded into padel and runs an ambassador program. The three-line structure (power, control, balance) is the clearest taxonomy of any brand here.