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Pickleball is the racket sport kids can actually play on the first day: a small court, a slow ball, an underhand serve. The thing that stops them is the paddle. An adult paddle in a 7-year-old’s hand is 8 ounces at the end of a short arm, with a grip the fingers can’t close around. Here’s how to size one.
The test, not the age
Two checks, with any paddle:
- The grip. The child’s fingers wrap the handle and the thumb overlaps the fingertips. If the fingers don’t meet, the grip is too thick.
- The hold. They hold the paddle out level, arm straight, for a count of ten without the tip drooping. If it droops, it’s too heavy.
Ages below are where most children land; the test wins.
Ages 4 to 8: about 6 ounces, 3.5-inch grip
A real paddle in miniature: short, light, with a grip the size of a broom handle. Approval is irrelevant; nobody is entering a tournament. What matters is that they can swing it and hit the ball. The Helium Junior is six ounces with a 3.5-inch grip, and the only paddle we list for this age.
Use an indoor ball, even outdoors: it’s softer, slower and bounces lower, so rallies last. Lower the target too: count rallies, not points.
Small-kid paddle, 6 oz
Helium Junior (POW!)
Helium POW! Junior
A six-ounce graphite paddle with a 3.5-inch grip, made for ages 4 to 11, which is the size range nothing else here fits.
- Weight
- 6 oz
- Grip
- 3.5 in
- Size
- 13.9 × 7 in (listing)
- Face
- Graphite
- Ages
- 4–11
- Warranty
- 2-year replacement (listing)
Suits: The youngest players: small hands, short arms, a paddle they can actually swing.
Weigh: Not on USA Pickleball's approved list, which doesn't matter for a nine-year-old at the park. Helium publishes little beyond weight and grip.
Ages 8 to 12: 7 to 7.5 ounces, 15 inches long
A junior version of an adult paddle, with a shorter face and handle and a thin 10 mm core. The Franklin Rockstar Youth is 15.3 inches and 7.2 to 7.6 ounces, in prints kids pick themselves, which matters more than it should. A junior paddle from a family set does the same job for less.
Youth paddle
Franklin Rockstar Youth
Franklin Rockstar Youth
A smaller, lighter version of Franklin's fiberglass paddle, 15.3 inches long with a short handle and a 10 mm core, in kid-friendly prints.
- Weight
- 7.2–7.6 oz
- Handle
- 4.75 in
- Size
- 15.3 × 7.5 in
- Face
- Fiberglass, MaxGrit
- Core
- Polypropylene, 10 mm
- Ages
- Kid / beginner
Suits: Roughly ages 6 to 12, or a small-handed beginner of any age.
Weigh: USA Pickleball lists "Rockstar" as approved, but we could not confirm the youth version is the listed one; it only matters for sanctioned tournaments. 90-day warranty.
Teens: a light adult paddle
By 12 or 13, most kids have outgrown youth paddles and want a full-size face. Look for an adult paddle at the light end, 7.5 to 8 ounces, with a 4 to 4.25 inch grip and a thin core for a quick swing. The JOOLA Journey 10 mm at 7.8 ounces with a 4-inch grip is the one we’d hand most teens; the JOOLA Essentials Dash is JOOLA’s “all ages” version, approved for school and club tournaments.
Approval, and school teams
USA Pickleball’s approved list only matters for sanctioned tournaments. Youth paddles are rarely on it. If your teen joins a school or club team that plays sanctioned events, that’s the point to buy an approved adult paddle; until then, any paddle that fits.
Sets for a family
Buying four paddles separately is the expensive way. The niupipo family set has two adult and two junior paddles with balls and a bag, sized for two parents and two kids under 12. For two adults, or a parent and a teen, the JOOLA Essentials set and the Franklin Dagger set are two matching approved paddles with balls.
Keeping it fun
- Start at the kitchen line, dinking over the net, before serving from the baseline.
- Play to 5, not 11.
- Let the child call the score. It’s the fastest way to learn the game.
- Expect the paddle to be dropped on concrete and left in the car. Buy the cheap one, replace it in a year.
The youth and family page compares every paddle and set above.