Pickleball Glossary: Paddle, Court, and Technique Terms

A reference guide to every term you'll encounter when shopping for a pickleball paddle or learning the game. Curated by ARTI Athletic — see also our paddle comparison chart and FAQ.

Paddle Materials

T700 Carbon Fiber: A Toray Industries grade of carbon fiber with tensile strength of 4,900 MPa. Originally aerospace-grade, now the premium standard for pickleball paddle faces. Raw (uncoated) T700 grips the ball for spin and lasts longer than fiberglass. Used by ARTI on the Mastery Elite, State Collection, and Kristen & Kristy series.
Fiberglass: A composite face material that's softer and more forgiving than carbon fiber. Best for beginners who want a larger sweet spot and more pop on off-center hits. Used by ARTI on the Fiberglass Paddle Sets ($79.99).
Polypropylene Honeycomb Core: The industry-standard core material for pickleball paddles. Absorbs vibration, expands the sweet spot, and provides consistent response across the face. ARTI uses polypropylene honeycomb in every paddle in the lineup.
Raw Face: A paddle face that's left uncoated, exposing the carbon weave directly. Raw faces grip the ball for maximum spin generation. All ARTI premium paddles ship with raw T700 carbon faces.
Edge Guard: A protective rim around the perimeter of a paddle face. Protects against edge cracks and surface wear, but slightly reduces usable sweet spot. Most paddles have one.
Edgeless: A paddle construction that removes the edge guard entirely. Expands the usable hitting surface and reduces dead-zone mishits, but slightly more vulnerable to edge impact damage. ARTI's Mastery Elite line is edgeless.

Paddle Specs

Core Thickness: The thickness of the paddle's honeycomb core, measured in millimeters. Common thicknesses: 13mm (max power, smaller sweet spot), 14mm (power-leaning, larger sweet spot), 16mm (control-leaning, largest sweet spot). ARTI's Mastery Elite is 14mm; the State Collection and Kristen & Kristy are 16mm.
Static Weight: The paddle's total weight when stationary, measured in ounces. Most performance paddles range from 7.6oz (lightweight) to 8.5oz (heavyweight). ARTI paddles are midweight at 7.8-8.2oz.
Swing Weight: How heavy a paddle FEELS during a swing. Combines static weight + weight distribution. Two paddles with the same static weight can have very different swing weights. Measured in kg·cm². Lower (~100-110) = quick hands; higher (~120-130) = more drive power.
Balance Point: The distance from the butt cap to the paddle's center of mass. Head-heavy (longer balance point) = more power, more wrist fatigue. Head-light = quicker hands, less power. Most paddles ship neutral-to-slightly-head-light.
Sweet Spot: The area of the face that delivers optimal response — usually the geometric center plus a few inches outward. Larger cores (16mm) and edgeless construction enlarge the sweet spot.
Grip Size: The circumference of the handle, measured in inches. Common sizes: 4.0" (small hands), 4.125" (most women), 4.25" (most men), 4.5" (large hands). ARTI ships a standard 4.25" grip. An overgrip can add ~0.0625" if you want a slightly thicker feel.
Handle Length: The length of the paddle's handle, measured in inches. Standard: ~4.5". Long: 5"-5.5" — essential for two-handed backhand players and tennis converts. Trade-off: longer handle = shorter face = smaller sweet spot.
Paddle Shape: Three main shapes: Widebody (~8.25" wide, max sweet spot, beginner-friendly), Elongated (~7.5" wide × 16.5" long, extra reach + power), Hybrid (middle ground, most versatile).

Certification & Tournament Terms

USAPA / USA Pickleball Approved: A paddle that has passed the USA Pickleball Association's equipment testing requirements and is legal for sanctioned tournament play. Every ARTI paddle currently sold is USAPA-approved.
UPA-A: United Pickleball Association of America — a separate sanctioning body for pro and MLP play. Most consumer paddles only need USAPA approval.
DUPR: Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating — an algorithmic player rating system (2.0-8.0 scale) used by most tournaments and serious rec players. Updated based on actual match results.

Shots & Technique

Dink: A soft shot landed in the opponent's non-volley zone (the 'kitchen'). The foundation of competitive doubles. Best executed with a 16mm control-oriented paddle.
Drive: A flat, hard groundstroke aimed past or through the opponent. Power shots benefit from 14mm cores and elongated paddle shapes.
Third Shot Drop: A soft arching shot played as the third ball of a rally (after serve + return), designed to land in the kitchen and force opponents into a defensive dink rally.
Volley: A shot hit out of the air before the ball bounces. Volleys are illegal in the kitchen. Quick hands and a head-light paddle help here.
Erne: An advanced shot where a player jumps around the kitchen to volley a ball next to the net post. Named after pro player Erne Perry.
Spin (Top, Side, Slice): Ball rotation imparted by paddle face direction at impact. Top-spin = forward rotation, gives shots dip and bounce. Slice = backspin, used on dinks and drop shots. Raw T700 carbon faces generate the most spin.

Court & Rules

Kitchen / Non-Volley Zone: The 7-foot zone on each side of the net where volleys are not permitted. The center of tactical pickleball — most points are won and lost here.
Two-Bounce Rule: Both the serve and the return must bounce before being hit. After that, either team can volley.
Side-Out / Server Number: Doubles scoring convention: score is announced as 'your score - opponent score - server number (1 or 2).' For singles, it's just two numbers.