We know our customers and we put them first when we design and build our paddles. It’s not about how fast we can build a paddle or how to cut costs. It’s about making the best paddles possible for our customers and keeping the whole process in house and local.
Not to pigeon hole our paddles but the majority of our customers play up to about a 4.0 level, are roughly 50/50 male/female, are probably 50+, maybe have a few aches and pains, appreciate quality and play a lot.
This is where we focus our design efforts. Everything from balance, to weight and size is designed to help our customers play better and play more.
When we design our paddles we start by identifying and establishing key performance objectives that will enable players to play better and play more. For us it comes down to 4 key requirements for our paddles. They have to provide control, comfort, power, and be durable.
Controllable
By carefully specifying our core material and combining it with the highest quality fiberglass and wood our paddles have a softer feel. Our design keeps the ball on the paddle surface a fraction longer providing great control and the ability to spin the ball when you need to.
Comfortable
In keeping with our objectives we wanted a paddle that was comfortable especially for those with a few acquired aches and pains. To do this we focus on weight, vibration absorption and grip shape.
The natural wood playing surface and zone reinforced substructure work together to help cushion some of the harsh vibrations at ball contact. The wood surface helps to naturally dampen vibrations reducing stress on the wrist, elbow and shoulder.
Grip shape is a large factor in having a comfortable paddle. The shape should fit as naturally as possible in your hand so as not to require you to “squeeze” to hard to securely hold the paddle. That’s why we make the octagonal handle as symmetrical as possible. This reduces the effort needed to grip the paddle to keep it from twisting. The result is significantly reduced strain on the fingers, hand and wrist.
Powerful
Our paddles are all mid weight. Power is a function of speed and mass so a little more weight means more power. Not so much weight that it compromises speed and control at the net but enough to help carry the paddle through the ball. We have also found that for most of our customers the 7.6oz range works great for those with a bit of tennis elbow.
Weight alone will give you power but we take it one step further. Each paddle is internally zone reinforce in critical areas to enhance the sweet spot and reduce handle flex at the neck. There is no point in designing a great paddle if power is lost at ball contact.
Durable
Paddles take a beating no doubt about it, so we build in features to help keep our paddles looking and playing great.
Our paddles are equipped with a heavy duty edge guard. You shouldn’t be afraid of damaging an edge going for a tough shot or scooping up a ball. Originally we wanted the lightest possible edge. We tried light trim and even going edgeless, but a lot of our testing was done outdoors and on hard courts where things happen. Some of the paddle edges after a couple of months looked pretty tough, so now not only do we use a heavy duty trim, we make it replaceable.
The handle to paddle transition is the weak link in a paddle design. That’s why we reinforce the area during manufacturing with additional layers of laminate. We aren’t saying you cant break it but you are much less likely to damage it by accident.
The natural wood surface is supported by a laminated substructure designed to provide a surface that will not dent or compress under normal playing conditions.
To keep our paddles looking their best we embed our graphics in the clear finish protecting them from chipping and scuffing. This also makes our paddle surface refinishable so you can keep your paddle looking great by cleaning and recoating it.
If you are looking for a paddle that plays as good as it looks, a Brick*House may be the perfect paddle for you.