Ep. 01 — Paddle Shape: Standard vs Elongated vs Hybrid vs Tapered
Standard, Elongated, Hybrid or Tapered — what each one does, who plays it, and how to find yours.
Two paddles built from the exact same materials play completely differently the second you change the shape. There are four shapes: Standard, Elongated, Hybrid — and the new kid, Tapered.
But popular doesn't mean right for you. Shape is the first factor. Let's break it down.
Standard (widebody)
Biggest sweet spot, most forgiveness. Weight sits close to your hand, so the paddle changes direction fast. It wins hand battles, resets, blocks and anything where you're reacting instead of attacking. The trade-off is reach and leverage on drives.
Quick and safe. Off-center hits still come back playable.
The Wall and The Dinker. And no, it's not a beginner paddle — plenty of high-level doubles players use them deliberately.
Anna Bright and Collin Johns (JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V), Catherine Parenteau (Scorpeus Pro V 14mm).
Elongated
Longer paddle, longer lever, and physics does the rest: more power and more spin on full swings, plus extra reach on wide balls and overheads. The trade-off is hand speed at the net and a smaller sweet spot, so you need cleaner contact.
More plow-through, sweet spot higher on the face. Former tennis players usually love it — it feels like a racquet.
The Power Hitter and The Strategist. Elongated is the de facto standard on tour.
Ben Johns and Simone Jardim (JOOLA Perseus Pro V), Christian Alshon (Paddletek Bantam TKO line).
Hybrid
A little more reach than a standard, quicker hands than an elongated, and a sweet spot between the two. It doesn't win any single category — and that's the point. It doesn't lose one either.
Balanced. Never sluggish, never twitchy.
The All-Courter, and most doubles players who honestly aren't sure yet. Hybrid is the safest starting point.
Federico Staksrud and Tyson McGuffin (JOOLA Kosmos Pro V).
Tapered (tennis shape)
The taper pushes the sweet spot up the face, and the long handle makes a two-handed backhand feel natural. Reach like an elongated, hands a touch quicker because of the slim throat.
Familiar if you came from tennis. The swing path and the contact point up the face are what your muscle memory expects.
Tennis crossovers of any playing style — especially Strategists who live on the two-handed backhand.
Kate Fahey and Lea Jansen (JOOLA Agassi Pro V).
So which shape is yours?
Paddle shape is the first factor.
We'll cover the other key factors — core thickness, face material, handle length, grip size and weight — in the next Daily Drop episodes.
Want a shortcut? Sona's free PaddleMatch™ quiz looks at all six factors together and suggests one paddle for how you play.
Get fit. Take the PaddleMatch™ quiz