If you haven’t heard about pickleball yet, you’ve probably been on an epic adventure to Antarctica, completely disconnected from the world.

I grew up playing tennis and got into racquetball in college, so you could say I have a history with racquet sports. My husband has been obsessed with pickleball for the last eight months. It has opened us up to a wonderful community.

The rules are a bit complicated, but with the quick rhythm of this game, you easily get into it. Once you get into it, you start looking at the difference your gear can make. We started playing with the racquets Costco sells. Just recently, though, we decided to upgrade and gave Six Zero paddles a try.

Without getting super technical, we chose the Double Black Diamond 16mm Control (DBD). I have to tell you, going from a generic Costco paddle to a calibrated-for-success paddle makes a stark difference. You can read about all its specs in the link above; I won’t be delving that deep.

What was it like to play with the DBD? I felt like I had responsive equipment in my hand. You feel the difference in the drive, and for those who can spin and dink, it is next-level. I’ve been playing for a few months, but it wasn’t until I felt the responsiveness of the DBD that I felt confident enough to play in the kitchen (the front part of the court).

The DBD offers a larger sweet spot than others I’ve played with. It has seriously taken my seriousness with the sport to the next level.

This paddle sits more in the mid-weight category (8.1 ounces/230 grams). For me, this was a plus because it makes it easy to maneuver between forehand and backhand. I have to say I have gotten so much more confident in the kitchen since I started playing with the DBD.

My husband, Sid, played with it, as well. He’s a bit more advanced, and he shared that his dinks, lobs and drives are precise; it offers great defense; and it is adaptive to different styles of play.

For reference, we’ve also played with the Vatic Pro. A very good racquet, but what we’ve learned is picking a paddle is like choosing shoes. One size does not fit all.

— Maria Angeles, account executive