Bringing new players to the sport with fun products

Since I started playing pickleball I have been on the hunt for a paddle that has a fun design and performs well. For most sports it makes sense to have the typical sporty designs however, pickleball is different. Most people view pickleball as a fun way to socialize while exercising, and I believe that the paddles should reflect that. In addition, pickleball paddles have tons of real estate that most pickleball companies are not taking advantage of.

When thinking about what I wanted to base my design off of, I decided that I wanted to make something that appealed to a wide age range while having some relation to pickleball. I found my inspiration in an article about one of the pioneers of pickleball, Mark Friedenberg also known as “Yoda.” Although Mark Friedenberg is not famous, he still did a lot for the game by writing multiple handbooks along with winning national championships. I thought he deserved some recognition.

I then went on to the internet to look for some collaborations Star Wars has done with other companies to get some inspiration. One collaboration that stood out to me was done by a soap company called Dr. Squatch. I thought that the simplified design would be a good fit for a pickleball paddle. After using a modified version Dr. Squatch’s design for a mock-up I decided to continue with the project by creating my own vector drawing in Illustrator. After completing the drawing I mocked everything up in Photoshop using a Selkirk paddle and logos.

I am very happy with the final product and I think it would surely stand out on the court. Unlike most other paddles available, the design is fun and eye-catching. This a product that I believe would appeal to nearly anybody on the court young and old alike. I also think that this is something that would inspire newcomers to come to the sport as it shows the fun-loving nature of pickleball players. In the future, I would like to create a whole lineup of Star Wars pickleball paddles with different characters.