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Pick HEAD if you're new to the sport; JOOLA earns its £150-plus tag for anyone playing competitively or weekly.
These two paddles sit on opposite shores of the pickleball pond. The HEAD Radical Tour at £50 is a fibreglass-faced, polypropylene-cored all-rounder built for club nights and beginner leagues, where forgiveness on the off-centre hit matters more than spin numbers. JOOLA's premium tier (£150-£200) buys you raw carbon fibre faces, thermoformed unibody construction and the Gen 3 hybrid foam-edged builds Ben Johns has popularised on the PPA Tour. The leap in price tracks a real leap in feel: tighter dwell time, sharper put-away pop, and noticeably more bite on third-shot rolls. Buy the HEAD Radical Tour if you're playing once a week at the leisure centre, your dinks still float long, and £150 feels uncomfortable for a sport you're testing. Otherwise go for the JOOLA Premium line - if you're drilling weekly, chasing a 4.0 DUPR, or just want kit that won't get outgrown by Christmas, it's the obvious shout.
Hand-written editorial — not auto-generated. By Gary, RacketRise.
| Product | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Pickleball Paddles | Pickleball Paddles |
| Sport | Pickleball | Pickleball |
| Skill Level | Beginner | Advanced |
| Weight | — | — |
| Shape | Standard | — |
| Core | Polymer honeycomb | Polymer honeycomb |
| Surface | Fibreglass | Carbon |
| Grip Size | — | — |
| Core Thickness | — | — |
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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The main differences are: Surface: HEAD Radical has Fibreglass vs Carbon. Skill level: HEAD Radical suits beginners, JOOLA Premium suits advanced players. Overall, the HEAD Radical Tour Pickleball Paddle is best for beginners while the JOOLA Premium Pickleball Paddle suits advanced players.
The HEAD Radical Tour Pickleball Paddle is the better choice for beginners thanks to its forgiving design and accessible price point. The JOOLA Premium Pickleball Paddle is aimed at advanced players and may be more demanding to use effectively.
The JOOLA Premium Pickleball Paddle (£150-200) costs more than the HEAD Radical Tour Pickleball Paddle (£50). Whether the premium is worth it depends on your skill level — if you are advanced players, the extra investment in the JOOLA Premium Pickleball Paddle can pay off.