The top ten pickleball paddles for intermediate players come from a wide range of different companies, and come in all different shapes and sizes.
At the end of the day it's still going to come down to the best paddle style for you, so I'm also going to be breaking down all different styles and variations throughout the list to give you the best paddles for intermediate players...of all different play types!
You can also take my Pickleball Paddle Quiz if you want to find the best paddle for you, or even go through some of the other pickleball paddle reviews and lists on the site, but this should give you the best breakdown if you're specifically looking for the best paddle for intermediate players.
Be sure to read through each section to know exactly why the specific paddle is coming in the slot I'm putting in - for example categories like the best all around paddle, the best with a short handle, the best control, the best hard hitter and more.
And, I even follow that up with some a great list of runner ups for you to look through as well.
Without further ado, here are the best paddles for intermediate pickleball players.
Top Five Pickleball Paddles For Intermediate Players
The Top Five Pickleball Players for Intermediate Players
Number One: Volair Mach 1 Forza
The Best Of The Best
PRICE: $180 ($161 with code "THESLICE")
SHAPE: Hybrid
MATERIALS: Raw TORAY T700 Carbon Fiber with Polypropylene Honeycomb Core
THERMOFORMED: Yes
LENGTH: 16.5"
WIDTH: 7.5"
AVG. WEIGHT: 8-8.2 oz
GRIP LENGTH: 5.5"
THICKNESS: 14MM & 16MM
If you've already read through any of my other articles, you'll likely know how much I love this paddle.
It comes in ranked high among nearly all lists that it's capable of falling into because it really is the best mix of power, control and spin that I have ever hit with.
Pair that with the fact that it's priced super competitively, coming in nearly $100 lower than some of the "larger" big name companies out there - and this paddle is a no brainer.
I'm also bringing this one in at number one because if you are an intermediate player, you're likely going to prefer a longer handle so you can hit your two handed backhands (or begin working on them), but I'll share a good short handle (two if you count the runner up section) for those of you who are into that.
That said, this is our "Best Of The Best" because it comes in at the top of our list of the best power pickleball paddles, while still being classified as an "All Arounder" because of the control you can have with it.
The Top Five Pickleball Players for Intermediate Players
Number Two: ACE Diamond
The Best Hard Hitter
PRICE: $220 ($198 with code "THESLICE")
SHAPE: Elongated
MATERIALS: TORAY T700 Carbon Fiber with Aramid Honeycomb Core
THERMOFORMED: No
LENGTH: 16.5
WIDTH: 7.5
AVG. WEIGHT: 7.4-7.6 oz
GRIP LENGTH: 5.5"
THICKNESS: 10MM
Coming in at number two on our list of the best pickleball paddles for intermediate players is our ACE Diamond paddle.
This one is coming in as our best hard hitter paddle for our intermediate players because this thing brings the power, but it also doesn't lose too much control.
We had our list of the top power paddles that I mentioned above, and a handful of them that brought more power also had trade-offs that aren't great for intermediate players (more advanced), but this one leans towards power while still allowing players to get aggressive and play a slow game when they want.
Right on ACE's own page they write: "The ACE Diamond, an optimal choice for intermediate to advanced players looking for extra power on their shots without sacrificing hand speed do to the additional weight of many power paddles."
This one is a top choice from player Gabe Joseph who is also a tennis player, so this one has the power, the aggression, and the low swing weight while still be elongated.
The Top Five Pickleball Players for Intermediate Players
Number Three: Vatic Pro Prism Flash
The Best Control Paddle Option
PRICE: $99 ($89 with code "TheSlice")
SHAPE: Hybrid
MATERIALS: Raw TORAY T700 Carbon Fiber with Polymer Core
THERMOFORMED: No
LENGTH: Flash 16.3"
WIDTH: 7.5"
AVG. WEIGHT: Flash 7.7-8.2 OZ
GRIP LENGTH: 5.3"
THICKNESS: Flash 14/16MM
At number three among the best paddles for intermediate pickleball players is a paddle you guys had to know was coming somewhere within the top five: The Vatic Pro Prism Flash.
The Vatic Pro Prism Flash is quite possibly the best paddle under $100 (assuming you want a control oriented paddle), and one of (if not the best) control paddle on the market as well.
And I'm not just making that up, it came it at number one on our list of the best control paddles in pickleball and also number one on the list of the best pickleball paddles under $100...
This one comes in with a hybrid shape, long enough handle for two handed backhands, and amazing spin rating.
It's everything you could want in a paddle if you're someone who doesn't need a ton of extra pop that some power paddles have (it is not Gen2 thermoforming).
The Top Five Pickleball Players for Intermediate Players
Number Four: Hudef Apex Pro
The Best Short Handle Wide Body Control Option
PRICE:$89 ($75 with code "THESLICE")
SHAPE: Wide Body
MATERIALS: T700 Raw Carbon Fiber Face with Polypropylene Honeycomb Core
THERMOFORMED: No
LENGTH: 16.06"
WIDTH: 7.9"
AVG. WEIGHT: 7.8-8.3 oz
GRIP LENGTH: 4.9"
THICKNESS: 16MM or 14MM
Coming in at number four on our list of the best pickleball paddles for intermediate players is the only paddle on our list (besides the CRBN 2X on the runner ups, which is the power alternative to this) that has a shorter handle.
This is another paddle that came in on both our best paddles under $100 and also the best paddles for control, but it also topped our list of the best paddles with short handles.
The Hudef Apex Pro has a wide body face, short handle, big sweet spot and great spin, all for under $100.
If you want a control paddle with wide face and short handle that competes with a pro level paddle for about 1/3 of the price, this is one you're going to want to check out.
The Top Five Pickleball Players for Intermediate Players
Number Five: Neonic Force
The Best Budget Gen2 Thermoformed Paddle
PRICE: $99 ($89 with code "THESLICE")
SHAPE: Elongated
MATERIALS: Toray T700 Carbon Fiber & Polymer Honeycomb Core
THERMOFORMED: Yes
LENGTH: 16.5"
WIDTH: 7.5"
AVG. WEIGHT: 8.1-8.3 oz
GRIP LENGTH: 5.3"
THICKNESS: 16MM
Last, but definitely not least, on our list of the best pickleball paddles for intermediate players is a paddle that I just recently tested and loved.
This one hits like a Ronbus R3 Pulsar or Vatic Pro V7 (both of which you'll see in our runner ups), with a lower swing weight, and for almost half the price after discounts.
It's one of the best Gen2 thermoformed paddles I've hit with, and beats them all on price point.
You can generate effortless power, have quick hands at the net for speed ups and hands battles, while still have decent control for a more power oriented paddle due to them making it the 16MM thickness.
My personal favorites on this list are the Volair Mach 1 Forza and this paddle, but I wanted to make sure I gave you guys a full rundown of all different types and styles.
The Top Five Pickleball Paddles for Intermediate Players
The Top Five Pickleball Paddles for Intermediate Players - Runner Ups (Other Great Options, In No Specific Order):
- Vatic Pro Flash and V7 (Code "THESLICE" for $10 Off)
- Ronbus R1 or R3 Pulsar (Code "RCSLICE" for $20 Off)
- Ronbus R1 Nova (Code "RCSLICE" for $20 Off)
- ACE Club (Code "THESLICE" for 10% Off)
- CRBN 2X (Code "THESLICE" for 10% Off)
The best pickleball paddles for intermediate paddles come from a bunch of different brands, but many of which you're likely familiar with if you've read the site and know which ones stand out as some of the best on the entire paddle market.
There are certain brands that are really leading the way with their paddle technology, and they thankfully also do a great job with their cost, leaving them with options for people looking for your next paddle.
I'd love to hear from you if you've used some of the paddles on this list.
Which are your favorites? Are there any other you personally recommend?
