Pickleball can be a very loud sport. I knew companies were experimenting with both paddle and ball designs to help with the “clack-clack” sound of plastic balls hitting polymer/carbon paddles. At the end of 2023, I began to get targeted with “The Owl” paddle on many of my social pages. As I sometimes play on private courts with somewhat understanding neighbors, I was curious if a quite paddle was feasible in that it could perform like a regular paddle but dampen the noise. Well the answer for me is…..sort of. Is this paddle quieter then a traditional paddle? Absolutely. If noise is a big concern, then I would have no problem playing with “The Owl” paddle. Noise is noticeable cut exponentially using this paddle. Is the performance THAT much different then a regular paddle? At the beginner level I would say not really. You can get some decent control, spin and power using this paddle. However, at all times when using this paddle it felt like I was hitting a paddle made of cardboard with carpet on it. I could not get rid of this feeling, no matter how many times I’ve played with this paddle. If you need a quiet paddle now, sure I would recommend this paddle. Do you want this as an everyday paddle? I don’t but I give Owl credit. This is a good first attempt and I look forward to more innovations they might come up with down the line.

Skill Level:Beginner to Pro

Weight Average:7.9 oz

Grip:OWL Flight Grip

Grip Circumference:4.13″ (actual grip sizes may vary up to 1/8″)

Paddle Length:15.8”

Handle Length:4.6″

Paddle Width:7.9″

Paddle Face:Proprietary Acoustene™ Composite

Core Material:Polypropylene Honeycomb

Core Thickness:16 mm (0.63″)

Edge Guard:Woven Acoustene™ (patent pending)

Made in China