Hayden Patriquin is one of a growing number of young, competitive pickleball players whose equipment choices draw curiosity from fans looking to copy a rising player's setup. It is a fair question to ask — but it is also a question whose honest answer depends on a sponsorship relationship that can change at any point, which makes any specific paddle claim printed today a risk of being outdated tomorrow. Rather than guess at a detail we cannot verify at the moment of publishing, this guide explains how to find that information reliably yourself, and — more usefully — what actually transfers from a competitive player's equipment choices to your own game.
Why We Are Not Naming a Specific Paddle Here
Professional and competitive pickleball players frequently have endorsement relationships with equipment manufacturers, similar to sponsorship structures in other racket sports. Those relationships are commercial agreements, and like any sponsorship deal, they can be renewed, renegotiated or switched to a different brand over time. A specific claim about which model an athlete currently plays is really a claim about the state of a business relationship at one point in time — and publishing that as a fixed fact risks it becoming false the moment a deal changes, which does a disservice to anyone relying on the article later. Our data and fact-checking standard here means we would rather point you to a reliable, current source than print a number or model name that could not be independently verified as of today.
Where to Actually Find Current, Reliable Information
If you want to know what a specific competitive player currently uses, a few sources are generally more reliable than search results or older articles: the player's own official social media accounts, where sponsorship announcements are typically posted directly; the sponsoring brand's current athlete or "pro gear" page, which is usually updated when a roster changes; and tournament broadcast commentary, where announcers often reference current equipment sponsorships live. Cross-checking more than one of these sources is a reasonable way to confirm the information is current rather than several seasons old.
What Actually Transfers to Your Own Game
Even with confirmed, current information about a specific player's paddle, copying the exact model is not necessarily the most useful takeaway. Competitive players train specifically around their equipment's weight, stiffness and balance point — a paddle that suits a player with years of conditioning and a highly tuned swing may not suit a recreational or intermediate player with a different physical baseline. What generalizes better is the reasoning behind competitive equipment choices: fast hand speed at the net tends to matter more than raw power at higher levels of play, certified construction is non-negotiable for sanctioned competition, and weight is typically chosen to balance maneuverability against durability under repeated hard contact. Those principles apply regardless of which brand a specific athlete currently endorses.
Why This Applies Beyond One Player
The same caution applies to almost any specific-athlete equipment question in a sport where sponsorship deals are common, not just to this one player. Searches like "what paddle does [player] use" tend to spike whenever a player has a notable tournament result, which is exactly when a fan is most likely to encounter an older article describing a sponsorship that may no longer be current. Treating any single static source as authoritative on a specific athlete's current gear — rather than checking a recent, dated source — is the most common way this kind of information research goes wrong, regardless of which player is in question.
How to Evaluate Rising Competitive Players' Gear More Generally
Younger, rising competitive players are often a useful bellwether for where equipment trends are heading, since brands frequently outfit emerging talent with newer construction ahead of a wider consumer release. Watching which general categories of paddle — shape, face material, weight class — show up across a cohort of rising players can be more informative than fixating on one individual's current model, precisely because it is less sensitive to any single sponsorship change.
What This Means If You're Trying to Copy a Setup
If your actual goal is to improve your own game rather than to own the exact same equipment as a specific player, it is worth reframing the question. Instead of asking which model to buy, ask which characteristics of a competitive setup are actually transferable: a paddle certified for sanctioned play if you compete, a weight and balance you can comfortably control through a full match, and a face material that supports the shot types you are actually working on. Those criteria will serve you regardless of which brand ends up being correct for any specific athlete at any given time, and they will not go out of date the way a specific model name can.
| Question | Best source |
|---|---|
| What paddle does a specific player use right now | Player's official channels or sponsor's current athlete page |
| Has a player's sponsorship changed recently | Recent tournament coverage or the player's own announcements |
| What construction trends are common at a competitive level | General equipment guides and certification standards, which change far less often |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't this article just name the paddle?
Sponsorship relationships change over time, and we did not have an independently verifiable, current source to confirm at the time of publishing. We would rather point you to reliable, up-to-date sources than risk printing outdated information as fact.
How do pro sponsorship deals typically work?
Brands sign endorsement agreements with players, similar to other racket sports, which can include equipment supply, appearance requirements and marketing use of the athlete's name and image. Terms and duration vary by deal.
Should I buy the same paddle as a player I admire?
You can, but matching the exact specs without matching play style, hand size and conditioning does not guarantee similar results. It is often more useful to understand why the choice works for that player.
Where can I verify a player's current sponsor?
The player's own official social media accounts and the sponsoring brand's current athlete roster page are generally the most current and reliable sources.
Do rising competitive players use different gear than established pros?
Not necessarily by category, though brands sometimes use emerging players to introduce newer construction ahead of a broader consumer release.