The 6 Best HEAD Pickleball Paddles

With the rapidly expanding popularity of pickleball, top brands are dipping their toes into the sport.

Tennis experts HEAD first entered the pickleball game in 2017, so quite early compared to other brands. Since then, they have released four different pickleball paddle lines, which have been very well received by players.

I, for one, am unsurprised by this, given their expertise in tennis and other racket sports such as squash and racquetball.

Which HEAD pickleball paddle is right for you?

With 19 rackets on offer, it can be difficult to narrow down which paddles are the best for you. That’s why today we’ll cover our favorite HEAD pickleball paddles, which span multiple player abilities. Read on for all the details.

Featured Products

• HEAD Extreme Elite — Budget Choice
• HEAD Extreme Tour — Best Overall
• HEAD Gravity — Premium Pick

Why Should You Consider HEAD Pickleball Paddles?

People are such a big fan of HEAD pickleball rackets because of their high performance and HEAD’s clarity into the technology that goes into them.

HEAD stamps the technology on the racket face in the top left-hand corner of each racket. This makes it easy to tell the quality of each paddle. It also doesn’t detract from their overall look. The graphics have a clean and professional style.

Why Should You Trust us?

We dedicate ourselves to providing the best sports equipment reviews on the web. We strive to achieve this through hands-on testing and many hours of research to ensure we leave no stone unturned.

We also provide sports guides in addition to equipment reviews. We are just mad about sports and want to help make everyone better players so that they can enjoy these games to the fullest.

Read Next: Best Pickleball Paddles for Beginners

HEAD Pickleball Paddles Reviews

HEAD Radical Elite

Specifications

Face material: Fiberglass

Core material: Optimized Tubular Core (polypropylene honeycomb)

Shape: Slightly elongated

Paddle dimensions: 16” x 7 ⅞”

Grip size: 4 ⅛”

Weight: 8.1 oz

Pros

• USAPA approved
• Available in 3 colors
• Inexpensive
• 2-year warranty

Cons

• Uses a basic grip

Rating: 9.3

The Radical Elite is one of HEAD’s cheaper pickleball paddles. Aimed toward intermediate players, it features a thick polypropylene honeycomb core which gives players much power.

The racket face uses HEAD’s Dynamic Power Shape. This means that the face is slightly elongated, leading to an increased sweet spot that is perfect for developing players. The finish is fiberglass, which keeps the racket lightweight and durable. It is a step down from graphite but still performs exceptionally well.

As for the grip, the Radical elite uses an Ergo grip. This is HEAD’s basic comfort handle which provides great feeling.

HEAD Extreme Elite

Specifications

Face material: Fiberglass

Core material: Optimized Tubular Core (polypropylene honeycomb)

Shape: Slightly elongated

Paddle dimensions: 16” x 7 ⅞”

Grip size: 4 ⅛”

Weight: 7.8 oz

Pros

• USAPA approved
• Available in 2 colors
• Inexpensive
• 2-year warranty

Cons

• Uses a basic grip

Rating: 9.3

The Extreme Elite HEAD pickleball racket may be a part of the Extreme series, but it’s actually remarkably like the Radical Elite. The only real difference between the Extreme Elite and Radical Elite is the head shape. The Extreme Elite uses HEAD’s diamond shape, which supposedly offers more control.

But beyond that change, there are no other differences. Both rackets have the same width, length, and handle size. And even the tech is the same. They both have an OTC polypropylene honeycomb core with a composite fiberglass surface and an Ergo grip. Therefore it’s tough to split the two.

Personally, I would narrowly take the Extreme Elite for the minor control advantage.

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HEAD Radical Pro

Specifications

Face material: Fiberglass

Core material: Optimized Tubular Core (polypropylene honeycomb)

Shape: Slightly elongated

Paddle dimensions: 16” x 7 ⅞”

Grip size: 4 ⅛”

Weight: 8.1 oz

Pros

• USAPA approved
• Comfort grip
• 2-year warranty

Cons

• No color choices

Rating: 9

The Radical Pro is the version up from the Radical Elite. It keeps the Dynamic Power Shape from the Elite for an increased sweet spot. In fact, there is only one upgrade from the Elite to speak of — the handle uses HEAD’s Comfort grip rather than the Ergo grip. The Comfort-grip system features polyurethane material which helps to mitigate vibrations for a more comfortable feel.

As we say, the other features remain unchanged. The Radical Pro uses the same fiberglass face and thick OTC polypropylene honeycomb core as the Radical Elite. Therefore considering the price jump, we think you’re better off sticking with the Elite if you’re stuck between the two.

HEAD Radical Tour

Specifications

Face material: Graphite

Core material: Optimized Tubular Core (polypropylene honeycomb)

Shape: Slightly elongated

Paddle dimensions: 16” x 7 ⅞”

Grip size: 4 ⅛”

Weight: 7.9 oz

Pros

• USAPA approved
• Graphite surface
• Great at producing spin
• Comfort grip
• 2-year warranty

Cons

• No color choices
• Expensive

Rating: 9.6

As one of the most expensive paddles, it should be no surprise that the Radical Tour paddle offers excellent features.

It sports a graphite surface, making it the first of this kind on this list. Graphite offers superb pace and feel while keeping the overall weight low. What’s more, the graphite surface has a special lacquer coating. This provides increased grip making the paddle a bit of a spin demon.

While we really love this racket, it’s generally only suitable for advanced players. Only they will get the most out of its advanced features and, in doing so, value for their money. Less skilled players won’t appreciate its features, so their money is best spent on a more basic paddle such as the Radical Elite.

HEAD Extreme Tour — Best Overall

Specifications

Face material: Graphite

Core material: Optimized Tubular Core (polypropylene honeycomb)

Shape: Slightly elongated

Paddle dimensions: 16” x 7 ⅞”

Grip size: 4 ⅛”

Weight: 7.6 oz

Pros

• USAPA approved
• Graphite surface
• Great at producing spin
• Control Stabilizer Technology
• Comfort grip
• 2-year warranty
• Choose between 2 colors

Cons

• Expensive

Rating: 9.7

As before with the Radical Elite and Extreme Elite, there are not too many differences between the Radical Tour and Extreme Tour.

Of course, there’s the diamond head shape, but that is rather obvious. Perhaps the weight matters more to you. The Extreme Tour is the lightest paddle on this list at 7.6 oz. This may only be 3lb lighter than the Radical Tour, but it does help give you a faster swing speed and reaction time.

We should also note that professional player Sarah Ansboury sings the praises of the Extreme Tour. And it’s hard to ignore the opinions of pros, given how in tune they are with the sport.

Finally, the Extreme Tour has a piece of tech that the Radical Tour doesn’t. It features Control Stabilizer technology. This helps enhance torsional stability by dampening vibrations, giving you a better touch of the pickleball ball.

Therefore, considering all these features, we find the Extreme Tour the best HEAD pickleball paddle.

HEAD Gravity

Specifications

Face material: Graphite

Core material: Sweetspot Power Core (polypropylene honeycomb)

Shape: Slightly elongated

Paddle dimensions: 15 ¾” x 8 1/10”

Grip size: 4 ⅛”

Weight: 8.1 oz

Pros

• USAPA approved
• Graphite surface
• Great at producing spin
• Control Stabilizer Technology
• Comfort grip
• 2-year warranty
• Choose between 2 colors

Cons

• Expensive

Rating: 9.5

The Gravity series is the most expensive pickleball paddle line HEAD offers, and it differs from the Extreme and Radical lines in several ways. This begins with the racket shape and size. It is slightly wider and shorter than the other racket series. This is because the racket head is wider at the end and narrow towards the handle. This means increased power and a larger sweet spot.

But the differences don’t stop there. Besides the Comfort grip, all other tech differs. For the Gravity series, HEAD has ditched the Optimized Tubular Core in favor of a Sweetspot Power Core. They do not specify what it is made of, but given its soft yet powerful properties, we believe it is still made of polypropylene.

The Gravity paddle also has a unique hybrid hitting surface. This performs even better than their graphite surface, which is rather impressive. Furthermore, the rackets use Extreme 3D spin tech, which presumably, is a small upgrade on the Extreme Spin tech in the Extreme Tour.

All in all, the HEAD Gravity racket is an incredible paddle and certainly the best performer. The only issue with it is the cost. However, there is a staggering 41% off as of the time of writing. So if you are interested, be quick to grab this crazy deal!

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Conclusion

HEAD pickleball paddles are exceptional, and we liked all the rackets featured on this list. But unsurprisingly, a few stood out in our HEAD pickleball paddle reviews.

In our opinion, the best HEAD paddle for pickleball is the Extreme Tour. It is a great purchase for an advanced player, or perhaps even an ambitious individual at an intermediate level. It represents great value, is heavily endorsed by a pro player, and has great tech.

If the Extreme Tour is a little too expensive for you, perhaps consider the HEAD Extreme Elite instead. It’s well-priced, has great control, and is a better choice for intermediate players. Alternatively, for more choices, check out the guide to our overall favorite pickleball paddles.

FAQs

Are HEAD Pickleball Paddles Made in the USA?

No, unlike Engage paddles made in the USA, HEAD pickleball paddles are manufactured in China.

What Are HEAD Pickleball Paddles Made Of?

The cheaper pickleball paddles by HEAD usually feature composite fiberglass faces. On the other hand, the best HEAD pickleball paddles tend to have a graphite face instead. As for the cores, all rackets use polypropylene honeycomb.

Are HEAD Pickleball Paddles Good?

HEAD paddles for pickleball are very high quality, even their cheaper rackets. They are one of our favorite pickleball brands, and customer HEAD pickleball paddle reviews back this. They are very popular, usually receiving an average rating of 4-stars or higher.

Read Next: Best Graphite Pickleball Paddles