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Pickleball Paddle Warranties

WILSON TOUR PRO PICKLEBALL PADDLE
Wilson offers a one-year warranty against manufacturer’s defects.
Not all pickleball paddles are created equal — and not all come with warranties.

Staff at Racquet Network generally advise our customers to purchase pickleball paddles that come with warranties. Unfortunately, not everybody listens to us. Frequently, in fact, customers complain that we are only advising them to do so because paddles with warranties cost more.

Like everything else in life, quality costs money. So the more you spend on a pickleball paddle, the better the paddle you get. In fact, higher quality paddles are so well made that they don’t even need a warranty. The people who make them know this. So offering a warranty is a no-brainer for them. They know the paddle is so well made that they most likely will never have to replace it.

Low priced paddles (there is a lot of junk in the racquet sports industry) do not come with warranties. They cost less because they are poorly made with low quality materials. The manufacturers know this, too, of course because they are the people who make them. They know that cheap paddles are not durable and so they also know it would be foolish to offer a warranty on such a low quality product.

So why do these paddles exists if they are not worth buying? The answer is simple: demand. There is huge demand for low-priced paddles in the pickleball market. For every one player who understands that quality paddles cost money, there are ten who fool themselves into thinking that pickleball paddles should be cheap and that a cheap pickleball paddle is just as good as an expensive one.

A second explanation for the success of “junk” paddles is that most new pickleball players try the sport before committing to it. In other words, they buy a cheap paddle and see if they like pickleball first. Then a few months later, if they are still playing, they buy a better paddle.

Here at Racquet Network, we stock paddles at all price points. We carry low-priced paddles for players who are just trying the sport out and we carry high end paddles for players who are fully committed to the game. We also carry a variety of paddles for every price point in-between.

Whether you are a new player or an old veteran, though, our advice will always be the same; you are more likely to be satisfied with a quality paddle than a cheap one. So unless price is an overwhelming issue for you, choose a paddle with a warranty. You may never need the warranty, but having one virtually guarantees that the craftsmanship is worth the investment.

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Squash Ball Test

Choose the squash ball that is best suited for your skill and fitness level. Your overall enjoyment of the game will go up while the potential for injury goes down.

This brief test is designed to help you figure out which of the four most popular balls is best suited for your equipment and fitness level. Infrequent squash players with older equipment will want to use one of the first two balls. Frequent players with the latest equipment will want to use one of the last two squash balls.

Score one point for each true answer. The ball with the most points is probably best for you and will ensure that you get the highest level of enjoyment from your squash matches. It is possible to score identical results in two categores. In that case, you can either choose one or play
with the ball that best suits your opponent.

Dunlop Max Squash Ball
Dunlop Max Squash Ball
Dunlop ™ MAX Progress Squash Ball:

  • I have played squash fewer than 10 times in my life
  • I frequently suffer from back, neck, leg or elbow pain after playing squash
  • I have reduced mobility due to age, fitness level or previous injury
  • I am more than 30 lbs. over ideal weight for my age, height and gender
  • I have played squash fewer than 10 times per year over the past 5 years
  • I have persistent difficulties with defensive boasts when playing with yellow dot balls (or, I don’t know what a defensive boast is so I am unable to answer this question)
  • I usually wear cross-trainers, running shoes, tennis shoes or basketball shoes when I play squash
  • My squash racquet is more than 10 years old
  • My squash racquet cost less than $100
  • I am under 10 or over 50 years old

Dunlop Yellow Dot Squash Ball
Dunlop Yellow Dot Squash Ball
Dunlop Competition Squash Ball:

  • I have played squash fewer than 50 times in my life
  • I have played squash less than once per month on average over the past 3 years
  • I am more than 10 lbs. over ideal weight for my age, height and gender
  • I have not played squash in the past 12 months
  • I am under 10 or over 40 years old
  • I typically experience discomfort and stiffness the day after doing 20 full lunges on each leg in rapid succession
  • My squash racquet cost less than $100
  • I play squash in order to get some exercise
  • I frequently experience elbow, back, leg or shoulder pain 48 hours after playing squash against an opponent of approximately equal skill

Dunlop Double Dot Squash Ball
Dunlop Double Dot Squash Ball
Dunlop Pro Double Dot Squash Ball:

  • I have played squash more than 20 times in the past year
  • I typically play squash at least once per week during squash season
  • I am less than 10 lbs. over ideal weight for my age, height and gender
  • I workout or train outside of squash (at least occasionally) in order to improve my squash
  • I play on a ladder, in a league or with a team more than twice per month during squash season
  • My squash racquet cost more than $100
  • My racquet is less than 5 years old
  • I typically experience no discomfort or stiffness the day after doing 20 full lunges on each leg in rapid succession
  • I only wear indoor court shoes when I play squash
  • When I play with single yellow dot balls, the ball often hits the back wall before bouncing twice on my forehand drives

Dunlop High Altitude Squash Ball
Dunlop High Altitude Squash Ball
Dunlop Pro High Altitude Squash Ball:

  • I regularly workout or train outside of squash in order to improve my squash
  • Double yellow dot balls regularly hit the back wall before bouncing twice on my backhand straight drive
  • I have played more than 200 squash games in the past year
  • I am over 10 and under 35 years old
  • I typically experience no discomfort or stiffness the day after doing 40 full lunges on each leg in rapid succession
  • I am training for a tournament or working toward becoming a squash professional
  • My squash racquet cost more than $200
  • I have not suffered a rotator cuff injury in the past 12 months
  • I do not usually experience leg, back, or elbow pain 48 hours after playing squash against an opponent of approximately equal skill
  • I am at or below ideal weight for my age, height and gender
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Great Gift Ideas for for High School Volleyball Players

When a young athlete finds a sport they like, it is important to support them with the right shoes and training tools. It is equally important to let them express themselves through colour, styles and equipment choices. Racquet Network carries Calgary’s largest selection of indoor court shoes. We also offer a growing collection of volleyball gear for the high school volleyball player on your gift giving list.

Volleyball Shoes

Running shoes are great for running, but they are lousy shoes to play volleyball in. Volleyball requires movement in all directions but running shoes are only designed for movement in one direct — forward. Try running backward in running shoes and you are liable to catch your heel and go down hard

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SHOES

LADIES VOLLEYBALL SHOES

High school volleyball players want shoes specifically designed for indoor court sports. They want shoes that stick to the hardwood and support athletic movement in all directions. Racquet Network offers more than 100 models of court shoes, many of which are perfect for high school volleyball.

Training Balls

Athletes who are serious about winning take time to train outside of coached practices. In fact, this is where most of their learning takes place.

Racquet Network supports high school athletes by offering a variety of training balls to help them in skills development.

Training Tools

Over the past five years, the use of training tools such as step counters and heart rate monitors by athletes of all ages has exploded.

Training tools help athletes manage their training loads and make smart decisions about nutrition and fitness.

Proper Athletic Clothing

In addition to proper court shoes, it is essential that volleyball players wear non-restrictive athletic clothing. Freedom of movement is essential for all athletes.

LADIES TOPS

Racquet Network carries athletic clothing for volleyball players of all ages.

MEN’S TOPS

Good quality athletic clothing helps young athletes manage perspiration and hygiene by wicking away moisture and inhibiting the growth of odor-causing bacteria.

Gift Certificates

If you are still not sure what to get the high school volleyball player on your Christmas list, don’t worry. We sell gift certificates in $25.00 increments and our expert staff can help the recipient get exactly what he/she needs.

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3 Great Gift Ideas for Your Squash Dad

Looking for gift ideas for your squash-playing Dad? Look no further. We see squash dads in our store every day of the week. We know what they are looking at. We know what they want but are afraid to buy for themselves.


SQUASH BAGS

Most of the racquet bags made today are multi-sport bags. They are designed to work for tennis, squash, badminton and/or any other racquet sport you can name.

Squash dads, though, spend a lot of time looking at squash-specific bags that have features that are highly specific to squash, including lined eyewear compartments, vented shoe compartments and external ball pouches for squash balls. These are features that you will not find in general purpose racquet bags.


SQUASH EYEWEAR

Most of the racquet bags made today are multi-sport bags. They are designed to work for tennis, squash, badminton and/or any other racquet sport you can name.

Squash dads, though, spend a lot of time looking at squash-specific bags that have features that are highly specific to squash, including lined eyewear compartments, vented shoe compartments and external ball pouches for squash balls. These are features that you will not find in general purpose racquet bags.


BABOLAT SQUASH SHOES

Few squash players realize that squash shoes wear out on the inside first. Long before shoes show signs of wear on the outside, they are completely shot on the inside. Shoes should be replaced every 500 kilometres or so. Since a squash match typically sees players moving three to five kilometers per hour of game time, guys who play twice a week should be replacing their shoes at least once a year.

Babolat ™ now makes the best overall quality indoor court shoe for squash.


GIFT CERTIFICATES

Still not sure what you get your squash dad for Christmas? Think about a gift certificate

We sell gift certificates in $25.00 denominations. They never expire.

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Customer Advisory – Yonex BG66

Yonex BG66 Badminton String
Yonex BG66 Badminton String
CUSTOMER ADVISORY – YONEX BG66

[Calgary] Racquet Network has issued a Customer Advisory regarding Yonex ™ BG66 badminton string following a series of complaints from customers regarding durability.

There are three strings in the series — BG66, BG66 ULTIMAX and BG66 POWER — all of which were created by Yonex to serve customers who want more power. All three strings are exceptionally thin. BG66, the original, is just 0.66 mm thick while the others are even thinner at 0.65 mm.

“Over the past six months, more than a dozen customers using BG66 have returned re-strung racquets to our Calgary store complaining about premature breakage,” says Racquet’s Network’s owner Brent Johner. “Several of these customers claimed that the strings broke the first time they used them.”

A recent inquiry to Yonex Canada resulted in this response by email: “BG66U [BG66 ULTIMAX] is definitely not for everyone. Its a very thin gauge for high response. It will break sooner than other strings.”

“In this particular case,” says Johner, “the issue appears to be one of customer education. Therefore we will be taking steps to ensure that customers purchasing BG66 are aware of the string’s design and intended use.”

Strings in the BG66 series appear to be designed for use with feather shuttlecocks. Because they are exceptionally thin, these strings should not be used with nylon shuttles. Contact with the skirts of nylon shuttles during smashes may nick the string causing it to break at that moment or during a later stroke.

The BG66 series also does not appear to be suitable for strong players who smash a lot. Rather, it is a thin string intended to help juniors, women and smaller players who need additional help from their string bed.

“Every single complaint we have had about this string over the past six months has come from an adult male,” notes Johner. “At this point it appears to us to be a classic case of ‘power greed’.”

Men tend to be attracted to anything that promises more power, notes Johner, even though they don’t actually need it. In this case, strong male players appear to be overpowering the structural integrity of this string causing it to fail.

Effective immediately, Racquet Network is advising adult male badminton players using nylon shuttles to stay away from the BG66 series. However, staff will still be recommending the string to juniors and women who genuinely need more powerful string beds.

About Customer Advisories

Racquet Network is committed to maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Products that do not meet high standards of customer satisfaction are removed from store shelves and company websites.

Customer Advisories are issued following a series of customer complaints. Sometimes the source of these complaints is improper usage of products by customers. Sometimes it is a genuine decline in the quality of the product.

Products for which Racquet Network has issued Customer Advisories are monitored closely for 12 months. Those that continue to fail to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction are discontinued.