Pickleball Equipment Names: What Every Piece Is Called

Quick Answer: The core pickleball equipment names are the paddle (face, core, edge guard, handle, butt cap), the ball (indoor or outdoor), the net, and court shoes. Court features have names too: the non volley zone is the kitchen, and the centerline splits the two service courts.

Equipment vocabulary matters because paddle listings and coaching advice both assume you know it. This is the plain glossary, starting with the paddle and working outward.

What are the parts of a pickleball paddle?

Six terms cover almost every product description you will read.

• Face. The hitting surface. Usually carbon fiber, fiberglass or composite. Texture on the face is what creates spin.
• Core. The material inside, almost always polypropylene honeycomb. Thickness is quoted in millimeters, commonly 13, 14 or 16.
• Edge guard. The protective strip around the rim. Some paddles are edgeless, which trades protection for a slightly larger sweet spot.
• Handle. Also called the grip. Length matters for two handed backhands, and circumference is the sizing measurement.
• Butt cap. The flared end of the handle that stops your hand sliding off.
• Throat. The narrow section where the handle meets the face.

Two more terms show up constantly in reviews. Swing weight describes how heavy the paddle feels in motion rather than on a scale. Sweet spot describes the area of the face that returns the most consistent response. Our guide to choosing a paddle explains how these interact.

What are pickleballs called?

Just pickleballs, but the two types have real differences and the names are worth getting right.

Outdoor balls are harder, heavier, and have around 40 smaller holes. They weigh roughly 26 grams and are built to survive concrete and wind.

Indoor balls are softer, slightly lighter, and typically have 26 larger holes. They grip a paddle face better and are much quieter, which matters in a gym.

You will also hear people talk about a ball being cracked or out of round, both of which mean it needs replacing. Outdoor balls crack, indoor balls go soft.

What are the court features called?

The court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, and every marking has a name.

The non volley zone is the 7 foot area on each side of the net where you cannot volley, and everyone calls it the kitchen. Our explainer on why it is called the kitchen covers the origin of the term.

The kitchen line is the line at the back edge of that zone. The centerline splits the court into the two service courts, called the even and odd courts depending on the score. The sidelines and baseline do what their names suggest.

The net sits at 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the center, which is why balls over the middle clear more easily. Our page on pickleball net height has the full specification.

What accessories have their own names?

A short list covers what you will actually see in a bag.

An overgrip is a thin wrap applied over the factory grip to change tackiness or thickness. Lead tape and tungsten tape are weighted strips added to the paddle to shift balance. Edge tape protects the rim and is sometimes used to add a small amount of weight.

Court shoes are the ones built for lateral movement, and they are distinct from running shoes in outsole design and upper support. A paddle cover is a sleeve that protects the face in transit.

I spent my first season calling the butt cap “the bottom bit” and the throat “the skinny part,” which made buying a replacement grip online harder than it needed to be. Learning six words fixed it.

What terms describe how a paddle plays?

These show up in every review and confuse newcomers most.

Thermoformed refers to a manufacturing method that uses heat and pressure to bond the paddle, generally producing more power and a stiffer feel. Raw carbon describes an unpainted carbon fiber face that grips the ball for spin. Delamination is a failure mode where the face separates from the core, which changes how the paddle plays and makes it illegal for sanctioned play.

Static weight is what a scale reads. Balance point describes whether the mass sits toward the handle or the head. Both are listed by most manufacturers now.

Frequently asked questions

What is the kitchen in pickleball? The non volley zone, a 7 foot area on each side of the net where volleying is not allowed. The name is informal but universal.

What is a paddle face made of? Most commonly carbon fiber, fiberglass or a composite. The material affects both feel and spin potential.

How many holes does a pickleball have? Outdoor balls typically have around 40 smaller holes. Indoor balls typically have 26 larger ones.

Is it a racket or a paddle? A paddle. Rackets have strings, paddles have a solid face. Calling it a racket is the fastest way to identify someone new to the sport.

What is the difference between grip and overgrip? The grip is the manufacturer applied wrap on the handle. An overgrip goes on top of it and is replaced regularly as it wears.

What does the throat of a paddle do? It is the structural connection between the handle and the face. Its shape affects stiffness and how vibration reaches your hand.

What is a hopper? A basket or tube used to hold and collect practice balls, borrowed from tennis vocabulary.

What equipment does a beginner actually need? A paddle, balls and court shoes.

Knowing the vocabulary makes shopping much less confusing, and it makes coaching advice land properly. When you are ready to buy, our pickleball gear and accessories directory lists retailers and pro shops that will let you demo a paddle before you commit.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.