Pickleball Union’s 2026 Paddle Consumer Report shows Selkirk and JOOLA lead, Six Zero tops satisfaction and intent does not always match loyalty.
The short answer: Pickleball Union’s 2026 Paddle Consumer Report, based on 3,617 survey responses, found that Selkirk and JOOLA account for 35.6% of reported current paddles. Six Zero recorded the highest owner Net Promoter Score at +80. JOOLA retained 72% of tracked owners, although only 52% said they intended to buy the brand again, showing that intentions and loyalty differ.
New research covering 3,617 survey responses reveals a pickleball paddle market in which established manufacturers retain considerable influence, smaller brands earn exceptional customer recommendations and purchasing intentions frequently fail to become sales. The findings offer a revealing picture of how committed recreational players choose their equipment.
Key takeaways
- Selkirk and JOOLA account for 35.6% of reported current paddle ownership among respondents to the August 2026 survey.
- Six Zero leads the owner satisfaction rankings with a Net Promoter Score of +80, followed by Honolulu at +78.
- JOOLA retained 72% of tracked owners, although only 52% of surveyed owners said they intended to buy the brand again.
- Almost half of respondents expect to purchase another paddle within six months, but interest in a particular brand rarely guarantees a purchase.
- Players who researched their purchases reported substantially higher satisfaction than those buying primarily on price or by default.
The pickleball paddle industry has become increasingly sophisticated in its efforts to persuade players to change equipment. New materials, revised construction methods, professional endorsements and a constant succession of product launches promise improvements in power, control and consistency. Yet one of the most revealing findings in a new consumer study concerns a considerably less technical question: why do players so often remain with a manufacturer when they say they are considering something else?
According to the 2026 Paddle Consumer Report published by Pickleball Union, only 52% of surveyed JOOLA owners said they intended to purchase the brand again. When researchers examined subsequent behaviour among returning respondents, however, 72% of tracked JOOLA owners had remained with the manufacturer.
The figures measure different things, but their contrast is significant. Expressing interest in alternatives and making the decision to abandon an established brand are two very different things, particularly in a market where equipment is expensive, playing preferences are personal and an unsuccessful purchase can affect confidence on court.
The report draws on 3,617 survey responses collected across five waves between September 2024 and September 2026, including a longitudinal group of 611 players who participated more than once. Its findings examine paddle ownership, purchasing intentions, customer satisfaction and the sources of information influencing equipment decisions.
Together, they describe a market in which the largest manufacturers retain considerable influence, smaller competitors generate exceptional enthusiasm among existing customers and players continue to experiment with equipment without necessarily changing the brands they trust.
Selkirk and JOOLA hold their positions in a fragmented market
The most recent survey, conducted in August 2026 with 1,070 respondents, found that Selkirk remained the most widely owned paddle brand within the sample, accounting for 20.9% of reported current paddles.
JOOLA followed with 14.7%, giving the two manufacturers a combined ownership share of 35.6%.
The difference between them has narrowed during the research period. Selkirk’s position has remained relatively stable, while JOOLA’s share has increased from approximately 10% in 2024 to almost 15% in the latest survey.
Below those established names, however, the market is considerably more fragmented.
Who owns which paddle?
Current paddle brand among August 2026 survey respondents
Source: Pickleball Union, 2026 Paddle Consumer Report. August 2026 survey, n=1,070. Selected brands. Bars scaled to a 24% axis maximum. These are respondent ownership shares, not audited industry market shares.
Friday occupied third position at 5.8%, followed by CRBN at 5.2%, Honolulu at 5.1%, Engage at 4.9% and Six Zero at 4.2%. Franklin, Diadem, Paddletek, Vatic Pro and Bread & Butter were among the other manufacturers represented.
The relatively small differences separating many of these brands illustrate the competitive nature of the market beyond its two largest participants.
The figures should not be mistaken for audited industry market share. They reflect ownership among respondents to a particular survey, whose demographic characteristics differ from those of the wider pickleball population.
Nevertheless, the pattern is revealing. Selkirk and JOOLA occupy substantial positions within this audience, while a sizeable group of smaller manufacturers competes for players willing to investigate alternative equipment.
The most enthusiastic customers are not necessarily buying the biggest brands
Customer satisfaction provides a different perspective on the competitive picture.
Six Zero recorded the highest owner Net Promoter Score in the study at +80, followed by Honolulu at +78. Bread & Butter achieved +74, Paddletek +72 and Vatic Pro +70.
Selkirk recorded +58, while JOOLA’s score was +46.
Net Promoter Score measures the balance between customers who are highly likely to recommend a product or brand and those who are unlikely to do so. It provides an indication of customer enthusiasm, although it is not a direct measure of sales, market share or future retention.
However, the relationship between satisfaction and commercial success is not straightforward.
Six Zero’s leading score does not mean it has a larger customer base than Selkirk. Nor does JOOLA’s lower recommendation score establish that its customers are abandoning the brand.
JOOLA’s retention figures reveal the limits of purchasing intentions
The clearest example of the difference between customer sentiment and actual behaviour comes from JOOLA.
Among owners surveyed about future purchasing intentions, 52% said they would buy the brand again. Within the longitudinal group, however, 72% of tracked JOOLA owners remained with the manufacturer.
Those figures measure different things and should not be treated as a controlled comparison of identical purchasing decisions. Nevertheless, the contrast is important.
It suggests that stated intentions may provide an incomplete picture of the strength of an established customer relationship.
Across the longitudinal study, 44% of recorded transitions between survey waves involved a change of paddle brand. That indicates substantial movement within the market, although it does not mean that 44% of all respondents switched brands.
The researchers also examined cases in which players identified manufacturers they were considering for a future purchase.
Of 1,475 recorded brand-consideration cases, only 6% resulted in ownership of the named brand by the next survey wave.
This is one of the study’s most consequential findings.
Nearly half of respondents expect another purchase within Six months
Despite the difficulty of converting interest into sales, the study suggests that committed recreational players remain active equipment buyers.
In August 2026, 49% of respondents expected to purchase another paddle within six months, while 71% anticipated buying one within a year.
The report also found that 74% had purchased at least one paddle during 2025.
Better-informed buyers Report greater satisfaction
One of the study’s most useful findings concerns the relationship between purchasing research and subsequent satisfaction.
Players who selected their paddles after consulting reviews, testing equipment or seeking coaching advice recorded an owner Net Promoter Score of +56.
Those who purchased primarily on price or by default recorded +23.
The 33-point difference suggests that the process of selecting a paddle may be closely associated with how satisfied players subsequently feel about their equipment.
Friends and youtube influence purchases, but manufacturers complete many sales
The report identifies an interesting division between where players obtain purchasing information and where they eventually buy equipment.
Friends and playing partners were the leading research source, identified by 30% of respondents. YouTube reviews followed at 27%, while newsletters accounted for 20%.
Yet 41% of respondents purchased their current paddle directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Amazon accounted for 12% of purchases, specialist pickleball retailers 11%, coaches or brand representatives 8%, and Pickleball Central 6%.
The limits of the research matter
The study offers valuable evidence, but its findings must be interpreted within the characteristics of the surveyed population.
Pickleball Union collected 3,617 responses across five waves between September 2024 and September 2026, including 611 participants who responded more than once.
However, 88% of respondents were aged 55 or older, 73% played at least three days a week and 74% rated themselves intermediate or better.
The research therefore provides a detailed picture of committed, predominantly older recreational players rather than a representative account of the entire pickleball population.
Loyalty is tested every time a player considers another paddle
The 2026 Paddle Consumer Report describes a market with substantial purchasing activity, strong established manufacturers and a growing collection of smaller brands capable of generating enthusiastic customer recommendations.
Its most revealing finding is that customer sentiment does not always predict purchasing behaviour.
JOOLA’s retention figures demonstrate that players may remain with a manufacturer even when their stated intentions suggest greater interest in alternatives. Meanwhile, the low proportion of considered brands subsequently appearing as purchases illustrates the difficulty of turning attention into sales.
Frequently asked questions
Pickleball Union, in its 2026 Paddle Consumer Report.
Selkirk and JOOLA, with 35.6% of reported current paddles between them.
Six Zero, with an owner Net Promoter Score of +80.
Further reading
Research source: Pickleball Union, 2026 Paddle Consumer Report.
Chris Beaumont
Founder and Editor-in-ChiefChris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine, published by World Pickleball Media Ltd. He follows the global game closely, reporting on news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball…
View All Articles →
