At Selkirk Sport, innovation isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a rigorous process that blends scientific testing, player feedback, and real-world application.
The Selkirk LABS team is responsible for pioneering new paddle technologies, ensuring that each new design meets high standards of playability, performance, and durability before it reaches the market.
But how do the engineers and designers at Selkirk LABS determine whether a new paddle concept is successful? The answer lies in a combination of meticulous testing, iterative prototyping, and direct feedback from players of all skill levels.
The core of a winning paddle: Playability above all
One of the first and most crucial measures of a paddle’s success is its playability or the degree to which a paddle is fun and easy to use.
According to Dana Hansen, a key member of the Selkirk LABS engineering team, even the most technologically advanced paddle won’t make it to market if players don’t enjoy using it.
“Playability is the number one focus,” Hansen explains. “If a player doesn’t like the paddle — even if it’s the best performer on paper — they won’t play with it.”
For this reason, extensive playtesting is the first step in validating a new paddle design.
Engineers and designers rely on direct feedback from Selkirk’s roster of elite players, everyday enthusiasts, and LABS testers to determine whether a paddle feels intuitive and effective during actual gameplay.
Engineering for power or control: Designing with purpose
When designing a new paddle, the LABS team must first define what they are trying to achieve.
Are they developing a power paddle, engineered for aggressive shots and maximum force? Or are they refining a control paddle, optimized for precision and finesse? Do they want high spin capabilities?
Each goal requires a different approach:
-
Power paddles: These paddles may feature denser core materials, optimized weight distribution, and reinforced carbon fiber layers to enhance energy transfer on impact.
-
Control paddles: These designs might incorporate vibration-dampening materials, softer cores, or advanced surface textures to provide enhanced touch and spin control.
Once a prototype is created, LABS engineers conduct lab-based testing and fine-tune the design based on measured performance metrics and real-world player feedback.
The role of advanced lab testing
Selkirk LABS utilizes a range of methodologies to quantify a paddle’s performance. One of the key tests used is derived from baseball bat testing regulations, which measure a bat’s coefficient of restitution (or "trampoline effect").
For paddles, the test involves firing a pickleball at a stationary paddle and measuring how efficiently the ball rebounds. Key factors include:
-
Weight distribution of the paddle
-
Rebound speed of the ball after impact
-
Spin generation when the ball makes contact
These tests help LABS engineers correlate subjective player feedback with objective lab data, ensuring that performance claims are backed by measurable science.
From concept to production: The iteration process
Prototyping is an ongoing cycle at Selkirk LABS. A new paddle may go through numerous iterations before it is ready for market.
For example, during a recent development phase, the LABS team was on iteration P — meaning they had gone through nearly 16 lettered versions of a single paddle design, with multiple sub-iterations within each letter stage — before they were satisfied with the product.
Each iteration focuses on refining different elements, such as:
-
Throat design and feel
-
Core material adjustments
-
Surface texture enhancements
-
Weight balancing optimizations
Engineers compare performance metrics from each iteration and sub-iteration to create the best paddle. For example, they may like the throat design from iteration L4 best but want to take the weight balance from iteration F2.
Throughout this process, engineers assess manufacturability, ensuring that a design can be produced consistently and at scale without sacrificing quality.
When do paddles get shelved?
Not every experimental paddle makes it to production. Sometimes, a paddle must be shelved due to manufacturing challenges, material limitations, or consistency issues.
However, shelving a product doesn’t mean abandoning it. Many shelved designs are revisited and improved upon when new materials or technologies become available.
Ongoing iterations and improvements
At Selkirk LABS, innovation is never static. Even after a paddle is launched, the engineering team continues to refine and improve upon it.
“We’re always iterating,” Hansen states. “Even when a paddle reaches our main line, we’re still working to make it better because we're never satisfied.”
