The following information was provided by one of Selkirk’s engineers during a brief break from work in the Selkirk Lab.
Selkirk Sport engineers take testing seriously — not just to meet industry standards but to advance paddle technology.
One of the most sophisticated tools used in the Selkirk Lab is the performance cannon, a machine designed to quantify paddle power and spin under highly controlled conditions.
What is the performance cannon?
The performance cannon is a lab-based machine that launches pickleballs at stationary paddles. This controlled setup allows engineers to measure key performance metrics without interference from human error or variable swing mechanics.
Its two primary goals:
-
Measure Paddle Coefficient of Restitution (PBCOR): This refers to how efficiently energy transfers from the ball to the paddle.
-
Quantify spin performance: By analyzing ball rotation after impact, engineers can calculate spin rates and understand how different surface textures affect play.
Measuring power with PBCOR
One of the most important metrics derived from the cannon is the Paddle Coefficient of Restitution, or PBCOR. This measures how much energy the paddle returns during impact — essentially, how “bouncy” it is.
A higher PBCOR means more power, higher exit velocity, and a paddle that can help players hit harder with less effort.
By minimizing external variables (like swing angle or player strength), the cannon allows engineers to isolate and evaluate a paddle's true responsiveness.
Breaking down the physics of paddle impact
Although hitting a ball with a paddle may seem simple, the underlying physics is complex. Different materials, core thicknesses, and surface textures all impact how a paddle performs over time.
The performance cannon helps engineers study:
-
Impact forces
-
Energy transfer
-
Surface response
-
Degradation over time
With assistance from other lab equipment — like profilometers and durability cannons — Selkirk can evaluate long-term changes in spin and bounce, ensuring a paddle’s consistency through extended use.
Spin testing: Quantifying rotation
The performance cannon is also used for advanced spin testing. Using a high-speed Phantom Camera, engineers can track the angle, rebound, and rotation of a ball after it strikes a paddle.
This allows Selkirk to assign real numbers to how much spin a paddle can generate —moving beyond subjective "feel" into hard science. This data is especially important for players who rely on spin-heavy strategies.
Why controlled conditions matter
To ensure consistent results, Selkirk operates its performance cannon in a climate-controlled clean room. That’s because temperature and humidity have a massive impact on ball behavior — balls become brittle in the cold and soft in heat, which can skew data.
The clean room maintains:
-
Temperature: 72°F ± 2°
-
Humidity: 50% ± 2–5%
This consistency allows Selkirk to control the biggest variable in testing: the ball.
Testing with multiple balls to reflect real-world play
To ensure paddle reliability with any type of pickleball, Selkirk tests with a variety of models.
Why? Because no two balls perform the same way. By testing multiple ball models, Selkirk ensures its paddles are versatile across playing conditions and ball types.
Academic collaboration with Washington State University
Selkirk’s performance cannon testing program is backed by academic research through a grant-supported partnership with Washington State University (WSU) and Dr. Lloyd Smith — an engineer known for overseeing NCAA baseball bat testing.
WSU and Selkirk both operate identical research cannons and conduct round-robin testing to compare data across labs.
This partnership is about more than just internal validation. It’s a step toward creating industry-wide, physics-based standards for paddle performance. The findings will contribute to peer-reviewed white papers — research meant to guide the sport’s future.
