Skills

  • 2024: Learning basic rules of the game and advancing from beginner to intermediate fairly quickly without a racket sport background.
  • 2025: Developing more consistent shots and playing competitively at intermediate level. Practicing drop shots, resets, and dinking.
  • 2026: Improving strategy and positioning to play more efficiently at the advanced intermediate level. Drilling to reach advanced level.

Gear

Paddles

  • 2024: Selkirk Luxx Invikta (Elongated) – I started with this 20mm control paddle my first year of playing.
  • 2025: Engage Pursuit Pro1 14mm Lite (Hybrid) – This paddle gives me more feedback and pop. Then the foam enhanced paddles took over.
  • 2026: Honolulu J2FC+ (Hybrid) – I tried the popular Joola Perseus Pro IV and Selkirk Boomstik Elongated but I go back to the Honolulu for its maneuverability and forgiveness.

Shoes

  • 2024: Adidas Ubersonic 4.1 – After learning to play in Adidas Sambas, I realized the importance of a dedicated court shoe.
  • 2025: Nike Zoom Vapor Pro 3 – Good court feel and lock-down fit with a runner’s knot. Runner-up is the Adidas Defiant Speed 2.
  • 2026: Nike Zoom Vapor 12 – Similar to the Vapor Pro 3 with added durability in the upper. Runner-up is the Adidas Barricade 13 with stronger all-around durability.