straight pickleball truth
Not everyone wants to spend $200+ on the newest and greatest paddle. While it is hard to find a decent paddle under $50, there are plenty of reasonable options in the $50-$100 range.
Head Radical Elite ($50-60)
Prince Spectrum ($75)
Wilson Echo ($79)
Franklin Ben Johns 16 inch ($99)
Paddletek Bantam EX-L ($99)
Niupipo Explorer Pro ($79)
Selkirk SLK Latitude ($59)
ProLite Ignite ($89)
Gamma Micron 2.0 ($49)
Monarch Mercenary 2.0 ($79)
Onix Z5 ($79)
Gearbox GH7+ ($75)
Unfortunately, due to PPA contracts, we will not see as many top players in season two of Major League Pickleball. So why not do a redraft based on six more months of information?
For this exercise, I will include three players who were unavailable for the event – Simone Jardim, Matt Wright, and Lucy Kovalova. I will also include newer players, where now appropriate, even if they shouldn’t have been drafted last November.
Resources for pickleball in Oak Park, IL
Courts in the Area:
Barrie Park (6 dedicated courts)
Euclid Park (pickleball lines on 4 courts)
Rehm Park (pickleball lines on 2 courts)
Taylor Park (pickleball lines on 3 courts, has lights)
Maple Park (pickleball lines on 2 courts, has lights)
Station Park – Forest Park (pickleball lines on 3 courts, has lights)
Washington Square Park – River Forest (pickleball lines on 1 court, lines for 2 portable nets)
Crestview Park – Elmhurst (6 dedicated courts)
Northeast Park – Western Springs (4 dedicated courts)
Stephens Community Center – Franklin Park (3 indoor gym courts)
Pickleball Groups:
Facebook – Oak Park Pickleball
Facebook – Chicago Pickleball
TeamReach – groups for Oak Park, Elmhurst
GroupMe – groups for Oak Park, Western Springs
Open Play:
Euclid Park – weekday and weekend mornings
Barrie Park – Sunday afternoons
Crestview Park – regular play most mornings and afternoons
Stephens CC – open play on Monday night
Other Resources: