Manta fans can finally relax. It looks like the USAPA’s long history of confusing players with frequent rule changes around Manta pickleball paddles may finally be coming to an end. Last week, following a conference call with Manta’s owner, Brooke Siver, the rules were rewritten and clarified.
All Manta paddles made since 2013 are now approved for tournament use. The only paddles not approved are old versions made more than two years ago. The issue with those paddles is that some of them are experiencing core breakdown, which makes them soft in the middle. In actual fact, this softness reduces paddle performance and makes them less powerful, but the brainiacs at the USAPA have things turned around in their minds and think that these broken down old paddles are more powerful and give players an advantage. As a result, they have rewritten their rules several times in an attempt to ban them from their tournaments.
The good news is that this issue has already been addressed by Manta. In fact, it has been two years since Manta produced a paddle with a foam core of any kind. Every Manta paddle produced since mid-2013 has had either a rigid nylon core (Nomex) or a graphite core. Therefore every Manta paddle made since 2013 is perfectly acceptable for tournament use.
The fact that the USAPA is now onside and recognizes the quality of Manta paddles is an important step forward for Canadians who choose to support Canadian pickleball manufacturers. Now we’ll keep our fingers crossed that both of Canada’s national pickleball associations — Canadian Pickleball Federation and Pickleball Canada Organization — follow suit.
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