Engage Pickleball Paddles (Comparison & Reviews)

Engage Pickleball is a USA-based brand that manufactures paddles for pickleball. They are one of the leading brands when it comes to pickleball equipment, players from beginners at local clubs to pro players at national tournaments can be seen with Engage paddles in their hands.

Continue reading below for our detailed reviews of three of the top-selling Engage pickleball paddles ending with our favorite- the Engage Encore Pro which is our top pick on our list of best pickleball paddles for spin.

While Engage is known for high-end professional level paddles, they do also have affordable beginner paddles such as their Raven paddle.

If you are buying your first pickleball paddle, click here to see our buying guide.

Engage has gained respect in the pickleball industry not only for the quality of their paddles but also for the effort they put into growing the sport. Engage donates 5% of all of their revenue to encouraging young people to play Pickleball.

The company also organizes tournaments, donates paddles to local communities and fosters the sport in local schools. Engage performs every step of the manufacturing themselves from design to final production in-house at their own manufacturing plant.  All of the paddles Engage Pickleball makes are made in the USA. 

As per the company’s own website- to come up with the most innovative paddles, they test different paddle dimensions and material configurations almost every week!

Click here to check out the latest pickleball paddles to be released on the market, including paddles by Engage and other top pickleball brands.

Engage Vs Omega

What is the difference between Engage and Omega?

Engage pickleball paddles are much higher quality than Omega. Omega paddles are more affordable and geared towards beginner players, whereas Engage paddles are for the more serious pickleball player. Engage paddle are made in the United States by Engage employees. The main parts of the paddles, including the concept and design, engineering, manufacturing (fabrication, graphics, assembly, quality control), and shipping are all completed by Engage employees in their own facilities. This allows them to maintain a high level of precise control throughout the entire process.

The Engage Pickleball company makes paddles that are designed for performance, control, ball feel, spin, and ball placement. The Omega Pickleball line is a cheaper version of these same paddles that may or may not be made in the United States, but still offer a decent value that will get the job done

Omega Pickleball is a cost-effective performance paddle. Engage employees build all of the concepts, design, and engineering in the United States, but the rest of the process may take place overseas. The paddles are designed to do all of the same things that engage paddles do, but just at a cheaper price so you may lose some durability and quality of materials. However, you do not have to have deep pockets to participate in the Omega line. These are paddles made for entry-level players that want some scalability to improve, without going overboard.

There are some upsides to choosing an Omega paddle though over the typical Engage paddles. With Omega, you can do a 60-day test drive and they offer an optional OmegaCARE that gives you a 2-year limited warranty instead of 1 year. This care even covers wear and tear, which is mostly unseen in the pickleball community. Old age starts to show on any paddles fairly quickly due to the nature of pickleball, so I am surprised they are covering more than just manufacturing defects. That is good customer service! 

Engage Pickleball is one of the best-selling brands right now. The company has seen significant growth in sales over the past year and has dedicated its manufacturing capability to its flagship line of paddles (the Pursuit) and other premium lines of paddles (the Infinity and Encore). Engage decided to develop a more approachable paddle line so that everyone could wet their beak and see what the fuss is all about. Rest assured though, if you are wanting to take it up a notch and have a paddle that is made in the USA, Engage has plenty of options.

Pursuit EX 6.0 Graphite

The Pursuit EX 6.0 is the latest release by Engage and they have really stepped it up a notch making this their flagship product.  The Pursuit EX has a lot of tech and materials packed into one paddle, and it’s causing chatter in the pickleball community. This paddle is like an extension of your arm because of the proprietary graphite skin that has extremely quick response times that are accurate.

The outer surface is more durable because the proprietary omnidirectional friction-based graphite is it is bonded to the proprietary polymer composite (control pro ‘black’ technology). This is much different than the typical overlay skin you see on pickleball paddles today.

The grip circumference is 4 1/4. This paddle is green zone approved so you will not have any complaints from those who live close by. They also have vibration control technology inside to avoid the clunky feeling of hitting a pickleball. USPA approved. No shortage of power, control, or feel. The Engage revolution has begun!

Engage Poach Infinity

The Poach Infinity is the big brother to the Poach Advantage. Built with the same paddle technology (6-layer Fiberglass skin and Control Pro ‘Black’ poly core), the main difference here is the shape of the paddle. Built for singles pickleball playersin mind, or anyone looking for some extra reach, this paddle is 17” long x 7” wide with a: 4 1/4” grip and  5″ handle.

The shape is similar to the Engage Encore Blade which made it on our list of top elongated or blade pickleball paddles. If you are considering this style of paddle, the Encore blade is slightly more narrow.

The extra half-inch of width on the new Poach Extreme compared to the Encore Blade could work in your advantage, especially if you are looking for the new, responsive skin and control core that the Poach models are known for. The one downside is the new Poach model retails for about $30 more than the Blade and it’s among the most expensive paddles currently on the market.

Engage Encore

The Engage Encore MX 6.0  has the largest sweet spot in the Encore line. This paddle’s core is made out of polymer honeycomb and the paddle skin is made out of fiberglass. It is designed for enhancing the feel of paddle-ball contact, maximizing the time the ball stays on the paddle.

The ‘specialized skin’ the Engage applies to the Encore Pro maximizes the time the ball stays in contact with the paddle face- this is a paddle tech concept that Encore really came up with.

Apart from adding more “touch and feel” to the paddle, the rough skin maximizes the spin you can put on your shots- this, in addition to the overall quality and build puts the Encore Pro at the top of our list of best pickleball paddles for spin. It lands in the mid-weight category, with the weight of the paddle ranging from 7.8 to 8.3 oz.

It has a medium-size grip (4 ¼ inches) and comes in four different colors you can choose from- black, red, purple and green. This paddle is approved for tournament play and often used by national champions:  Brian Staub, Marcin Rozpedski and Phil Bagley.

Engage Encore Pro Paddle holds up well under daily use and it has a comfortable grip so it makes it easy for you to play for an unlimited amount of time without suffering from hand fatigue. It has excellent balance and it is very easy to maneuver for touch shots at the net. The paddle face has enough “bite” to allow for a fair amount of spin on your pickleball serve or other shots.

This paddle can be a little heavy for some players so we recommend taking this into account when you are making a decision on purchasing the paddle.

Engage Trident

This is a decent deal for the money. Omega paddles are supposed to be the more affordable option, but they blindsided us with the Engage Trident which is the cheapest option now, but it does not feel that way. The Engage Trident features their new 5-layer GripTEK skin, which is a pleasant surprise to have in a lower-priced paddle. The USAPA has a limit on how much spin a paddle is allowed to generate, and Engage is straddling the line with this one, but it is legal. This textured skin is supposed to help you with soft shots in the kitchen as well because the technology Engage has pioneered can help the ball stick to your paddle so the point of contact lasts longer, giving you more control and accuracy.

It’s an affordable paddle that performs well and is comfortable to use. The Engage Trident has a wide body that makes it easy to control, and its textured surface provides good grip. The paddle is also lightweight, making it easy to swing. The sweet spot on the Engage Trident is large, which makes it easier to hit the ball squarely, especially if you are a beginner. One downside of the Engage Trident is that its core construction may make it difficult for some players to generate power. However, this paddle is still a great choice for beginners who are looking for an affordable option that performs well.

Specialized Polymer ‘Control Pro 3’ core (with vibration dampening) is the core of the string. It has a ‘Proprietary’ 5-layer GripTEK Composite Skin. The paddle meets noise requirements. The weight of the paddle is 7.3 – 7.9 oz and it is 15 1/2″ long x 8 1/8″ wide. The grip size is 4 1/4″. The colors are Dark Gold, Midnight Blue, Red Horizon, and Silver Shadow.

Omega Evolution Max

The Omega Evolution Max pickleball paddle is a great mid-market paddle because it offers a lot of features at a very reasonable price. The paddle is made from high-quality materials and construction, which ensures that it will last for many years. Additionally, the paddle provides excellent ball control and power, making it a great choice for intermediate to advanced players so you can easily keep this paddle in your collection for many years.

The paddle shape is standard at 16″ X 8″ for any style of play, and the carbon fiber surface is rarely seen in a paddle around the $100 price point. The Trident is using the textured skin, which is great for spin, but you lose power.

This paddle is only a hair more than the Trident, but to be honest, the paddle plays much better and there is an extended warranty available called OmegaCARE. Your paddle would be covered for 2 years not only for manufacture defects but also for any kind of wear and tear that may occur, which gives this paddle tremendous longevity!

This paddle is made of friction-based carbon fiber skin and a HoldTek polymer honeycomb core. It weighs 7.8 – 8.2 ounces, is 16 inches long, 8 inches wide, with a 5-inch grip length and 4 1/4 inch grip circumference. It has been sound tested to meet the strictest Community requirements and is USA Pickleball approved for Tournament Play.

---

Engage Pickleball Camps

Engage Pickleball Camps are the perfect way to learn and improve your pickleball skills! Their experienced and knowledgeable staff will work with you to help you develop your game. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced player, they have a camp for you. The camps are held at beautiful locations across the country, so you can choose the one that is right for you. They offer both day and overnight camps, so you can make the most of your time. They have a convenient online registration that makes it easy to sign up. They believe that pickleball is a great sport for all ages and abilities, so they offer a wide range of activities around the camps. Their goal is to provide an enjoyable and challenging experience for everyone who attends.

Activities they offer:

• Instruction from experienced pickleball players and coaches
• drills and games to improve your skills
• competitive play opportunities
• social events in the evenings

They offer (3) day camps ( total of 16 hours of training ) globally, but you can find specific locations here. These included snacks, water, and even a FREE pickleball paddle!

The purpose of these camps included improving your game in the kitchen, 3rd shots, transitional zones, and how to handle hard-hitting shots or when to fall back into position. If you are like me, you probably think you know it all and that it comes naturally, but these people do this for a living and see it every day so they can spot a bad habit and help you correct it. They can speed up the learning process and shortcut a lot of things for you.

A lot of people when they are serving quickly get stuck in a defensive mode because of the double bounce rule. Instructors can help you find a strategy against this that works best for you because there is more than one approach to 3rd shot problem.

Engage does a good job of pairing people of similar skill levels together.

Engage pickleball camps also offer 3-hour single-day camps that are usually on the weekends during the morning hours. If you want a more straightforward approach to learning and avoid getting overwhelmed with strategies, these camps are much shorter so that you can actually follow and remember what they teach. However, they are not as fun as the 3-day camps and you also do not get a free paddle, but you do get one for 30% off! The 3-day camps are more so for people that want to stop and smell the flowers and maybe meet some new people along the way without having to rush everything.

The camps are open to players of all levels, from beginners to advanced. So whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your game to the next level, Engage pickleball camps could be a fun adventure for you and you may even learn a thing or two!

If you want to find out more about these (3) day camps or the 3-hour single-day camps, you can visit their page about camp details here.

Engage Pickleball: Company Profile

Engage Pickleball also sells pickleball apparel, nets, and other accessories through their website, they are best known for their paddles.

Engage has a team of internal engineers that use “Applied Physics” to optimize paddle performance and maximize the size of the “sweet spot”. Their goal is to ensure the quality of every product they produce and pride themselves in quality control. All Engage paddles follow USAPA specifications and are all approved for tournament use.

Engage Pickleball is well known and respected for its investment in the “Research and Development” of its products. They are constantly working on bettering the design and quality of their paddles. The company’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for players at all skill levels to play their best Pickleball

Before Engage starts the production process, the company makes sure that beginners, as well as professional pickleball players, try the products and give their feedback. The point of view of an average player is very important to Engage Pickleball and it is taken into account while making the changes to the products and designing new ones.

In this article, we presented you with an overview of EngagePickleball. It is a company that produces high-quality paddles that are used by beginners and pros alike. Their ultimate goal is to help you play pickleball to the best of your ability. Engage only puts out the products they are 100% satisfied with and they seem to really value customer feedback to help improve their products.  Additionally, they really seem to care about the sport and actually reinvest a portion of their profits back into popularizing pickleball!

We update this page with a new Engage paddle model and try to give an unbiased overview to help you select which one would best fit your needs. The criteria we paid most attention to were:

1. Paddle weight
2. Paddle grip size
3. Paddle control, power, and spin
4. Overall paddle design and playability.

Overall, any one of these paddles would be a great addition to your pickleball equipment collection. If you are looking for a bigger sweet spot and better vibration control, you might want to go with the Engage Encore Pro Paddle. On the other hand, if you are a fan of graphite paddles and elegant design, you might like the Encore X-Series Paddle.

Finally, if you are a beginner and insecure about your power and control while playing or if you like simple, classic designed paddles, check out the Engage Encore Composite Pickleball Paddle.