Tony’s Plywood Experiment: What This 73-Year-Old Discovered About His $2.45 Home Depot Pickleball Paddle

By Tony Sukiennik

A few months short of my 73rd birthday, I had been playing pickleball for about 4 months. After not hitting a tennis ball for over 30 years, I bought a ball machine this summer and went out to our local courts nearly every day, hitting about 60,000 balls between June and November. I noticed that very few people were playing tennis, but a lot of people were playing and enjoying pickleball.

At that time, I had recently hit nearly 30,000 tennis balls with heavy topspin on both forehand and backhand. From the first time I hit a pickleball, I found it easier to generate heavy topspin than in tennis. Nobody in the recreational group was hitting with the speed or spin that I was able to produce.

I picked up a used Monarch paddle for $30 in August. From my first hit, I could generate heavy topspin better than most recreational players. I advanced to the top of the group and won better than 80% of my games playing with any partner. I was the classic banger, but was surprisingly able to hit touch shots at the kitchen better than I controlled tennis volleys. I went hard after every ball no matter how hopeless it seemed.

Lead Me Not Into Temptation

Just a few weeks into playing pickleball and wanting to play better, I splurged and bought a YMove T700 Carbon Fibre paddle for $60. Convinced I had better equipment, I became an even heavier banger. Once you search pickleball online, you’re inundated with ads pitching the miracles of $250+ paddles. Should I taste the forbidden fruit?

That’s when the question started nagging me: Player or Paddle?

I’m cheap and “I” want the credit: Is it the player or the paddle?

Reading a random pickleball article, somebody exclaimed: “Jack Sock could hit those shots with a piece of plywood!” Did I hit out more easily with my carbon paddle just because my mind was convinced it was better? Would a $350 paddle make me invincible?

I’m a skeptic. I’m handy enough with tools and have modified golf clubs and hockey sticks trying to get an edge since the 1960s. So I decided to find out.

The $2.45 Solution

I traced the outline of my existing Monarch paddle onto a piece of scrap 1/2 inch plywood in my workshop, cut and smoothed the shape, built out the grip with other strips of scrap wood, and wrapped the grip with athletic tape.

Total investment: $2.45

I played with this prototype plywood paddle in my next session.

The Numbers

Paddle Weight Comparison:

Initial Impressions

At first, with the plywood, I was psychologically hesitant to really hit out as I was unsure that the paddle surface would produce the topspin I expected. Surprisingly, the significant increase in weight did not seem to affect me. I didn’t feel strained swinging it or late in handfights at the kitchen.

What Changed

The Banger (that’s me) played slightly softer shots, concentrating on better placement rather than power and spin.

I won games with all partners at the same rate as before, but now in a variety of ways. For example, I learned that a drive up the middle will almost always win the point whether hit at 100% or 40% speed.

Soon, I had enough confidence in the plywood to hit out fully and realized that I had about as much topspin as with the Carbon. Even on topspin lobs.

Equipment Changes Force Better Decision-Making

Most people underestimate how well the brain adjusts to challenges. I can hand my 380g TonyWood paddle to anyone in my group and, even though they say it’s HEAVY compared to their paddle, they will immediately hit acceptable shots with it. Your brain is far more adaptable than you give it credit for.

When I rotate between my 232g Carbon and my 380g Plywood, my brain re-calibrates within a few strokes. But here’s what matters: The plywood forced me to think strategically instead of relying on power.

I learned that a drive up the middle wins the point whether I hit it at 100% or 40% speed. The heavier paddle made me question every power shot: “Do I really need to crush this, or is placement enough?”

That lesson stuck even when I switched back to the Carbon.

The Real Lesson: Own Your Game

Mostly psychologically, I earlier chose to use the Carbon against better players. I quickly got rid of that false perception and now stick with the plywood almost exclusively as it helps define my personal pickleball journey to fully discover MY game.

The 380g plywood paddle is 65% heavier than the 232g Carbon. Swung at the same speed, the heavier paddle generates more ball speed with less effort. But here’s the tactical insight: I didn’t need more power. I needed better shot selection. The plywood taught me that by making me question whether every shot required maximum effort.

Don’t BUY a Game, own YOUR OWN GAME.

Bonus Growth Opportunity: The Non-Dominant Hand Challenge

Playing tennis decades ago, when confronted with a speedy wide backhand that I knew I couldn’t handle well, I would instinctively switch to my left hand and desperately return the ball that way. Most times, it kept me in the point and I ended up winning some of those points.

Playing pickleball, I just naturally did the same thing and noticed that I actually had a decent left-handed stroke. I often extended, and actually won, a lot more points than I could have expected with a poor backhand reply.

One day, when arriving for one of our group sessions, I stated that they were going to see a totally different side of me that day. They initially thought I wasn’t going to be so cocky, but instead, I played every game in the session LEFT HANDED! Most took a while to actually notice and, when I missed some easy shots, they were surprised I was a little off that day. I won games at about the same rate as when I played right handed. I’d estimate I’m about 2/3rds the player as a lefty. I play at least one game left handed every session now.

How much do you think my brain’s pickleball programming was improved by playing lefty?

What I Learned

Is spending $300 on a paddle worth it?

Probably not. I maintained my 80% win rate with a $2.45 piece of plywood.

Are you going to claim responsibility for your pickleball game or credit it to your paddle?

The plywood forced me to own my decisions. I couldn’t blame the equipment when I made poor shot selections.

Can changing up your equipment assist you in refining your game?

Yes, but not how you think. Switching to inferior equipment exposed my over-reliance on power and taught me that placement beats pace. That’s a lesson worth far more than any premium paddle.

Don’t BUY a Game, own YOUR OWN GAME.

About The Author: Tony spent 50 years as a software engineer after playing Division I football and competing against legends like Gordie Howe. He’s built his life around finding unconventional solutions to problems—whether on the field or in code—and now plays pickleball for camaraderie and personal growth.