PickleballGalaxy Q&AAnswer
Sep 13, 2021 - 12:37 PM
Power would mean the ball comes off the face of the paddle faster (stays in contact with the paddle surface for less time) while control would be the opposite. The longer the ball is on the paddle face the more "control" you have over where you can direct the ball. Each paddle model has a deflection test (in order to be approved for USAPA tournament play), this is one test that can determine control vs power. At home you can drop a ball on a paddle from the same height (must be on a solid surface with no movement) and measure how high the ball bounces off the paddle, the higher the bounce the more power it will generate. So power is basically more mph off the paddle at contact while control is more time on the paddle surface at impact allowing you to have more control over directing the ball.
