Choking Up on the Handle
Advantages/Disadvantages
12/29/25
Most players grip the handle where the butt of the paddle rests at the beginning of the palm. But what happens when the hand chokes up one inch on the handle? One obvious advantage is that the swing weight decreases significantly; typically a decrease of 20 points meaning the paddle is easier to swing. One obvious disadvantage is that the reach of the paddle decreases by one inch. Some balls may be beyond your reach.
But what happens to maneuverability, PBCOR, sweet spot and ball speed?
Maneuverability
There is a noticeable swing weight improvement with the choked up paddle (pivot point of 3") at 90.0 compared to the standard grip (pivot point of 2") of 110.2. The choked up paddle is easier to rotate front to back. The ability to move the paddle up/down or side/side is unchanged as the speed of the translation is dependent on the static weigh which remains unaffected.
KKCOR
A Ronbus Quanta R2 was subjected to "PBCOR-like" testing using an air cannon and speed gate. The testing was done with two pivot points to emulate a standard grip and a choked up grip - 2" and 3".
Surprisingly, the power of the paddle is the same and the location of maximum power is the same.
2" pivot point: KKCOR 0.410 Rebound Velocity 11.82 mph Impact location 12" from butt or 4" from tip
3" pivot point: KKCOR 0.408 Rebound Velocity 11.80 mph Impact location 12" from butt or 4" from tip
Sweet Spot or Center of Percussion (COP)
First, we have to be clear on the definition of "sweet spot". My definition for "sweet spot" is the impact location (COP) that minimizes shock to the hand. Others define the "sweet spot" as the location of maximum power which remains constant at 12" as noted in the KKCOR discussion above.
The "sweet spot" does move slightly toward the tip of the paddle when choking up. (see the technical discussion below if interested)
2" pivot point: COP 12.36" from butt or 3.64" from tip
3" pivot point: COP 12.84" from butt or 3.16" from tip
4" pivot point: COP 13.48" from butt or 2.52" from tip
When choking up the COP is moving toward the tip of the paddle away from the point of maximum power 12".
Ball Speed
The speed of the ball back to your opponent is dependent on the power of the paddle and the speed of the paddle just before contacting the ball. It has been shown above that the power of the paddle in unaffected by the grip location (pivot point). What about paddle speed? It would seem that a player could rotate a choked up paddle faster (higher angular velocity) because of the lower swing weight. However, higher angular velocity doesn't translate directly into paddle speed Paddle speed is a function of angular velocity and distance from the pivot point.
With a choked up grip the 12.42" COP is 9.42" from the 3" pivot point. With a standard grip the 12.42" COP is 10.42" from the 2" pivot point. If the paddle is being rotated with the same angular velocity, the COP with the standard grip is moving 10% faster.
Which results in higher ball speed? A choked up paddle with higher angular velocity, but with a shorter distance from the pivot point? Or a standard grip with lower angular velocity, but with a longer distance from the pivot point. It depends on the player's wrist strength.
Bottom Line
There are advantages and disadvantages to choking up. It may make sense for some and not for others.
Center of Percussion Movement - technical details
The location of the Center of Percussion (COP) is determined by this equation:
Lcp-cg = Icg / (Wt * Lcg-pp)
Where:
Lcp-cg is the distance between the center of percussion to the center of gravity (balance point)
Icg is the swing intertia at the center of gravity (balance point)
Wt is the static weight of the paddle
Lcg-pp is the distance between the center of gravity and the pivot point
As can be seen in the graph below, the COP moves toward the end of the paddle as the pivot point moves up the handle. At a grip of 4" from the butt the COP is located about 13.5" or 1.5" away from the point of maximum power. It's unlikely any player could grip or would want to grip the paddle above 4".
