World No. 1 men’s singles pro Hunter Johnson recently announced a new paddle deal, soon followed by his brother, Yates Johnson. The Johnsons are the first professional players to sign with this up-and-coming paddle brand, but what is it?

HIT is so new to the paddle scene that its paddles haven’t even hit the market yet. The brand was founded by two pickleball friends: Fortnite streamer Turner Tenney, known as “Tfue,” and former tennis coach, entrepreneur, and owner of Dink House in St. Petersburg, FL, Brandon Anandan. 

“About two years ago, Turner and I wanted to make our own paddle. It was one of those things that we’d talk about every once and a while, but it was just a dream,” said Anandan. “I was playing all the time, but my paddles kept breaking. My butt caps would break every two or three days. I could snap the handle in a week or two.” 

Anandan recognized a clear demand for improved technology in America’s fastest-growing sport.

He and Tenney got to work bringing that vision to life.

“Honestly, I just made what I liked. I think everyone is making paddles too extreme and overcomplicated. Think about it. There’s not much to a tennis racket. There’s regulations, of course, but it’s simple,” emphasized Anandan. “Pickleball is changing so much that if you keep trying to go to the new thing, you’re always playing catch-up. So we took the things that were already working for some of the top players and then refined it. In my opinion, we made it better.”

After struggling with handle issues himself, Anandan made the handle his top priority in developing the new paddle.

“What separates us is our handle. It’s all 3D printed, made out of carbon fiber infused nylon, and the sides are supported with carbon so it’ll never break there. The buck cap won’t fly off, and it’s just really solid,” described Tenney. “It doesn’t flex like a normal paddle would, and the grit is pretty standard.” 

Drawing from his tennis background, Anandan wanted to bring the same level of customization elite athletes expect from their rackets to pro pickleball paddles.

After all, every professional has their own preferences.

“I’ve always liked what they do in tennis where they make everything custom for the pros right from the very beginning. We do what the old tennis companies did. We bring three different paddles and three different weights, and then the pros play with each and pick which one they like,” said Anandan. “Then you make three paddles and go in that direction, and keep going until you get everything you want.”

From there, it was time to put the paddle in the hands of the pros.

“I met Hunter at PPA Vegas and I asked him to try out the paddle,” revealed Tenney. “He’d been looking for a new paddle and he liked ours because it has good power, spin, and a ton of control. It’s got good feel and the handle just feels amazing.”

Eventually, Hunter and Yates each found the combination that suited them best.

And after Hunter’s latest singles title, it’s safe to say he made the right choice with his paddle.

“Hunter and Yates were our first pros because they were friends of ours,” noted Tenney. “It’s huge to have their support. It’s amazing.”

While HIT paddles aren’t available for purchase yet, Anandan shared that production is well underway with a launch expected in the near future.

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