Inside Gabe Tardio's Pickleball Bag: Lots of Paddles, Not Much Else

Top PPA pro Gabe Tardio recently opened up his Facolos pickleball bag and it reveals a lot about his play style, and maybe even his psyche.

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The Paddle Arsenal

Let's start with the obvious: Tardio carries a lot of paddles. He's got five Facolos paddles in his bag – four elongated models in different colors and one hybrid for good measure.

Why so many? Simple. Wear and tear happens fast at the professional level.

• Multiple paddles mean he always has a fresh one with optimal grit and surface texture
• Different shapes and styles let him adapt to different match conditions or opponents
• Backup paddles eliminate the stress of a paddle getting damaged mid-tournament

Lots of paddles, not much else

Funny enough, Gabe's bag does't hold much else aside from an arsenal of paddles, at least not during a tournament.

He showed some extra clothes, a pack of over-drips, some deodorant and chapstick, and some gum or mints for good measure. But that was pretty much it.

No extra shoes. No water. No sunglasses or snacks.

Of course, pros get all of the essentials provided on to them on every court. But Gabe travels light – not surprising for a guy known to play his paddles completely stock.

One surprise: Gabe carries a tripod in case he wants to film any play or practice for later film review sessions. See – even pros take self-improvement seriously.