United States
Major League Pickleball x TORAY
Exclusive Interview with UPA of America President: Jason Aspes
What’s Next for Pickleball?
Jason Aspes on Materials, Performance, and Possibility
August 1, 2025
As pickleball continues its explosive growth, Jason Aspes—President of the United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A)—is helping shape its future. In this conversation, he discusses the role of material innovation in paddle and ball design, his impressions of working with Toray, and how advanced engineering is driving performance across the sport.
Q1. What is your impression of Japanese companies?
I was fortunate to live in Asia for 12 years, spending a lot of time in Hong Kong, Singapore, and traveling to Japan, Korea, and China. Japanese companies have a unique business style—very precise, very detail-oriented. When it comes to manufacturing and materials, Japanese companies are always at the top of the list for quality.
Q2. Were you familiar with Toray before the company partnered with MLP?
Yes, I was actually familiar with Toray even before our recent partnership. I’ve been involved in the pickleball world for about five years now, and Toray was one of the first names I encountered when carbon fiber paddles started to emerge. The TORAYCA T700 carbon fiber quickly became known as the gold standard. At the time, I didn’t know about the brand or its origin, but I certainly knew it was considered the best in the business.
Q3. Why do you think Toray’s carbon fiber is widely used in pickleball paddles and often promoted?
I'm not an engineer, so I can't speak to the material science side in depth. But from a marketing and consumer standpoint, people want the best—and Toray has that reputation. It's like the Cadillac of carbon fibers. To the average person, carbon fiber may all look the same, but it performs differently. That’s why top brands choose Toray, it delivers real performance.
Q4. How does a carbon fiber paddle affect your play?
When you use a paddle made from carbon fiber, you’ll likely notice more control and spin, especially if the surface is gritty and relatively new. The textured carbon fiber grabs the ball more effectively, allowing you to create spin depending on how you hit—cutting under the ball gives backspin, rolling over it creates topspin, and hitting it flat generates no spin. The design often leaves the center of the surface free of graphics to maintain maximum grip, since printed areas tend to reduce friction. It’s not just the surface that matters—the inner core, whether it's polypropylene or foam, also affects how long the ball stays on the paddle (the dwell time), which influences spin potential. You can usually tell it's carbon fiber by touch.
Q5. How do you think paddles will evolve in the future?
I honestly don’t know exactly where it will go—but that’s what makes it exciting. What UPA-A has done is open the door for innovation. In the past, regulations limited what could be done with paddle construction. But as engineering improved and more funding entered the ecosystem, manufacturers found ways to push those boundaries.
We wanted to embrace innovation: to explore new polymers, resins, carbon fibers, and constructions. Of course, performance still needs to be regulated to keep the game fun, fair, and competitive. You can’t have paddles that are too fast or create excessive spin—that would fundamentally change the sport. But if innovation is managed properly, it can make the game more exciting without losing its essence.
Q6. Do you think the evolution of materials like carbon fiber will help drive the advancement of paddles?
Absolutely. New and improved materials like carbon fiber, resins, and foams are key to better paddles. We’re talking about increased longevity, better consistency, and larger sweet spots. It could allow players to make shots more easily and enjoy the game more. That’s the beauty of it—we don’t yet know how far it can go. But what we do know is that we’ll keep innovation within reasonable limits to protect the spirit of the game.
Q7. What are your expectations for Toray, the official material manufacturer? Is there anything you’d like to collaborate on?
We’re really excited about our relationship with Toray. As a governing body, UPA-A remains impartial and neutral when it comes to equipment. But having Toray as the official material sponsor of Major League Pickleball is fantastic. Their involvement benefits all sides—players, teams, and manufacturers. Ultimately, we want the best tools out there to help make shot-making easier, keep the game fair, and make it more enjoyable for everyone.
Q8. Do you have expectations for products beyond paddles—like balls or apparel?
Before speaking with you today, I saw Toray mainly as a carbon fiber manufacturer. But I’ve learned it’s so much more than that—your work with advanced fibers, resins, and foams is really impressive. It feels like anything I could dream up from a materials standpoint, you’re already manufacturing and innovating. That’s exciting. I don’t know exactly where this partnership will lead, but I’m looking forward to it. Better materials, combined with strong engineering and smart design, are going to lead to some amazing developments in the sport.
Of course, on my side, we're here to regulate and make sure things don’t go too far but we’re definitely excited to be working with the best in the business.
In terms of specifics, I’m especially excited about the direction ball construction is heading. You’re developing nylons, polymers, and resins that can help keep balls round, prevent cracking, increase durability, and improve performance. It’s also about managing speed, ensuring the game doesn’t get too fast or too slow, and addressing climate control—like making balls more heat-resistant or cold-weather friendly. These are exactly the kinds of innovations the sport needs.
As for apparel—yes, I’m a big apparel guy. I believe technology in apparel, especially high-performance fabrics that keep players comfortable and enhance their performance, is huge. This will play a major role in the future of the sport, and I think there's a lot of potential for us to explore together.
Contact
Reach out to Toray for innovative materials and solutions and help us form a sustainable future.