10 min read · 2222 words · 4 images
Quick answer: For holiday corporate gifts, order custom pickleball paddles two to three weeks before you hand them out. Mockups come within 24 hours and printing takes 3–5 business days after approval. Tier the list: fiberglass paddle + cover for staff ($33.99 → $28.99), carbon fiber + cover for clients ($58.99 → $48.99), carbon sets for VIPs ($106.99 → $88.99).
Holiday corporate gifts go wrong in one of two ways: the gift is forgettable, or it shows up on January 4. A branded pickleball paddle solves the first problem. This plan solves the second.
Below: the dates to work back from, what each recipient tier should get, real budgets for a typical company, and the design choice that keeps leftover paddles useful in March.
When should you order holiday corporate gifts?
Two to three weeks before the day you hand them out. That's enough for the mockup, your approval, 3–5 business days of printing and shipping, with margin for the holiday rush.
Here's the timeline from the day you send your logo:
- 1 Day 1: your free digital mockup arrives within 24 hours, priced at your quantity.
- 2 Your review: approve the proof and invoice. This is the step that slips most in December, because approvers are out.
- 3 Production: 3–5 business days in our St. Petersburg, Florida shop after approval.
- 4 Shipping: quoted with your order. Most orders are in hand within one to two weeks of the logo.
Count back from your date and give yourself the full three weeks if Thanksgiving falls inside the window, since a long weekend can stall approvals for days.
The full timeline, including what speeds up a proof, is in how long custom pickleball paddles take.
What should each recipient tier get?
Three tiers cover almost every holiday list. Prices run from the smallest-order tier to the best tier.
If you're still comparing corporate holiday gift ideas, the best pickleball corporate gifts ranks all of them with their downsides. The rest of this guide assumes you've picked and need a plan.
What's the best holiday gift for employees?
A fiberglass paddle with a printed cover. Among holiday gifts for employees, it's one that looks like a present under the tree rather than something from the supply closet, and it costs less than most holiday gift cards.
The paddle is our BP Classic: about 8 oz, forgiving, USA Pickleball Approved, with full-color printing edge to edge on black and tan edge guards. The neoprene cover (black or white) adds its own full-color 6" × 6" print.
For 80 employees, you're in the 50–99 tier: 80 × $31.99 = $2,559.20, plus $50 setup, for $2,609.20. On a tighter budget, the paddle alone at the same quantity is 80 × $21.99 = $1,759.20.
Make the gift an invitation, too. Put a date on the card for a January company game at a local court, and the paddle has a job before the wrapping paper is in the recycling. If nobody has organized play before, how to start an office pickleball league covers the basics. Gifts that come with a plan get used; gifts that don't sit in a closet.
What's the best holiday gift for clients?
A carbon fiber paddle with a cover. Most holiday client gifts are food baskets. They don't get many gifts a good player would buy for themselves.
The BP Pro carbon paddle has a T700 UD face with a gritty surface for spin and control, and your logo prints full color as a clean 5.8" × 5.8" square. For 25 clients: 25 × $56.99 = $1,424.75, plus $50 setup, for $1,474.75.
Client gifting has its own rules on tone and branding. Client gift ideas covers them, along with how to keep a few gifts back for January's closed deals.
What should VIPs and leadership get?
The carbon fiber set. Two printed carbon paddles, two outdoor balls and a padded black 600D carry case, about 17" × 12" × 5" with a front mesh pocket.
Why a set and not a single paddle? Because a VIP probably already owns a paddle, and a single one becomes a spare. Two paddles in a case is a different gift: it's a game for two, ready to go to the court with a spouse, a kid home from college or a friend.
The holidays are when people play with family, and a two-paddle set is built for exactly that. Six VIP sets: 6 × $106.99 = $641.94, plus $50 setup, for $691.94. Bag printing on a set is an add-on priced on the quote, and a second design adds $25 to setup.
How much should a holiday gift budget be?
Here's a full plan of year-end corporate gifts for a company with 80 employees, 25 key clients and 6 VIPs. Each line carries its own setup in this example; your quote confirms the exact count.
About $5,200 before shipping for 111 people, including three balls in every employee's box. Drop the balls and switch staff to the plain paddle and the plan falls to just under $4,000.
For smaller budgets, pickleball gift ideas under $50 lists every option under that line.
Should you print a holiday design?
Usually not, and here's why. A paddle covered in snowflakes and this year's date looks stale by February. A paddle with your brand and a strong design gets played with all year.
If you want a seasonal touch, put it somewhere temporary: the card in the box, the ribbon, or the cover's optional back print ($4 a unit) with a short thank-you line. Keep the paddle face evergreen. That also means any extras you ordered to hit a price break still work as spring thank-yous or new-hire gifts.
Brand colors print true: Pantone matching is included. Send vector art (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG) if you can. A 300 DPI PNG at full print size works as a fallback.
What about people who don't play pickleball?
Give them the paddle anyway, or give them a bag. Most of the people on a holiday list don't play yet, and that's fine: pickleball is one of the easiest sports to pick up, and a forgiving fiberglass paddle is the right first paddle.
For the few who never will, the sling bag works as a gym, travel or weekend bag. It's black or grey, with a paddle compartment and a one-color 3.94" × 3.54" imprint between the zippers. It's $34.99 at 10–24 and $30.99 at 50–99.
The catch is timing. The bag is made to order and runs longer than paddles, so it's the one item on this list that shouldn't wait for the three-week mark. Ask for its date on your first quote, in October if you can.
How do you get the gifts to people?
The easiest path is one delivery to the office and a hand-out at the holiday party. A paddle opened in a room full of coworkers gets talked about, and someone always suggests a game in January.
For remote teams and clients, tell us on the quote where gifts need to go. Shipping is quoted with your order based on weight and destination, and the timeline above still applies, so start at the three-week mark.
Logo balls make the box feel full. They're official-size 40-hole outdoor balls in blue, neon green or neon pink, with a one-color pad print, and three of them turn a paddle into something people can use the same afternoon.
Which holiday plan should you pick?
- Small team, one budget: fiberglass paddle + cover for everyone, at the 10–24 or 25–49 tier.
- Staff plus a client list: fiberglass + cover for staff, carbon + cover for clients.
- A short list of very important people: carbon sets, 5 minimum.
- Hundreds of employees: plain fiberglass paddles at $19.99 (250+) or $18.99 (500+), with logo balls in each box.
Holiday gifts are one moment in a year of recognition. For the rest of the calendar, see employee appreciation gifts. Ready to start? Send your logo and quantities through the quote form, or browse corporate gifts.