Q1) There are hundreds of Pickleball paddles out there. What made you look at all of them and decide, “None of these is quite what I want so I’m going to make my own paddle”?
Jae: Actually, that was not how Rae.X Sports started. I began as a Pickleball player. Played for about six months, met different players from different industries and started getting to know the wider Pickleball community in SG. I noticed that almost everyone was using a foreign paddle brand. It got me thinking, Why does SG not have its own Pickleball sports brand?
So, the idea was not initially, “I want to make a better paddle than all these brands”. It was more, “Why can't we create a SG sports brand with good quality products that are accessible and affordable to our own community?”
A lot of the established foreign brands are quite expensive, especially for someone just starting out. I wanted to see if we could create something that meets the required standards without making people spend a lot of money just to start playing.
Rae.X paddles – play one of Jae's Reclub sessions and get a feel.
That's really how Rae.X Sports came about. The name has a personal meaning. The “Rae” in Rae.X Sports comes from my two sons, Raeyes and Raedric. So, from the very beginning, the brand was quite personal to me.
Show More ↓Q1) There are hundreds of Pickleball paddles out there. What made you look at all of them and decide, “None of these is quite what I want so I’m going to make my own paddle”?
Jae: Actually, that was not how Rae.X Sports started. I began as a Pickleball player. Played for about six months, met different players from different industries and started getting to know the wider Pickleball community in SG. I noticed that almost everyone was using a foreign paddle brand. It got me thinking, Why does SG not have its own Pickleball sports brand?
So, the idea was not initially, “I want to make a better paddle than all these brands”. It was more, “Why can't we create a SG sports brand with good quality products that are accessible and affordable to our own community?”
A lot of the established foreign brands are quite expensive, especially for someone just starting out. I wanted to see if we could create something that meets the required standards without making people spend a lot of money just to start playing.
Rae.X paddles – play one of Jae's Reclub sessions and get a feel.
That's really how Rae.X Sports came about. The name has a personal meaning. The “Rae” in Rae.X Sports comes from my two sons, Raeyes and Raedric. So, from the very beginning, the brand was quite personal to me.
That's why the direction of Rae.X Sports is not just about selling sports equipment. We want to promote active living among young people and families through sports. We started with Pickleball coz that's the sport that brought me on this journey. So, for me, Rae.X Sports is a combination of 3 things — family, sports, and SG. It's about building a SG sports brand that my family can be proud of that encourages S'poreans to get active.
Q2) What was the biggest difference between the paddle you imagined in your head and the paddle that eventually came out of the factory? What would it do for say, a 3.0 player?
J: One of the biggest surprises was realising how many small decisions go into making a paddle. When you are just a player, you want a paddle with 'good control' or 'more power'. But once you start developing one, you have to think about thickness, weight, balance, shape, material, core, surface and how everything works together. We eventually developed our own 16mm and 14mm elongated foam paddles. And we went through the necessary testing and approval process, coz I didn't want to simply put a Rae.X Sports logo on an existing product and call it our own. I wanted us to develop something that met the standards required for sanctioned play.
As a 3.0 and above player, you don't need the most powerful paddle available. You want consistency and control. You need a paddle that gives you confidence when you are hitting drops, resets and dinks, and allows you to develop your game. And that's how I look at equipment generally.
A good paddle should support your development. It should not be something you rely on to compensate for your weaknesses.
Q3) You didn’t stop at a paddle but designed a ball as well. What’s surprisingly difficult about making a little plastic ball with holes in it?
J: That was actually a moment where I thought, “How difficult can it be? It's just a plastic ball with holes!” Then we started developing one and realised... it is actually not that simple.
The ball needs to be consistent in terms of its weight, hardness, roundness, bounce and flight. Even the hole pattern and manufacturing consistency can affect how the ball behaves. And because we are in SG, you also have to think about our weather and playing conditions i.e. the heat, humidity and outdoor environment. Eventually, we developed our own Rae.X Sports Pickle ball and went through the approval process as well.
Both our paddle and ball are USAPA-approved, which is important to us because we want to demonstrate that a SG brand can develop products that meet international standards.
I think that was one of the more satisfying moments for me; not just putting a SG logo on a product, but actually creating the product and getting it recognised for sanctioned play.
Jae and wife, Valyn. are a solid pair on court too.
Q4) Was there a moment during development when you thought, “What on earth have I gotten myself into?”. Was your wife onboard all the way?
J: My wife always says that I’m a lucky person. I met her when I was 15 and we’ve been together since. She has always been there for me. Very supportive through the different phases of my life, from school all the way to starting my business. She understands what I’m trying to do and she has no issues as long as there's financial security and I’m happy doing what I want to do. In return, I’m happy when she is happy.
But there were a few moments where I thought, “Why did I decide to do this?” “Should I carry on?” coz once you start a sports brand, you realise very quickly that it is not just about designing a paddle. There is product development, testing, approvals, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, inventory, branding, marketing… and you still need to run the business. And yes, there were definitely a lot of conversations at home about paddles, balls and business!
I think having the support is very important, especially when you are building something from scratch.
Q5) Here’s the uncomfortable question: how much of the PB paddle business is genuinely better technology and how much is marketing convincing players that their next paddle will make them better?
J: That’s a very good question. People keep talking about technology but there’s really not much of ‘new’ technology coming our way. What are foam paddles using? MP4. What is the next technology? Also MP4.
I think technology does make a difference, but I also think we give equipment too much credit. There are definite differences between paddles i.e. construction, material, thickness, shape, weight and balance etc can change how a paddle feels and performs. But I personally don't believe that buying a new paddle automatically makes you a better player.
I don’t blame the big brands. They produce paddles by the thousands and they have to sell them, no matter what. So they spend a lot on marketing the ‘new tech’, through brand ambassadors, sponsorships, launch events etc. And people buy for whatever reason.
I have a number of Pickleball friends who change paddles quite frequently. I understand why. Players are always looking for something that suits their playing style better. Personally, I believe the player should learn to adapt to the paddle, rather than expecting the paddle to adapt to the player.
At the end of the day, the quality of your game is still heavily dependent on your individual skill level, decision-making, footwork and experience. A paddle can help you execute a shot differently. It cannot give you good decision-making. If your drop is going into the net, buying another paddle probably isn't going to solve the problem.
So, while there is a genuine technology component in Pickleball, there is also a very strong marketing component. For me, I'd rather be honest about that.
Jae hosts regular Reclub games and...he vets who plays in his sessions, be warned.
Q6) What does success look like to you in say, 5 years time?
J: I want people to recognise Rae.X Sports as a SG sports brand that they can trust. Not just coz the products are affordable, but coz they know what we care about i.e. quality and we genuinely understand the sport and the community.
I'm quite proud that while we started with Pickleball, the bigger vision for Rae.X Sports is not limited to Pickleball. We are about promoting active living among young people and families through sports. So, over the next few years, I would like to see Rae.X Sports grow beyond just paddles and balls and become involved in more sports programmes, community activities and sports products.
And, coz the name “Rae” comes from my two sons, I think about the brand slightly differently. I'm not just building something to sell today. I'm building something that I hope my children can look at one day and say, ‘Dad actually built this.’ Five years from now, I would love to see people using Rae.X Sports products and saying, “This is a SG brand”. And hopefully, by then, we will not just be known for selling sports equipment. We will be known for helping people get active and enjoy sports.
Q7) Is there actually money to be made in Pickleball in SG or are we all doing this coz we love the game?
J: I think there is definitely a business opportunity in Pickleball in SG, but it's not as simple as people might think.
SG is a relatively small market, and there are already many international brands, local businesses, clubs, coaches and retailers involved in the sport. So, if the business is simply about importing products and selling them, it becomes very difficult to differentiate yourself. For Rae.X Sports, we are looking at it differently. We started coz we love the sport, and we also want to build a proper business around it. That means developing our own products, building the brand, creating a community and eventually expanding into other sports. I think that's where the real opportunity is.
Pickleball was the door that allowed us to enter the sports industry. It does not necessarily have to be the whole house. At the end of the day, yes, I want Rae.X Sports to be commercially successful. I want to look back and feel that we actually contributed something to SG's sporting community.
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