PROTON PICKLEBALL

As an executive in the aerospace and defense industry, our president and founder, Charles Darling's professional focus was on the world above, but his true passion was in quite the opposite direction- playing in the dirt. Charles was an avid slow-pitch softball player who became frustrated with the recurring cost and frequent breakage of his softball bats. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he set out to design the world’s best softball bat.

A lofty goal, but with advisement from some of the world's brightest composites engineers tasked with designing fighter jets, rockets, and spacecraft, it became achievable. For months, Charles collaborated with different engineering teams, moving from initial design and mockups to continuous refinement. This rigorous, iterative process led to the creation of what would be called the "Series One" Bat, leading Charles to launch Proton Sports in 2021, where he achieved tremendous success and rapid growth.

In late 2022, Charles discovered a new passion- pickleball. Introduced by his kids, He became hooked on the sport, and he quickly realized the market lacked innovative paddles. This sparked a new mission: to design the world’s best paddles. Going back to the drawing board with the same colleagues who helped him before, Charles dedicated over a year to R&D, and in 2024, Proton Pickleball was officially launched.