Six Zero made a big splash in the market this year in a way I’ve only seen once before. Their Six Zero Double Black Diamond (DBD) 16mm is easily the paddle of the year for 2023. The Double Black Diamond Infinity is their first major paddle release since they’ve gained popularity and a lot of eyes are watching to see what Six Zero does next.
The Double Black Diamond Infinity is an iteration of their popular DBD paddle. Like the original DBD, it has a hybrid shape, is thermoformed, has foam edges and has a unibody construction. What’s new is an upgraded raw grit texture and an edgeless design. It looks really good too! I don’t think this paddle is meant to replace the original DBD but rather to just give you more options.
Here are the main questions I had going into this review:
- Edgeless paddles typically have sweet spot issues, how big is the sweet spot?
- Does it have the same power output as the original DBD without the edge guard weight?
- How different is it from the original DBD since the only major difference is the edgeless design?
After playing with the paddle for over two weeks, here’s my review of its performance. I’ll answer my questions above in my performance summary section and then will dive into the details of how it plays in the later sections.
Table of Contents
Performance Summary
Many players prefer 16mm paddles due to the added control they provide. However, one of the drawbacks of thicker core paddles is their clunkier nature and lack of speed compared to thinner core paddles. The Infinity Double Black Diamond changes that. It plays with the speed and maneuverability of a 14mm but with the control of a 16mm.
The paddle boasts a very light swingweight and an edgeless design which is what gives it its exceptional speed and maneuverability. I can’t think of a faster hybrid or elongated 16mm paddle I’ve played. The paddle comes with a reduction in power compared to the original DBD 16mm, though this seems to be due to the lower swingweight rather than the design of the paddle. Despite this, it’s still thermoformed and maintains some good pop and power, albeit not as much as the original DBD 16mm and other thermoformed others.
The twistweight measurement of the Infinity is 5.9 while the twistweight measurement of the original DBD is about 6.6. Like the numbers suggest, the Infinity does have a smaller sweet spot than the original. The original DBD has an oversized sweet spot out of the box while the Infinity falls slightly below average. I do think the sweet spot is playable out of the box and it won’t cause you too many issues but with the swingweight being so light, it’s easy to improve the sweet spot and add a little more power with lead tape while still maintaining the speed and maneuverability of the paddle. I share more thoughts on the sweet spot and show my preferred lead tape set up below.
Double Black Diamond Infinity Stats
- Weight: 8.1 oz avg
- Swingweight: 110 (low)
- Twistweight: 5.9 (moderately low)
- Length x Width: 16.3″ x 7.7″ (elongated)
- Face: Raw T700 Carbon Fiber
- Grip Circumference: 4.25″ (octagonal)
- Handle Length: 5.5″
- Core: Polypropylene Honeycomb, Foam Walls
- Special Features: Thermoformed, Edgeless
- Price: $220 (only $198 with code 10EFFECT)
- Warranty: 6 Months
(Get 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT directly on Six Zero’s site)
| Pros |
|---|
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The speed of a 14mm paddle with the control of a 16mm paddle |
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Good pop and power for an edgeless paddle |
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Big spin potential |
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Very classy look and design |
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Easier to to execute wristy shots like backhand rolls or overheads |
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Lightweight and easy to customize with lead tape |
| Cons |
|---|
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Medium forgiveness/sweet spot rating |
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Edges get scratched up easily |
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Not as powerful as typical thermoformed paddles |
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The face gets scratched and marked up easily |
Performance Details
Attacking
The obvious improvement on the attacking side with the increased maneuverability is in hand battles. No question I was getting my paddle in a better position more often on counters and in fast volley exchanges. Plus, the paddle is still thermoformed so the pop was there along with the hand speed.
Another area I noticed an improvement was in wristy shots. So things like backhand rolls and flicks. These shots are typically more difficult to execute because they require stronger wrist strength to get the paddle action you need to generate a significant amount of spin and or power. You could get that spin and power off the backhand better with this paddle over other 16mm paddles.
Talking about spin. My spin tests averaged 2080 RPMs. This is a very high measurement. The spin is there. This is also a little higher than the original DBD 16 which I retested at the same time I did the spin test for the Infinity. The face actually felt smoother to the touch compared to many other raw carbon paddles so I was surprised by how well the spin production was. Particularly on serves, drives, and drops. The paddle has some really good bite there. There was a little less spin than I expected on dinks and smaller swings like roll volleys, but it wasn’t bad at all, just not quite as much as from the baseline.
The general power level on the Infinity is more subdued compared to the original, but it’s not crazy far off. However, it’s still thermoformed and some power was available when you needed it. Certainly has more than the majority of non thermoformed paddles.
Overall, the good spin, decent power and great maneuverability enabled you to attack and win points in a variety of ways. The paddle seemed to mold and work the way you wanted it to and enabled you to be crafty and clever with different angles and speeds. It was very versatile on the offensive side of things.
Control
The subdued power and slightly softer feel of the Infinity over the original Double Black Diamond did make it easier to control than the original. Because of this I’m considering the Infinity a control paddle though that line was blurry. I imagine some players will still consider this an all-court style paddle.
If you have played any thermoformed paddle and can control those then you’ll be able to control this one just as well, if not better. It’s not an overly soft feel, it still has that stiffer, crisp feel that’s common with thermoformed paddles though it’s not quite as harsh as the original DBD.
I didn’t notice any issues with my soft game though I was prone to occasionally pop it up more than I would with a pure control paddle like the Selkirk Control Air when I was put in tougher spots.
The downside of this paddle on the control side when put up against the original DBD is the smaller sweet spot in comparison. Its sweet spot size is more similar to the original DBD 14mm than the 16mm which has an oversized sweet spot. That is to say it’s manageable but it isn’t perfect. You don’t have to be a 5.0 to play with this thing but don’t expect the same forgiveness level as the original DBD 16mm.
The paddle is forgiving enough that when dinking or resetting speed ups at the net, the power you get from off-center shots is often still enough to clear the net. However, when blocking hard drives or defending from the midcourt and catching an off-center ball, you can feel the smaller sweet spot and the ball will find the net more often than it does with the original DBD 16mm in those situations.
However, adding lead tape can help here while still keeping the lightweight nature of the paddle in tact. Check out my lead tape set up below.
(Get 10% off this paddle and any other Six Zero paddles or gear with code 10EFFECT on Six Zero’s website)
Lead Tape Set Up
Considering this paddle has a longer design and is edgeless, it has a respectable twistweight measurement at 5.9 though it’s still below average. Part of the beauty of this paddle is that its swingweight is very low at 110. This means we can easily use lead tape to improve the stability of the paddle while still maintaining its inherent speed and maneuverability. This isn’t the case for a lot of paddles with lower swingweights. Typically when you add lead tape it improves the sweet spot but it takes away its good maneuverability.
I added two inches of 1g lead tape on each side of the paddle about an inch above the bottom corners. When you take into condensation the lead, the edge tape I have on there, and my overgrips, the twistweight improved to 6.43 and the swingweight increased to 114. This is a 9% increase in twistweight and a 3.6% increase in swingweight.
My goal with this setup was to improve the stability of the paddle without taking away what inherently makes the paddle good with its easy maneuverability and I think I accomplished that. With this set up the paddle’s sweet spot is increased and you see less unforced errors from mishits while still enjoying the advantages of the paddle’s fast nature.
And to be clear, I think the paddle is playable and fine without lead, you don’t have to add lead tape for it to be good. You should try it stock and see what you think first, than add lead if you think you need it.
Get Edge Guard Tape!
Because there isn’t an edge guard, the paddle chips and scratches up easily. You will want to buy some edge guard tape to prevent this. I actually sell my own edge guard tape that I designed. I have several different colors and widths. Because this paddle is edgeless and thinner than paddles with edge guards, my narrow edge guard tape (20mm wide) fits it best. It covers the sides and goes over the edge just enough to protect everything without wrinkling around the corners when you apply it.
Is the Double Black Diamond Infinity Better than the Original Double Black Diamond?
People will ask me if the Infinity is better than the original version. I don’t think one is better than the other, I think they are different and will suit different needs and play styles.
The original DBD 16mm paddle has an oversized sweet spot and all-court playability, making it more accessible and player friendly to a wide array of skill levels. However, the Infinity offers increased speed, maneuverability, and control that brings more play making possibilities to the table at the sacrifice of some power and forgiveness. Players who value creativity and craftiness will appreciate the maneuverability and other attributes of the Infinity over the original model. On the other hand, players who prioritize forgiveness, consistency, and solid all around play may find the original model more appealing.
My Recommendation
I think the maneuverability, spin and good feel combined with its decent pop/power is what makes this paddle unique. It is easy to manipulate and opens up the door to be creative and use a diversity of shots to beat your opponent. However, this does come at a cost of some forgiveness. With added weight, it gets it to an average sized sweet spot and still maintains what makes it unique. But if you want an oversized sweet spot that will help you reduce errors overall then this isn’t the best option. In that case I’d point you to the original Double Black Diamond 16mm which is still very relevant and not going anywhere anytime soon.
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Shop Six ZeroBraydon competes at the 5.0 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and would play more if time allowed it.
