Welcome to the May 2025 Pickleball Effect Paddle Blitz—your rapid-fire roundup of the paddles I’ve been testing lately that didn’t get full reviews. This month, I took a close look at three very different paddles: the Selkirk LUXX, JOOLA Scorpeus, and Friday Fever. They span a wide range of play styles, price points, and tech features—from brand-new releases to budget buys to top-tier performers.
I would like to thank these brands for sending me these paddles; however, this article is not sponsored by them. The opinions expressed here are solely my own and are intended to help you find the best paddle for your game.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
Selkirk LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit: A More Aggressive Take on Control
Selkirk’s new LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit series is the second generation of their best-selling LUXX paddles. It still falls in the control category but brings a modern edge—adding extra pop and better spin compared to the original. I tested the Invikta, elongated shape.
Key upgrades from the original LUXX:
- Offensive boost: More counterpunch ability and easier power generation though still in the control category.
- InfiniGrit surface: A spray on type grit Selkirk developed that actually works. Delivers spin performance that matches and possibly exceeds raw carbon fiber, but certainly more spin and better grit durability than the original LUXX.
- Enhanced throat design: Larger hole and added foam surrounding the hole increases plushness in the center sweet spot, although there’s slightly less consistency and stability toward the edges.
- Improved feel: The paddle has a denser, more plush response on contact—an upgrade from the original LUXX’s more hollow, softer feel.
The drawbacks to this update are that it feels a bit heavier in hand and doesn’t offer quite the same consistent feel across the entire face as the original LUXX. While the sweet spot is more plush, there’s a slight drop-off in feedback and stability toward the edges.
| Metric | LUXX Invikta |
|---|---|
|
Static Weight |
8 oz (vs 8 oz in original) |
|
Swingweight |
117 (vs 115 original) |
|
Twistweight |
5.83 (vs 7.78 original) |
|
Core |
19mm polymer (vs 20mm original) |
|
Handle Length |
5.5″ (vs 5.25″ in original) |
|
Spin (RPMs) |
1993 (vs 1858 in original) |
For more paddle stats like this, check out my paddle database.
While the LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit is a welcome upgrade over the original—with meaningful improvements in spin, feel, and offensive capability—it’s tough for me to recommend for most players when the 11SIX24 Jellybean exists at just $100. The Jellybean offers a very similar blend of modern control and usable power, making it a much stronger value. Unless you’re specifically drawn to Selkirk’s colorways, brand loyalty, or limited lifetime warranty, the LUXX Control Air doesn’t deliver enough of a performance advantage to justify the significantly higher price to me.
Customization tip: Add six inches of half gram per inch tungsten to the throat area of the paddle to improve its balance and stability.
JOOLA Scorpeus Pro 4 (14mm & 16mm): Widebody Power with Polish
The Scorpeus Pro 4 brings true power performance to a widebody shape—one of the few paddles in this shape that still delivers elite baseline power and good pop.
Compared to the original 3S Scorpius:
- Smoother feel with foam added in the throat (TFP tech)
- Lower balance point = better maneuverability
- Same level of offensive power
- USAP & UPA approved
14mm vs 16mm comparison:
| Metric | Scorpeus Colin Johns 16mm | Scorpeus Anna Bright 14mm |
|---|---|---|
|
Static Weight |
8.2 oz |
8.2 oz |
|
Swingweight |
111 |
111 |
|
Twistweight |
7.09 |
7.04 |
|
Balance Point (mm) |
236 (vs 241 in original) |
237 (vs 240 in original) |
|
Spin (RPMs) |
2027 |
2002 |
|
Handle Length |
5.5″ |
5.5″ |
|
Grip Size |
4.25″ |
4.13″ |
For more paddle stats like this, check out my paddle database.
Widebody Power Paddle Landscape (Current Top Options):
- JOOLA Scorpeus Pro 4 – Easiest to control, pop is present but manageable. Swingweight ~111.
- Ronbus Ripple V2 R2.14 (Releases May 30, 2025)– More pop, a touch more power, more comfortable, less harsh feel and heavier. Swingweight ~117.
- Paddletek Bantam ESQ C 12.7 – Most pop with lowest swingweight. Extremely deadly at the net, but lacks out-of-box stability. Swingweight ~105
- CRBN TruFoam – Falls more in the aggressive all-court category, with a plush, dense feel and better control. While it’s not as powerful as the others, it shines in touch, comfort, and spin.
The Scorpeus, Ripple, and the Bantam are the best widebody power paddles out there right now and each offer a distinct flavor. The JOOLAs are the most approachable, the Ripple is the most comfortable and powerful, the Paddletek is the quickest and most aggressive, and then the TruFoam offers a feel-oriented option for players who want more control with some punch.
Friday Fever: Budget-Friendly Gen 3 Power
At just $100, the Friday Fever is the first Gen 3-style power paddle to hit that budget-friendly price point. Out of the box, it’s extremely lightweight and feels flimsy, but with the right customization, it transforms into a solid power paddle—making it a compelling option for players wanting to try a power paddle or their first gen 3 style paddle.
The budget category of paddles at or around $100 is filled with control paddles and some all-court options but no power options. This is the first power paddle to be offered at this price point.
The Fever feels and plays like many Gen 3 style paddles with its hollow, stiffer feel to it and falling in the low end of power in the power category. Making it an approachable level of power for those who need help offensively but don’t want to commit to a big power paddle to maintain some control. It’s extremely maneuverable for an elongated paddle which gives it a different paddle profile than most elongated power paddles.
| Metric | Friday Fever |
|---|---|
|
Shape |
Elongated (only shape availble) |
|
Static Weight |
7.75 oz |
|
Swingweight |
113 |
|
Twistweight |
5.66 |
|
Handle Length |
5.5″ |
|
Spin (RPMs) |
2035 |
For more paddle stats like this, check out my paddle database.
My set up:
In stock form the paddle doesn’t have much plowthrough and has a smaller sweet spot. The paddle is very light though so this can be remedied by adding perimeter weight with tungsten tape. My goal with this set up was improve plowthough and stability without adding too much weight to keep its natural maneuverability in tact.
I ended up adding three inches of half gram per inch tungsten just above the bottom corner and one and half inches of it on the top corner on each side. This gave it the extra stabilty and plowthrough I was looking for. My total weight was bumped up to 8oz, my swingweight changed to 116 and my twistweight moved up to 6.12.
Braydon 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.
Paddle Terms Glossary
We’ve categorized paddles into three categories. Control, All-Court, and Power. Paddle categories are determined by Braydon after he hits or reviews the paddle.
- Control paddles offer a softer feel and better absorbs pace off the ball but doesn’t give you as much power.
- All-Court paddles give you a blend of power and control and does well at everything though it doesn’t excel at anything.
- Power paddles often have a firmer feel and will return more power but are harder to control.
A paddle’s weight represents the inherent mass of the paddle as measured on a scale. However, relying solely on this static weight measurement can be misleading when assessing the true perceived heaviness of the paddle. Even if two paddles both clock in at 8 oz, their actual heft in your hand can markedly differ due to variations in weight distribution within the paddle. This is why the static weight should be considered with the swingweight of the paddle. See the definition of swingweight below.
The weight value listed in the database corresponds to the paddle’s weight that I used to gather the swingweight and twistweight measurement. It’s possible that if your paddle has a different static weight than then the swingweight and twistweight may be slightly different.
There are three primary shapes a paddle can have which consists of the length and width of the paddle. These three shapes are:
- Elongated: The dimensions for an elongated paddle are 16.5″ x 7.5″.
- Standard: A standard shaped paddle has dimensions of 16″ x 8″.
- Hybrid: A hybrid shaped paddle falls somewhere in between the standard and elongated shapes, with approximate dimensions of 16.25″ x 7.5″-7.7″.
Then there are two less common shapes you’ll see. These are:
- Extra-Elongated: This shape is 17″ x 7″
- Widebody: This any paddle shorter than 16″ long.
When considering the advantages and trade-offs of paddle shapes, it’s important to understand the characteristics of each shape.
- Elongated Paddle: An elongated paddle offers increased reach, spin, and power. However, this additional reach comes at the expense of forgiveness, particularly from side-to-side.
- Standard Paddle: In contrast, a standard-shaped paddle provides less reach and a little less power & spin but offers greater overall forgiveness. This means that while you may not have the same extended reach as an elongated paddle, you gain better control and stability.
- Hybrid Paddle: The hybrid shape serves as a middle ground between the elongated and standard shapes. It provides a balance between reach and forgiveness, offering players a versatile option that combines aspects of both shapes.
It’s interesting to note that advanced players often prefer elongated shapes. On the other hand, players at lower skill levels typically opt for the extra forgiveness offered by standard shaped paddles.
Ultimately, the choice of paddle shape depends on an individual’s playing style, preferences, and skill level. Whether your focus is on reach or forgiveness, understanding the unique benefits and trade-offs of each shape can assist you in selecting the paddle that best suits your game.
Swingweight is a measure of the paddle’s resistance to swinging about the end of the handle. The higher the swingweight number the heavier it will feel in your hands. A higher swingweight has more power but is harder to swing, lower swingweight is easier to swing but has less power. Sometimes a faster swing with a lower swingweight can make up for power lost in swingweight. The price paid for that is greater impact shock. Stock swingweights will vary between 100 – 140.
Twistweight is the resistance to rotating around the long axis through the middle of the paddle from butt to tip. The higher the twistweight the more resistance the paddle has to rotating on off center hits. This measurement is closely related to the amount of forgiveness or the size of the sweet spot of the paddle. A higher twistweight indicates a bigger sweet spot. Twistweight numbers range from 5 – 8.
Measuring the revolutions per minute (RPMs) off of a serve you get a number that shows the spin potential of a paddle. Using these RPM measurements I’ve created five buckets that a paddle will fall into indicating its overall spin potential. The five buckets are:
1900 or Higher = Very High
1700 – 1900 = High
1500 – 1700 = Medium
1300 – 1500 = Low
1300 or less = Very Low
You can tell a big difference in the amount of spin a paddle generates when you compare a Very High paddle to a low paddle. But the gains from Medium to High to Very High are marginal. We’ve found that having at least a medium rating is often enough if you’re looking for a good spin paddle. However, if you’re a big hitter then you will benefit more from a high spin paddle to help you keep the ball in play more often.
The power level of a paddle is shown in miles per hour (MPH) after taking ten measurements with a speed gun of hitting a serve as hard as I can. This measurement gives you an idea of how hard you can hit the ball when given the chance to take a full swing. So shots like serves, drives and overheads. The higher the MPH reading the more power you can generate with the paddle.
I also show the percentile ranking of the measurement to give you an idea of how it stacks up against the rest of the paddles in my database.
The pop level of a paddle is shown in miles per hour (MPH) after taking the average of ten speed gun measurements of hitting a punch volley as hard as I can. This measurement gives you an idea of how hard you can hit the ball on shorter swings and gives you an idea of how quickly a ball comes off the face when you apply less force on the ball. So shots volleys, dinks, counters, and resets are all affected by the pop measurement. The higher the pop measurement the stronger your counters will be but it takes more skill to keep the ball from floating or popping up on you when resetting a hard hit ball or when dinking.
I also show the percentile ranking of the measurement to give you an idea of how it stacks up against the rest of the paddles in my database.
The term “forgiveness” pertains to both the size of the sweet spot and the stability of the paddle. A paddle that is more forgiving offers a larger sweet spot, greater stability, and yields more power when hitting off-center shots. On the other hand, a less forgiving paddle has a smaller sweet spot and does not provide as much power when hitting off-center shots.
While there seems to be only benefits of more forgiving paddles, less forgiving paddles are often more maneuverable and is easier to generate more paddle speed.
