Selkirk started a research and development program (R&D) called Selkirk Labs earlier this year. This program surfaced their R&D process and crowdsourced feedback from their most loyal customers. Successful experiments from Selkirk Labs are then added to or replace their main lines of paddles. The Vanguard Power Air is the first example of this. The Selkirk Labs paddle, Project 002, is what turned into the Vanguard Power Air series.
This series is focused on power and spin, which is what a lot of brands are thinking about these days. There are three shapes in this series, the Invikta, Epic, and the S2. For this review I played with both the Vanguard Power Air Invikta and Epic shapes. After drilling and playing with both shapes for three weeks, and even playing in a tournament with them, here’s my review of their performance.
Performance Summary
True to their name, these are power paddles. They have high power and spin ratings that rank them near the top of both of those categories. Though you can generate plenty of power, the ball doesn’t feel bouncy off the face like some power paddles but instead it just responds really well when you put a bigger swing on it. This attribute made the paddle a weapon when attacking but also helped out when you needed to slow the ball down.
The paddles fall into the midweight category with an average weight around 8 oz but they felt a bit head light. The edgeless design, light swing weight and the hole in the throat all combined to make the paddles very maneuverable. This gave the paddles a level of power, spin and speed that I don’t think I’ve experienced with another paddle.
Let’s talk about their feel and control. Whenever I hit a new paddle I always pay attention to how it feels first. Is it soft, crisp, plush, hard or something else? The Vanguard Power Airs feel like something else. They don’t have a familiar feel to them. The first time you pick it up it has a sort of light, wooden feel to it. I didn’t like how it felt the first time I hit them. Though I didn’t like how it felt out of the gate, I do what I always do and play with the paddles for at least two weeks before I form my complete opinion of them and my opinion changed over time. I got used to their feel and really didn’t mind it though I never fell in love with it.
Despite the unique firm feel, I was actually controlling the ball pretty well after only a couple of days of playing. However, these are power paddles and are harder to control in general. Lower level players I shared the paddle with found themselves hitting more pop ups and didn’t adjust to them as well as I did. I think if you’re an intermediate to advanced player that has a developed sense of control then the consistent bounce off the face is manageable and can be controlled after you get used to the extra power.
Both shapes I played had a medium sized sweet spot. The Epic was noticeably more forgiving than the Invikta, though. The size of the sweet was a major drawback for lower level players and was somewhat of an issue for intermediate level players. If you’re an advanced player, like 4.5+, then the size of the sweet spot shouldn’t bother you.
Bottom line: The Vanguard Power Airs have an unmatched level of power, spin, and speed. But they do have an unfriendly feel that takes some getting used to and not everyone will like.
Invikta Quick Stats
92%
Epic Quick Stats
You can learn more about the shapes they offer in the Vanguard Power Air series in the shapes section below.
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If you think a Vanguard Power Air paddle is right for you, pick one from Selkirk's website. They offer the most color and handle options there. Plus, their packaging is better!
Shop Vanguard Power AirVanguard Power Air Design & Technology
There is a lot to unpack here but I don’t want to overdue it so I’m only going to mention the most important stuff.
Aero-DuraEdge Edgeless Technology: These paddles have no edgeguard. This improves the maneuverability of the paddle and increases the durability of the paddle. The edgeguard is usually the first thing to break down on a paddle so removing it will increase the durability. The edge gets scratched really easily though so I recommend some sort of edgeguard protective tape.
QuadFlex 4 Layer Hybrid Face: Initiated in Selkirk Labs with Project 002, they put two layers of carbon fiber and fiberglass on each side of the paddle. Giving you a blend of power and control.
FlexFoam Perimeter: The one negative of removing the edgeguard is losing the perimeter weighting, so they inserted foam around the edges to make up for it. The extra weight around the head increases the power, stability and forgiveness of the paddle.
Core: It’s a thinner polymer core at 13 mm thick. It’s edgeless like a Gearbox paddle but it still has a polymer core unlike the Gearbox paddles. Thinner cores will give you more power at the sacrifice of some control.
Air Dynamic Throat: They made the hole in the throat bigger and moved it closer to the handle compared to their Project 002. This does a couple of things. It adds flex to the face which adds power & spin and it makes the paddle more aerodynamic.
The handle: Most people won’t think the handle is cool but I think it’s awesome. The handle is molded into the frame of the paddle so it has a traditional octagonal shape and is much more comfortable than the blocky handles that so many paddles have.
ProSpin+ surface: The paddles have a sand papery feel that ads spin really well and it is not wearing off nearly as quickly as other sand papery type surfaces I’ve played before. I’ve been playing with the paddles consistently for 3 weeks and there is still plenty of grit. I have friends that have been playing with Airs for closer to two months and their paddles are pretty smooth now, so they do wear out eventually.
Attacking
This is where the paddles really shine. It has the three things that matter most to me when considering a power paddle. Power, spin, and maneuverability. It’s difficult to create a power paddle that generates the ball speed you want but still has good maneuverability to help with hand speed and wristy shots like backhand roll volleys. These paddles have both. The only other power paddles I’ve played that have these similar characteristics are the ones from ProKennex. The big difference between ProKennex and the Power Air is the spin. Power Air paddles have a higher spin rating.
Let’s talk about the spin with these. They have a high spin rating that’s up there with the best of them. You noticed the extra spin the most from the baseline. Drives, serves, and returns all had the spin you wanted. When you were at the net hitting softer shots like dinks and roll volleys it still had good spin but not as much as what I was getting from the baseline. The ball bounces off quicker compared to thicker core paddles so the ball didn’t seem to stay on the paddle as long to let you add as much rotation with softer shots. The sandpaper-like grit did not disappear by the end of my play test. It’s the first sand papery type surface that hasn’t worn out on me after two weeks of play. I do have some friends that have been playing with a Power Air for about two months and their paddles are getting pretty smooth so the grit does wear out eventually.
Its high power and spin ratings open up more options when generating offense from the baseline and midcourt while its high maneuverability helped with counters and hand battles. They seemed to have it all in this area.
What about singles? I actually played in a singles tournament with the Epic and played some of the best singles I’ve ever played. The extra power and spin you can generate is a huge asset for passing shots, big serves and big returns. You could also execute more finesse type shots like hard angled drive drops. This was a very solid singles paddle.
Soft Game
I explained in the performance overview that the paddles have a light, wooden feel to them when you first hit them. That changed for me after about a week and half of consistent play. It turned into a more stable and firm feel that I didn’t mind as much though I was never crazy about how they felt. I socialized the paddles with a lot of people and got a variety of opinions. Some liked it and some didn’t.
I found my soft game pretty quickly and it improved each time I played. Though they didn’t have the most pleasant feel, I was still able to control them well. I didn’t have any issues with routine drops, dinks, and resets. For whatever reason I had a good sense of distance awareness, I knew if I hit it high, low, or right on target. There were elements of my soft game that weren’t as tight as they would be with a control paddle, though. For example, when I was scrambling or stretched out for a shot, I noticed I would pop those up a bit more than I would with a softer paddle. Additionally, my thirds weren’t quite as consistent but I didn’t notice a significant drop off there.
Higher level players I shared the paddle with all found their soft game relatively quickly. These are power paddles though and are harder to control in general. They don’t enhance your soft game. If you don’t have a developed sense of touch then controlling these will be more difficult. However, if you have a sense of touch then I think you’ll be able to control these just fine.
The biggest drawback of the soft game with these paddles was their medium sized sweet spot. If you are a 3.5 or lower player, you’ll experience more negative effects with the tighter sweet spot. If you’re a 4.0 player then you’ll notice the smaller sweet spot but it shouldn’t hamper your game too much. If you’re a 4.5 or better player then I don’t think the size of the sweet spot will cause much of an issue.
When it came to stability I didn’t notice any vibrations or anything like that. Thinner core paddles aren’t going to be as stable as thicker core paddles but I thought they were more stable compared to other thin core paddles from Electrum, Gearbox and Prokennex paddles.
Other Player Comments
Picking Between the Invikta, Epic and S2
The shape of a paddle has an impact on how it performs. For this review, I played with Selkirk’s Invikta and Epic shapes. Though they share a lot of similar playability characteristics there are a couple of differences I’ll point out.
Start with this chart to easily compare the shapes side by side and then check out the short description of each of the shapes’ attributes below.
| Technical Specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Shape |
Length x Width |
Handle Length |
|
Invikta |
16.5″ x 7.4″ (Elongated) |
5.25″ |
|
S2 |
15.75″ x 8″ (Classic) |
4.5″ |
|
Epic |
15.75″ x 8″ (Classic) |
5.25″ |
Weight Options
Selkirk usually offers multiple weight options but they are launching the series with only the midweight option. They may release a lighter weight option later.
Invikta
This is their elongated shape. It offers more reach and bit more power and spin compared to the Epic at the expense of a smaller sweet spot. The difference in the size of the sweet spot was more noticeable between the Invikta and the Epic in the Vanguard Power Air series compared to the same shapes in Selkirk’s control focused Vanguard Hybrid series.
Epic
This shape is a little shorter and wider and would be considered a classic shape. It has a bigger sweet spot and is more player friendly. It has a little less power and spin though not enough to make a material difference. This shape had the edge in maneuverability too.
S2
The S2 is the same length and width as the Epic but with a shorter handle. I didn’t play with this one but I would speculate that it plays similar to the Epic, just with a little less power and spin and maybe a little bigger sweet spot.
Other Considerations
The paddles get scratched really easily around the edge. I would highly suggest getting some edge guard tape. Not lead tape, but protective tape you put around the edge to help prevent the scratching. You can pick some up on Amazon. Selkirk doesn’t offer any of that tape right now but I imagine they will create some after they read this review ;).
Who would like these paddles?
The Power Airs’ high power, spin, and maneuverability make them very attractive. However, they didn’t have the most pleasant feel in my opinion and is something you have to get past. The feel of the paddle didn’t give me a good first impression but after playing with them for two weeks I am not sure if I can put it down yet. If you can, I would suggest playing with the paddles for at least two weeks before you decide if it’s the right paddle for you.
These are true power paddles that fill a need for a smaller number of players looking for more power and spin but can manage the power and smaller sweet spot. They are not for everyone. But if you can manage the power then these are very enticing paddles that I think will enhance a lot of people’s games.
A Vanguard Power Air Story
I had been playing with the Airs for a couple of weeks and liked how I was hitting it so I kept the Epic in my hands for a tournament I had at the beginning of August. I ended up medaling in 4.5 mens doubles and took first in 4.5+ mens singles. I play singles occasionally but hadn’t competed in a singles tournament for a bit. This was easily the best singles I’ve ever played and I think the Power Air Epic played a role in my success. I could go bigger on my serves and returns and I was hitting stuff that surprised even me. There was one kid I beat that had smoked me in the last singles tournament I played in about a year ago. It felt good to get revenge. Thanks Selkirk Power Air!
It’s getting more common for people to have a paddle for singles and a paddle for doubles. If this sounds like you, the Vanguard Power Airs are one you’ll want in your bag for singles.
Shop the series
If you think a Vanguard Power Air paddle is right for you, pick one from Selkirk's website. They offer the most color and handle options there. Plus, their packaging is better!
Shop Vanguard Power AirBraydon 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.
