Welcome to June’s Paddle Blitz, your rapid-fire round up of paddle insights straight from my test sessions. This time, I took a look into Selkirk’s new SLK Era lineup, Honolulu’s foam-based J2NF series, and Volair’s revamped thermoformed line, the V.1F series.
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.
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The SLK ERA line is Selkirk’s take on a Gen 3 paddle, retailing at $200. Many players are comparing it to the 11SIX24 Power Series, and with good reason. Internally, both feature a floating core design with foam perimeter and dual carbon fiber strips to reinforce structure and boost perimeter weighting.
The paddles responded well to big swings, and players who could generate their own power were getting just as much on their drives as with any other paddle. The pop was good and gave you some help on counters, so you didn’t have to do it all yourself, but it wasn’t as poppy as the JOOLA Pro IVs or the Paddletek Bantams, making it easier to control than those. Plus, the stability was excellent for their respective shapes while still maintaining good maneuverability. Which isn’t easy to achieve.
| Metric | Elongated | Widebody |
|---|---|---|
Paddle Type | Power | Power |
Static Weight | 8 oz avg | 8 oz avg |
Swingweight | 117 avg | 111 avg |
Twistweight | 6.28 | 7.12 |
Core | 16mm Gen 3 Floating Core | 16mm Gen 3 Floating Core |
Handle Length | 5.75 | 5.6 |
Grip Size | 4.25 | 4.25 |
For more paddle stats like this, check out my paddle database.
These numbers look nice and translate well to how they play. The elongated version sits on the low end for swingweight for elongated shapes but still plows through the ball well. Both paddles felt incredibly stable in hand and played well straight out of the box—with or without customization.
While performance is comparable to the 11SIX24, I preferred the ERA’s slightly more solid, complete feel with added pop and offense. And considering Selkirk’s 1-year warranty (vs. 11SIX24’s 6-month), the extra $40 for the SLK Era seems justified—especially given how Gen 3 paddles can break down faster compared to other construction styles.
Only downside? No hybrid shape. If that’s a must, the 11SIX24 Vapor Power still has the edge or you can opt for a Honolulu J2NF which I talk about in the next section.
I do want to emphasize though that even while I thought the ERA’s performed better than the 11SIX24 Power Series, if you are trying to save as much money as you can then you don’t lose much going with the 11SIX24s and can save $40. I’m still an advocate for their Power series.
Verdict: I have a lot of positive things to say about these. They offer a strong mix of power, stability, and forgiveness right out of the box, and they come at a good value. If you’re looking for a less expensive JOOLA alternative or just want a top-tier power paddle, then these are ones you should consider.
Foam paddles are finally catching up to their promise, and the J2NF series from Honolulu is one of the first to deliver. Available in three face types:
All three share a full foam core with edge notches to increase flex and pop. These paddles feel like control models at impact but deliver power level performance. Plus you get the durability benefits of foam which means no core crush and less break in effects. I’m very excited for these and other foam paddles to keep coming to market.
| Metric | J2NFT | J2NFC | J2NFK |
|---|---|---|---|
Shape | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
Paddle Type | Power | Power | Power |
Static Weight | 8.2 oz avg | 8.2 oz avg | 8.2 oz avg |
Swingweight | 110-114 | 110-114 | 110-114 |
Twistweight | 6.8 avg | 6.8 avg | 6.8 avg |
Handle Length | 5.3″ | 5.3″ | 5.3″ |
Grip Size | 4.13″ | 4.13″ | 4.13″ |
For more paddle stats like this, check out my paddle database.
The Kevlar and PET faces offered the best blend of comfort and power, while the carbon version was stiffer than the other two and was my least favorite of the three. Between the PET and Kevlar, the Kevlar has the edge offensively—I would describe it as a lower-power paddle and the PET as an aggressive all-court paddle. They didn’t have a variance in power and pop levels; they were even there. Plus, they had a predictable bounce that I liked. There weren’t random balls that would shoot long or wide with a little extra power than expected, like some Gen 3 power paddles sometimes do.
Honolulu’s J2 shape is my favorite hybrid shape on the market right now. It has a level of forgiveness unmatched by another hybrid shape while somehow maintaining a lower swingweight and great maneuverability. They can be played out of the box if you like lightweight paddles though I preferred them with some weight added. Though the forgiveness was excellent, they weren’t quite as stable as their original J2K paddle for some reason.
Any downsides? Honolulu’s J2 shape is great but their other shape options aren’t ideal, I only like their hybrid shape so you’re limited there. While I love how these play, I think they are better with added weight on the bottom corners and sides so expect to customize them to your liking with some tungsten tape.
Verdict: A top-tier foam series that offers power performance with control-paddle comfort. Great for players looking for a durable paddle and like softer feeling paddles but still seeking some offensive help.
Notice: All Honolulu paddles have a bible verse discreetly etched on top of the paddle face.
Volair is revisiting its original thermoformed line with the V.1F series. This series is offered in both widebody and hybrid shapes and uses a PET/titanium face backed by two fiberglass layers, giving it more offensive punch than the original series though not as much as I expected.
I liked how the V.1F Widebody played and think it’s a nice upgrade from the original Mach 2, but I think their hybrid shape is outclassed by more modern hybrid paddles now. Additionally, the value isn’t great, as these paddles don’t feature any exciting new technology but are priced alongside models that do—like the Honolulu J2NF paddles.
| Metric | V.1F HYB | V.1F WB |
|---|---|---|
Shape | Hybrid | Widebody |
Paddle Type | Aggressive Control | Aggressive Control |
Static Weight | 8.1 oz avg | 8.1 oz avg |
Swingweight | 118 avg | 111 avg |
Twistweight | 6.49 avg | 7.4 avg |
Handle Length | 5.5″ | 5.5″ |
Grip Size | 4.15″ | 4.15″ |
For more paddle stats like this, check out my paddle database.
V.1F HYB
Volair was one of the first to offer a widebody shape with a longer handle in their Mach 2 paddle. I absolutely love this shape. It has to be one of the most forgiving paddles on the market, there isn’t a dead spot on the paddle.
The V.1F WB uses this same shape but paired it this time with some fiberglass layers that gave it some needed counter punch and drive power that it was lacking before. It’s still a control paddle but with a bump in finishing power.
The V.1F HYB on the other hand is one of my least favorite hybrid shapes. It’s on the heavier side of hybrid paddles and isn’t as forgiving as other hybrid paddles. I’m not sure why it’s heavier but it’s not as wide as other hybrids which is probably why it’s not as forgiving. Like the WB version, it also falls into that aggressive control paddle category.
Verdict:
While I liked how the V.1F WB played and think it is still a standout in the control category for widebody shapes, it is more expensive for the technology they are using.
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.
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.
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.
Looking for the right paddle to fit your game? Take our paddle fitting quiz for three recommendations that will match your style of play.
