Elongated shapes trade sweet spot width for reach, leverage and power. These are the models that manage the trade-off best.
The 10 paddles below were selected from 53 qualifying models. By shape the shortlist is 10 elongated. Face construction is 3 raw t700 carbon, 2 raw toray t700 carbon and 1 multistrata t700 carbon with infinigrit. Static weight runs 7.9–8.4 oz and prices run $160 to $333, with a shortlist average of $237. 8 brands are represented, led by CRBN (3), Selkirk (1) and Gearbox (1).
Criteria · Elongated shape only, ranked by IQ score.
Ranking rule: Elongated shape only, ranked by IQ score. Every paddle in the database is rated on the same 15 Paddle DNA traits — power, control, spin, forgiveness, sweet spot, stability, manoeuvrability, pop, touch, consistency, swing weight, twist weight, launch angle, plow-through and softness — and each trait is normalized 0-100 so scores are comparable across brands and price brackets. This page orders by overall IQ score, a weighted composite of all 15 traits. No paddle pays to appear, positions are recomputed whenever a model is added or retested, and retailer links are affiliate links that do not affect the ordering.
CRBN-3X Power Series carries an IQ score of 87.9, 1.3 above the shortlist average, built on 87 power, 90 control and 93 spin. A 114 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.6 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 89, stability 88). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8 oz with a Raw T700 carbon face and a 5.25" handle. 1X owners who want more forgiveness At $170 it sits $67 below the shortlist average.
Trade-off:5.25 in handle is short for two-handed backhands
CRBN-1X carries an IQ score of 87.5, 0.9 above the shortlist average, built on 89 power, 89 control and 94 spin. A 119 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.6 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 86, stability 89). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.3 oz with a Raw Toray T700 carbon face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Tennis converters who live on topspin drives At $220 it sits $17 below the shortlist average.
Most stable3. Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16
Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16 carries an IQ score of 87.1, 0.5 above the shortlist average, built on 95 power, 84 control and 91 spin. A 118 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 7.2 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 88, stability 92). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.25 oz with a Multistrata T700 carbon with InfiniGrit face and a 5.8" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Power players who finish points from the transition zone At $333 it sits $96 above the shortlist average.
CRBN TruFoam Genesis X carries an IQ score of 87, 0.4 above the shortlist average, built on 91 power, 88 control and 90 spin. A 119 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.7 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 86, stability 90). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.3 oz with a Raw T700 carbon face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. All-court players who want foam feel with reach At $270 it sits $33 above the shortlist average.
Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 carries an IQ score of 86.8, 0.2 above the shortlist average, built on 88 power, 89 control and 90 spin. A 116 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.8 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 86, stability 90). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8 oz with a Toray T700 raw carbon with TXR grip texture face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Players who want a firm, engineered all-court feel At $275 it sits $38 above the shortlist average.
RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 carries an IQ score of 86.3, 0.3 below the shortlist average, built on 92 power, 86 control and 94 spin. A 117 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.5 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 84, stability 88). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 7.9 oz with a CarbonBite raw carbon with Axial Carbon Layup face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Aggressive singles and drive-first players At $250 it sits $13 above the shortlist average.
Trade-off:Swing weight 117 is slow in hands battles
JOOLA Hyperion Pro V 16 carries an IQ score of 86.1, 0.5 below the shortlist average, built on 93 power, 88 control and 90 spin. At 124 swing weight it is one of the heavier options here, trading a little hand speed for plow-through, and the 6.5 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 82, stability 89). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.4 oz with a Raw Toray T700 carbon face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Power baseliners with fast preparation At $300 it sits $63 above the shortlist average.
Engage Pursuit Pro EX 16 carries an IQ score of 85.9, 0.7 below the shortlist average, built on 82 power, 90 control and 86 spin. A 114 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.8 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 88, stability 86). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.3 oz with a Textured graphite face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Soft-game specialists and dinkers At $220 it sits $17 below the shortlist average.
Ronbus Nova R1 carries an IQ score of 85.7, 0.9 below the shortlist average, built on 87 power, 89 control and 88 spin. A 116 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.4 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 85, stability 87). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.1 oz with a Raw T700 carbon face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Intermediate players who do not want to specialise yet At $160 it sits $77 below the shortlist average.
Trade-off:Brand availability is direct-to-consumer only
Fastest hands10. Proton Series Four (Project Roadrunner)
Proton Series Four (Project Roadrunner) carries an IQ score of 85.6, 1 below the shortlist average, built on 85 power, 88 control and 95 spin. Its 110 swing weight is the light end of this group, so hands stay quick at the kitchen line, and the 6.3 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 82, stability 83). Physically it is a 15 mm elongated paddle at 7.9 oz with an Aerospace bi-directional carbon with exposed aramid weave face and a 5.375" handle. Spin-first players who wear faces out At $175 it sits $62 below the shortlist average.
Trade-off:15 mm hybrid core has less plow-through than 16 mm rivals
IQ blends all 15 Paddle DNA traits into one number, which makes it useful for ordering a list and useless for choosing between two paddles a point apart. In this shortlist the IQ range is 85.6–87.9 while swing weight ranges 110–124. The swing weight difference will change your game far more than the IQ difference.
Twist weight decides how often mishits stay in play
Twist weight measures resistance to the face rotating when you contact off-centre — the single most common source of lost points below 4.0. This shortlist spans 6.3–7.2. Anything at or above 7 here is the forgiving half of the group; below that you are asking for cleaner contact in exchange for something else, usually hand speed or price.
Swing weight is the number your elbow feels
The paddles here run 110 to 124 in swing weight. Every point up adds plow-through on drives and takes away speed in hands battles. If you play mostly doubles at the line, bias low; if you drive from the baseline or play singles, bias high. Static weight in ounces is a much weaker predictor of either.
Core thickness splits this list
9 of the 10 picks use a 16 mm core, 1 of the 10 picks use a 15 mm core. Thicker cores hold the ball marginally longer, which shows up as control and touch; thinner cores return it faster, which shows up as pop. Compare the same brand's two thicknesses directly before assuming one is better.
What you get for the money
The cheapest paddle here is the Ronbus Nova R1 at $160 (IQ 85.7); the most expensive is the Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16 at $333 (IQ 87.1). That is a $173 spread for 1.3999999999999915 points of IQ. On score-per-dollar the Ronbus Nova R1 at $160 is the strongest buy in the group, which is worth knowing before you assume the top of the list is the paddle to order.
Which one should you buy?
If you want the highest overall rating and price is secondary, take the CRBN-3X Power Series. If you are getting beaten in hands battles, take the Proton Series Four (Project Roadrunner) — its 110 swing weight is the lowest here. If your contact still drifts off centre, take the CRBN-3X Power Series (forgiveness 89, twist weight 6.6). If you want the most performance per dollar, take the Ronbus Nova R1 at $160. Those four cover the overwhelming majority of buyers on this page.
What is the best elongated pickleball paddles right now?
The CRBN-3X Power Series tops this list with an IQ score of 87.9. It is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8 oz and $170. 1X owners who want more forgiveness
How were these 10 paddles chosen?
Elongated shape only, ranked by IQ score. 53 paddles in our database met the filter and the top 10 by that ranking are shown. The ordering is computed from Paddle DNA values, not editor preference, so it updates automatically when a new paddle is added.
What is the cheapest good option on this list?
The Ronbus Nova R1 at $160 has the best score-per-dollar of the group (IQ 85.7). Prices across the shortlist run $160 to $333.
Does a more expensive paddle in this category actually play better?
Not consistently. Across this shortlist the price spread is $173 while the IQ spread is only 2.3000000000000114 points. Price tracks build consistency and twist weight more closely than it tracks raw performance, which is why the value pick above is often the smarter order.
Head-to-head comparisons from this list
Crawlable links between the picks above, so each matchup is discoverable without the sitemap.
#1CRBN-3X Power Series16 mm · elongated · 8 oz · SW 114$17088
