Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated vs Volair Mach 2 Forza 16
Both paddles are scored using the same 15-trait Paddle DNA model. Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 takes the higher overall IQ score, but the right pick depends on which traits you value.
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Quick answer
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 edges it on the overall Paddle IQ score (84.6 vs 81.4), but the two split the scored categories — pick on the one trait you care about most.
Power
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated
92 vs 88
Spin
Too close to call
88 vs 88
Control
Too close to call
84 vs 82
Forgiveness
84 vs 76
Hand speed
115 vs 118 kg·cm² swing weight
Value
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated
$180 at IQ 81.4 vs $200 at IQ 84.6
Overall pick: Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 · $200 · IQ 84.6
Paddle DNA head-to-head
- 92Power88
- 82Control84
- 88Spin88
- 76Forgiveness84
- 79Sweet spot86
- 82Stability88
- 67Maneuverability76
- 86Pop84
- 80Touch80
- 83Consistency84
- 86Swing weight76
- 72Twist weight84
- 60Launch angle56
- 91Plow through88
- 84Softness70
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated vs Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 specs
Every spec side by side. Highlighted values are the better of the two where one is objectively better.
| Spec | Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated | Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Street price(USD) | $180 — better | $200 |
| IQ score(/ 100) | 81.4 | 84.6 — better |
| Weight(oz) | 8.3 | 8.3 |
| Core thickness(mm) | 16 | 16 |
| Swing weight(kg·cm²)Lower swings faster | 118 | 115 |
| Twist weight(kg·cm²)Higher is more stable | 6.2 | 6.9 — better |
| Shape | elongated | elongated |
| Face length(in) | 16.5 | 16.5 |
| Face width(in) | 7.5 | 7.4 |
| Handle length(in) | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Grip circumference(in) | 4.25 | 4.25 |
| Surface | Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face | Raw T700 carbon |
| Core material | Full foam dual-density core | Foam-injected thermoformed polymer |
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated verdict
A full-foam power paddle at roughly a hundred dollars under the comparable CRBN and JOOLA builds. The fiberglass middle layer is what produces the pop; the foam is what stops that pop turning brittle.
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 verdict
Volair's second-gen Forza adds foam walls without adding swing weight past 115. Power 88 and stability 88 make it a genuine tournament option.
The verdict
Scored on the same 15-trait Paddle DNA model, the clearest separation is softness: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated scores 84 against 70 for Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 — a 14-point gap. They are effectively level on plow through, control, pop, so those traits should not decide the purchase. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated is $20 cheaper at $180.
Softness
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads by 14 points (84 vs 70).
Twist weight
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 leads by 12 points (84 vs 72).
Swing weight
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads by 10 points (86 vs 76).
Maneuverability
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 leads by 9 points (76 vs 67).
Which one is right for your level?
Each call below re-weights the Paddle DNA traits that matter at that level, so the winner can differ from the overall pick.
Beginner
New to 3.0 — still building a consistent contact point
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 is the clearer pick at this level — forgiveness 84 vs 76, twist weight 84 vs 72, sweet spot 86 vs 79. Twist weight 6.9 keeps the face steadier on off-centre contact.
- Forgiveness
- Twist weight
- Sweet spot
Intermediate
3.0–3.9 — playing organised rec and early tournaments
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 is a narrow pick at this level — maneuverability 76 vs 67, forgiveness 84 vs 76, control 84 vs 82. At 115 kg·cm² swing weight it stays quick enough for hands battles.
- Maneuverability
- Forgiveness
- Control
Advanced / tournament
4.0+ — repeatable swing, fast hands battles
Too close to call on the traits that matter here (84.6 vs 84.7 on the weighted index). Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated and keep the $20.
- Maneuverability
- Control
Arm-sensitive players
Anyone managing tennis elbow or shoulder load
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated is a narrow pick at this level — softness 84 vs 70. Its 16 mm Full foam dual-density core at 8.3 oz is the softer, lower-shock build of the two.
- Softness
Which one should you buy?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated
Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated if you want softness (+14), swing weight (+10), power (+4). Its swing weight of 118 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated review →Volair Mach 2 Forza 16
Take Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 if you want twist weight (+12), maneuverability (+9), forgiveness (+8). Its swing weight of 115 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 review →Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated vs Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 FAQ
- Which is better, the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated or the Volair Mach 2 Forza 16?
- Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 carries the higher overall Paddle IQ score (84.6 vs 81.4), but IQ is a weighted average. On the trait that separates them most — softness — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads by 14 points.
- Which one is faster at the kitchen line?
- Volair Mach 2 Forza 16, at 115 kg·cm² swing weight against 118 for Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated. Lower swing weight is the single best predictor of hand speed in fast exchanges.
- Which paddle has more power, the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated or the Volair Mach 2 Forza 16?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated scores 92 for power against 88 for Volair Mach 2 Forza 16. That comes from a 16 mm Full foam dual-density core swinging at 118 kg·cm² — mass behind the ball, not face material.
- Which one gives more control and touch?
- Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 at 84 versus 82. Its 16 mm core holds the ball on the face slightly longer, which is what makes resets and dinks land shorter.
- Which paddle spins the ball more?
- Too close to call — neither has an advantage here. Both score 88 for spin.
- Which is more forgiving on off-center hits?
- Volair Mach 2 Forza 16, with the higher forgiveness score (84 vs 76). Its 6.9 twist weight against 6.2 is what drives it — higher twist weight means the face rotates less when you miss the middle.
- Is the price difference worth it?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated costs $180, $20 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on whether you actually use the traits it trades away — check the head-to-head DNA bars above before paying up.
- Do they use the same core and face?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated: 16 mm Full foam dual-density core with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face. Volair Mach 2 Forza 16: 16 mm Foam-injected thermoformed polymer core with a Raw T700 carbon face.
- Which is better for a two-handed backhand?
- Too close to call — neither has an advantage here. Both run a 5.5 in handle, long enough that neither forces you to choke the bottom hand onto the face bevel.
- Which one is better for beginners?
- Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 is the safer first paddle here: forgiveness 84 and sweet spot 86 mean fewer mishits while your contact point is still inconsistent. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated rewards a repeatable swing and can feel less stable before that.
- Which is lighter in the hand?
- Too close to call — neither has an advantage here. Both are listed at 8.3 oz, though swing weight differs (118 vs 115) and that is what you feel mid-rally.
- Is it worth upgrading from the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated to the Volair Mach 2 Forza 16?
- Only if you need what it actually adds. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads on softness by 14 points; everything else is within 12 points. At $180 vs $200, the money is better spent elsewhere unless that one trait is your weak spot.
Related comparisons
The other matchups shoppers open in the same session as this one.
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Loco 16mm Hybrid
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Perseus CFS 16
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs GX2 Power Elongated
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs R4 Pulsar
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Black Diamond Power 16
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Vantage Power 16
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Pro XS 16
- Mach 2 Forza 16 vs Hyperion CFS 16
Also worth comparing
Head-to-heads that share DNA with this matchup — useful if you're still deciding between shapes, cores or price tiers.
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs TruFoam Genesis 1
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Hyperion CFS 16
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Labs Project 006
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs GX2 Power Elongated
- Mach 2 Forza 16 vs Agassi Pro 16
- Mach 2 Forza 16 vs R4 Pulsar
- Mach 2 Forza 16 vs CRBN-5 TruFoam Hybrid
- Mach 2 Forza 16 vs Extreme Tour 16
Top alternatives to both
Paddles that beat one of these two on a specific trait or on price.
Guides featuring these paddles
Still deciding? These buying guides put Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated and Volair Mach 2 Forza 16 in context against the rest of the database.
Read the full reviews: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated and Volair Mach 2 Forza 16. Or build a different comparison, browse the full database or find paddles within 5% of your current one.