Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid vs RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2

The verdict

Scored on the same 15-trait Paddle DNA model, the clearest separation is softness: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid scores 85 against 74 for RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 — an 11-point gap. They are effectively level on power, stability, plow through, so those traits should not decide the purchase. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid is $69.99000000000001 cheaper at $180.

• Softness

  Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid leads by 11 points (85 vs 74).

• Twist weight

  RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 leads by 7 points (86 vs 79).

• Spin

  RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 leads by 6 points (94 vs 88).

• Pop

  RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 leads by 4 points (88 vs 84).

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.

Which one should you buy?

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid vs RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 FAQ

Which is better, the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid or the RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 carries the higher overall Paddle IQ score (86.3 vs 84.1), but IQ is a weighted average. On the trait that separates them most — softness — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid leads by 11 points.

Which one is faster at the kitchen line?

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid, at 114 kg·cm² swing weight against 117 for RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2. Lower swing weight is the single best predictor of hand speed in fast exchanges.

Which paddle has more power, the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid or the RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 scores 92 for power against 89 for Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid. That comes from a 16 mm Tri-Density honeycomb core with EVA foam ring core swinging at 117 kg·cm² — mass behind the ball, not face material.

Which one gives more control and touch?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 at 86 versus 85. 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?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 scores 94 for spin off its CarbonBite raw carbon with Axial Carbon Layup face, against 88 for the Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face on Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid. In practice a 6-point gap is noticeable on third-shot drives.

Which is more forgiving on off-center hits?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2, with the higher forgiveness score (84 vs 83). Its 6.5 twist weight against 6.4 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 Hybrid costs $180, $69.99000000000001 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 Hybrid: 16 mm Full foam dual-density core with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face. RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2: 16 mm Tri-Density honeycomb core with EVA foam ring core with a CarbonBite raw carbon with Axial Carbon Layup 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?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 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 Hybrid rewards a repeatable swing and can feel less stable before that.

Which is lighter in the hand?

RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 at 7.9 oz against 8.2 oz. Static weight matters for arm fatigue and elbow comfort; swing weight (117 vs 114) is what you feel mid-rally.

Is it worth upgrading from the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid to the RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2?

Only if you need what it actually adds. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid leads on softness by 11 points; everything else is within 7 points. At $180 vs $249.99, the money is better spent elsewhere unless that one trait is your weak spot.

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 Hybrid vs Pegasus Gen 3
• Loco 16mm Hybrid vs Loco 2 Hybrid 16mm
• Loco 16mm Hybrid vs Oni 16
• Loco 16mm Hybrid vs Nova R1

• Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs Ultré Power 2
• Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs 1X TruFoam Power
• Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs Agassi Pro 16
• Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs Hyperion Pro V 16

Top alternatives to both

Paddles that beat one of these two on a specific trait or on price.

Read the full reviews: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid and RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2. Or build a different comparison, browse the full database or find paddles within 5% of your current one.