Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid vs RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2
Both paddles measured on the same 15-trait Paddle DNA test. RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 takes the higher overall IQ score, but the right pick depends on which traits you value.
Add a third paddle to this comparison →
Paddle DNA head-to-head
- 89Power92
- 85Control86
- 88Spin94
- 83Forgiveness84
- 85Sweet spot86
- 85Stability88
- 72Maneuverability72
- 84Pop88
- 83Touch82
- 85Consistency86
- 81Swing weight80
- 79Twist weight86
- 61Launch angle60
- 86Plow through88
- 85Softness74
Specs
| $180 | Price | $250 |
|---|---|---|
| 16 mm | Core | 16 mm |
| 8.2 oz | Weight | 8 oz |
| 114 | Swing weight | 117 |
| 6.4 | Twist weight | 6.5 |
| hybrid | Shape | elongated |
| Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face | Surface | CarbonBite raw carbon with Axial Carbon Layup |
| 5.5 in | Handle | 5.5 in |
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid verdict
The shape most Loco buyers should start with. It keeps the long handle and most of the drive output while widening the face enough to make off-center contact survivable.
RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 verdict
The James Ignatowich signature build is an unapologetic attack paddle: 16.5 in of reach, a grippy CarbonBite face and a tri-density core that launches drives without giving up the sweet spot the first V2 lacked.
The verdict
Measured on the same 15-trait test, the clearest separation is softness: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid scores 85 against 74 for RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 — a 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 $70 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 should you buy?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid
Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid if you want softness (+11). Its swing weight of 114 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid review →RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2
Take RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 if you want twist weight (+7), spin (+6), pop (+4). Its swing weight of 117 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 review →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 measures 92 on power against 89 for Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid. That comes from a 16 mm Tri-Density 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 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 6.5 twist weight against 6.4. Higher twist weight means the face rotates less when you miss the middle, and RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 carries the higher forgiveness score (84) as a result.
- Is the price difference worth it?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid costs $180, $70 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 core with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face face. RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2: 16 mm Tri-Density core with EVA foam ring core with a CarbonBite raw carbon with Axial Carbon Layup face.
- Which is better for a two-handed backhand?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid, at 5.5 in of handle against 5.5 in. Anything under 5.25 in forces you to choke the bottom hand onto the face bevel, which Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid avoids.
- 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. RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 rewards a repeatable swing and can feel unstable before that.
- Which is lighter in the hand?
- RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 at 8 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 $250, 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 Oni 16
- Loco 16mm Hybrid vs Nova R1
- Loco 16mm Hybrid vs TruFoam Genesis 3
- Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs Ultré Power 2
- Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs Hyperion Pro V 16
- Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs Pegasus Gen 3
- Friction Pro Elongated V2 vs CRBN-1X
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.