Control vs Power: 52 paddle matchups compared
The oldest trade-off in paddle buying. A thicker core holds the ball on the face longer, which lands resets and dinks shorter; mass and a stiffer build send it out faster. Every matchup below is one where the two paddles genuinely split on this axis in measured Paddle DNA — not marketing language.
Control
More control
Power
More power
How to choose between them
Pick control if you lose more points on unforced drives and pop-ups than you win with put-aways. Pick power if you are getting out-driven off the baseline and your soft game already lands. Below 3.5, control almost always scores more points than raw power does.
Matchups that split on this axis
In each pair below, one paddle measurably leads control and the other leads power. Strongest contrasts first.
- Selkirk Vanguard Power Air vs Selkirk Luxx Control AirIn depthSelkirk Luxx Control Air leads control 94 vs 78; Selkirk Vanguard Power Air leads power 92 vs 71.
- Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16 vs Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Widebody 16In depthSelkirk Labs Project Boomstik Widebody 16 leads control 94 vs 84; Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16 leads power 95 vs 71.
- Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 vs Paddletek Tempest Wave V3In depthPaddletek Tempest Wave V3 leads control 92 vs 79; Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 leads power 91 vs 72.
- Selkirk Labs Project 006 vs Selkirk Luxx Control AirIn depthSelkirk Luxx Control Air leads control 94 vs 84; Selkirk Labs Project 006 leads power 92 vs 71.
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated vs Gearbox GX2 Integra XLIn depthGearbox GX2 Integra XL leads control 94 vs 83; Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated leads power 93 vs 73.
- Selkirk Vanguard Control Air Invikta vs Selkirk AMPED Pro Air InviktaIn depthSelkirk Vanguard Control Air Invikta leads control 95 vs 80; Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Invikta leads power 88 vs 74.
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated vs JOOLA Perseus CFS 16In depthJOOLA Perseus CFS 16 leads control 95 vs 82; Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads power 92 vs 84.
- JOOLA Hyperion C2 CFS 16 vs JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16In depthJOOLA Hyperion C2 CFS 16 leads control 91 vs 84; JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16 leads power 89 vs 75.
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 vs Gearbox Pro Power ElongatedIn depthGearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 leads control 89 vs 74; Gearbox Pro Power Elongated leads power 94 vs 88.
- Selkirk Labs Project 007 Epic 14 vs Selkirk Labs Project 006In depthSelkirk Labs Project 007 Epic 14 leads control 89 vs 84; Selkirk Labs Project 006 leads power 92 vs 77.
- Engage Pursuit Pro MX 12.7 vs Engage Pursuit Pro1 6.0 HybridIn depthEngage Pursuit Pro1 6.0 Hybrid leads control 92 vs 82; Engage Pursuit Pro MX 12.7 leads power 85 vs 75.
- CRBN CRBN-2X Square vs CRBN CRBN-1X Power SeriesIn depthCRBN CRBN-2X Square leads control 89 vs 80; CRBN CRBN-1X Power Series leads power 90 vs 80.
- Six Zero Double Black Diamond Control vs JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16In depthSix Zero Double Black Diamond Control leads control 93 vs 84; JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16 leads power 89 vs 79.
- Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16 vs JOOLA Perseus Pro V 16In depthJOOLA Perseus Pro V 16 leads control 96 vs 84; Selkirk Labs Project Boomstik Elongated 16 leads power 95 vs 88.
- Selkirk SLK Halo Control vs Selkirk SLK Evo Hybrid 2.0In depthSelkirk SLK Halo Control leads control 93 vs 82; Selkirk SLK Evo Hybrid 2.0 leads power 76 vs 69.
- Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 vs Paddletek Bantam ALW-C 14In depthPaddletek Bantam ALW-C 14 leads control 90 vs 79; Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 leads power 91 vs 85.
- Honolulu J2CR vs Six Zero Double Black Diamond ControlIn depthSix Zero Double Black Diamond Control leads control 93 vs 89; Honolulu J2CR leads power 92 vs 79.
- JOOLA Perseus CFS 16 vs JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16In depthJOOLA Perseus CFS 16 leads control 95 vs 84; JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16 leads power 89 vs 84.
- Selkirk SLK Halo XL Control vs Selkirk SLK Halo ControlIn depthSelkirk SLK Halo Control leads control 93 vs 88; Selkirk SLK Halo XL Control leads power 80 vs 69.
- Six Zero Double Black Diamond Control vs Six Zero Coral ProIn depthSix Zero Double Black Diamond Control leads control 93 vs 90; Six Zero Coral Pro leads power 90 vs 79.
- Six Zero Quartz Control vs Six Zero RubyIn depthSix Zero Quartz Control leads control 93 vs 86; Six Zero Ruby leads power 85 vs 78.
- ProXR Signature 16 vs ProXR Signature 13In depthProXR Signature 16 leads control 91 vs 83; ProXR Signature 13 leads power 84 vs 78.
- Gearbox Pro Power Elongated vs Gearbox CX14E Ultimate PowerIn depthGearbox CX14E Ultimate Power leads control 81 vs 74; Gearbox Pro Power Elongated leads power 94 vs 88.
- JOOLA Perseus Pro V 16 vs JOOLA Hyperion Pro V 16In depthJOOLA Perseus Pro V 16 leads control 96 vs 88; JOOLA Hyperion Pro V 16 leads power 93 vs 88.
- Ronbus R1 Pulsar vs Ronbus Nova R1In depthRonbus R1 Pulsar leads control 92 vs 89; Ronbus Nova R1 leads power 87 vs 78.
- Volair Mach 1 Forza 16 vs Six Zero Double Black Diamond ControlIn depthSix Zero Double Black Diamond Control leads control 93 vs 88; Volair Mach 1 Forza 16 leads power 86 vs 79.
- Vulcan V1100 16 vs ONIX Evoke PremierIn depthVulcan V1100 16 leads control 91 vs 84; ONIX Evoke Premier leads power 83 vs 78.
- CRBN TruFoam Genesis 1 vs CRBN TruFoam Genesis 2In depthCRBN TruFoam Genesis 2 leads control 89 vs 84; CRBN TruFoam Genesis 1 leads power 93 vs 87.
- JOOLA Scorpeus 14 vs JOOLA Perseus 14In depthJOOLA Scorpeus 14 leads control 89 vs 86; JOOLA Perseus 14 leads power 80 vs 74.
- CRBN CRBN-3X Power Series vs CRBN 2X Power SeriesIn depthCRBN CRBN-3X Power Series leads control 90 vs 84; CRBN 2X Power Series leads power 90 vs 87.
- Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro 16 vs Six Zero Double Black Diamond ControlIn depthSix Zero Double Black Diamond Control leads control 93 vs 90; Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro 16 leads power 84 vs 79.
- Gearbox CX14H Ultimate Power vs Gearbox CX14E Ultimate PowerIn depthGearbox CX14E Ultimate Power leads control 81 vs 78; Gearbox CX14H Ultimate Power leads power 92 vs 88.
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated vs Bread & Butter Loco 16mm HybridIn depthBread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid leads control 85 vs 82; Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads power 92 vs 89.
- Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Invikta vs Franklin Signature Carbon STRFranklin Signature Carbon STR leads control 83 vs 80; Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Invikta leads power 88 vs 76.
- Engage Encore Pro EX vs Selkirk SLK Evo Hybrid 2.0Engage Encore Pro EX leads control 88 vs 82; Selkirk SLK Evo Hybrid 2.0 leads power 76 vs 70.
- Honolulu J6CR vs ONIX Evoke PremierONIX Evoke Premier leads control 84 vs 81; Honolulu J6CR leads power 90 vs 83.
- Franklin Signature 16 Composite vs Selkirk AMPED Pro Air InviktaFranklin Signature 16 Composite leads control 83 vs 80; Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Invikta leads power 88 vs 81.
- 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2 vs CRBN CRBN-1XCRBN CRBN-1X leads control 89 vs 85; 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2 leads power 94 vs 89.
- Selkirk SLK Halo Control vs JOOLA Essentials 16Selkirk SLK Halo Control leads control 93 vs 89; JOOLA Essentials 16 leads power 74 vs 69.
- Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Invikta vs ONIX Evoke PremierONIX Evoke Premier leads control 84 vs 80; Selkirk AMPED Pro Air Invikta leads power 88 vs 83.
- Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 vs ONIX Evoke Premier ProONIX Evoke Premier Pro leads control 82 vs 79; Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 leads power 91 vs 85.
- Selkirk Vanguard Power Air vs JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16 leads control 84 vs 78; Selkirk Vanguard Power Air leads power 92 vs 89.
- ProXR Signature 13 vs Selkirk SLK Halo XL ControlSelkirk SLK Halo XL Control leads control 88 vs 83; ProXR Signature 13 leads power 84 vs 80.
- Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro 16 vs Vatic Pro Oni 16Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro 16 leads control 90 vs 86; Vatic Pro Oni 16 leads power 88 vs 84.
- Engage Pursuit MX 6.0 vs Selkirk Vanguard Control Air InviktaSelkirk Vanguard Control Air Invikta leads control 95 vs 91; Engage Pursuit MX 6.0 leads power 78 vs 74.
- ONIX Evoke Premier vs Gearbox CX14E Ultimate PowerONIX Evoke Premier leads control 84 vs 81; Gearbox CX14E Ultimate Power leads power 88 vs 83.
- Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro vs JOOLA Essentials 16Paddletek Tempest Wave Pro leads control 93 vs 89; JOOLA Essentials 16 leads power 74 vs 70.
- Gearbox Pro Power Elongated vs Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 leads control 79 vs 74; Gearbox Pro Power Elongated leads power 94 vs 91.
- Volair Mach 1 Forza 16 vs Bread & Butter Loco 16mm HybridVolair Mach 1 Forza 16 leads control 88 vs 85; Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid leads power 89 vs 86.
- CRBN TruFoam Genesis 1 vs CRBN TruFoam Genesis 3CRBN TruFoam Genesis 3 leads control 87 vs 84; CRBN TruFoam Genesis 1 leads power 93 vs 90.
- Engage Pursuit Pro MX 12.7 vs Vatic Pro V7 HybridVatic Pro V7 Hybrid leads control 85 vs 82; Engage Pursuit Pro MX 12.7 leads power 85 vs 82.
- JOOLA Perseus 14 vs Selkirk Labs Project 007 Epic 14Selkirk Labs Project 007 Epic 14 leads control 89 vs 86; JOOLA Perseus 14 leads power 80 vs 77.
Control vs Power FAQ
- Is a control or power pickleball paddle better?
- Neither in the abstract. Control paddles hold the ball on the face longer, which makes resets, dinks and third-shot drops land shorter and more predictably. Power paddles return energy faster, which helps on drives and put-aways but shrinks your margin on soft shots. Most players under 4.0 score more points with control.
- Does a thicker core mean more control?
- Usually. A 16 mm core deforms more on contact and holds the ball a fraction longer, which raises control and touch and lowers pop. A 14 mm version of the same paddle returns the ball faster. Comparing the two thicknesses of one model is the cleanest way to see the trade in isolation.
- Can a paddle have both control and power?
- Partly. Adding mass toward the head raises power without giving up dwell time, but it also raises swing weight, so you pay for it with hand speed at the kitchen. What a paddle cannot do is be at the top of both the control and pop scales at once.