4 of 7 views are still being sourced from GAMMA. We only publish photography of this exact model, so empty slots stay empty until the real shot exists.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are checked periodically and can change.
GAMMA
The softest paddle in this group and one of the lightest-swinging. Softness 86 plus a 102 swing weight is a recipe for confident dinks — provided you accept a low power ceiling.
From GAMMA
Control-focused paddle built with a Toray T700 raw carbon fiber face and a 16mm core for precision placement, soft touch, and consistent shot control. Built with a Toray T700 raw carbon fiber face, the Obsidian 16 is engineered for players who prioritize control and consistency. The 16mm core delivers a softer feel and enhanced dwell time, allowing for precise resets, accurate placement, and confident shot shaping.
Official GAMMA product page →Cross-shopping? Most buyers weigh the Obsidian 16 against the HEAD Radical Tour Ultra 16 — see them side by side, or browse every GAMMA paddle.
AI verdict — generated from measured specs
Last updated: July 2026
The GAMMA Obsidian 16 scores 80.3/100 on our IQ index, built from all 15 Paddle DNA traits. Its signature is forgiveness (88/100, 78th percentile of the database), backed by maneuverability at 84 and sweet spot at 86. The 16 mm Polypropylene honeycomb core and Textured graphite composite face at 7.7 oz put it in the placement-first — you win points by out-positioning people bracket.
Where it gives ground is pop (68) and spin (74). With a 102 kg·cm² swing weight and a 5 in handle it suits beginner/intermediate players, one-handed backhands, hands battles at the kitchen. Skip it if you rely on raw put-away pace.
Closest paddles by DNA: HEAD Radical Tour Ultra 16 ($160), Ronbus R1 Pulsar ($120), Paddletek Tempest Wave V3 ($150). If budget matters, the Selkirk SLK Halo XL Control lands within 4 IQ points for $50 less. Overall: a reasonable pick in its price band rather than a category leader — buy it for the specific trait it wins on.
In depth
The Obsidian 16 is the softest, lightest-swinging paddle in this group: softness 86 and a 102 swing weight, built for the soft game and for players managing arm strain.
The sections below are analysis of measured specifications and Paddle DNA™ values, not a play-test write-up. Where we have hit with a paddle, those notes appear separately and are attributed.
This is one of the fastest paddles in the database through the hitting zone. Maneuverability 84 means you can win extended hands battles by simply getting there first. The cost is written plainly in the other numbers: plow-through 68 and power 72 mean hard incoming balls push the face back rather than the reverse.
A compliant core absorbs more of the impact shock that stiff thermoformed builds transmit into the wrist and elbow. That is why paddles with high softness figures dominate arm-friendly recommendations. Combined with touch 86, it also produces the longest dwell time here, which is what makes dinks and resets predictable.
Textured graphite composite delivers spin 74 when new and less as the texture polishes down. It is a real limitation against raw-carbon paddles in the same price bracket, and it is the main reason the Obsidian reads as a soft-game tool rather than an all-court one.
Community consensus
Verbatim excerpts from public discussion and independent reviews, plus the themes they add up to. These are other people's opinions, not ours, and every quote links back to where it was written.
No sourced community excerpts are published for this paddle yet. We only quote text we can link back to.
AI paddle match
Each pick is the database's best answer to one specific question, ranked by how far it moves the needle versus the Obsidian 16.
The matchups people actually cross-shop, each with a full 15-trait breakdown.
Other head-to-heads shoppers read alongside the Obsidian 16.
Every trait normalised 0-100 against the full database, so these numbers mean the same thing on any paddle page. How we measure →
Key attributes
Our similarity engine ranks the whole database by average DNA deviation. Tighten or widen the band to see how far you have to travel to save money or gain a trait.
Paddle DNA™ match
GAMMA Obsidian 16
IQ 80.3 · $150
Ranked by DNA deviation
+4 swing weight · -4 touch
Saves $30 versus the Obsidian 16 · +14 spin · -4 forgiveness · Higher IQ score (83.5 vs 80.3)
+12 launch angle · -6 swing weight · Higher IQ score (82.9 vs 80.3)
Saves $20 versus the Obsidian 16 · +22 launch angle · -12 swing weight · Higher IQ score (80.9 vs 80.3)
+7 control · -10 twist weight
Saves $40 versus the Obsidian 16 · +17 launch angle · -8 swing weight
Saves $76 versus the Obsidian 16 · +16 launch angle · -14 swing weight
+14 launch angle · -10 swing weight · Higher IQ score (83.5 vs 80.3)
Each pick beats the Obsidian 16 on one specific thing — price, power, control or forgiveness.
Closest matches by player level, hand weight and price — the paddles most players cross-shop against the GAMMA Obsidian 16.
HEAD Radical Tour Ultra 1616 mm · standard · 7.8 oz · SW 105$16080
Ronbus R1 Pulsar16 mm · elongated · 7.9 oz · SW 104$12084
Paddletek Tempest Wave V316 mm · standard · 7.9 oz · SW 110$15083
Engage Encore Pro EX16 mm · standard · 7.8 oz · SW 105$13081Want a different matchup? Compare any two paddles or browse the full paddle database.
Reviewed by
Alex built the Paddle DNA™ database behind PickleballLookup — 15 normalized traits measured against every paddle in the catalog. Every page on this site is generated from that data and editorially reviewed before publication.
Last updated July 2026 · How we score paddles