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Paddletek
The Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 is a 14 mm standard pickleball paddle weighing 8.2 oz, with a Carbon fiber face, listed around $180.
A pure pop paddle. Counters come off the face faster than almost anything in the database, and the trade-off is a firm, chatty feel on soft shots.
From Paddletek
The Bantam TKO-C was designed in conjunction with top pickleball pro, Christian Alshon, to provide a combination of power, spin, and reach. PT-700 unidirectional raw carbon fiber is combined with our legendary Bantam core to give serious players max power and spin capability. A 16.5" overall paddle length increases speed at the point of contact—exponentially increasing power with every hit.
Official Paddletek product page →Cross-shopping? Most buyers weigh the Bantam TKO-C 14 against the Gearbox CX14H Ultimate Power — see them side by side, or browse every Paddletek paddle.
Paddle DNA Verdict
Last updated: August 2026
Derived from our published scoring model and sourced paddle specifications.
The Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14 scores 78.6/100 on our IQ index, built from all 15 Paddle DNA traits. Its signature is pop (92/100, 98th percentile of the database — elite — top-tier), backed by power at 91 and plow through at 88. The 14 mm Bantam power core and Carbon fiber face at 8.2 oz make it a pace-first paddle: you win points by ending them.
Where it gives ground is forgiveness (72) and touch (72). With a 115 kg·cm² swing weight and a 5 in handle it suits advanced/pro players, one-handed backhands, balanced doubles play. Skip it if your contact point still moves around the face.
Closest paddles by DNA: Gearbox CX14H Ultimate Power ($250), Holbrook Pickleball Power Pro X 14 ($200), Selkirk Vanguard Power Air ($250). If budget matters, the JOOLA Essentials 16 lands within 4 IQ points for $91 less. Overall: a below-average overall score in the database — only worth it if its one standout trait is exactly what you need.
In depth
The Bantam TKO-C 14 is a pure pop paddle. Pop 92 and power 91 are top-of-table figures, delivered in a standard shape that keeps your hands fast.
The sections below are analysis of published 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.
Most paddles reaching this pop figure are elongated and slow. The TKO-C gets there with a 14 mm Bantam power core in a 16.0 x 7.9 in standard outline at 115 swing weight, so maneuverability stays at 73. In a hands battle at the kitchen, that combination — fast counter off the face, fast paddle through the air — is exactly what wins the exchange.
Softness 56 and touch 72 are among the lowest here. A stiff core returns energy instead of absorbing it, which is the same property producing the pop. That means resets rebound unless you actively soften the hand, and feedback through the handle is loud and chatty.
The thin core and modest twist weight mean off-center contact both loses pace and leaves at a different angle than you intended. The wide standard face limits how often that happens, but this is not a paddle that covers for inconsistent contact.
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.
“Paddletek Bantam ALW-C 12.7. A power paddle but have good control IMO.”
“The 14.3mm Bantam is around the 85th percentile for both.”
“Paddletek's Bantam TKO-CX 14.3mm (5.75" handle) is very popular amongst tennis players.”
Built from the retailer offers we track for this paddle. In stock at all 2 tracked retailers. Prices last checked Jul 30, 2026.
Tracked price range
$180 – $187
$7 spread between retailers
Typical price
$183.50
Median of tracked offers
MSRP
$199
Best tracked offer is 10% under list
Recorded low / high
$180 / $187
2 price points since Jul 30, 2026
Cheapest tracked offer sits $3.50 below the typical price.
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 Bantam TKO-C 14.
The matchups people actually cross-shop, each with a full 15-trait breakdown.
Other head-to-heads shoppers read alongside the Bantam TKO-C 14.
Every trait normalised 0-100 against the full database, so these numbers mean the same thing on any paddle page. How we score →
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
Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14
IQ 78.6 · $180
Ranked by DNA deviation
+6 launch angle
+9 maneuverability · -8 plow through
+7 launch angle · -9 twist weight
+10 swing weight · -4 maneuverability · Higher IQ score (79.9 vs 78.6)
+11 twist weight · -5 maneuverability · Higher IQ score (80.4 vs 78.6)
+10 forgiveness · Higher IQ score (82.3 vs 78.6)
+11 maneuverability · -12 plow through · Higher IQ score (78.9 vs 78.6)
+11 maneuverability · -6 plow through · Higher IQ score (81.9 vs 78.6)
Each pick beats the Bantam TKO-C 14 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 Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 14.
Gearbox CX14H Ultimate Power14 mm · hybrid · 8 oz · SW 114$25078
Holbrook Pickleball Power Pro X 1414 mm · hybrid · 8 oz · SW 110$20078
Selkirk Vanguard Power Air14 mm · elongated · 7.9 oz · SW 114$25078
CRBN-1X Power Series14 mm · elongated · 8.5 oz · SW 124$19980Want a different matchup? Compare any two paddles or browse the full paddle database. Buying your first paddle? Read the beginner paddle guide.
One of the original US manufacturers, best known for the Bantam and Tempest lines and their proprietary polymer cores.
Every significant number on this page carries a source and a date. Where a figure comes from the manufacturer rather than our own measurement, we say so.
$180
Amazon listing — checked July 30, 2026
8.2 oz
Manufacturer specification — recorded August 10, 2026
14 mm
Manufacturer specification — recorded August 10, 2026
115 kg·cm²
Independent measurement data, normalized to our scale
6 kg·cm²
Independent measurement data, normalized to our scale
IQ 78.6/100
Computed from the specs above by our published scoring model
Listed by the manufacturer as USA Pickleball approved
USA Pickleball equipment database — checked August 10, 2026
Not personally tested
Analysis on this page is spec-derived, not play-tested
Spot an error? Send a correction — every fix is logged publicly. Full protocol on our methodology page.
We separate firsthand testing from research-based analysis. Specifications are sourced and dated, corrections are logged publicly, and affiliate relationships never affect Paddle IQ scores.
Reviewed by Alex Zubarev →Our methodology →Editorial policy →
Spec-derived analysis plus cited owner and player reports from public sources. Community opinion is attributed, never restated as our own finding. Editorial policy · Affiliate disclosure
Reviewed by
Alex built the Paddle DNA™ database behind PickleballLookup — 15 normalized traits scored for every paddle in the catalog. Every page on this site is generated from that data and editorially reviewed before publication.
Last updated August 2026 · How we score paddles