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Paddletek
The Paddletek Tempest Pro C 16 is a 16 mm standard pickleball paddle weighing 7.9 oz, with a Raw carbon fiber face, listed around $190.
Paddletek's control benchmark. Control 92, touch 92 and softness 88 with a 107 swing weight is the classic soft-game recipe, updated with a raw carbon face for spin 84.
From Paddletek
Our best-selling paddle series is now even more formidable. The new Tempest Wave Pro-C provides a combination of spin, control, and forgiveness. PT-700 unidirectional raw carbon fiber is combined with our more forgiving Tempest core to give serious players both control and max spin capability. The legendary Smart Response Technology and a large, consistent sweet spot add finesse to every shot, while the balanced weight increases speed and maneuverability for even better play.
Official Paddletek product page →Cross-shopping? Most buyers weigh the Tempest Pro C 16 against the Six Zero Quartz Hybrid 16 — 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 Tempest Pro C 16 scores 84.5/100 on our IQ index, built from all 15 Paddle DNA traits. Its signature is touch (92/100, 89th percentile of the database — strong, well above the database average), backed by consistency at 90 and control at 92. The 16 mm Poly-Core II honeycomb core and Raw carbon fiber face at 7.9 oz make it a placement-first paddle: you win points by out-positioning people.
Where it gives ground is pop (72) and power (76). With a 107 kg·cm² swing weight and a 5.25 in handle it suits beginner/intermediate/advanced players, one-handed backhands, hands battles at the kitchen. Skip it if you rely on raw put-away pace.
Closest paddles by DNA: Six Zero Quartz Hybrid 16 ($180), ProKennex Black Ace LG ($200), Six Zero Sapphire 16 ($190). If budget matters, the Spartus Spitfire Standard/Widebody 16mm lands within 3 IQ points for $80.01 less. Overall: a mid-pack pick overall — buy it for the specific trait it wins on, not as a category leader.
In depth
Paddletek's control benchmark, updated with a raw carbon face: control 92, touch 92, consistency 90 and a fast 107 swing weight.
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.
The Poly-Core II honeycomb is deliberately compliant, which lengthens dwell time and lets you change the ball's direction late. That mechanism produces both figures, and it is also why power caps at 76 — energy spent deforming the core does not return to the ball.
Most 16 mm paddles measure 110 to 120. At 107 with maneuverability 80, this one stays quick at the kitchen line, which is rare for a paddle this soft.
The raw carbon face lifts spin meaningfully over Paddletek's older textured composites. It is still below the 88-to-92 raw T700 specialists, but it is enough to shape rolls rather than just block.
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 Tempest Pro C 16.
The matchups people actually cross-shop, each with a full 15-trait breakdown.
Other head-to-heads shoppers read alongside the Tempest Pro C 16.
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 Tempest Pro C 16
IQ 84.5 · $190
Ranked by DNA deviation
+4 power · Higher IQ score (85.8 vs 84.5)
+4 softness · -4 control
+7 spin · -4 swing weight · Higher IQ score (85.9 vs 84.5)
+4 spin · -4 touch · Higher IQ score (85.3 vs 84.5)
Saves $80 versus the Tempest Pro C 16 · +4 forgiveness · -6 touch · Higher IQ score (84.8 vs 84.5)
Saves $70 versus the Tempest Pro C 16 · +4 spin · -6 swing weight
+8 plow through · -4 maneuverability · Higher IQ score (85.9 vs 84.5)
Saves $30 versus the Tempest Pro C 16 · +4 power · -8 softness
Each pick beats the Tempest Pro C 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 Paddletek Tempest Pro C 16.
Six Zero Quartz Hybrid 1616 mm · hybrid · 7.9 oz · SW 108$18086
ProKennex Black Ace LG16 mm · elongated · 8 oz · SW 109$20083
Six Zero Sapphire 1616 mm · standard · 8.1 oz · SW 106$19086
JOOLA Vision CGS 1616 mm · standard · 7.9 oz · SW 107$18085Want a different matchup? Compare any two paddles or browse the full paddle database.
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.
$190
Amazon listing — checked August 10, 2026
7.9 oz
Manufacturer specification — recorded August 10, 2026
16 mm
Manufacturer specification — recorded August 10, 2026
107 kg·cm²
Independent measurement data, normalized to our scale
6.4 kg·cm²
Independent measurement data, normalized to our scale
IQ 84.5/100
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 →
Built from published specifications, independent measurements, manufacturer data and Paddle DNA™ analysis — not from personal play testing. We say so rather than implying court time we haven't put in. 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