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Review on ๐Ÿ“ Selkirk Amped Fiberglass Pickleball Paddle, featuring Polypropylene X5 Core | USA-Made Pickleball Racket by David Banks

Revainrating 5 out of 5

It really is a game changer

I've been playing pickleball for a little over a year and the first paddle I got was an Onix Stryker 4. The transition to the Selkirk was very easy and smooth as well like the handle length and girth very similar for an overall length slightly longer than this Invikta. I have the light version and it's definitely lighter than the Stryker, but not by much. I felt like I could still have powerful serves and hits, but now I have a little more speed in my hands and I've found I can handle my blocks and dings better. With the extra length, I can reach and get more balls where I want with better placement. my placement and placement percentages have skyrocketed. I was more confident in my shots and could easily switch my shots to dings or throws from all parts of the course. I found that I could feel the ball better when I was blocking, which allowed me to trust the racquet and just let it do the work and just place it where I wanted. So yeah, overall it changed my game a lot. I'm assuming a disclaimer, I've heard the manufacturer say it's for Player 4.0 or 4.5 and up. To be honest I have no idea what level I am at. I've only been playing pickleball for a year and have only recently started playing it regularly. Among my peers, I win regularly in singles and doubles, but that's entirely subjective and it's because I can't find any higher level players to play with. But I have experience in table tennis and tennis. With the Onix I was already at a level where I could hit forehand and backhand and follow up with a clear cut with ball reaction. Things that are much more difficult to accomplish on entry-level paddles. Hence it is a very expensive paddle if you are just starting to play this game. But if you come from a racquet sports game you already know the difference that higher quality gear can make to your gaming experience and this Selkirk Invikta Amped is definitely a higher quality racquet than what you will get at a non-tennis shop in a professional shop of some kind Load. If you are a true beginner you might not spend that much money on your first paddle. Get what fits your budget and master your basic skills first and get used to the gentle touch and control it takes to rule the kitchen. If you then switch, I think the learning curve is pretty smooth. It just made everything easier and I had more control over the game. So overall I'm very satisfied. I really hope that 150 for Amped and 200 for Vanguard is the limit of where this quality paddle market is going. But if you can afford it and reach a plateau of power, speed and control with your current paddle, then this is the paddle for you.

Pros
  • A few competitors
Cons
  • Unreliable