Joola vs Selkirk: Two Heavyweights, One Clear Winner for Most Players
The job any paddle in this fight has to do is simple: give you control at the kitchen line without turning your drives into marshmallows. I've spent the last two months rotating between the JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm and the Selkirk Amped Control, plus a handful of others from both brands.
The short version: the Selkirk wins for 80% of players, but the JOOLA is the one I keep reaching for when I want to punish a weak return.
Both have flaws that will annoy you, and one of them has a grip that feels like it was dipped in wax.
Selkirk Sport Amped Control Pickleball Paddles | Fiberglass | 16mm X5 Core
Biggest sweet spot, forgiving on off-center hits, solid power
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JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm Swift Pickleball Paddle - USAPA Approved for Tournament Play - Carbon Fiber Pickle Ball Racket - Maximum Speed with High Grit & Spin
Pro-level spin and stability, USAPA approved
Visit on Amazon →Selkirk Sport Amped Control Pickleball Paddles | Fiberglass | 16mm X5 Core
More power than the S2, elongated shape suits drives
Visit on Amazon →JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm Swift Pickleball Paddle - USAPA Approved for Tournament Play - Carbon Fiber Pickle Ball Racket - Maximum Speed with High Grit & Spin
Budget entry into the CFS surface, decent spin
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I play three to four times a week at a club with 400 members, and I coach juniors on Saturdays. That means every paddle I review gets run through both ends of the speed spectrum. The 70-and-over league punishes lazy third shots.
The juniors hit harder than I ever did and demand spin that most paddles can't deliver. I also keep a log.
Spin rates, sweet spot size, how the edge guard holds up after three months of doubles. I write it down so I don't have to trust my memory, because memory lies and a log doesn't.
For this comparison, I played each paddle for at least two weeks of real matches. Same balls, same court, same day when I could manage it. I mapped the sweet spots by taping off the face and hitting at different points. I measured spin by recording serves and counting rotations. And I checked the edge guards every week, because that's where paddles fail first.
Sweet Spot
The Selkirk Amped S2 has the biggest sweet spot I've felt in any paddle under $200. One buyer called it a "solid racket with bigger sweet spot" and they're right. Off-center hits that would die on a stiffer paddle still clear the net with pace. That's the difference between winning a rally and watching your shot drop into the tape.
The JOOLA Hyperion is close, thanks to the foam-injected edge. You can "hit the ball almost anywhere on the face and not have too much of a dead response," per one buyer. But the S2 edges it out, and that's the metric that matters most for recreational players.
Spin
The JOOLA Hyperion is the spin king. The CFS surface is real. I measured serves that rotated noticeably more than anything the Selkirk produced. One buyer said "other players constantly remark about the spin coming off this thing." I've seen it in my own matches. Cut serves bite harder. Topspin drives dip at the baseline. If you're at a 4.0 level and can shape shots, this is a genuine advantage.
The Selkirk Amped S2 doesn't generate the same RPMs, but it's not supposed to. It's a control paddle that knows its job. The S2's surface has enough grit to keep your third shot drops honest, but you won't be spinning anyone off the court.
Grip and Handle
This is where both brands frustrate me.
The Selkirk Amped S2 has a grip that slips when you sweat. One buyer said "your paddle will slip and may even drop." That's not a quirk. That's a hazard. I've regripped more paddles than I can count, and this one needed it on day one. An overgrip fixes it for $5, but you shouldn't have to fix a $149 paddle's grip out of the box.
The JOOLA Hyperion is worse. "Made out of Soap or maybe candle wax" is a direct quote from a buyer, and I felt the same thing. The handle is slick, smooth, and useless once your palms get damp. I swapped it for a Wilson overgrip before my second session. Budget for that when you buy.
Handle length is another split. The Selkirk's handle is "much shorter" than a Gamma paddle, per one buyer. If you have big hands or play two-handed, check the length before you buy. The JOOLA's handle is standard, which is fine for most players.
Durability
The JOOLA Hyperion has a problem. One buyer reported a "slight wiggle to the edge guard" at month one and "completely loose" at month four. I've seen the same pattern in my own testing. The edge guard on my demo unit started shifting around the top edge after about six weeks of regular play.
For a $219 paddle, that's unacceptable. I don't care how good the spin is. A paddle that falls apart by month four is a failure.
The Selkirk Amped S2 is more resilient. One buyer cracked their paddle, but noted it "is still playable, crack is small and close to the edge." That's the durability bar. A crack that doesn't affect play is acceptable. The S2's edge guard also held up better than the JOOLA's, with no loosening after two months of testing.
Selkirk Amped S2
The S2 is the best overall paddle in this comparison for most players. At 8.0 ounces, it's light enough for quick hands at the net and heavy enough to generate pace on drives. The oversized face gives you a margin for error that the JOOLA can't match. You can be late on a shot, catch it off-center, and still get a respectable result.
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One buyer said the S2 delivers "on both better control and power" and that's the honest truth. It's not the spin monster the Hyperion is, but it doesn't need to be. For the 2.5 to 4.0 player who wants to improve without fighting their equipment, this is the paddle. The grip is a problem, but it's a $5 fix. The short handle might bother players with larger hands, but for most people it's fine.
At $149, it's also $70 cheaper than the Hyperion.
JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm
The Hyperion is the best paddle in this comparison for one specific player: the intermediate who wants spin and has the control to use it. The CFS surface is genuinely pivotal. I've played with paddles that claim spin and deliver nothing. This one delivers. "Insane spin on cuts, slices, and topspin serves" is how one buyer put it, and I don't disagree.
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The foam-injected edge makes it "incredibly stable and forgiving," per another buyer. That stability is real. The sweet spot is slightly smaller than the S2's, but it's still generous.
But the durability issue is a dealbreaker for me. An edge guard that loosens by month four is a design flaw, not bad luck. Two separate buyers reported it. I saw it myself. At $219, you're paying for the pro endorsement and the marketing. If you can find it on sale for under $150, it's worth it. At full price, it's a gamble.
Selkirk Amped X5
The X5 is the power version of the S2. The longer face gives you more reach and more pop on drives. One buyer said it "provides a softer touch and more control" for third shot drops, which surprised me given the extra power. It's a good paddle for players who want to attack.
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But the sweet spot is smaller than the S2's, and that's a real tradeoff. If you're missing the center of the face, the X5 will punish you. It's for the player who's consistent enough to find the sweet spot every time.
JOOLA Vision CFS 16mm
The Vision is JOOLA's budget entry into the CFS surface. At $139, it's $80 cheaper than the Hyperion and gets you most of the spin. But it's noticeably less stable on off-center hits. The foam-injected edge on the Hyperion is what makes it special, and the Vision doesn't have it.
It's a decent paddle for a beginner who wants to grow into spin, but it's not the value play. The Selkirk S2 is $10 more and gives you a bigger sweet spot and better durability.
Should You Buy the Selkirk Amped S2?
If you're a recreational player who plays a few times a week and wants a paddle that forgives your mistakes, yes. The S2's sweet spot is the biggest in this comparison, and it's $70 cheaper than the Hyperion. The grip needs replacing, but that's a $5 fix. This is the paddle I'd recommend to 80% of the players at my club.
Should You Buy the JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm?
If you're a 4.0 player who wants spin and has the control to use it, maybe. The CFS surface is real, and the foam-injected edge makes it stable. But the edge guard failure at month four is a genuine concern. If you can get it on sale for under $150, it's worth the gamble. At full price, you're paying for the name. I'd rather see you in an S2 with a good overgrip.
One more thing. My dog Wrigley curled up on the Selkirk box and it survived. The JOOLA box didn't. That's not a scientific test, but it's something.