If you're looking for an all-around pickleball paddle, the VANGUARD Pro stands out as a top choice. It’s incredibly well-balanced, offering an ideal mix of spin, power, and control. This balance makes it easy to execute soft game shots and maneuver your way up to the kitchen line, thanks to its large sweet spot and forgiving feel. At the same time, it provides sufficient power for a faster paced game. While it is a 16 mm core, if you are not accustomed to a paddle using an edge guard, the paddle may initially feel slightly thicker than a 16 mm.
The VANGUARD Pro delivers more power than some of the softer control paddles like the LUXX and VANGUARD Control, but it’s not as powerful as the Power Air and AMPED Pro. I found that adding a bit of Selkirk tungsten tape to the top of the paddle enhanced its pop and spin generation on drives. Its spin production is most like the Vanguard Control, making it one of the spiniest options in the Selkirk lineup.
This paddle excels in a traditional pickleball style—dropping the ball and working your way to the kitchen line. In faster paced games against powerful paddles, if you prefer not to counter your opponent's power with a power paddle of your own, the VANGUARD Pro offers a great alternative: a large sweet spot and impressive spin capability. The large sweet spot is ideal for resetting fast attacks as it gives you more margin to hit the perfect shot back into the kitchen. The spin generation is fantastic in kitchen points for hitting aggressive roll dinks to earn yourself a pop up to put away. I also especially liked hitting heavy topspin 3rd shot drops with this paddle as it felt very easy to get the ball up and down and hit a consistent more aggressive drop.
Overall, the VANGUARD Pro is an excellent choice for players of all levels and is most similar to the VANGUARD Control. If you already enjoy the VANGUARD Control, this paddle would be a great one to try out and elevate your game.
