The Selkirk Amped Pro Air attempts to strike a balance between the Selkirk Vanguard Power Air and Selkirk Luxx Control Air as an all-court option. After spending weeks testing the Amped Pro Air, I’ve come to a conclusion on how good of an option this pro level paddle is within Selkirk’s Air series.
Selkirk Amped Pro Air Specifications (Invikta Shape)
- Paddle Height: 16.5 in
- Paddle Width: 7.45 in
- Core Thickness: 16mm, X5+ Polypropylene Honeycomb
- Grip Length: 5.25 in
- Grip Circumference: 4.25 in
- Average Static Weight: 7.8-8.2 oz
- Hitting Surface: FiberFlex+ Fiberglass + ProSpin+ NextGen Micro Texture
- 360° Proto Molding (Thermoformed construction)
- FlexFoam Perimeter foam injection
- Retail Price: $180
Pros
Pop and Power
The Selkirk Amped Pro Air does well when it comes to getting the ball over to an opponent’s end quickly, whether it be via short or long backswing. While it is not what I’d deem the most powerful or pop-y, it competes well enough to at least match the power and pop faced by a good number of players.
In my experience, I would probably rank the pop of the Selkirk Amped Pro Air over its plow-through, which is good when it comes to rallies if you have the quick hands necessary to return attacks across the non-volley zone. It is also decent on deep returns of serve; but I could feel a little pressure to keep opponents back with bigger swings when they decided to drive third shots – especially when I didn’t have the legs to move up as quickly as I would like.
Spin
I found myself satisfied with the amount of spin generated by the Selkirk Amped Pro Air, even as hours of use piled up on the face of the paddle. Spin worked to my benefit most on drives where I could shape the ball low over the net, particularly off of backhand returns.
I am still not a fan of Selkirk’s method of applying grit to its edgeless paddles like this one, as well as the Luxx Control Air and the Vanguard Power Air. But I am learning to trust more in its durability as the brand continues to evolve through different iterations, including the work of its R&D division, Selkirk Labs.
Cons
Sweet Spot
What I perceive to be a tight sweet spot had somewhat of a trickle-down effect on the Selkirk Amped Pro Air. I may be in the minority, but I felt like the Vanguard Power Air from Selkirk – a thinner, power-oriented paddle compared to the all-court intention of the Amped Pro Air – still had more of a sweet spot than found here (both paddles were tested in Selkirk’s elongated Invikta shape). Maybe this is because the Amped Pro Air contains a 100% fiberglass face, whereas the Power Air uses layers of both fiberglass and softer, more flexible carbon fiber.
But even in comparison to the thicker-core Selkirk Luxx Control Air I tested (also in the Invikta shape), I could feel the vibrations throughout a lot more. This is to be expected to some degree, but I feel as though the vibrations through the paddle outside of the sweet spot caused me to instinctively tighten my grip on the Amped Pro Air and send the ball sailing on some occasions.
Ultimately, I had trouble finding the sweet spot during higher-paced points. While some of this can be attributed to user skill, it should be noted that I have struggled less amid intense rallies with other control and all-court paddles. The control from the Amped Pro Air sufficed in softer dink rallies, but it just wasn’t there for me with less time to react and see the ball to the sweet spot on the defense.
Additional Notes
- My thoughts on the spin, grit, Air Dynamic throat hole, and edge protection found in the aforementioned Selkirk Luxx Control Air review also apply to the Amped Pro Air.
Selkirk Amped Pro Air Summary
The Selkirk Amped Pro Air certainly sits somewhere between the Vanguard Power Air and Luxx Control Air. However, for my personal preferences, there weren’t enough features of one or the other for me to fully enjoy the Amped Pro Air as a successful marriage of the two.
The Amped Pro Air worked best for me when playing against ≤3.5 skill level opponents in doubles open play, as it was easier to control at that pace. But when playing singles or playing up in skill level for doubles, I encountered more difficulties – mainly due to the sweet spot.
Though it is not my favorite paddle from Selkirk, those adept at finding the sweet spot of the Amped Pro Air could benefit from the pop of the fiberglass surface and solid spin.
