EQUIPMENT SCIENCE // THE NEW CORE WAVE

Durable Grit vs The New Core Wave

Six Zero, 11SIX24 and Honolulu built their reputations on grit that outlasts raw carbon. Now Selkirk's Boomstik ST and Enhance's upcoming Echo are arriving with new surfaces and new core construction. One paddle per brand, five columns, one chart.

PICKLEBALL.BZ  |  NOVEMBER 12, 2026  |  EQUIPMENT

The Summary

  • The proven trio: Six Zero Coral Pro, 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2 and Honolulu J2CR Crystal Blue all have independent lab numbers. Spin is close between the two with RPM figures (2,085 vs 2,130) [3][4]; Honolulu leads on pop (96%) and hand speed (swing weight 107) [7].
  • Selkirk Boomstik ST launched November 10 at about $350 with a new InfiniGrit Ultra surface, SharkTooth groove technology for more dwell, and the adjustable MOI system [16][18]. The one hands-on comparison we found ranked it first for both spin and power among five paddles, but it published no durability testing [14].
  • Enhance Echo launches November 20 at 4 p.m. PST with an MPP core with full internal voids and ArmorGrit+ [19]. Nobody has independent numbers yet, so every Echo claim in this article is Enhance's.
  • Durability: only 11SIX24 (about 98% retained) and Honolulu (97% average, 92% peak) have published lab retention, against roughly 81% for raw carbon [4][7]. The ST and Echo surfaces are unproven.
  • Price: Honolulu $195, 11SIX24 $209.99, Six Zero $220, Boomstik ST about $350, Echo not yet announced.

Side-by-Side Chart

Six Zero Coral ProSPIN-FIRST ALL-COURT 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2HEXGRIT HYBRID Honolulu J2CR Crystal BlueFOAM POP + SPEED Selkirk Boomstik STOUT NOV 10 Enhance Echo NOV 20VOID-CORE MPP
Core 16 mm Tectonic core w/ ProPulsion foam [1] 16 mm foam [5] 16 mm multi-density all-foam: EPP core interlaced with EVA perimeter [9] 16 mm BoomCore [16] MPP core with full internal voids [19]
Surface Diamond Tough texture [10] HexGrit [10] Crystal Blue Endurance [9] InfiniGrit Ultra [16] ArmorGrit+ [19]
Spin 2,085 RPM (lab) [3] 2,130 RPM (lab) [4] Rated 100%, no RPM published [7] Ranked #1 for spin among five paddles by one reviewer; no RPM [14] Untested. Enhance claims "even greater initial spin" [19]
Power 8/10 [1]; serve 60.5 mph [2] 93rd-pct firepower [4]; 9/10 [5] 87%, 73rd pct [7] Ranked #1 power among five paddles [14]; original Boomstik: 96th-pct firepower [12] Untested. Enhance claims "explosive power" [19]
Pop Enough for fast hands battles [1] Lively; ball jumps off the face [5] 96%, 93rd pct [7] "Lively response," "a lot of pop" [14]; original Boomstik 96% [13] Untested. Enhance claims "pop" with a "plush" feel [19]
Speed (swing / twist wt) 113 / 6.21 [3] 114 / 6.69 [4] 107 / 6.28 [7] Not published. Original Boomstik: 121 / 6.92 [12] Not published. Turbo MPP ArmorGrit (predecessor): 111 / 6.89 [22]
Grit durability 10/10 reviewer rating; no lab retention % [1] ~98% retained [4]; felt unchanged after 10 hours [5] 97% avg / 92% peak retained [7] No independent test yet. Selkirk claims 4x friction and 50x texture additive vs original [17]; original InfiniGrit was Tier 3, below the top tier [12] Untested. Enhance claims improved durability [19]
Weight 8.0–8.3 oz [1] 7.9–8.2 oz [5] 8.0–8.3 oz [8] 8.0–8.4 oz [16] Not announced
Approval USAP + UPA-A [10] UPA-A only [10] UPA-A only [10] Not confirmed in sources found (original: USAP) [12] Not stated
Price $220 [1] $209.99 [4] $195 [7] $349.99 [18]; no cover included [14] Higher than the Turbo line; not announced [21]
Evidence level Multiple independent labs Multiple independent labs Multiple independent labs One early hands-on review None yet, pre-launch

Green = best in row where numbers exist. Lab RPM, swing weight, twist weight and percentiles are Pickleball Effect's unless a source says otherwise; other labs use different methods and don't match (Matt's Pickleball camera-measured the Coral Pro at 2,481 RPM [2]; JustPaddles lists 1,565 RPM for the J2CR [9]). Compare within a lab, never across labs. Grey italics mean no independent data exists.

What's Actually New

Two caveats worth reading: (1) Pickleball Effect has reported that some MPP paddles showed more durability concerns than other foams, with causes unproven [24], which is the core type the Echo builds on. (2) Online reviewers are finding issues with how long many brands' "durable" grit actually lasts [21]. Treat every unreleased or untested durability claim as marketing until independent labs weigh in.

Breakdown, Paddle by Paddle

Six Zero Coral Pro

8.0–8.3 oz • hybrid 16.3" / elongated 16.5" / widebody 15.8" • $220 [1]

Spin-first all-courter. Pickleheads rated spin 10/10 and compared the grit to the Honolulu Crystal Blue's [1].

UPSIDES

  • 2,085 RPM in lab [3]
  • Only USAP-approved of the trio [10]

DOWNSIDES

  • Stiff, less plush feel
  • Less finishing power than dedicated power paddles [1]
  • Highest price of the trio

11SIX24 Ultré Power 2

7.9–8.2 oz • 16.35" x 7.65" • $209.99 [5]

Long handle, parallel sidewalls, flat top [6]. Pickleheads called it firm and lively, short of the Boomstik for baseline power [5].

UPSIDES

  • Highest measured spin here, 2,130 RPM [4]
  • Best lab grit retention (~98%) [4]
  • Large sweet spot [5]

DOWNSIDES

  • Less dwell for soft resets [5]
  • UPA-A only [10]

Honolulu J2CR Crystal Blue

8.0–8.3 oz • 16.2" x 7.8" • $195 [8]

Pickleheads called its spin among the best ever released, thanks to extra-long-lasting grit [8].

UPSIDES

  • Best pop (96%) and lowest swing weight (107) [7]
  • Lowest price here
  • 97%/92% grit retention [7]

DOWNSIDES

  • Control only 76% [7]
  • UPA-A only; one retailer notes it hadn't passed USAP approval [11]

Selkirk Boomstik ST

8.0–8.4 oz • widebody 15.95" x 8" • ~$350 [16][18]

Selkirk's pitch is the original's power with better dwell, ultra-durable grit and adjustable tuning [17]. One reviewer picked it as a top choice if budget were no object [14].

UPSIDES

  • Ranked #1 for both spin and power in one five-paddle test [14]
  • Strong warranty [14]

DOWNSIDES

  • Priciest by far, no cover included [14]
  • Harder to control at first, especially on soft shots [14]
  • No durability data yet

Enhance Echo

Launches Nov 20, 4 p.m. PST • 3 shapes [19]

Enhance's most ambitious paddle yet [20], aiming for explosive power and pop with a plush feel on contact [19].

UPSIDES (CLAIMED)

  • First MPP core with full internal voids [19]
  • ArmorGrit+ aims to compete with the best durable grits [19]

UNKNOWNS

  • No RPM, power, pop, weight or approval data
  • MPP durability questions [24]
  • Price above the Turbo, amount unknown [21]

Who Should Buy What

We'll update the chart once independent lab data on the Boomstik ST and Echo lands. Check approval lists before any sanctioned event.

Sources

  1. Pickleheads — Six Zero Coral Pro review
  2. Matt's Pickleball — Six Zero lineup reviewed (2026)
  3. Pickleball Effect — Six Zero Coral Pro Elongated lab comparison
  4. Pickleball Effect — 11SIX24 Power 2 Hurache-X page (includes Ultré row and grit retention)
  5. Pickleheads — 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2 review
  6. The Dink — 11SIX24 Power 2 Ultré
  7. Pickleball Effect — Honolulu J2CR Blue Grit review
  8. Pickleheads — Honolulu J2CR Crystal Blue review
  9. JustPaddles — Honolulu J2CR Crystal Blue
  10. Pickleball.com — The Year of Durable Grit
  11. Rackets & Runners — Honolulu CR Crystal Blue: Revolution or Gimmick?
  12. Pickleball Effect — Selkirk Boomstik Elongated (original)
  13. Pickleball Effect — Selkirk Labs Boomstik review
  14. BePickleballer — Boomstick ST vs Omni vs Boomstick vs Loco 2 vs RPM Jade
  15. The Dink — First look at Selkirk's Boomstik ST
  16. Pickleball Warehouse — Selkirk Boomstik ST Widebody (specs)
  17. Rackets & Runners — Selkirk Boomstik ST Elongated (InfiniGrit Ultra, SharkTooth)
  18. Pickleball Warehouse — Selkirk Boomstik ST Elongated (price)
  19. Enhance Pickleball — Echo waitlist page
  20. The Kitchen — How Enhance Pickleball became a key player
  21. Pulp Connection — Enhance Echo November 20
  22. Pickleball Effect — Enhance Turbo MPP ArmorGrit Hybrid review
  23. Ontario Pickleball Academy — Enhance MPP Turbo w/ ArmorGrit (surface description)
  24. Pickleball Insiders — Foam-Core Pickleball Paddles: Are They Worth the Money?