Vanguard 2.0 Invikta

I thought I'd write the review I wish I would have found when doing my research on paddles. Quick summary for those who don't want to read much further, buy this paddle, you won't regret it!

Now, onto the details. I've been playing for just about a year at about a 4.0 level. Picked up Pickleball pretty quick as it was similar to other sports I had done. I initially went down to the local sports store and bought the most expensive they had, which was the X5 graphite Onyx paddle. Not a bad paddle and I played with it for 6 months, but it's super hard and all my balls kept drifting and soaring. I saw several other guys playing with Selkirk and decided to upgrade. I then bought the Amped Epic. Which totally changed my game. So much more touch and control, it was unbelievable. I played with that for the next 3 months. I loved it so much, I was very curious about the Vanguard series and so my research began.

The people at Selkirk are amazing and super nice, but trying to get info on pros and cons on Amped vs Vanguard and the different shapes is kinda like asking someone which of their kids they love the most. Its hard to be truly honest. :-) But, here's the deal. This Invicta shape to me is the best. I can take a ball and bounce it on my Amped Epic and my Vanguard Invicta and truly tell there is about a 2 inch bigger sweet spot north and south on the paddle. That may sound small, but think about the difference in trying to hit a baseball vs a softball. An inch or two makes a…

The Selkirk Vanguard Invikta is amazing!

I first learned about Selkirk from a friend who let me use his Amped Invikta which I immediately liked for its quieter sound and softer face. It is a softer sound versus the almost cracking sound of other paddles I have used. He also told me about the upgraded Vanguard for an extra $50. I was not sure if the Vanguard QuadCarbon face would have the same quiet sound as the Amped FiberFlex face and the Amped being a composite and the Vanguard being a graphite paddle. After much deliberation I took the leap and ordered the Vanguard. Yes, it is just as quiet and has as much if not more power than the Amped.

I have since allowed about 4-5 people to try it as it definitely gets a look when people hear how quiet it is. I know at least 3 more of your Vanguard Invikta's have been sold due to this, including one for my wife who holds her own when playing with the guys.

I have been playing pickleball for about 1.5 years now and have played with the Head Radical Pro, Onix Evoke Pro and have tried several others. The Vanguard Invikta has made be a better player. It took almost no time to get used to the paddle. The only difference might be with the softer hit it took me a couple of games to give a little more push on the dink shots. On the other hand on several occasions I noticed the softer sounding hit catches the opponent by surprise with how fast and with how much power the ball comes off the paddle, almost deceptive. On defense it seems to be…