Pickleball Paddles from Selkirk Sports:
We are proud to carry the latest pickleball paddle models from Selkirk Sports. This family owned company is devoted to the needs of today’s pickleball players. Named for the Selkirk Mountains where they are located, the company has one focus: Pickleball! Selkirk Pickleball Paddles are hand crafted with an eye to the best possible quality. Selkirk offers a Limited Lifetime (non-transferable) Warranty which guarantees against workmanship and manufacturer defects for the lifetime of the paddle.
AMPED Pickleball Paddles - X5 Polypropylene Core with Fiberflex Face
Selkirk has set a new standard in paddle design with the introduction of the AMPED Series Paddles. These paddles feature their new FiberFlex face technology with an industry first 5/8" honeycomb polypropylene core. These AMPED paddles are exceptionally unique, and we wanted to share more about them with you. Below is an interview with Rob and Mike Barnes, Co-Founders of Selkirk Sports:
PBC: "Hi Mike - thanks for taking some time to share your thoughts about the new lineup of AMPED Paddles. To help us understand a bit about the new X5 based products, can you share with us how you came up with the new AMPED designs? What goal or market are you trying to address with this product release?
Selkirk: "Previously, any paddle manufacturer had to make a choice between designing a paddle with more power or more control. It seemed to be an unwritten rule that you couldn’t have both; if you wanted to add more power, you had to take away control and visa versa. However, we didn’t want to compromise. Our goal was to make a paddle that had more power AND more control."
PBC: "Out of all the pickleball paddles on the market, what makes these new Selkirk models truly unique?
Selkirk: "The most notable, unique attribute of the AMPED is the thicker polypropylene X5 core. The X5 core is the first and only thicker paddle core ever made for Pickleball. This thicker core combined with our reformulated FiberFlex Fiberglass surface allows us to achieve our goal of a paddle with more power and control. It also adds many other performance benefits, such as a larger sweet spot and a more stable, consistent paddle with less vibration."
PBC: "Are there any specific demographic trends within pickleball that you are attempting to account for in your models? Are these designs trying to appeal to a certain type of player?"
Selkirk: "The Epic AMPED uses our traditional paddle shape. It is in a sense a combination of the S2 AMPED and Maxima AMPED. It still has the long grip, such as the Maxima, while having a more traditional shape. It’s the perfect paddle who want’s the larger sweet spot a traditional shape provides while at the same time wanting the longer handle.
The S2 AMPED utilizes an oversized paddle shape that has the largest sweetspot out of all of our paddles. It has improved performance, power, and control compared to the Epic shape. The only disadvantage of the S2 is the slightly shorter handle compared to the Epic.
The Omni AMPED is our elongated paddle designed for control players. It has a slightly wider face compared to many elongated paddles, which gives it the largest sweet spot of any elongated paddle. The short handle is perfect for anyone who plays with their finger on the paddle.
The Maxima AMPED is our elongated paddle designed for power players. It has a long handle, which appeals to many tennis players. With it’s sleek shape, extra length, extreme power, and focused sweet spot, it is the power player’s dream paddle." PBC: "Do the different models have different weighting balance characteristics? Are some AMPED models head weighted vs. handle weighted? Is there a general philosophy about weighting that you are using in the design of the AMPED X5 Paddle series? What led to your approach to weight in your design?"
Selkirk: "All of the AMPED paddles utilize our EdgeSentry lightweight edgeguard that instills a very well balanced feel to our paddles. Most people would say our paddles feel lighter than they are. Generally speaking, elongated paddles will feel a little bit heavier compared to traditional shaped paddles. We believe that the way we balance our paddles gives the perfect mix of control, power, and agility for a paddle."
PBC: "What should a player expect in terms of feel from the face and grip respectively?"
Selkirk: "All of our AMPED models utilize our SelkirkComfort grip which has a circumference of 4 ¼”. We believe this is the ideal circumference for most Pickleball players. Our grip also utilizes a water resistant layer to avoid perspiration from deteriorating the grips build up. All of our AMPED paddles have a very comfortable, well-balanced feel the second you pick one up."
PBC: "What is the warranty of Selkirk Paddles? What's included or excluded in terms of warranty coverage?
Selkirk: "We manufacturer all of our paddles in the USA with the most durable materials and we stand behind the quality of our products. Because of this, Selkirk Sport was the very first Pickleball manufacturer to offer a lifetime warranty on our paddles. Our AMPED paddles come with our limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects. What is covered under our warranty is any manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship What’s not covered is abuse and normal wear and tear, such as graphics wearing or the grip wearing. Although we do not expect you to experience any of these issues, anything such as the neck breaking or edge guard coming loose.
PBC: "How did you first engage with your major pros about these paddles? What was that process like? How involved were each of the pros in the design and evolution of these paddles?
Selkirk: "We have the belief that if the Pros love the paddle, recreational and competitive players will love it too. So our process always begins with working closely with our Team to build a paddle that meets their needs. After building various stages prototype’s, we sent the paddle out to many of our key paddle testing Pros, such as Glen Peterson, Tony Tollennaar, Dee Davison, Morgan Evans, Tonja Major, and Enrique Ruiz. The initial feedback was overwhelming so we knew we had a winner. These Pro’s each have their own preference in paddle shape, so we ensure the paddle technology or idea will span the gambit of playing styles."
![Selkirk AMPED FiberFlex Paddles]()
