11SIX24 Vapor Power 2 review – elite control and speed for all skill levels

11SIX24, a super-popular brand with beginners and intermediates, debuts their first pro paddle with the foam-core Vapor Power 2. After eight intense hours of testing this hybrid-shaped paddle, including in a semi-pro team tryout, I'm impressed.

This is a great choice for players across all skill levels. Newer players will love how easy it is to control right out of the box – it's light and quick, the grip is great and spin is awesome. Higher-level players can add weight to amp up the power. Read my full review of the 11SIX24 Vapor Power 2 for more.

We've been big fans of 11SIX24 ever since we put their Pegasus Jelly Bean paddle in our best pickleball paddle list almost a year ago. They made their name as a fun and quality-driven brand offering affordable alternatives to the legacy names.

I was excited to see what 11SIX24 could do with a paddle for high-level pickleball players. I could tell right away they put a lot of effort into making the Vapor Power 2. This is their first Gen 4 foam paddle and it features a new long-lasting grit technology called HexGrit.

They showed me a paddle that was used for months and the grit felt almost identical to my brand-new one. This is exciting if it means you won't have to drop money on another new paddle anytime soon.

The first thing I noticed was the light weight. This is an incredibly fast hybrid paddle that slices through the air. In play, it excels across control, forgiveness and spin. I felt extremely confident in my aggressive dinks – I was able to push the ball deeper yet keep it low enough that if my opponent attacked it, I was able to counter really successfully.

The one area that higher-end players might find lacking is power. Despite its name, the Vapor Power 2 isn't for anyone who wants the hardest-hitting paddle on the market.

That said, I decided to add weight to my paddle to boost the power. Because it's so light, I could do that without affecting the overall performance and I ended up with a paddle that was plenty powerful without being uncontrollable – a nice balance for my game.

So, this paddle works for players at all levels. Newcomers looking for a beginner pickleball paddle will like how controllable and forgiving it is – and you can grow with this paddle as you become more powerful. More advanced players can customize it to their optimal weighting.

It's fairly priced at $209.99 (take $10 off with our code). It's more rounded than paddles like the RPM Friction Pro, Franklin C45, and Six Zero Coral. I compare it favorably with the best paddles in this price range – the Holbrook Fuze, Bread & Butter Loco, and Honolulu J2NF.

I was really happy with how well I could control the game. Even with added weight, I still had great touch on drops and my dinking game was on fire.

What you lack in power, you make up for with spin. I could drive the ball and get it to drop quickly in front of my opponent. That made it extremely hard for them to control and keep it down.

This paddle lent itself really well to the shake-and-bake strategy – I would drive it and my partner would be waiting to smoke the ball when my opponent inevitably popped it up.

If they're aiming for elite players with this paddle, they did a great job with the weighting. After three hours of play, I wanted more power. I added a lot of weight (8 ounces on each side) and suddenly I wasn't complaining about the power anymore.

The paddle kept its super-fast speed and didn't slow my hands down at all. Because it starts out so light, you can make this paddle into whatever you want by customizing it with tape, or leaving it as it comes out of the box.

This doesn't have the natural intensity of some of the best power paddles. That does make it easier to control for lower-level players. Higher-level players can still play an aggressive game if you utilize heavy spin and/or boost the power by adding lead tape.

The reason I didn't give this paddle a full 5-star rating is because I had to customize it to get my optimal performance. I don't mind doing that but it's something to consider. I also played with the Holbrook Fuze this week and that paddle was optimally weighted right out of the box.

At $200, this is absolutely worth it for the right player. It's $80 cheaper than a JOOLA Pro IV paddle. Granted the JOOLA has more power, but the Vapor Power 2 is more forgiving and controllable and appeals to a wider audience, incorporating lower-level and advanced players.

The Gen 4 technology, with a full-foam core and a super-durable surface, goes a long way to increasing the paddle's value. If this is still performing the same after months of hard play, it justifies its price point in a big way.