The Luzz Inferno2 M1, which most people just call the Luzz Inferno 2, is a 16mm full foam elongated. It's one of the hardest hitting paddles I've measured, with a lot of spin too. The cost is control. Only about one in ten paddles I've tested has less control, though the sweet spot is about average for an elongated. It's built for players who win with pace and spin, not with a soft game. If that's you, it's a great pick. If that's not you, the Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue further down is the one I'd get instead. The Inferno2 M1 is $239.00, or $215.10 with the code STSPICKLEBALL.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Elite power on drives and serves.
- Only four elongated paddles I've tested spin more, which helps a lot on serves and topspin drives.
- It's strong on counters, and the ball comes off predictably for a paddle this powerful.
- The 5.52 inch handle has room for a two-handed backhand.
Cons
- Control's very low, which is tough on dinks and resets.
- The head heavy swing is slower once a hands battle speeds up.
- Not legal for USA Pickleball sanctioned events, since it's UPA-A only.
Quick answers
Is the Luzz Inferno 2 worth it?
Yes, if you're a drive and spin player, not a touch player. If you lean on your soft game, get the Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue. More spin, far more control, a far bigger sweet spot, and $44 less. It has clearly less power, though.
Luzz Inferno 2 vs the earlier Pro 4 Inferno: what's different?
The Inferno2 M1's face is grittier, and it hits a little harder on my numbers. Sweet spot and control are about the same. The Pro 4 Inferno is USA Pickleball approved too, and it's $30 less.
Hollow and firm, but more predictable than the Pro 4 Inferno
So let's start with how it feels. It's hollow at contact, not dense or muted at all, and it has that deep, hollow sound Luzz's Inferno paddles are known for. It's firm for a foam paddle too. It's a little firmer than Luzz's earlier Pro 4 Inferno, although the Luzz Inferno Frozen is sturdier still.
Next to the Pro 4 Inferno, the Inferno2 M1 is toned down. It's less boomy, and it's not as springy at contact. It still measures a little more pop than the Pro 4 Inferno, though, so what you notice is the sound and feel, not less pace off a short swing.
And for this much power, it's really predictable. Nothing jumps off the face, so you get what you swing. The Pro 4 Inferno doesn't always give you that.
It's also heavy in the head. The Inferno2 M1 swings heavier than a typical elongated, and only about one in ten elongateds I've tested swing heavier.
Made for drives and counters, tough at the kitchen
How its spin stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
Only four elongated paddles you can buy spin more, 93 RPM above the average
The top three for spin
- 1Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue2,424
- 211SIX24 Hurache-X Jelly Bean 22,39529 RPM behind
- 3Engage Axiom Elongated2,39430 RPM behind
- 5Luzz Inferno2 M12,35569 RPM behind
Drives and serves
This is what it does best. It scored 99 out of 100 for power. Only one paddle I've tested scores higher, and it's a hybrid. No elongated hits harder. The 16mm full foam MPP core and the head heavy swing are why. All that mass up top carries through the ball on a full drive.
I got 2,355 RPM, more than a typical elongated. Luzz molds silicon carbide grit right into the face, so it's noticeably gritty. That's the friction that puts real shape on your serves and topspin drives. Only four paddles I've tested scored 90 or higher for both power and spin, and this is one.
Hands battles
Hands battles are a strength too, mostly on counters and speed-ups. Pop is a little higher than a typical elongated's, so counters on a sped-up ball go back with real pace. Watch that heavy swing, though. Once the exchange really speeds up, the Inferno2 M1 is slower to react, so try to take your counters early and stay out in front of the ball, instead of trying to win a fast exchange on hand speed.
Dinks, drops and resets
This is where you pay for all that power. It scored 25 out of 100 for control, and nearly all the paddles I've tested score higher. That's far less controllable than a typical elongated, though it's normal for this much power. Of the other 11 elongateds I've tested with 90 or more for power, five have less control. Keeping dinks and resets low is a lot harder. If your soft game wins you points, I'd skip it.
Mishits
Mishits aren't a big trade-off. This paddle's sweet spot is about the same as a typical elongated's. Twist weight is about average too. That's how much the face resists twisting on an off-center hit. If you miss the center a lot, though, a widebody or hybrid will forgive more.
How it feels in your hand next to other elongateds you can buy
Heavier in your hands, about average when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. A lower number swings quicker.
Swings heavier than most elongated paddles.
How much the paddle fights twisting when you miss the middle. A higher number is steadier.
About average twist weight for an elongated paddle.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
An average-size sweet spot for an elongated paddle
Both rings are sized to their score.
A molded grit face and a TPE ring on a 16mm MPP foam core
Okay, so let's get into the build. There's only one version, a 16mm elongated, so there's no shape or thickness to pick, and on Luzz's own store it's listed as the Inferno2 M1 Dawn. It's a thermoformed Gen 4 paddle with a 16mm full foam MPP core, which Luzz calls MPP2. Around the edge there's a TPE perimeter ring, and the face is that molded silicon carbide grit, which Luzz calls Aero-Black.
It's 16.54 inches long and 7.48 inches wide, and it weighs 7.8 to 8.0 ounces. The handle is 5.52 inches with a 4.13 inch grip.
Luzz says 121 swing weight, give or take 3, and mine was 121.5, so that's right inside. For twist weight they say 6.1, give or take 0.1. My twist weight was 6.19, so that's inside too. Warranty is one year, and it's UPA-A approved.
Owner reviews are still few, and so far they're positive
Luzz released the Inferno2 M1 on August 14, 2026, so there hasn't been much time for owner reviews to build up. The only ones I've found are four reviews on Luzz's own store, and all four praise the power. As of my September 2026 check, about a month after it first shipped, I haven't found a defect that three or more owners report.
Inferno2 M1 or Luzz's earlier Pro 4 Inferno?
People shop the Pro 4 Inferno against the Inferno2 M1 more than any other paddle I've scored. On the spec sheet they're really close. They share the size, shape, handle, weight range and 16mm MPP foam core. Only the face and edge differ. The Pro 4 Inferno has a raw peel-ply carbon face and an EVA perimeter ring with edge foam. The Inferno2 M1 has the molded grit face and the TPE ring.
On my numbers, the Inferno2 M1 has a little more power and a little more pop, and even with the grittier face, spin is about the same. Forgiveness is close. Sweet spot and control are about the same, with the Inferno2 M1 a touch ahead on both. The Pro 4 Inferno swings slightly lighter, and twist weight is about the same.
The Pro 4 Inferno is also approved for both USA Pickleball and UPA-A. It's $209.00, or $188.10 with the code STSPICKLEBALL, so it's $27 less than the Inferno2 M1 once you use the code.
So between these two, I'd go with the Pro 4 Inferno for most players. The Inferno2 M1 only makes sense over it if you want that little bit of extra power and the grittier face, and you don't need USA Pickleball approval.
Three of these cost less, and two give you back some forgiveness
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the Q2 Elongated and the J6CR Crystal Blue
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
Inferno2 M1Elongated · $215.10
Q2 ElongatedElongated · $224.99The Inferno2 M1 has a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. The Q2 has more pop. Power and spin are about the same. The Q2 costs about $9 more.
Inferno2 M1Elongated · $215.10
J6CR Crystal BlueElongated · $175.50The Inferno2 M1 hits harder. The J6CR has more pop, spins more, has a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. The J6CR costs about $39 less.
RPM Q2 Elongated
The RPM Q2 Elongated is $249.99, or $224.99 with the code STSPICKLEBALL. That's $10.99 more at list. Besides the Inferno2 M1, only three paddles I've tested score 90 or higher for both power and spin, and this is one of them. On both, it's about the same as the Inferno2 M1. The Q2 Elongated is less forgiving. Clearly smaller sweet spot and a little less control, with clearly more pop and a lighter swing. And it has a lifetime warranty. It's USA Pickleball approved only, though, not UPA-A.
Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue
The Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue is $195.00, or $175.50 with the code STS10. It's for spin-first players who want their control back. It spins more than the Inferno2 M1, and it has far more control and a far bigger sweet spot. It also swings a lot lighter, so it's quicker at the kitchen, and its 6.0 inch handle gives you even more room for two hands. Keep in mind it has clearly less power, and it's UPA-A approved only, same as the Inferno2 M1.
Friday Aura Pro Elongated
Mostly after power? The Friday Aura Pro Elongated is $169.00, or $152.10 with the code STSPICKLEBALL. It hits about as hard as the Inferno2 M1 for $70 less. You give up some spin and a little sweet spot and control, though, and Friday's warranty is six months, not a year. And it's USA Pickleball approved.
Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro V7
And if your game is more about hands and touch than drives, the Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro V7 is $109.99, or $99.99 with the code STSPICKLEBALL. It has far more control and a clearly bigger sweet spot, it has clearly more pop, and it's USA Pickleball approved. Just know it has far less power and less spin, and the 5.3 inch handle is tight for two hands.
Buy it if you win with pace, not touch
Win with pace and spin, not with your soft game? You get about as much power and spin as an elongated gets, and it's worth $215.10 with the code. Need more control at the kitchen? Go with the Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue. Staying with Luzz and need USA Pickleball approval? The earlier Pro 4 Inferno is the better buy.
Testing details
- Tested
- August 6, 2026
- Power and pop
- 20 full serves for power and 20 punch volleys for pop, every ball speed read on a Stalker radar gun.
- Spin
- 20 more serves on the radar. I drop the outliers and average the rest, which gave this paddle 2,355 RPM.
- Swing and twist weight
- Measured on a Briffidi SW1 swing weight machine.
- Sweet spot and control
- The same dinks, drops, resets and drives off a Titan ONE ball machine, for every paddle.
- The scores
- Out of 100, with the same tests for every paddle. The top paddles I've tested score 100.
- Published
- Scores from
- My database, updated October 15, 2026. How I test
No. 1
