The unMARKed 2026 is MARK Pickleball's 16mm elongated power paddle, and it pairs big power with one of the lightest swings of any elongated. If you're a 4.0 or better player with a solid soft game, it's a power elongated I'd buy right now, and it costs less than Selkirk's Boomstik Elongated, the paddle I tied it with in my October rankings. Only three elongateds hit harder, and that light swing keeps it quick when the ball comes at you fast at the kitchen. The catch is control. For an elongated it's just middle of the pack, so your resets and drops have to come from your hands. The paddle has also only been out since August 2026, so nobody knows yet how long the grit lasts. And if you don't need an elongated's reach, look at Pickleball Apes' Zen S+ first, a hybrid that beats this paddle on paper for about the same money.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Big power on drives and putaways, and short punches at the kitchen jump off the face.
- It's quick in your hands for an elongated, and it stays steady when you block a ball off center.
- Its sweet spot is bigger than most elongateds', which takes some of the sting out of mishits.
- Plenty of spin for rolled dinks and topspin drives.
Cons
- The ball comes off the face fast, so resets and drops float if your hands aren't soft yet, and control is only average for an elongated.
- The grit has no long-term track record yet, which matters most if spin is the reason you're buying it.
- It's a pre-order with 50% down. When I checked on November 7, 2026, the next batch was due November 13, so you'll wait if you need a paddle now.
Quick answers
Is the unMARKed 2026 really Boomstik power for less?
On power, yes. The two are too close to tell apart on court, the unMARKed swings a little lighter, and at $171 with code STSPICKLEBALL it costs about half the Boomstik's full price. The extra money does buy you something, though: a slightly bigger sweet spot, more control, Selkirk's lifetime warranty, and a paddle that's in stock instead of on pre-order.
Will the grit last?
Nobody can tell you yet. The paddle only started shipping in August 2026, and its grit, which MARK calls VelosiGrit, isn't in my wear test. MARK's warranty covers defects and leaves out normal wear, so a grit that wears down over time likely isn't covered.
Is it legal for tournaments?
For USA Pickleball events, yes. It passed USA Pickleball's testing on July 21, 2026, and it was still on their approved list on November 6. It isn't on the UPA-A list, though, so you can't use it at PPA Tour or MLP events, including PPA's amateur brackets. Most local leagues and clubs accept either approval, so for everyday play it won't matter.
Is it the same paddle as the original unMARKed?
No. When I reviewed the original in March 2025, I called it the best all-court paddle I'd tested, and that one had a honeycomb core. The 2026 keeps the name and the elongated shape but swaps the honeycomb for a core made all of foam, built for power, and MARK's own specs have it swinging lighter. The original is sold out on MARK's site.
How I tested
Every score here comes from my own testing. A Stalker Pro 3S radar clocks the ball coming off the face for my power scores, and when I serve, it reads the spin in RPM. My Briffidi SW1 tells me how heavy a paddle is to swing and how much it fights twisting on an off-center hit. I rate sweet spot and control on the ball machine, with the same resets, drops and dinks for every paddle. What I can't give you is a wear result for VelosiGrit, because it isn't in my wear test. That's the test where my Starrett SR160 surface roughness tester tracks a grit as the games add up. Prices and stock on this page are from my November 7 check.
In my best paddles video on October 21, 2026, I had the unMARKed 2026 tied with the Boomstik Elongated at number three. I first posted that video as my October list, and it's since been retitled *UPDATE* Best Pickleball Paddles of November 2026. In my testing, the unMARKed hit just about as hard as the Boomstik but was quicker in the hands, and I said I'd buy either one right now, even though they play pretty differently.
How it feels in your hand next to other elongateds you can buy
Quick in your hands, and steadier than most when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. Lower means faster hands.
Only six elongated paddles you can buy swing lighter.
How well the paddle resists turning in your hand when you hit off center. Higher means steadier.
Steadier than most elongated paddles.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
A bigger sweet spot than most elongated paddles
Both rings are sized to their score.
It hits harder than it feels
Putaways end the point with this paddle, and your drives get there in a hurry. It scores 95 out of 100 for power, right around the Boomstik Elongated's 97. Pop is the quick burst the ball gets off the face on short punches and volleys at the kitchen, and it scores 90 there, with only six elongateds above it.
Nothing about it feels springy, though, so you don't expect the pace you get. It's stiff and hollow with a crisp sound, but only mildly, and it never feels harsh. On a short punch or a counter, that hidden pace is a weapon, and anything that floats up near the net is an easy putaway. It works against you early on, when balls you think are landing in carry long until you get used to it. Once you are, it's predictable, because the power comes off the same way shot after shot.
A light swing that still holds steady
Usually a light elongated gets pushed around when you catch the ball off center, so you trade stability for speed. This one doesn't make you trade. Only six elongateds swing lighter, so it's quick when someone attacks your body at the kitchen, and it still holds steady on off-center blocks. It's in the top quarter of the elongateds for resisting twist, and none of those six lighter paddles is as stable.
The handle is 5.75 inches, which leaves room for a two-handed backhand, and MARK says its deep bottom contour is there to support that shot.
There's room to add weight, too, because you're starting from a light paddle that's already stable. MARK's own setup guide suggests starting with small strips at 5 and 7 o'clock, which it says adds stability while keeping the paddle quick at the kitchen.
Spin, and a grit that's still unproven
How its spin stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
More spin than most elongated paddles, 47 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
- 13MARK unMARKed 20262,32599 RPM behind
Spin is the other big strength. It scores 84 out of 100 for spin, and only 11 elongateds score higher. The surface grips the ball even on short, small swings, so when you roll a dink or hit it with topspin, the ball dips fast. On a hard drive, that same spin pulls the ball back down into the court instead of letting it sail.
VelosiGrit is a coating MARK licenses from CRBN, and MARK says it won't fade with high intensity play. Maybe it won't, but it's too new for me to back that up yet. So if spin that lasts for years is the main thing you're paying for, that's the risk you're taking here.
The soft game is on you
Control is where you pay for all that pace. It scores 45 out of 100 for control, right at the average for an elongated, and elongateds as a group already have less control than hybrids and widebodies. So it won't do much to keep your resets low. The pop that makes it great when you're attacking can sit a reset up or push a drop a little deep, and you'll feel that most in the transition zone. That's why I'd keep it to 4.0 and better players whose soft game is already solid.
It's more forgiving than most elongateds, though. Its sweet spot scores 66, a good bit bigger than the average elongated's 52, so you get away with more off-center hits.
What owners are saying
I read the reviews on MARK's own site in November 2026. There are 102 ratings there, 94 of them five stars, and some of the written reviews come from MARK's own ambassadors, so I'd read the stars with that in mind. One owner calls it "so light but yet hits so hard," a couple say all that power doesn't cost them control, and one even says it's better than the original. Three owners praise the grit, and two others aren't sure yet that it'll hold up.
None of the complaints is big, and each one comes from a single owner. One found it less forgiving on off-center hits, which isn't what my sweet spot score shows. Another added weight to make it steadier, and a third says the edge guard chips easily. Shipping on the pre-order was mostly fine, though one owner says MARK forgot to ship theirs. Nobody reports a core problem.
The Zen S+ beats it on paper
The Pickleball Apes Zen S+ is a hybrid power paddle, and it's the hardest-hitting paddle I've tested. It matches or beats the unMARKed 2026 on every one of my scores. The Zen hits a little harder, its pop and spin are about the same, its sweet spot is a good bit bigger, and it has way more control, scoring 71 out of 100 to the unMARKed's 45. And it swings lighter and resists twisting better, too. Pickleball Apes lists it at $189, or $170 with code STSPICKLEBALL, so the price is basically the same.
What it doesn't have is the elongated shape. The Zen is slightly shorter and wider, so you give up a little reach for more face.
So if you don't need the extra reach of an elongated, I'd get the Zen S+. If you want that reach, the unMARKed 2026 is the one to get.
Three more elongateds worth a look
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the Boomstik Elongated and the J6CR
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
unMARKed 2026Elongated · $170.99
Boomstik ElongatedElongated · $333.00The unMARKed 2026 spins more. The Boomstik has more pop, a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. Power is about the same. The Boomstik costs about $162 more.
unMARKed 2026Elongated · $170.99
J6CRElongated · $175.50The unMARKed 2026 has more pop. The J6CR has a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. Power and spin are about the same. The J6CR costs about $4 more.
Selkirk Boomstik Elongated: more forgiving, and in stock
The Boomstik Elongated is the Selkirk power paddle I tied with the unMARKed at number three. Its power is right with the unMARKed's, and you get a bit more pop, the biggest sweet spot of any elongated and more control, with a lifetime warranty from Selkirk behind it. The trade is a slightly heavier swing. At full price it's $333, and Selkirk had it on sale for $250 on November 7, in two colors that were in stock. Selkirk doesn't do discount codes, but my code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a Selkirk gift card, $30 at the sale price or $40 at full price, and the price stays the same. Thank you for supporting the channel. If you want a more forgiving, proven power paddle you don't have to wait for, get the Boomstik.
Honolulu J6CR: way more control in an elongated
The J6CR is the raw carbon version of my main paddle, Honolulu's J6CR Crystal Blue, and unlike the Crystal Blue, it's approved for USA Pickleball events. It hits about as hard and spins about as much as the unMARKed, with a little less pop and a lot more control. It swings just as light, though it's a bit less stable on mishits, and you get a little of that Honolulu softness compared to most power paddles. Just know that in my wear test, raw carbon faces lost 14 to 20% of their spin, so that spin won't last the way the Crystal Blue's grit does. You'll pay $195, or $176 with code STS10. If your soft game is still coming along and you play USA Pickleball events, this is the one I'd look at. Honolulu's store page still had an old pre-order note up, so look at the ship date before you order.
Enhance MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Elongated: the under $100 option
The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Elongated is Enhance's power paddle with its own durable grit coating. You give up a little power and pop. Spin and sweet spot match the unMARKed, it swings and holds steady about the same, and you get slightly more control. Its MPP core also feels softer and more plush than the stiff unMARKed. With code STSPICKLEBALL it's $99.99, which is $71 less, and Enhance listed it as in stock and shipping immediately.
My call
The unMARKed 2026 gives you big power and spin in an elongated that's light and stable in your hands, for less than the Boomstik. If your soft game is already solid and you want the quicker paddle of the two, this is the one I'd get. Just know you're buying a pre-order and taking a chance on the grit.
If you'd rather have forgiveness and skip the pre-order wait, the Boomstik Elongated is the pick. Players who don't need an elongated should get the Zen S+, since nothing on my scores favors the unMARKed over it. And if your resets are still a work in progress and you need USA Pickleball approval, the J6CR gives you about the same power with a lot more control, for a little less pop.
Testing details
- Tested
- July 18, 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 2,325 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
- Updated
- Scores from
- My database, updated November 8, 2026. How I test
No. 3
No. 4
No. 1
No. 3
No. 3
