The Dauntless Widebody is the one to get, because no full foam paddle I've tested has more control. The Selkirk SLK Dauntless is a 16mm full foam control paddle, and I'm covering both shapes it comes in, the Widebody and the Elongated. It's soft and dense, it soaks up pace, and you bring the pace yourself, since both shapes scored 50 out of 100 for power. The Widebody is where all of that pays off. It scored 89 out of 100 for control and 89 for sweet spot, so your dinks and resets stay low and your mishits stay in play. What holds the Dauntless back is spin, since both shapes spin less than the average paddle of their shape. The Elongated gives you reach and a lot of control for an elongated, but the Widebody beats it on sweet spot, control and pop for the same price. As of October 21, 2026, you can order both shapes on Selkirk's site for $150. If you buy one, the code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a $20 Selkirk gift card to your order. The code doesn't lower the price of the paddle. I earn a commission when you use my codes.
Every version, side by side
| Out of 100 | SLK Dauntless Widebody$150 · widebody | SLK Dauntless Elongated$150 · elongated |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 50C | 50C |
| Pop | 70BLeads by 12 | 58C |
| Spin | 38D | 38D |
| Sweet spot | 89ALeads by 21 | 68B |
| Control | 89ALeads by 16 | 73B |
| Swing weightlower is quicker | 110.7 | 116.5 |
| Twist weighthigher is steadier | 7.18 | 6.58 |
Widebody
$150plus a $20 gift card with code INF-STSPICKLEBALL
Code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a $20 gift card, the most Selkirk gives on an order this size, and my link applies it for you.
Elongated
$150plus a $20 gift card with code INF-STSPICKLEBALL
Code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a $20 gift card, the most Selkirk gives on an order this size, and my link applies it for you.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The Widebody scored 89 out of 100 for control, more than any other full foam paddle I've tested, and only 15 paddles I've tested have more control.
- The Widebody's sweet spot scored 89 out of 100, and only 16 paddles I've tested have a bigger one.
- The Elongated scored 73 out of 100 for control, and only two elongateds I've tested have more.
- The Dauntless is soft and dense, so dinks, drops and resets come off the face slow and stay low.
- The Dauntless Widebody costs half as much as the Selkirk OMNI Widebody and has clearly more control.
Cons
- Both shapes read 2,185 RPM in my spin test, and only 35 paddles I've tested spin less.
- Both shapes scored 50 out of 100 for power, so drives and serves take a full swing.
- The Elongated has a far smaller sweet spot than the Widebody, 68 out of 100 against 89.
- The Dauntless is approved by USA Pickleball only, and the warranty is one year.
Quick answers
Is the Selkirk Dauntless a control paddle?
Yes. Selkirk calls it an all-court paddle with a control lean, but my numbers put it squarely in control. The Widebody's control score of 89 is clearly more than the average widebody's 76, and the Elongated's control score of 73 is far more than the average elongated's 45. Power goes the other way. The Widebody's power score of 50 is clearly less than the average widebody's, which is about 65, and the Elongated's is far less than the average elongated's 80.
Dauntless Widebody or Elongated?
The Widebody, unless you need the reach. The two shapes hit and spin the same, and the Widebody has a far bigger sweet spot, 89 out of 100 against 68 on the Elongated, plus clearly more control and pop.
Is the Dauntless good for beginners?
The Widebody is, and it's No. 6 on my beginners list. Its control and sweet spot keep the ball in play while you learn. Low spin is its main weakness. It still ranks above the Honolulu J2CR Crystal Blue, which spins far more and has far more pop, because the Dauntless Widebody has clearly more control, 89 out of 100 against 75. The Dauntless is also $45 less, or $25.50 less with the J2CR's STS10 code.
SLK Dauntless or SLK ERA Power?
The Dauntless Widebody. It hits about the same as the ERA Power Widebody, with power scores of 50 and 51, and pop and spin come out about the same too. The Dauntless has clearly more control, 89 against 76, and a little bigger sweet spot, 89 against 82. It's also $50 less, at $150 against $200.
Soft, dense and muted, so the ball settles into the face
So, the Dauntless plays soft and dense. At contact the ball settles into the face instead of springing off it, and the sound is muted, not hollow. That's a very different feel from Selkirk's Boomstik and OMNI, which are louder and more hollow.
That soft face doesn't add pace on short swings. Blocks, resets and dinks leave the face at about the speed you give them, which is exactly why the soft game is so easy to keep low.
The Dauntless is also very stable. Selkirk puts weights in the edge guard to raise twist weight. Higher twist weight means fewer twisted mishits. The Widebody measured a twist weight of 7.18, and only 17 widebodies I've tested have a higher one. The Elongated measured 6.58, and only 12 elongateds I've tested have a higher twist weight.
Swing weight is how heavy the paddle feels when you swing it, and lower means faster hands. Neither shape is especially quick or slow. The Widebody's swing weight of 110.7 is about the same as the average widebody's 108.8, and the Elongated's 116.5 is about the same as the average elongated's 117.6.
Easy resets and dinks, but drives and spin come up short
How its spin stacks up against other widebodies you can buy
Less spin than most widebodies, 88 RPM below the average
The top three for spin
- 1Honolulu J3CR Crystal Blue2,436
- 211SIX24 Pegasus Jelly Bean 22,37561 RPM behind
- 3RPM Q2 Widebody2,36967 RPM behind
- 41Selkirk SLK Dauntless Widebody2,185251 RPM behind
Drives, serves and put-aways
This is the weak side of the Dauntless. Both shapes scored 50 out of 100 for power, and only 54 paddles I've tested score lower for power. The same soft core that soaks up pace on a reset soaks it up on a drive too, so the pace has to come from your swing. On serves and put-aways, you have to swing harder to get the depth a full foam power paddle gives you.
Spin doesn't make up for it. Both shapes read 2,185 RPM in my spin test, for a spin score of 38 out of 100, and only 35 paddles I've tested spin less. That's less spin than the average widebody and the average elongated, which both come in at about 2,275 RPM. So a topspin drive won't dip into the court as fast, and you have less room to swing big and still keep it in.
Speed-ups and counters
Pop is the pace you get off short swings at the net, and the Dauntless gives you less of it. The Widebody scored 70 out of 100 for pop, a little less than the average widebody's, which is about 79. The Elongated scored 58 for pop, clearly less than the average elongated's 74. Counters and speed-ups won't jump off the face, so you win hands battles with placement, not pace.
Dinks, resets and third-shot drops
This is why you buy a Dauntless. Control is my score from the same ball-machine dink, drop and reset drills every paddle gets. The Widebody scored 89 for control, clearly more than the average widebody, and the Elongated scored 73 for control, far more than the average elongated. Dinks and drops feel soft and controlled, and when the other team drives the ball at you, a reset comes off the face slow and lands short.
The one thing to know is spin at the kitchen. With spin this low, a topspin dink won't dip as hard and a slice dink won't skid as low as it would off a paddle that spins more. So the Dauntless keeps your soft game low by taking pace off the ball, not by adding spin.
Mishits
The Widebody is the forgiving one. Its sweet spot scored 89 out of 100, a little bigger than the average widebody's 83, and the built-in weights keep off-center hits on line. The Elongated's sweet spot scored 68, clearly bigger than the average elongated's 52, and only 12 elongateds I've tested have a bigger sweet spot. That's a lot of forgiveness for the shape, but it's still far less than the Widebody gives you.
How it feels in your hand next to other widebodies you can buy
Heavier in your hands, steadier than most when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. A lower number swings quicker.
Swings heavier than most widebodies.
How much the paddle fights twisting when you miss the middle. A higher number is steadier.
Steadier than most widebodies.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other widebodies you can buy
A bigger sweet spot than most widebodies
Both rings are sized to their score.
The Widebody beats the Elongated everywhere except reach
The two shapes hit the same and spin the same. Both scored 50 out of 100 for power, and both read 2,185 RPM. Everything else goes to the Widebody. It has a far bigger sweet spot, 89 against 68, clearly more control, 89 against 73, and clearly more pop, 70 against 58. Its twist weight is higher too, 7.18 against 6.58.
Get the Widebody if you play the soft game, miss the center sometimes, or want the easiest Dauntless to learn on. It's 15.95 inches long and 8 inches wide, and its 5.6 inch handle has room for two hands.
Get the Elongated if you want reach and a two-handed backhand, and you still want an elongated that's easy to reset with. It's 16.5 inches long with a 5.8 inch handle. You pay for that reach with a far smaller sweet spot, clearly less control and clearly less pop than the Widebody, and the longer shape gives it a clearly heavier swing weight, 116.5 against 110.7.
Price, core, face, weight range and warranty are the same on both. Can't decide? Get the Widebody.
A one-piece foam core that hits like honeycomb
Selkirk calls the core SoloCore. It's a one-piece PureFoam core with a cutout around the perimeter that Selkirk calls IsoFlex. On top is a raw T700 carbon fiber face with a raw, textured peel-ply surface, which Selkirk calls Raw Spin Technology, and the whole paddle is thermoformed. There's no grit on the face. The weights are part of what Selkirk calls its MOI Tuning System, small weights on the edge guard that come installed from the factory. Selkirk calls them semi-permanent, so they're not made to be moved or taken off.
On power, the Dauntless plays more like a honeycomb paddle than a foam one. The Widebody has far less power than the average 16mm full foam widebody, which scores 78 for power, and about the same power as the average 16mm honeycomb widebody, which scores 50. Next to that honeycomb average, the Dauntless Widebody also has a little more control, 89 against about 84, and a little more pop, 70 against 61.
The face explains the spin. Even next to other 16mm widebodies with a raw peel-ply face, the Dauntless Widebody spins less, 2,185 RPM against 2,265 RPM for the average one.
Selkirk lists both shapes at 7.7 to 8.1 oz, with a 4.25 inch grip. It lists the Widebody's swing weight at 109 and its twist weight at 7.4, and I measured a swing weight of 110.7 and a twist weight of 7.18. It lists the Elongated's swing weight at 118 and its twist weight at 6.9, and I measured 116.5 and 6.58. So both shapes came in with a lower twist weight than Selkirk lists, though both are still stable for their shape.
The warranty is Selkirk's one-year limited warranty, which covers manufacturing defects. That's shorter than the lifetime warranty on the Boomstik and OMNI.
Owners praise the soft game, and a few wanted more power
Selkirk released the Dauntless on February 17, 2026, so owners have had it about eight months.
What owners talk about most is control. Nine Widebody owners, from March to October 2026, said their dinks, drops, kitchen volleys or backhand control got better with it. Elongated owners said the same thing about placement, dinks and resets, from March to September 2026. Three Widebody owners, from March to June 2026, lent theirs to a newer player or bought one for someone just starting out.
The one complaint that keeps coming up is power. Four owners across both shapes, from March to September 2026, said it doesn't have enough pace for players who like to hit, and one returned it for a Boomstik. My numbers agree, since both shapes scored 50 out of 100 for power.
As of October 21, 2026, I haven't found a defect that three or more owners report on either shape.
$150 at Selkirk, with no exchanges, and approved by USA Pickleball only
On October 21, 2026, Selkirk's site listed both shapes at $150 in four colors, Electric Sunset, Lagoon, Oasis and Storm Gray. The same page says Selkirk doesn't take exchanges on the Dauntless, because it calls it a limited edition. So pick your shape and color carefully, since you can't swap them later. The Dauntless launched at $180 in February 2026, so it costs $30 less now than it did at release.
Both shapes are on USA Pickleball's approved paddle list, under the brand name SLK By Selkirk, so either shape is legal in USA Pickleball sanctioned events. It's not approved by UPA-A, so it isn't legal in UPA-A events like PPA qualifiers. If you need both approvals from Selkirk, the OMNI has them.
Dauntless or OMNI?
The OMNI is the step up in Selkirk's foam lineup, and it's the paddle I'd weigh against the Dauntless first. It's $300 in both shapes, twice the price, and the code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a $40 Selkirk gift card instead of lowering the price. For that money, the OMNI gives you USA Pickleball and UPA-A approval, a lifetime warranty, Selkirk's InfiniGrit surface and weights you can move by hand.
On my scores, the OMNI is the one that hits and spins, and the Dauntless is the one that resets. In the widebody shape, the OMNI has far more power, 73 against 50, clearly more pop, 80 against 70, and far more spin, 2,322 RPM against 2,185. The sweet spots are the same, 89 out of 100 on both. The Dauntless Widebody has clearly more control, 89 against 76, and it swings a little lighter, with a swing weight of 110.7 against 113.4.
In the elongated shape, the gap on pace grows. The OMNI Elongated has far more power, 79 against 50, far more pop, 79 against 58, and far more spin, 2,348 RPM against 2,185. The sweet spots are about the same, 69 and 68, and the Dauntless Elongated has a little more control, 73 against 68.
So if your game is dinks and resets and you play USA Pickleball events, get the Dauntless Widebody and save $150. If you want a control-leaning paddle that still drives and spins, or you need UPA-A approval or a lifetime warranty, get the OMNI.
Where I'd look instead, for more control, less money or more spin
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the Mach 2 Forza and the Harmony V
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
SLK Dauntless WidebodyWidebody · $150.00
Mach 2 ForzaWidebody · $107.99The SLK Dauntless hits harder and has more pop. The Mach 2 Forza spins more and is more controllable. Sweet spot is about the same. The Mach 2 Forza costs about $42 less.
SLK Dauntless WidebodyWidebody · $150.00
Harmony VWidebody · $71.99The SLK Dauntless has more pop. The Harmony V spins more. Power, sweet spot and control are about the same. The Harmony V costs about $78 less.
For widebody shoppers
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16mm, $119.99, or $107.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. If you want even more control, this is the one. It's $30.01 less, or $42.01 less with its STSPICKLEBALL code, and its control score of 100 out of 100 is the highest of any paddle I've tested, clearly more than the Dauntless Widebody's 89. Sweet spot is about the same, 91 against 89, and it spins more, 2,247 RPM against 2,185. You give up pace, though, with clearly less power, 34 against 50, and a little less pop. It's a honeycomb paddle, it's USA Pickleball approved, and the warranty is one year. It's the pick for players who only care about the soft game.
Pickleball Apes Harmony V, $79.99, or $71.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. On a tight budget, this is the one I'd get. It's $70.01 less, or $78.01 less with its STSPICKLEBALL code, and control, sweet spot and power all come out about the same as the Dauntless Widebody. It spins more, 2,261 RPM against 2,185, and it swings a little lighter, with a swing weight of 106.0 against 110.7. What you give up is pop, since it has far less, 44 against 70. It's a 16.5mm honeycomb paddle, it's USA Pickleball approved, and the warranty is one year. It fits soft-game players who don't need help in hands battles.
11SIX24 Pegasus Jelly Bean 2, $169.99, or $159.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. If spin is the thing you'd miss, this is the fix. It's $19.99 more, or $9.99 more with its STSPICKLEBALL code, and control, sweet spot and pop are about the same as the Dauntless Widebody. It spins far more, 2,375 RPM against 2,185, and it has clearly more power, 63 against 50. That spin lasts, too, because in my wear test, 11SIX24's HexGrit face lost about 1% of its spin over 75 games. Just check your events first, because it's approved by UPA-A only, so you can't use it in USA Pickleball sanctioned events.
For elongated shoppers
Honolulu J6FC+, $195, or $175.50 with code STS10. This is the elongated I'd look at first. It's $45 more, or $25.50 more with its STS10 code, and it scored 78 out of 100 for control, more than any other elongated I've tested and a little more than the Dauntless Elongated's 73. It also has far more power, 71 against 50, far more spin, 2,305 RPM against 2,185, and a little more pop. The sweet spot is about the same, and it swings a little heavier, with a swing weight of 118.6 against 116.5. It's a full foam paddle, it's USA Pickleball approved, and its 6 inch handle has room for two hands. It's the pick for elongated players who want control and real pace in one paddle.
Chorus Shapeshifter EX, $149.99, or $134.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. At $149.99 it's the same price as the Dauntless at list, and it's $15.01 less with its STSPICKLEBALL code. It scored 73 out of 100 for control, the same as the Dauntless Elongated. Power and pop come out about the same, and it spins more, 2,263 RPM against 2,185. Its sweet spot is a little smaller, 63 against 68. It's a honeycomb paddle, it's USA Pickleball approved, and Chorus covers it for only four months. It fits players who want the same control in an elongated with a little more spin, for $15.01 less with the code.
Get the Widebody if you win with touch, and skip the Dauntless if you need help with pace or spin
If your points come from dinks, drops and resets, and you play USA Pickleball events, the Dauntless Widebody is the one I'd get. It's No. 4 on my best control paddles list, which only ranks widebodies I'd buy today. Only 15 paddles I've tested have more control, and none of them is full foam. The Elongated only makes sense if you need the reach and a two-handed backhand, and the J6FC+ does that job with far more power and far more spin.
Skip the Dauntless if you win with drives and put-aways, because both shapes scored 50 out of 100 for power. Skip it if you put a lot of spin on your serves and dinks, because both shapes spin less than the average paddle of their shape. And if you need UPA-A approval or a lifetime warranty, the OMNI is the Selkirk to get.
Testing details
- Tested, Widebody
- September 17, 2026
- Tested, Elongated
- May 28, 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.
- 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 21, 2026. How I test
No. 2
