Selkirk Vanguard Hybrid S2 Review

As soon as the Selkirk Vanguard series of paddles were announced, I basically said "take my money please". So I quickly pulled out the credit card and got one coming. They were obviously in high demand and it took some time to get. I can say throughout the waiting process, their support was top notch. They responded quickly and really took care of me. Ok, with that out of the way let's talk about the paddle. My current paddle is a Paddletek Bantam TS-5 Pro which has been a great paddle in it's own right but my first impression of the Selkirk Vanguard blew me away.

Let's start with the unboxing which really sets the tone. It reminds me of an Apple product. The presentation and the details is really nice starting with a cool thank you card with a faux wax seal.

The letter isn't necessary but it's a nice touch. And considering the price tag, it does help to set it apart from any other paddle I have purchased.

Now let's dig a little deeper in the box.

Next in the unboxing is the real prize.. the paddle! The cover is top notch and for a split second I considered just carrying that to Pickleball tonight. But, I can't ditch my sweet Adidas bag but, they almost.

This is the first point where you can tell the quality Selkirk puts into their products. It looks great, feels solid and just gives you a warm fuzzy when you hold it in your hands. And remember, I'm just talking about the cover so you can only imagine the anticipation to get my hands on the paddle.

So, let's do that next.

And there it is... would you look at it? Just look at it!

So we can all agree it is a great looking paddle. Along with the look, as Cousin Eddie would say... "It's a good quality item". It really does check all the boxes from a detail perspective. Ok, so it looks great, feels great but, how does it play?

Well at drop in tonight I put it through it's paces and I am very happy to say, it is easily the best paddle I have ever played with. The power is there and the touch game is solid. And although I only got a couple of hours of play with it, the sweet spot does feel huge. There were very few hits that felt off. And when I would really hit the center of the paddle, you couldn't hardly feel it.

Ok, ok... we get it, it's great. There has to be something wrong, nothing is perfect. And I have to admit, there is one flaw.. It's red... my color is Yellow so, crap. Oh well, I guess I will have to adapt. Overall, well done Selkirk, well done.

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