Both the Selkirk LUXX Control Air and the Six Zero Double Black Diamond are elite control paddles. Both are thermoformed. Both use carbon fiber faces. Both have loyal followings in the 4.0–5.0 community. The difference is $70 and a fundamentally different philosophy about what “control” actually means.
The LUXX is built around softness — a 20mm core that absorbs everything, a plush feel at the kitchen that makes resets almost automatic. The DBD is built around precision — a crisper, more responsive feel that rewards technique and punishes lazy contact. After testing both, here’s which one actually belongs in your bag.
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| The Vibe | Selkirk LUXX Control Air | Six Zero Double Black Diamond |
|---|---|---|
| How it feels | Soft, plush, and arm-friendly | Crisp, precise, and all-court capable |
| Best for | Kitchen-first players who need maximum control and vibration absorption | All-court players who want elite control without sacrificing power |
| Price range | ~$250 | ~$180 |
Head-to-Head Specs
| Spec | Selkirk LUXX Control Air | Six Zero Double Black Diamond |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Florek Blended Carbon Fiber + ProSpin+ NextGen Texture | Raw Toray T700 3K Woven Carbon Fiber |
| Core | 20mm X7 Thikset Polypropylene Honeycomb + FlexFoam Perimeter | 16mm Polypropylene Honeycomb + Carbon Fusion Edge |
| Weight | 7.9 – 8.3 oz | 7.8 – 8.2 oz |
| Shape | Elongated Invikta (16.4" × 7.5") | Elongated (16.5" × 7.5") |
| Handle Length | 5.35 inches | 5.5 inches |
| Build | Thermoformed, Edgeless Aero-DuraEdge | Thermoformed Unibody + Carbon Fusion Edge |
| Swingweight | 113 | 113 |
| Twistweight | 5.75 | 6.8 |
| USAPA Approved | Yes | Yes |
The Selkirk LUXX Control Air Experience: Softness as a Weapon
The LUXX Control Air’s defining characteristic is its feel. The 20mm X7 Thikset core is significantly thicker than almost anything else in the control paddle category, and you feel it immediately — the ball doesn’t come off the face, it gets absorbed by it. Drives from opponents die at contact. Dinks sit up exactly where you place them. For players who rely on resetting pace and winning points through attrition rather than aggression, this paddle is a precision instrument.
The Air Dynamic Throat cutout reduces drag and keeps the paddle fast despite its thick core — at swingweight 113, it moves quicker than the specs suggest. The FlexFoam Perimeter adds stability around the edges without making the paddle feel heavy, and the ProSpin+ NextGen Texture surface gives you legitimate topspin output despite the soft feel at contact.
The main limitation is power ceiling. The 20mm core absorbs so much energy that driving the ball aggressively from mid-court requires significantly more swing than other paddles. Players who mix aggressive baseline play with kitchen work will find the LUXX consistently underwhelms when they need to go offensive. It’s also worth noting that at $250, you’re paying a premium that the DBD makes very difficult to justify on pure performance grounds.
The Six Zero Double Black Diamond Experience: Precision Without Compromise
The Double Black Diamond doesn’t specialize the way the LUXX does — and that’s precisely its advantage. The raw T700 carbon face delivers a crisper, more immediate response than the LUXX’s Florek blended face, giving you clear feedback on every contact point. Players who need to feel exactly where the ball is on the face will prefer the DBD’s honesty.
The 16mm Carbon Fusion Edge core hits a sweet spot between control and power that the LUXX deliberately avoids. You can defend drives, place dinks with precision, and still generate legitimate pace on offensive shots. The twistweight of 6.8 — significantly higher than the LUXX’s 5.75 — gives the DBD one of the largest effective sweet spots in the control category. Off-center hits stay in play more consistently, which at the 3.5–4.0 level can be the difference between winning and losing rallies.
Head-to-Head: What Actually Matters
Reset ability: LUXX wins. The 20mm core absorbs pace at a level the DBD can’t match. For players who live at the kitchen and need to neutralize speed-ups consistently, the LUXX’s softness is a genuine competitive advantage.
Forgiveness: DBD wins clearly. Twistweight 6.8 vs 5.75 is a very large gap — the DBD’s sweet spot is meaningfully wider. For developing players, this is significant.
Power: DBD wins. The 16mm core returns more energy on drives and overhead shots. The LUXX requires a full swing to generate pace; the DBD does more of the work for you.
Arm friendliness: LUXX wins decisively. The 20mm core and FlexFoam Perimeter absorb vibration at a higher level than the DBD’s Carbon Fusion Edge. Players with elbow or shoulder sensitivity will feel the difference across a long session.
Value: DBD wins. $70 cheaper for a paddle that outperforms the LUXX in two of four key categories — and comes within striking distance in the other two.
What Players Are Saying
The community split on this matchup breaks cleanly along playing style lines. Players who came from stiffer, more aggressive paddles and switched to the LUXX consistently describe it as transformative — the vibration dampening is frequently called out as exceptional, with players recovering from arm issues specifically praising how different extended sessions feel. The soft, connected dink feel generates consistent enthusiasm.
The DBD’s community reputation is built on a different kind of loyalty — value loyalty. Players who bought it expecting a budget option and discovered it competed with $250+ paddles have become vocal advocates. The recurring theme is surprise: the DBD outperforms what its price suggests it should be capable of, and players who demo both paddles often end up choosing the DBD not because the LUXX isn’t good, but because the performance gap doesn’t match the price gap.
The one consistent LUXX criticism is stock sweet spot size — out of the box, the 5.75 twistweight makes the edgeless paddle feel smaller than expected. Many players add lead tape to the perimeter to address this, which improves stability significantly.
The Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?
Go with the Selkirk LUXX Control Air if you’re a kitchen-dominant player who prioritizes reset ability and arm comfort above everything else. The 20mm core’s softness and vibration absorption are in a class of their own — if you play to frustrate opponents rather than overpower them, this is your paddle.
Go with the Six Zero Double Black Diamond if you want elite control with enough all-court capability to stay competitive in aggressive exchanges. The superior twistweight, better power ceiling, and $70 price advantage make it the stronger choice for the majority of players — especially those who need to defend and attack from the same paddle.
FAQ
Is the Selkirk LUXX Control Air worth $70 more than the Six Zero DBD? For kitchen-dominant players with arm sensitivity, yes. The 20mm core’s vibration absorption and reset softness are genuinely superior. For everyone else, the DBD’s better twistweight, higher power ceiling, and $70 savings make it the stronger overall choice.
Which paddle is better for players with tennis elbow? The Selkirk LUXX Control Air — the 20mm Thikset core and FlexFoam Perimeter absorb impact vibration at a significantly higher level than the DBD’s 16mm Carbon Fusion core. Multiple players recovering from arm injuries have specifically cited the LUXX as the paddle that allowed them to keep playing comfortably.
Why does the LUXX have a lower twistweight than the DBD despite being more expensive? The LUXX’s edgeless design and ultra-thick core create a different weight distribution than the DBD’s Carbon Fusion Edge construction. The DBD’s perimeter carbon seam adds stability specifically at the edges, pushing twistweight to 6.8. The LUXX at 5.75 has a smaller effective sweet spot out of the box — many players add perimeter lead tape to address this.
Which paddle is better for two-handed backhands? The Six Zero DBD has a slight edge with its 5.5″ handle vs the LUXX Invikta’s 5.35″. Both are workable for two-handed play, but the extra 0.15″ on the DBD gives a more comfortable grip position for most players.
Are both USAPA approved? Yes — both the Selkirk LUXX Control Air and the Six Zero Double Black Diamond are USAPA approved for all sanctioned tournament and recreational play.