Selkirk SLK Halo Control XL Review

The Selkirk SLK Halo Control XL is a favorite paddle among both amateur and professionals alike. It is also one of the best bang for your buck paddles with a current price under $150. We prefer the XL version due to the very generous grip length of 5.75 inches, making it preferable for players with a two-handed backhand and giving you the extra reach when you need it. It also generates plenty of spin on the serve, groundstrokes and at the net. This is one of our favorite paddles to recommend for players looking for a reasonably priced upgrade that will grow with them as they improve.

Selkirk SLK Halo Control XL Pros and Cons

PROS

• Generous sweet spot
• Elongated handle
• Very reasonably priced
• Great spin and control
• Extra reach when you need it while not being heavy

CONS

• Lack of power on the serve and returns
• Too big for some players, but that is personal preference
• Not enough power for aggressive players

Specs

Features

T700 Raw Carbon Fiber

The paddle surface is made from T700 Raw Carbon Fiber, providing spin and control for all shots. The surface also seems very durable and unlikely to wear quickly when compared to other textured surfaces.

Rev-Core Control Polymer Core

The SLK Halo features a 16mm Rev-Core Control Polymer Core which provides a large sweet spot and gives players excellent control.

Edge Sentry Technology

Edge Sentry technology is a proprietary edge guard that lines the outside of the paddle and provides durability and balance without adding too much weight.

Dinks and Volleys

Dinks and Volleys feel right at home with the SLK Halo Control XL. The large sweet spot makes each volley feel very solid, and the weight of the paddle isn’t a challenge to move through the air. Dinks are soft and controllable thanks to the Rev-Core Control Polymer core and the Raw Carbon Fiber surface.

The ball will not fly off of the paddle, so you’re less likely to pop up your dinks because of the extra control and touch. It does take slightly more effort to get the ball where you want it to go when compared with a more powerful paddle. Depending upon your current paddle it will take a few games to get used to how much muscle and spin you need to put into your dinks.

Overheads feel very controllable and the extra reach makes hard to get to shots a piece of cake. The extra control allows for sharper angles and put away shots instead of hitting them right back down the middle

Groundstrokes and Drives

Groundstrokes felt great with the SLK Halo Control XL thanks to the Rev-Core Control Polymer core and T700 Raw Carbon Fiber surface. Spin was easy to generate and the ball never felt like it was flying off of the paddle. The Halo Control XL made 3rd shot drops were also easy to hit because of all of the spin and control the paddle offers.

Aggressive groundstrokes feel fantastic thanks to the large sweet spot and picking up a short hop balls off center doesn’t cause the paddle to feel flimsy. It was also easy to take balls out of the air when moving towards the net with the Halo Control XL.

Hitting a slice on both the forehand and backhand side felt solid since the Halo generates plenty of spin and the ball doesn’t fly off of the paddle. Players will need to hit this shot a little harder than with a more powerful paddle, but you’re less likely for the ball to sail long.

Serve and Return

It was easy to generate plenty of spin on the serve thanks to the Raw Carbon Fiber surface. You could pick your spots on the serve and swing with confidence that the ball would stay in the court. There were times when it would have been nice to have a slightly more powerful paddle for the serve, but this shouldn’t be an issue with enough practice swinging a bit harder.

Returns felt extremely solid and stable because of the large sweet spot. Slice returns had plenty of spin and were easy to push deep into the court. Similar to the serve, occasionally a more powerful paddle might have been preferred. After a few games we were comfortable swinging a bit harder to give the opponent a tougher return to hit.

Conclusion

Overall, we can’t recommend this paddle enough. We definitely preferred the XL version of both the SLK Halo Control and SLK Halo Power, but we’ll also prefer a larger paddle and an elongated handle. The Halo Control produces plenty of spin and feels extremely comfortable anywhere on the court. It also seems very durable and should last a long time, especially when compared to other textured surface paddles.

The SLK Halo is priced very competitively when compared to other high end paddles, and is a no brainer for someone looking for a reasonably priced upgrade. While the Control version lacks the power of a Joola Hyperion or even the Power version of the Halo, the additional control more than makes up for it. You can learn more about the Power version in our full review of the SLK Halo Power XL Review.

We’d recommend this paddle to beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Beginners that struggle with control will find their game start to come together and keep more balls in the court. A more advanced player will appreciate the extra feel and control for net battles. We’d recommend trying this paddle or the SLK Halo Power before making a final decision on your next paddle and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the SLK Halo to any player!