Selkirk SLK Halo Power XL Review

The Selkirk SLK Halo Power XL is arguably one of the best budget paddles for both new and seasoned players thanks to a current price under $150. The XL model is preferred to the Max due to the elongated grip for players with two handed backhands as well as the extra reach. The extra pop on the serve and returns is appreciated when compared to the Halo Control XL, and dinks weren’t hard to control. The paddle did feel less solid on contact than the Control XL, but it’s strengths more than made up for it. We’ll go over how the paddle played and who we’d recommend it to.

Selkirk SLK Halo Power XL Pros and Cons

PROS

• Good, controlled power on serves and returns
• Elongated handle
• High performing budget friendly paddle
• Controllable sinks and resets

CONS

• Less solid on contact compared to the Control XL
• Not as much spin as the Control XL

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 13mm 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 felt great with the SLK Halo Power XL. While the paddle does have a large sweet spot, the paddle does overall feel less solid than the Control XL. This is likely due to the 13mm thickness compared to the 16mm thickness of the Control version but we’ll talk more about this later. With that being said, it was easy to put away volleys thanks to the extra power.

The paddle we tested weighed in at 7.8 oz and the large sweet spot makes volleys feel solid with good pop. The weight of the paddle makes it easy for quick reactions at the net making net battles a ton of fun. Dinks are controllable thanks to the Rev-Core Control Polymer core and didn’t require as much effort when compared to the Control XL. This paddle seemed to have the perfect amount of pop for controllable dinks but that could be unique to our playing style.

As mentioned above, the paddle is light but overall less solid and dense than the 16mm thick Control XL. It wasn’t a necessarily a bad thing, just a different feel when compared to a Hyperion or the Control XL. With that being said, the paddle performed well for both dinks and volleys even though it felt like it could have used more stability. Lead tape could likely fix this issue if you found it to be a problem.

Even though this is a Power model, the ball didn’t seem like it wanted to pop up during net battles or a miss hit. Some power paddles require extra effort and focus at the net to prevent pop-ups. We did miss the extra spin that a Hyperion or even Control XL would generate, but it didn’t prevent dinks from sailing long or going to high.

Groundstrokes and Drives

Groundstrokes and drives were a lot of fun with the SLK Halo Power XL. The less dense feeling of the paddle did take time to get used to, but didn’t cause more shots into the net or long. The feeling was similar to other thin paddles around 13mm. The spin wasn’t exactly the same as the Halo Control XL even though they have the same T700 Raw Carbon Fiber surface. Again, this is probably due to the thickness of the paddle. With that being said, you absolutely can generate spin with the paddle, it just felt less so than other paddles we’ve tested.

3rd shot drops were very consistent with this paddle. The extra power did make for less drops into the net which did happen during testing with the Halo Control XL. This doesn’t mean that the Halo Power XL is better at 3rd shot drops, just that for our game the Power fit nicely after only a few games. We did find ourselves wanting more spin from the Power XL on drives, groundstrokes and passing shots, but it handled them just fine.

Serve and Return

The additional pop from the Halo Power XL was appreciated for both the serve and return when compared to the Control XL, but it did lack the extra feel and spin that the Control XL provides. It truly is a matter of personal preference between the two for which one is better. It was easy to generate plenty of spin on the serve thanks to the Raw Carbon Fiber surface.

Slice returns were kept deep and still maintained a good level of spin to keep them in the court. Again, the stability wasn’t the same as what a thicker paddle provides, but it did not cause any more unforced errors because of that. The sweet spot felt large and in control for any off center shots or miss hits.

Conclusion

As mentioned in our SLK Halo Control XL Review, the Halo line is one of our favorite paddles to recommend due to its price and performance. As usual, we prefer the XL version of this paddle over the Max. The paddle provides the extra pop that a weaker player might need or a more advanced player is looking for. It is a good all around paddle from serving to dinks and 3rd shot drops, and the price is very reasonable.

We’d recommend this paddle for all levels of play and would also recommend to test this paddle along with the SLK Halo Control XL as well. One of them will feel better than the other and it all comes down to personal preference. If you’re still playing with a paddle from an entry level set, find your nearest store and pick up a demo.