Selkirk Vanguard Control Review (UK 2026): Soft Touch

The Vanguard Control is the control-oriented paddle in Selkirk's Vanguard range, sitting alongside the power-focused Power Air and the all-court Vanguard Pro. It pairs a T700 Raw QuadCarbon fibre face (a high-grade unpainted carbon weave) with Selkirk's X5+ 16mm polypropylene honeycomb core.

It comes in three shapes - Invikta (elongated, reviewed here), Epic (hybrid) and S2 (compact) - and is approved by USA Pickleball for tournament play. The Invikta runs 16.45" long by 7.44" wide, weighs around 7.9 oz in midweight, and uses a 5.5" handle with a 4 1/4" grip.

Feel is the headline. The raw QuadCarbon face has a plush, muted response off the ball that makes the soft game easy: third-shot drops sit down, resets absorb pace, and dinks land where you intend. The 16mm core is forgiving, with a stable sweet spot that does not punish slightly off-centre contact.

Spin control is strong too. Raw carbon grips the ball, so you can shape drops and add bite to dinks without swinging hard. What you give up is outright power: the Vanguard Control will not blast winners the way a thermoformed power paddle does, and aggressive baseline players may find it asks for a bigger swing to generate pace.

The elongated Invikta shape adds useful reach at the net and on stretch volleys, at the usual cost of a slightly narrower sweet spot than a hybrid shape. For a control-first player, that is a fair trade.

The Vanguard Control suits the 3.0 to 4.5 player whose game is built on placement, resets and a patient soft game rather than power. If you want a paddle that rewards touch and gives you confidence to reset hard drives, this is one of the best control options in the UK premium tier.

Look elsewhere if you are a power baseliner who finishes points with pace - the Selkirk Power Air or a thermoformed paddle like the JOOLA Perseus will serve you better. Larger hands should add an overgrip, since the 4 1/4" circumference is on the small side.

The two Vanguard paddles solve different problems. The Power Air is a power-and-reach paddle with an Aero Throat for fast swings - the pick if you finish points from the baseline. See our Selkirk Power Air Invikta review for the full breakdown.

The Vanguard Control trades that pace for touch and consistency, and it is around £70 cheaper. For most recreational and improving players who want to develop a reliable soft game, the Control is the smarter and better-value buy. In short: buy the Power Air for power and reach; buy the Vanguard Control for touch, resets and a kinder price.