Paddle Feel Guide aka Soft vs Stiff and Dense vs Hollow: Why Foam and Grit Don't Tell the Whole Story

After playing with so many different foam paddles lately, I'm starting to think the core material tells us a lot less about paddle feel than we assume. We now have EPP, MPP, EMA, EVA, floating cores, full-foam constructions, and suspended carbon ribs, yet paddles using similar materials can feel completely different.

The newer durable-grit surfaces make this even more interesting. I've compared paddles with similar core designs but different surfaces, and some feel noticeably firmer than others. Then you have paddles using the same grit technology that feel almost opposite.

So I've been thinking about paddle feel on two separate axes, rather than putting everything on one soft-to-stiff scale.

Soft ↔ Stiff (Give): How much the ball feels like it sinks into the face versus how quickly and firmly it rebounds.

Dense ↔ Hollow (Feel and Sound): Does the paddle feel solid, muted, and connected, or does it feel more open, thonky, and hollow, with more noticeable vibration?

And when I say hollow, I'm not saying the paddle literally has space inside or is poorly built. I'm just describing what I feel and hear when the ball hits it.

Here's roughly where I'd place the paddles on my feel map:

Open original review figure ↗

Where I'd place these paddles

Starting with soft/dense, the 11SIX24 Ultré Jelly Bean 2 is probably the easiest example. It uses an EMA foam core and has plenty of dwell, with a really cushioned, muted response. What's interesting is that it also uses HexGrit, the same surface technology found on the Power 2 series, yet the JB2 feels considerably softer and denser.

The Six Zero Coral Pro Hybrid also sits in this area, although it feels noticeably firmer and livelier than the original Coral. Both share a similar underlying Tectonic suspension-core design, but the original Coral felt much softer to me. The Pro uses Double Diamond Tough, and I suspect the updated surface and face construction contribute to that extra stiffness. I can't say it's the grit alone, but the difference is noticeable. Personally, I prefer the Pro's balance because it still feels soft and connected without being overly muted.

Six Zero officially calls the construction Tectonic Core with ProPulsion Foam, which is more like EPP, EVA, and expanding foam within the design.

The Boulder Opal Rough is another interesting one, especially considering it's only 14 mm. It uses Six Zero's G4 Aerospace Solid Foam Core, which I suspect could be some type of EPP-like foam with a different density, although that's just my theory. Despite being considerably more offensive than the Coral Pro, Boulder still has that cushioned, solid contact I wouldn't normally expect from a thinner power paddle.

I'd also put CRBN² TruFoam Genesis in the same general soft/dense family. It uses CRBN's proprietary full-foam construction, and while these paddles obviously don't have identical power or dwell, they share that more muted, solid feel.

Moving to soft/hollow, my Pakle Fuse Hybrid-W is probably one of the clearest examples of that trampoline-like MPP response. Its TriFusion construction uses MPP foam, and there's plenty of pocketing, especially after break-in. But there's still a lot of spring and that familiar thonk. Mine started just slightly on the firmer side and softened a little after several sessions, while keeping that lively character.

The Spartus Spitfire is another good example, despite using EPP-based Turbo Foam rather than MPP. The Spitfire has a softer, more relaxed pocketing sensation, while the Fuse feels noticeably more explosive when I accelerate through the ball. Both feel soft/hollow, but they certainly don't play the same. The Spitfire also uses PermaGritNano, another example of a durable-grit paddle that doesn't automatically feel stiff.

Now compare the Fuse with the 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2. Both use MPP-based constructions, but the Power 2 feels considerably stiffer and more hollow to me. It also uses HexGrit, which makes the comparison with the JB2 even more interesting.

Then there's the Gearbox GX2 Power, which uses a completely different suspended SST 2.0 CarbonRibCore rather than a conventional foam core. Yet it still gives you that combination of pocketing and a more open, lively response.

The LUZZ Inferno2 M1, with its MPP2 foam core, TPEE return ring, and Aero-Black surface, is another useful reference. It combines a softer feel with plenty of rebound. So even within soft/hollow, there's quite a difference between relaxed pocketing and that more noticeable trampoline response.

On the stiff/dense side, the Spartus P1 Hybrid is a good example. It uses an EPP/EVA floating-core construction with PermaGrit, but feels firm and direct without being particularly hollow or echoey. I actually find this quadrant less common among the newer foam paddles I've compared.

The Vatic Pro V-Sol Tour is a little harder to place because mine changed after break-in. Fresh, it felt slightly firm/dense, but after a few sessions it softened enough that I'd now put it almost right on the soft/stiff center line, while retaining that denser character. I wouldn't really call my broken-in sample stiff anymore.

Finally, there's stiff/hollow, where quite a few modern foam power paddles seem to end up.

My Honolulu CR series is a good example. The paddles use EPP with EVA perimeter foam, yet even the original CR versions were already pretty stiff, hollow, and lively. They have plenty of rebound, but you don't get that same cushioned, muted contact you get from something like the JB2 or Coral.

What's interesting is the difference between the original CR and the newer Blue Grit versions. My J2CR Blue Grit felt noticeably stiffer, with less pocketing than the original J2CR. The difference was much smaller on my J6CR, which felt pretty close to the original, just slightly firmer. So Blue Grit didn't suddenly turn a soft paddle into a stiff one. Even the original CR series was already stiff/hollow; Blue Grit just made certain versions feel firmer.

The Selkirk Boomstik takes that sensation even further. Its PureFoam is EPP-based, combined with an EVA Power Ring and InfiniGrit surface. Yet it's one of the stiffest, loudest, and most hollow-feeling foam paddles I've played.

I'd also put the RPM Q2 firmly in the stiff/hollow group. What's particularly interesting about the Q2 is that it uses a fully molded EPP core with TPU at 3 and 9 o'clock and firmness across specific areas, along with molded flex channels, TPU perimeter inserts, and CarbonBite on the face. So even though it's full foam, it's tuned for a firm, powerful response rather than simply feeling plush or muted. I found RPM Q2 probably the hardest-hitting in the paddle right now.

That's quite a range of feel from paddles using EPP-based constructions.

Could foam density explain some of these differences?

This is something I've been wondering about more lately.

We often talk about paddles having EPP or MPP cores as if every manufacturer is using exactly the same foam. But EPP isn't one fixed material, and neither is MPP. Manufacturers can use different densities, foam grades, cell structures, and combinations of materials to tune the response.

That could partly explain why the Spartus Spitfire feels relatively soft/hollow, while the Honolulu J2CR, Boomstik, and RPM Q2 feel considerably firmer despite using EPP-based constructions.

The same might apply to MPP in the Fuse Hybrid-W versus Ultré Power 2. The Fuse has a more noticeable trampoline response, while the Power 2 feels stiffer and quicker.

The RPM Q2 is particularly interesting here because RPM actually describes tuning foam density and firmness in different areas of its core, along with TPU at 3 and 9 o'clock. So this isn't necessarily just about choosing EPP over MPP. It's also about how that foam is engineered within the paddle.

But I suspect foam density and internal structure explain more of these differences than we usually give them credit for.

The grit matters too, but not necessarily how people think

This is another thing I've become curious about with the newer durable-grit surfaces.

The original Coral versus Coral Pro and original Honolulu CR versus Blue Grit are two comparisons where I noticed a firmer response with the updated surface versions. The underlying core designs are broadly similar, which makes the difference interesting.

But then look at 11SIX24 Ultré Jelly Bean 2 versus Ultré Power 2. Both use HexGrit, yet they feel almost opposite. The EMA-based JB2 is extremely soft/dense, while the MPP-based Power 2 feels considerably stiffer/hollower.

That's probably the easiest example of why durable grit doesn't automatically make a paddle stiff.

Spartus gives us another comparison. The Spitfire with PermaGritNano feels soft/hollow, while the P1 Hybrid with PermaGrit feels stiff/dense. Different cores, different face constructions, and very different impact sensations.

My suspicion is that the surface construction, resin system, face layup, bonding, and underlying foam all contribute to what we feel. A stiffer face construction could certainly affect the response, but that doesn't mean the actual grit particles are responsible.

Surface roughness and paddle stiffness are two different things. Without testing otherwise identical paddles where only the face treatment changes, it's difficult to isolate the effect.

Still, I wouldn't ignore the surface when discussing feel. It's part of the overall construction, not just something that generates spin.

What actually changes after break-in?

A lot of the paddles I've played become softer after break-in, but I'm not convinced the change is always limited to softness.

My Fuse Hybrid-W softened while keeping its hollow, thonky response. The Honolulu CR paddles also became a little softer, but they still had that recognizable hollow character. The Spitfire softened after a few sessions, while my V-Sol Tour moved from slightly firm toward almost neutral without losing its denser feel.

But can a paddle become more hollow or denser after break-in? I think it's possible for either to happen.

Some paddles may develop a deeper thonk and a more open feel as the construction loosens up, while others can become quieter and more muted. And some barely change at all.

So I wouldn't say that every paddle only moves from stiff to soft. Both axes can change, although for most of the paddles I've personally tracked, softening has been the more obvious difference.

I also wouldn't confuse normal break-in with core damage. A sudden hollow spot, unusual noise, or inconsistent rebound in one area is something I'd investigate rather than automatically calling it break-in.

Soft doesn't mean control, and stiff doesn't mean power

This also gets mixed up quite a bit.

The Ultré JB2, Coral Pro, Boulder, and TruFoam Genesis all sit in the soft/dense family, but they certainly don't play alike. The JB2 leans more toward control and dwell, Coral is more all-court, and Boulder is noticeably more offensive.

Similarly, the Spitfire, Fuse Hybrid-W, GX2 Power, and Inferno2 M1 all fall into soft/hollow, but their levels of pocketing, rebound, forgiveness, and power are different.

And while the J2CR, Ultré Power 2, Boomstik, and RPM Q2 feel stiff/hollow, that doesn't mean they all produce the same power and pop.

So I wouldn't use the feel map to predict ball speed. That's what actual power and pop testing is for.

The feel map is simply answering a different question: What does the ball actually feel like when it hits the paddle?

How I test paddle feel

I usually start by bouncing a ball around the paddle face with a loose grip. It gives me a rough idea of how the face responds and how much vibration I feel. Does it have a muted thud, a deeper thonk, or a sharper ringing sound?

Then I move to dinks, resets against harder drives, and compact punch volleys. Some paddles feel soft at lower input but become noticeably firmer when you start accelerating.

But A/B testing is still the most useful method for me. Switching between two paddles with reasonably similar weight and swingweight makes the differences much easier to recognize. You can usually tell which one pockets more, which feels more solid, and which has more vibration or a hollower sound.

Final thoughts

After comparing all these paddles, I think neither the foam nor the grit tells you the whole story.

EPP can feel relatively soft/hollow in the Spitfire, firm/dense in the P1 Hybrid, or stiff/hollow in the Honolulu CR, Boomstik, and RPM Q2. MPP can feel softer and trampoline-like in the Fuse or considerably firmer in the Ultré Power 2.

Even HexGrit can be on an extremely soft/dense JB2 or a much stiffer/hollower Power 2. And similar core designs can feel different when the surface and face construction change, as I've noticed with Coral and Honolulu.

Different foam densities, core structures, face layups, durable-grit applications, and break-in behavior can all contribute to the finished feel.

That's why I prefer describing paddles on two axes: soft/stiff for give, and dense/hollow for how solid or hollow the paddle feels and sounds.

I'd much rather hear that a paddle "started slightly firm and hollow, softened after break-in, but kept that hollow feel" than simply hear that it uses EPP or MPP. That tells me a lot more about whether I'd actually enjoy playing with it.