Six Zero Double Black Diamond 16mm Review

Specs:

Price: $180 ($162 with code PBSTUDIO)
Thickness: 16mm & 14mm
Weight range: 8.1oz average
Shape: Hybrid (16.3 x ~7.7)
Handle length: 5.3"
Grip circumference: 4.25"
Face: Toray T700 carbon fiber
Core: Polymer
Swing weight: 114
Spin: 2018

Special:

Edge foam
thermoforming

A few interesting things to note:

First, It features the same grit pattern that the Legacy Pro uses. While at this time, it's not conclusive that this pattern is better for spin, it has shown that it gets great results regardless of how smooth it feels to the touch.

People frequently run their hand across the paddle to determine if it will be good for spin (usually, the rougher, the better). However, there are several cases where that isn't applicable anymore, and the SixZero Double Black Diamond (DBD) and Legacy Pro are great examples of feeling smooth but performing amazing.

Second, It will be interesting to see how many more companies release this hybrid shape. At first glance, you may assume that it's the same Vision or Hyperion shape that Joola offers, but it isn't quite the same. One of the only other companies I have seen create this hybrid shape is PikNinja with their Revenant paddle. Most paddles are either 16" in length or 16.5". However, Vatic Pro, PikNinja, and SixZero have opted to go for something closer to 16.3" in length. As someone who much prefers 16.5" over 16", I didn't have too much of an issue with the reach going down a quarter inch. There was a small struggle on the first day, but after that, I didn't notice any more issues.

Control

If you've followed thermoforming paddles for the last two months, you know these paddles hit really hard. The Double Black Diamond is no exception. While technically listed as the "control" model on their website, it does not offer the same level of control that people are used to with the original raw carbon fiber paddles like the CRBN1, Electrum Model E, Joola Vision, and SLK Halo.

However, compared to their raw fiberglass Black Diamond paddle, the Double Black Diamond certainly has much more control, which is why it has control in the name.

If you are coming from one of those original raw carbon fiber paddles, you will absolutely have an adjustment period when it comes to controlling the paddle. One of our local 4.5s in the area bought one and was hitting rockets with it but found he had a more challenging time dinking.

I haven't had any issues with drops, resets, dinks, or blocks, but I think that's due to playing with thermoformed paddles for the last three months straight. I've adjusted to the level of power and learned what I have to do to control them better.

That said, all of those shots are considerably easier to pull off with the original raw carbon fiber paddles because of how much softer they are.

One of my favorite shots with the Double Black Diamond is my third shot drop. It has great spin to make the ball arc how I want, and the amount of pop off the face feels just right to me.

I have to be more mindful during dinking not to pop up the ball, but nothing that I find too difficult. I came from a Selkirk Labs Project 003, where you can practically turn your brain off while dinking because it's so soft and easy to play the soft game with, so it's not surprising to have to concentrate more with a paddle this powerful.

One of the areas I’m loving the paddle most is in mid court resets. It’s extremely satisfying being able to hold my paddle still and just watch the ball drop right back into the kitchen. Because of the extra pop from thermoforming, even on slightly slower speed ups at me I can hold the paddle there and not have to do much with my body.

To wrap up the control, I would say if you're coming from a softer paddle, expect there to be an adjustment period where your soft game is going to be worse, but if you stick with it, I think you can make the adjustment just fine, assuming you aren't someone who prefers control paddles.

Feel

If you’re coming from a gen 1 raw carbon fiber paddle, thermoformed paddles are going to feel very stiff. Out of the box I think the DBD is on the more plush end of thermoformed paddles, but it’s all relative to what paddle you come from.

One thing to note is that the thermoformed paddles benefit from being broken in to reach their full potential. I recently received a Double Black Diamond with the new glue, and it was softer out of the box compared to my broken in DBD and probably closer in feel to my CRBN1X.

I'm not talking about delamination because my original one is not delaminated, and I check daily for it. When you hit them side by side, you can tell my broken-in one with 40+ hours feels a little poppier off the face. Nothing compared to a delaminated paddle, just more than a brand-new one.

So, keep in mind you should fully evaluate the paddle after maybe ten or so hours of play.

Power:

If you're a power player, you'll love this paddle. You have access to plenty of power whenever you want it. I've used this paddle extensively for singles, and it's one of my favorites so far. You can rip drives with tons of topspin, making passing shots feel great.

Regarding doubles, you have great attacks in hand speed, and overheads are easy to put away. I love speeding up with it as well. Everything related to attacking feels like a giant upgrade coming from the original raw carbon fiber paddles. My counterattacks and speed-ups are much more aggressive and easier to finish than they were with the 003.

One of the reasons I have loved thermoformed paddles so much is that power was severely lacking in my game. People in my area mock me for being so bad at putting a ball away. With paddles like the 1X 14mm, 1X 16mm, and the SixZero Double Black Diamond, I feel that has improved drastically without sacrificing my soft game much. Of course, I had to adjust, but now that I'm used to it, I have access to more tools than before without sacrificing the soft side of my game too much.

Overall, I would call the Double Black Diamond a power paddle that leans slightly toward control. It isn't like a ProKennex Black Ace, where everything is about power.

Hand speed:

One of the reasons I came to love the Double Black Diamond was the increase in my hand speed. The swing weight being 114 means it's still quick in the hand but has heft to help resist the paddle twisting on off-center shots.

One thing I noticed when reviewing the Gearbox CX11 a few months ago is that the Q model (the one with the short handle) was really enjoyable for hand battles and dinking. Something about the shorter handle made the paddle feel like an extension of my arm and helped me be less wristy on dinks and other shots where you don't want to use a lot of wrist.

I found the same thing to be true of the DBD. Coming from the CRBN1X 16mm, my hands felt faster with the shorter handle. For dinks, I felt more connected to the paddle, which helped me control the paddle better. It's a subtle thing that I picked up recently, but when I go back to longer handle paddles, it is something that I notice.

I have heard a few comments saying that the DBD feels head heavy in hand, and it might feel that way, but I think it depends on what paddle you're coming from.

If you went to get a ballpark of how the DBD might feel coming from your paddle, you can check out my Paddle Stats Spreadsheet, which lists the swing weight of many paddles. Go to the tab named "Swing weight."

Lower = faster hands

Higher = slower hands

In many cases, a higher number also translates to feeling more head heavy.

Sweet spot:

In my experience so far, thermoformed paddles have all had great sweet spots, and the Double Black Diamond is no exception. It feels lively around most of the paddle face.

The most surprising thing has been how much energy is transferred into the ball, even in areas that are dead on other paddles. Of course, those areas feel noticeably different when hit, but even if you miss off-center, the shot is still decent. I've been very impressed with the sweet spot of this and other thermoformed paddles.

I never enjoyed 14mm or thinner paddles, but with thermoforming, they have made such a leap in stability and sweet spot performance that it's much easier and more pleasant to use than non-thermoformed 14mm paddles.

Warranty:

This section of the article has been updated. After seeing the review, Six Zero has decided to remove this line in their warranty. Adding lead tape will no longer void the warranty.

Six Zero offers a 6-month warranty on their paddles which isn't particularly impressive. Many companies offer 1-year warranties. You can see their full warranty page here

I did want to call attention to one specific line about what will void your warranty.

“Any modifications made to the paddle after purchasing, including lead tape. ”

— Six Zero warranty

I don't know if I've ever seen a company say that using lead tape voids your warranty, especially when it is considered normal practice in the Pickleball world.

Not only that, but even if you did add lead tape, you could easily clean the paddle edges of the residue left behind, and they would have no way to verify that you ever used lead tape.

Having a line like this in your warranty makes it look less appealing to customers without benefiting Six Zero because it is easy to hide the fact that you used lead tape.

Hopefully, they will consider getting rid of this line.

Durability

If you’ve been following the thermoforming news, you are probably aware of an issue called “delamination”. I’ve covered this topic extensively in other videos, so if you’d like more information you can check those out this newsletter, this podcast, or this video.

Aside from delamination, thermoformed paddles seem to be significantly better built. Edge guards are incredibly hard to pull off, and the unibody design prevents the paddle from snapping at the neck.

Closing thoughts:

The SixZero Double Black Diamond is undoubtedly one of the best paddles on the market, both in price and performance, and it has been my go-to paddle for the last month in all my drill sessions and high-level games.

I still enjoy the CRBN1X series quite a bit, but I think the Double Black Diamond suits my game better.

With the DBD, I like the feel of the face more, I have enough space to do a two-handed backhand, and because of the slightly shorter handle, my hand speed and control over the paddle feel improved when I compare it to the CRBN1X. None of this is to say the 1X is bad or inferior; I could go to a tournament tomorrow and use the 1X without issue.

The SixZero improves aspects of my game that are important to me more than the 1X does.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. They are all great, but the bright side is that the Double Black Diamond is $162 vs. roughly $205 for the CRBNX series after discount code PBSTUDIO.

I think one of the primary reasons to consider the CRBN would be if you prefer a more muted feeling paddle and if you need that longer 5.5" handle for your two-handed backhand. I haven't had issues on the 5.3" handle because the neck tapers nicely for two hands, but I have average sized hands, and if you have large hands it may be more difficult, especially if you don't like putting a finger on the back of the paddle.

Now, thermoforming is not for everyone. As excited as many others and I have been about it, I recognize that everyone may not desire the extra power. But if you love raw carbon fiber paddles and wish they had more power, the SixZero Double Black Diamond is a very easy recommendation.

I'm having a hard time thinking of anything the paddle could do better for my play style.

At the end of the day, you can't have everything in one paddle, but this gets close to checking all the boxes for me, and I think a lot of people will love this paddle.

Purchase here