Six Zero Double Black Diamond Review

The short version

The Double Black Diamond is what put Six Zero on the map, and it is still the line most people mean when they say “a Six Zero.” All three versions share the same grippy raw carbon face and thermoformed build, run roughly $180 to $190, and lean toward control without ever feeling dead. What changes between them is core thickness and head shape, and that difference is the entire buying decision.

Pick the 14mm for more pop, the 16mm for more touch, the Elongated for more reach. Same paddle DNA, three personalities.

The three, side by side

These ratings are our read of the published specs and where each paddle sits in the Six Zero range, not lab or hands-on testing. Where we have played a paddle ourselves, we say so.

How to choose your core

Control 14mm, for pop. The thinner core is the livelier of the two, so drives and counters should come off with more pace. You trade a touch of softness on resets for a higher power ceiling. Pick it if you want one paddle that can attack and still reset, and you do not mind trusting a slightly hotter face.

Control 16mm, for touch. The thicker core plays softer and more forgiving, which suits a dink-heavy, kitchen-line game and a sensitive elbow. You give up a step of raw power for hands that are easier to trust. Worth knowing: the 16mm is actually the more searched of the two cores, so it is far from a niche pick.

Elongated 15mm, for reach. The longer head and 6 inch handle add leverage on drives and serves and leave room for a second hand, which is why it suits former tennis players and two-handed backhands. The trade is a narrower sweet spot, so if you want the biggest margin for error, the two control shapes will be kinder.

What the specs tell us

Feel and control. The raw carbon face is grippy and the hybrid shape on the two control models keeps the sweet spot in a sensible place, so blocks and dinks should land where you aim more often than not. The 16mm reads as the more planted, predictable of the pair on paper; the 14mm asks for a little more trust until its livelier face settles.

Power. For a control line, the ceiling is higher than you would guess, especially on the 14mm. Drives should carry real pace and counters some snap, without the trampoline feel of a dedicated power paddle. If power is the whole point of your game, the Black Opal below is the more natural home.

Spin and serve. The raw carbon face is built to bite the ball, so topspin drives and slice serves should both have shape across all three. Nothing class-leading on paper, but plenty for a developing game.

On the arm. All three sit around 8.1 ounces. The 16mm’s thicker core should be the most comfortable of the group, while the 14mm is a touch firmer. None reads as harsh, but a very sensitive elbow will likely prefer the 16mm or an aramid-faced paddle.

Who it is for

The full spec sheet

If the DBD is not the one