I borrowed a Supereyes USB camera pen to take close-up images of the grit and paddle faces on three paddles: the Boomstik, Loco, and Inferno. I wanted to see how the center of the paddle face compares to the edges where the ball rarely hits, mainly to compare grit levels and durability.
Picture 1 – Boomstik (center of the paddle face)
This area shows some durability wear. I’m not a big fan of how it looks, although I understand that no paddle is indestructible. Still, for the price of this paddle, I expected it to be a bit more durable. My guess is that this is partly due to the painted surface used for the paddle’s design.
Picture 2 – Boomstik grit face
Here you can see circular or bubble-like microdots on the paddle surface. I’m assuming this is the InfiniGrit texture.
Next is a picture of my Boomstik edge guard. At first, I thought the edge guard was cracking or defective, but looking closely it appears to actually be InfiniGrit. It seems like they sprayed the entire face and even the top part of the edge guard.
You be the judge — do you think having grit on the edge guard is a good idea?
In pictures 1 and 2, you can see what remains of the InfiniGrit.
Picture 3
shows a cleaner view of the edge guard with most of the InfiniGrit
still present. This texture appears to run across the entire face and
onto the edge guard. On a white edge guard, it can actually make it look
like the plastic is cracking.
These are more pictures of the Boomstik on other nicks that happened to the paddle face. Again I have only used this in maybe 2 or 3 full open play sessions and would say it was about 4-6 hours of games. Note, that I actually used the Selkirk Pro pickleballs during these games.
One of the pictures also shows the Boomstik area near the handle, where there has been no visible degradation.
Next are images of the Luzz Inferno.
The first picture shows the center of the paddle face, and the one below it shows the carbon face near the base of the paddle, an area where I’ve never hit the ball. One thing I noticed is that the weave pattern looks flatter and not as pronounced. Of course, we’re looking at this at a very close micro level, but you can still feel a difference.
Luzz Inferno – Picture 2 (near the handle)
This was taken closer to the handle area for comparison.
Lastly, here’s the Bread & Butter Loco.
There has been some discussion about how the Loco’s grit wears down fairly quickly. I can feel some of that on the paddle face, but I haven’t noticed a huge difference in my gameplay. My guess is that the paddle’s firm feel helps the ball pop off the face regardless. The only time I may notice a difference is on third-shot drops, where there might be slightly less spin. Overall though, the paddle still plays well, just like the others mentioned in this post.
Picture 1 – Center of the paddle face
You can see some threads spreading apart and looking flatter.
Picture 2 – Near the handle (unused area)
This area looks more intact since balls haven’t been hitting here. In comparison to the center, the weave appears straighter and more even.
Just to be clear, this post is purely for educational purposes. Looking at the paddle faces this closely doesn’t really change my overall perspective on these paddles. With all the recent conversations around grit durability, I thought it might help some players see what these surfaces actually look like up close and possibly help them decide which paddle might work best for them.
From a gameplay standpoint, all of these paddles still perform fairly well based on the sessions I’ve played. The paddle I’ve used the most—and the one that’s still my main—is the Bread & Butter Loco, which is why you can see the most visible difference on that one. I can definitely notice it under the camera.
The others show less noticeable wear, although I was a little surprised that the Boomstik showed a nick sooner than I expected. Yes, it’s only a nick, but when you’re paying $333 for a paddle, little things like that matter.
That said, most paddle companies offer warranties, and I always recommend checking the manufacturer’s website or contacting their customer service if you have concerns so you can make the most informed decision.
Overall, I’d still buy another Loco if I needed to. It just fits my style and feels like a great all-around paddle. The Boomstik is an offensive and defensive beast, while the Inferno really shines on drives and overheads.
These are simply my personal opinions. I don’t have affiliate links with Bread & Butter or Selkirk, but if you decide to pick up a Luzz paddle or accessory, feel free to use code TechYeti at checkout. It genuinely helps support the channel and the website.
