Selkirk LABS Project 007 Epic 14 mm - pickleball paddle review

If you're looking for a premium paddle with exciting new tech, check out the Selkirk LABS Project 007 series. Selkirk LABS is known for pushing the boundaries of technology and design. My unboxing experience alone was pretty incredible—I got my hands on the standard-shaped 007 Epic and it came in a sleek hard-shell briefcase.

This paddle looks amazing with its updated version of the trademark "Air Dynamic Throat" design seen on paddles like the Selkirk LUXX Control. Read on for my full Selkirk LABS Project 007 Epic review to see how the 14 mm model plays on the courts, and if it's worth $300.

The standard-shaped, 14 mm Epic model in the Selkirk LABS Project 007 series is a strong all-court paddle for advanced players. If you want a fast paddle that balances pop and control, check this out.

The biggest downside is that it takes a while to get used to hitting with power, which will challenge most intermediates. Also, there's good pop but I find myself wishing for the putaway power of other paddles. If I were to switch to a standard paddle shape full time, I'd choose the Paddletek Bantam ESQ-C over this as it generates more natural power.

Watch my first thoughts on the Project 007:

On the plus side, the 007 has a nice balance of pop and control for a thin and fast paddle, with high levels of spin too. The swing speed is also great. The paddle feels light in your hand and cuts through the air. I felt like I can win any hand battles and react to any ball sped up in my direction. It reminds me of the Paddletek Bantam ALW-C, which is still the fastest paddle I've played with.

The high $300-330 price tag will put some players off. While this is a great premium paddle, for the price, I'd mostly recommend it to high-level players who want a well-balanced paddle that can do everything well. Also, I can see many players liking it for its open throat design and speed.

This is a very sleek and professional-looking paddle. I've never had a better unboxing experience, pulling this out of its hefty 007 briefcase. The edgeless design is smooth and cool, but it does mean the edges get scratched up without an edge guard. Selkirk provides edge tape, so I'd recommend using that if you want added protection.

Let's take a look at some of the advanced tech in the 007.

This adds a layer of titanium mesh over the core, which is designed to provide more stability and enhance the sweet spot. While the paddle is stable and has good control, I do have mishits when I hit with more power because the titanium mesh changes how the ball bounces off the paddle when you apply force.

It takes some getting used to. I've had more drives fly high with this paddle than with pure raw carbon fiber paddles like the Paddletek Bantam ESQ-C or Six Zero DBD Control.

With previous paddles like the Selkirk LUXX Control, some people complained about the grit wearing down too quickly. Selkirk claims this new grit tech will make the surface three times more durable than raw carbon surfaces, though I'm not sure how exactly.

So far, after 15-20 hours of testing, the grit has worked great and I haven't noticed any wearing down. I'd have to play with it more to see how it fares over time.

While lots of paddles have this open-throat design, Selkirk paddles especially are known for this design, going back to the likes of the VANGUARD Power Air Invikta that we tested back in May 2023.

The Project 007 series updates the design with a new "wing" shape. The idea here is to keep the aerodynamics without sacrificing ball control. I can confirm that the paddle swings quickly and is great at the kitchen, excelling on touch shots all over the court too. This tech is a big win for me.

I get good power on drives and serves, but I'm not overly impressive. It just doesn't have the same effortless raw power of the best power paddles. This is more of a balanced all-court paddle.

The good thing is that it has great pop. Pickleball Effect's paddle database puts this in the 85th percentile for pop. I notice this most in hands battles and attacking pop-ups at the kitchen line. The paddle is really fast, so I can get to balls quickly. I also don't need to use a lot of force because the paddle has the necessary pop to put the ball past my opponents.

If you're a banger, I'd recommend the Selkirk VANGUARD (10 mm model), the Engage Pursuit Pro1 6.0, or Paddletek Bantam TKO-C instead.

The Selkirk 007 has great control for a paddle with a lot of pop and speed. While it's not as soft as more control-focused paddles like the Ronbus R2 PULSAR FX, it feels really stable—from the baseline all the way to the kitchen. I can hit consistent third- and fifth-shot drops and transition resets without any issues.

Once I get to the kitchen, I'm able to dink consistently without causing a pop-up or hitting the ball into the net. The aerodynamic throat design makes it swing quickly through the air too. It's a really fast paddle at the kitchen when defending against speed-ups.

The Florek "InfiniGrit" carbon surface works well to grip the ball on any spin shot. I use a lot of topspin, and I can get the ball to dip nicely on my serves and drops. I can hit dinks with backspin slice because the ball has that linger-on-the-paddle feeling. I feel like I can almost grab the ball and generate the spin I want.

That said, it's not the 10/10 spin you get with the Proton Series One or even the $160 PIKKL Hurricane Pro. If spin is your main focus, check out more of the best spin paddles in the game.

The sweet spot is pretty consistent, especially when hitting more controlled shots like dinks and drops. I have had a few issues because the ball bounces off the paddle a little harshly when you swing hard.

I'm used to a smoother, more absorbing feel so this took some getting used to. That said, the pop-up issues aren't as bad as with more power-focused paddles like the Paddletek Bantam TKO-C.

The 007 feels lighter than the Selkirk LUXX Control but super sturdy. The weight is nicely distributed throughout the paddle, so it has a nice balance of power and stability.

The octagonal grip feels great. It’s the right thickness for me and feels natural in my hands, making it easy to maneuver the ball in more directions. It doesn't get sweaty or uncomfortable after playing for a few hours.

I like how the grip tapers off into the thin paddle so it feels like I have a longer handle without actually having to go the full 5.5" (it has a standard 5.25" handle length). This makes it really comfortable when I use two hands.

Selkirk claims the “InfiniGrit surface” will last three times longer than a raw carbon fiber surface, but I doubt it’s as good as that. It's held up well so far, though. The rest of the paddle is sturdy, and I'm not worried about it delaminating or breaking quickly.

I'm docking points because of the edgeless design. Edgeless paddles always get scratched up quickly, but you can always use the edge guard tape to avoid this.

These Selkirk "air dynamic throat" paddles pride themselves on being fast, and the Project 007 sure is light and quick. I feel like I can maneuver it quickly at the kitchen and get to balls during hands battles. It also has good power so it doesn't feel tiresome to hit the ball hard or attack balls.

I'm practicing my two-handed backhand counters and, with slower paddles, it's hard to transition from forehand to the two-handed backhand. However, with the 007, I can quickly switch back and forth depending on where the ball is. I can poach balls quickly while executing the shake-and-bake strategy when my partner sets me up with a pop-up off a big drive.

This is the most expensive paddle I’ve reviewed so far at $300 (going up to $330 with the hard case). I do think it's a bit overpriced.

It's one of the best advanced paddles I’ve tested, but I get the same functionality from all-court paddles like the Six Zero DBD for $120 less. Similarly, you can get a power paddle like the Paddletek Bantam TKO-C or a control paddle like the Selkirk LUXX in the $250 range.

Based on the price, this isn’t aimed at beginners, and even some intermediates will be put off. You can get a ton of value out of paddles like the Friday Original, Bread & Butter Filth, and Pickleball Apes Pro Line Energy S.

This paddle is meant for advanced-level players who are looking for something that does everything well—an all-court paddle with extra pop at the kitchen. While you could go for a cheaper alternative like the $180 Engage Pursuit V2.0, the Project 007 stands out with its aerodynamic throat design.

If the Selkirk LABS Project 007 isn't right for you, here are other paddles I recommend:

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