Six Zero Infinity Double Black Diamond Control - Pickleball Paddle Review | Pickleheads (2024)

The original DBD Control is one of the best pickleball paddles in 2024, so I couldn't wait to try this one out. Read on for my honest and in-depth Six Zero Infinity DBD review.

Buy or pass?

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Review summary

The Six Zero Infinity DBD Control is as close to a "perfect" paddle as any I've ever tested and is my favorite in 2024 (so far). This is because it's one of the few that can do it all. I scored it 9 points or higher for the three most important categories: power, control, and spin.

I wouldn't say it's better or worse than my previous top paddle of 2024, the original DBD. It's just that it's different. I personally prefer it for my game, though. Let's dig deeper into what I mean.

I'll start with power. Just like with the original DBD, don't be fooled by the "Control" in the name. The Infinity DBD can hit hard drives and putaways, and I can play a highly aggressive game. That said, I wouldn't call this a power paddle like the new JOOLA Gen 3 paddles.

Now onto control. Here's something I never thought I'd say: the third-shot drop is my favorite shot to hit with this paddle! Anyone who reads my reviews knows those are the hardest shots for me (and almost every other rec player too). If you struggle here, I recommend trying out this paddle to see what I mean.

The Infinity DBD has great accuracy on drop shots. The low swing weight makes it easy to keep balls low and in the kitchen. Again, I feel like Steph Curry shooting three-pointers in basketball with my drops.

I knew from the moment I unboxed this paddle that it was going to be great for spin. It has a premium feel and texture on the face. It definitely did not disappoint on the courts.

Another one of my favorite shots to hit with this paddle is a swinging volley with tons of topspin. I can generate so much spin with this that my opponents struggle to time their returns. I've won a lot of easy points this way.

One of the most notable differences from the original DBD is that this paddle is faster, with a low 110 swing weight. It reminds me of the JOOLA Scorpeus 3 but is even quicker. I feel confident blocking fast drives, something I usually struggle with as I have slow hands.

Forgiveness is a mixed bag for me. For such an advanced paddle, the sweet spot is pretty large. The hybrid shape gives it a little more face than a classic elongated paddle like the or CRBN-1X Power Series.

That said, you'll get more mish*ts with this than with the original DBD, especially toward the edges. This is to be expected since it doesn't have that extra weight from an edge guard. However, I found myself missing the extra forgiveness in my first few sessions. After a while, I adjusted and was less bothered by this.

If you're worried about mish*ts, though, try the Vatic Pro PRISM Flash or the PIKKL Hurricane Pro. Alternatively, you could customize the Infinity DBD with lead tape. I tried a 1" strip of lead on each side by the paddle throat, though I think this did more harm than good as it made the paddle sluggish.

The lack of an edge guard throws up another problem when it comes to durability. I already have a good amount of dings and scratches on mine. At a minimum, I'd recommend putting some protective edge tape on it.

Negatives aside, this is a very comfortable paddle to play with. A lot of that is because of the light static weight and low swing weight. I find myself tiring out much less quickly and I'm putting it down to these factors.

During a recent Pickleheads retreat in Atlanta, I played 5 hours a day for 3 straight days. I didn't tire once, though the grip did get slippery after really sweaty sessions.

All in all, the Infinity DBD plays differently from the original. While it's faster, it's also less forgiving. It's better on control and comparable on power. After testing it over 10 weeks, I have to say it's a lot of fun. I actually prefer it to the original version and I think it's worthy of taking the title of best overall paddle of 2024.

Features

Australian paddle maker Six Zero is one of the biggest names in the game in 2024. They even have exciting players on their roster like Jaume Martinez Vich. Their DBD Control is my go-to paddle, a thermoformed all-court gem that suits intermediates up to pros.

Let's see what they've changed and what they've kept for the Infinity.

Edgeless design

I like how the new edgeless design looks, especially with the Infinity branding. However, my concern is that edgeless paddles always have sweet spot issues. Six Zero claims this is a thing of the past, but I find that foam injected on the walls (and the extra weight that brings) does help boost the sweet spot.

While the Infinity does suffer a little here (its sweet spot is smaller than the DBD's), it still has the best sweet spot of any edgeless paddle I've tested. It doesn't have huge dead zones near the edges and holds up OK.

What you lose on forgiveness, you make up with increased aerodynamics. The edgeless face is fast, and you'll feel it most in hands battles.

Low swing weight (110)

I usually struggle with slow hands, so I love how fast this paddle is. I feel quick at the kitchen and really enjoy getting into hand battles with it.

DBD features

The rest of the paddle is more or less identical to the DBD. You get the hybrid shape, thermoformed build that's not as stiff as most thermo paddles, foam edges for stability, and a unibody construction that reinforces the paddle to prevent breaking.

Performance

Power - 9/10

The Infinity DBD is just a touch lower on power than the original DBD, which I also scored 9 out of 10. I think this is down to the lower swing weight.

For such a light and fast paddle, the pop you get is impressive. Unlike with many lightweight paddles, you don't have to swing all that hard. You can play a fast game with plenty of natural power.

From my very first session, I was hitting rockets. I could hit really hard drives that overwhelmed players, especially lower-level ones.

Control - 9.5/10

I've knocked this up a half-point from the DBD here. Like the original, this is much better on control than your typical thermoformed carbon fiber paddle. You'll see what I mean when you play with it. It feels so natural and easy to send the ball where I want it.

I can place wide cross-court dinks right where I want them. If I get an opening on a pop-up ball, I can place a wide overhead volley right on the line. I've won plenty of points this way.

After I adjusted to the pop (which didn't take long), I found it easy to land drops. I'm so confident landing them that I once almost forgot to mix in third-shot drives, which is not like me. If you fear the third-shot drop, I think this paddle will help you gain confidence.

Spin - 10/10

Like with the original DBD, I'm giving this one 10 out of 10 for spin. However, the Infinity does have an upgraded gritty face, so it might be even better than its predecessor. There's not much in it, though, as they're both great.

Especially on drives and serves, you can generate a ton of spin to grip the ball and let you swing harder. Since this paddle is so light, I like to hit swinging topspin volleys, which I use to pin my opponents back at the baseline.

Forgiveness - 8.5/10

The Infinity really differs from the DBD here. Thanks to the edgeless face, you lose some sweet spot and forgiveness.

It also has a moderately low twist weight, which means it can easily rotate in your hands. I have more mish*ts with this paddle than I do the original DBD—especially at the kitchen blocking hard drives.

You can try tossing some lead tape on the edges to extend the sweet spot. However, you might lose some of the aerodynamics that make this paddle so much fun. I added a little lead tape (1" per side) but, ultimately, I didn't like how the weight took away from this paddle's best quality (its speed).

Weighting - 10/10

This is one of the biggest things going for the Infinity DBD. It's super fast and easy to move around, and yet you don't lose power. That's a HUGE design challenge that most paddles fail at.

This is ideal for anyone struggling with slow hands at the kitchen who doesn't want to sacrifice power going to a "light" paddle like, for example, the Engage Pursuit LITE.

Grip - 7/10

Just like with the original DBD, the grip does get slippery in intense hot play. I'd recommend putting an overgrip on this one. I used Pickleball Effect's grips from Amazon.

Durability - 7/10

While the materials are high quality, I have to dock 2.5 whole points compared to the DBD. Without the edge guard, your paddle is vulnerable to damage. I lost a big chunk of my top-right edge in just the first week of testing. I definitely recommend using some edge guard tape.

Aerodynamics - 10/10

The Infinity DBD is built for aerodynamics with the low swing weight and hybrid shape. I love the speed I can generate with this, especially because I struggle with slow hands at the kitchen.

Pricing

The original Six Zero DBD offers excellent value for money at $180, while the new Edgeless Infinity model comes on the market at $220. So, is it worth the $40 premium?

Value for money

The Infinity is still great value. When you look at all-court performance, this paddle outshines just about all the signature paddles from pickleball's top brands, including the JOOLA Perseus 3, the Selkirk Power Air Invikta, and the Gearbox Pro Power. Those paddles are all $250 or above.

Compared to the original DBD, the Infinity isn't better or worse value. Both are fairly priced and they offer different qualities. I think most rec players will be happy with the $180 original DBD, but I have to recommend the Infinity because it works so well for my game.

Very few people will be unhappy with this purchase, though it won't be perfect for everyone. If you need a really forgiving paddle, check out my top control paddles.

Bottom line

The Infinity DBD does it all—from a classic touch game to a modern power game. I highly recommend it for anyone with a pickleball skill rating of 3.5 or above who wants to start playing a more advanced, complete game.

If you liked the original DBD, I'm almost certain you'll like this. For me, it's even better as it brings speed to my game, something I'm usually lacking in.

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