- ✓Huge sweet spot
- ✓Very quiet play
- ✓Great for dinking and placement
- ✓Exceptional spin potential
- ✓Soft feel on dinks
- ✓Forgiving on off-center hits
Players focused on touch and placement
Fast learners who want a soft touch game
Which One Should You Actually Buy?
Both of these paddles are built around touch and control rather than power, which makes them a genuinely close comparison. The Paddletek Bantam EX-L uses a Smart Response Polymer core with a fiberglass face and has one of the largest sweet spots in this price range, making it especially forgiving. The Engage Encore MX 6.0 uses a ControlPro Polymer core, also with a fiberglass face, but is specifically known in the pickleball community for exceptional spin generation on dinks.
The Bantam EX-L is the quieter, more forgiving paddle of the two - if you mishit, you're less likely to feel it or hear it, which matters if you're still building consistency. The Encore MX asks a bit more of your technique in exchange for more spin potential once you've found the sweet spot consistently, which makes it a better fit for a player who has already logged real hours and wants to start adding more nuance to their dinks and resets.
Price is a real factor here too - the Bantam EX-L runs about $30 less than the Encore MX. For a player who isn't sure yet whether a soft, control-first game suits them, that's a meaningful amount to save while still getting a genuinely touch-oriented paddle.
If you're wondering which fits your game: If you're newer to control-style play and want the most forgiving option to build confidence with soft shots, start with the Bantam EX-L. If you already play a patient, dink-heavy game and want to add more spin to your resets and drops, the Encore MX's extra $30 is a reasonable step up.
The Encore MX has a strong following among players specifically focused on the soft game and has become a common recommendation in threads about improving dink consistency. The Bantam EX-L is USA-made and gets frequently cited by players who prioritize buying domestically produced gear, in addition to its reputation for a large, forgiving sweet spot.
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