Ronbus Tenon Impressions: Ft. Friday Aura, Neonic FLX, Selkirk Omni, and Engage X2
Ronbus is stepping into the durable grit foam arena with the release of the Tenon, their first paddle featuring long‑lasting grit. In this review, we take a close look at the Tenon R3 and compare it against four other elongated foam paddles currently making noise in the market:
Friday Aura
Neonic FLX
Selkirk Omni
Engage X2
Each paddle was tested with slightly different weight setups depending on its stock metrics, and those details are included throughout the breakdown.
🔥 Ranking by Firepower
To keep things simple, we’ll move from lowest to highest power.
1. Friday Aura — The Control King
Swingweight: 116 Twistweight: 6.15
The Friday Aura is the softest paddle in this lineup and sits comfortably in the all‑court category. On contact, the face has a slight flex, producing muted, smooth feedback that makes drops, dinks, and resets incredibly easy to control.
It’s the most user‑friendly paddle of the group—something nearly anyone can pick up and play well with. For weight setup I added 3g strips at the 8 and 4 positions to tighten things up.
Verdict: A highly recommended all‑court paddle with elite control.
2. Neonic FLX — Lightweight, Customizable, and Surprisingly Punchy
Swingweight: 107 Twistweight: 6.15
The Neonic FLX is the lightest paddle on this list, yet still maintains a solid twistweight. Even in stock form, the sweet spot felt good, but I added 3g strips at 3 and 9 plus edgeguard tape around the top half to boost stability.
Initially, the FLX felt muted and dense, but after adding weight and giving it more court time, it opened up—becoming more hollow, lively, and powerful. In its current setup, it sits in the all‑court leaning power category.
It’s the second most hollow‑feeling paddle here, but still maintains a dense, controlled feedback without becoming overly poppy.
Verdict: A fantastic elongated option—maneuverable in stock form and highly customizable. My personal favorite of the group.
3. Ronbus Tenon R3 — Solid, Muted, and a Big Step Up From the Quantas
Swingweight: 117 Twistweight: 6.13
The Tenon R3 builds on the Quantas platform with added side Tenons that interlock into the core structure. Across the board, Tenons have higher weights and more solid, muted feedback compared to the stiff, light, hollow feel of the Quantas.
In stock form, the Tenon hits harder and has a better sweet spot, but—like the Quantas—it benefits from perimeter weighting. I added 3g strips at 3 and 9, which bumped it into the all‑court leaning power category.
Feedback-wise, it sits right in the middle: more muted than the Omni, less muted than the Aura.
At $150 with a discount code, it’s a strong foam option if you want solid power without hollow feedback. The durable grit isn’t as aggressive as Hexgrit or Permagrit, but comparable to the Chorus Coda—still great spin, just not elite.
Verdict: A very solid performer with controlled power and muted feel, plus Ronbus’s take on durable grit.
4. Selkirk Omni — Crisp, Fast, and Familiar
Swingweight:
With MOI weights: 122
Without weights: 112
Twistweight:
With weights: 7.00
Without weights: 5.60
The Selkirk Omni is essentially a toned‑down Boomstik. It shares the same DNA and crisp feedback but with less raw firepower. The MOI weights are removable, and I personally prefer the paddle without them.
Instead, I replicated my FLX setup: 3g strips at 3 and 9 plus edgeguard tape around the top half.
With this setup, the Omni lands at #2 in overall firepower. It has the crispest feedback of all paddles tested—stiff, hollow, and fast in hand battles.
Selkirk’s Infinigrit provides strong spin, though not top‑tier like CrystalGrit, but still maintains USAP approval.
Verdict: A great all‑court leaning power paddle if you prefer crisp, stiff, hollow feedback.
5. Engage X2 — The Power Champion
Swingweight: 117 Twistweight: 6.12
The Engage X2 takes the top spot for power. It has the second most muted feedback of the group and delivers sneaky pop similar to the widebody version I reviewed earlier.
It offered the most plow‑through on drives, and its dense feedback created a nice blend of pop and control. It’s also the only paddle here I enjoyed completely stock—no perimeter weighting needed.
Like the Tenon, it provides strong firepower without stiff, hollow feedback, but with a bit more juice.
Engage has a durable‑grit version of the X2 coming soon (UPA‑approved only), and it’s definitely something to watch for.
Verdict: The most powerful paddle in this lineup and criminally underrated.
Which Paddle Should You Choose?
Here’s how I’d pick depending on the situation:
Indoor with a fast ball: Friday Aura for maximum control
Outdoor with a slow ball: Engage X2 for extra power
Hands battles & counters: Selkirk Omni for crisp, fast feedback
Similar power to Omni but more muted: Ronbus Tenon R3
If I could only choose one: Neonic FLX — the best blend of customization, maneuverability, and performance
All five paddles are genuinely great options depending on your style and environment.
Selkirk Omni Code: INF-DMVPBALL
Engage: Code DMVPBALL https://engagepickleball.com?aff=110
I do have a separate Engage code that does benefit me more. Send me a DM for details
Neonic Code: DMVPBALL
https://bit.ly/3t4IfXp
Ronbus Code: DMVPBALL
https://www.ronbus.com/Paddles_c_11.html
Friday LINK: https://www.fridaypickle.com/TICKLEMYPICKLE
CODE: TICKLEMYPICKLE (Using the link is recommended)
