RPM Q2 14mm vs 16mm: Every Q2 Is 16mm
Last updated: September 2026
There is no 14mm Q2. But RPM does sell 14mm — and we measured four pairs of it.
The RPM Q2 does not come in 14mm. All four Q2 shapes — Widebody, flat-top Hybrid, rounded-top Hybrid and Elongated — are 16mm, and there is no thin-core Q2 to compare against. If you want a 14mm RPM, the choices are the Friction Pro V2 (widebody or flat-top hybrid) and the Jade (widebody or elongated). We have tested all four of those pairs in both thicknesses, and the pattern is identical every time: 14mm adds about 0.15–0.20 to power and pop, and costs about 0.40 in control and 0.40–0.50 in forgiveness. In all four pairs the 16mm scored higher overall. Buy 16mm unless you specifically want a firmer, faster ball and your reset game is already solid.
How we tested
Every paddle we cover goes through the same on-court protocol - individual play, head-to-head comparisons, and tournament use before anything gets written down. Every paddle below has a full review on the site; click through to see scores, specs, and the deal we found for each.
The rankings
Each category below links to the full review for that paddle.
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Shop RPM Q2 Widebody 16mm or RPM Friction Pro… with the live code
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The Q2 does not come in 14mm
This is the part nobody says plainly, so here it is first: there is no 14mm RPM Q2. Every Q2 shape RPM sells is a 16mm paddle. If you have been comparing a 14mm Q2 against a 16mm Q2, you have been comparing one real paddle against one that does not exist.
That is not a gap in our coverage — it is how the line is built. The Q2 is a single-thickness platform, and the choice RPM offers on it is shape, not core depth. Our Q2 shape comparison covers that decision.
The question behind the search is still a good one, though, and it has a real answer. RPM does sell 14mm — on two other lines — and we have measured both thicknesses of all four pairs. That data is below.
Every RPM Q2 shape, and every one is 16mm
- Q2 Widebody 16mm — 107 swing weight · 6.9 twist weight · ~2,310 RPM · 9.2 overall, the highest-scoring RPM we have rated.
- Q2 Hybrid flat-top 16mm — 9.05 overall.
- Q2 Hybrid rounded-top 16mm — 8.8 overall.
- Q2 Elongated 16mm — 8.9 overall.
- No 14mm variant of any of them. All four list at $249.99, or $212.49 with code PRH.
What RPM actually sells in 14mm
- Friction Pro V2 Widebody — 14mm and 16mm.
- Friction Pro V2 Hybrid flat-top — 14mm and 16mm.
- Jade Widebody — 14mm and 16mm.
- Jade Elongated — 14mm and 16mm.
- Friction Pro V2 is $249.99 → $212.49 with PRH. Jade is $269.99 → $229.49 with PRH.
What 14mm actually changes — four pairs, one pattern
We scored each thickness separately, and the four pairs agree with each other to a degree we rarely see. Every time, the thinner core buys power and pop and sells control and forgiveness, and every time the 16mm ends up ahead on the overall number.
- Friction Pro V2 Widebody — 16mm: 8.9 overall (8.9 power, 8.4 control, 8.8 forgiveness, 111 swing weight, 7.2 twist weight). 14mm: 8.7 overall (9.05 power, 8.0 control, 8.3 forgiveness, 108 swing weight, 6.8 twist weight).
- Friction Pro V2 Hybrid flat-top — 16mm: 8.85 overall (9.0 power, 8.2 control, 8.6 forgiveness). 14mm: 8.7 overall (9.15 power, 7.8 control, 8.2 forgiveness).
- Jade Widebody — 16mm: 8.75 overall (8.8 power, 8.3 control, 8.6 forgiveness, 107 swing weight). 14mm: 8.65 overall (9.0 power, 7.9 control, 8.2 forgiveness, 104 swing weight).
- Jade Elongated — 16mm: 8.7 overall (8.9 power, 8.0 control, 8.2 forgiveness, 6.2 twist weight). 14mm: 8.55 overall (9.05 power, 7.6 control, 7.8 forgiveness, 6.0 twist weight).
- The pattern, every pair: 14mm gains roughly +0.15 to +0.20 power, loses 0.40 control, loses 0.40 to 0.50 forgiveness, and finishes 0.10 to 0.20 lower overall.
Why the trade goes that way
A 14mm core has less material between your hand and the ball. The face sits closer to the core's stiffer response, so the ball leaves faster and firmer — that is the power and pop gain, and it is real. Spin barely moves, because the face does that job: across all four pairs the spin score changes by 0.05 or less.
What you give up is dwell time. The ball spends less time on the face, so you get less feedback and less margin to shape a shot, which shows up as the 0.40 control drop. And a thinner core has less mass out toward the edges, which is why twist weight falls in every pair where the number is published — 7.2 to 6.8 on the Friction Pro widebody, 6.9 to 6.8 on the Jade widebody, 6.2 to 6.0 on the Jade elongated. Lower twist weight is exactly what a shrinking sweet spot looks like on a spec sheet.
None of that makes 14mm a bad choice. It makes it a specific one.
So should you want a 14mm Q2?
Probably not — and the Q2's own numbers are the argument. The Q2 Widebody already scores 9.3 power at 16mm — higher than any 14mm paddle in the tables above — and its 9.2 pop matches the best of them. It is the only RPM in our file that gets the thin-core benefit without paying the thin-core price, because it gets it from the core construction rather than from removing material.
Put differently: the reason people want 14mm is a firmer, faster ball. The 16mm Q2 Widebody already delivers that, at 9.2 overall — the highest RPM score we have recorded — while holding 9.1 forgiveness and the highest twist weight of any paddle in this comparison at 6.9.
If you want 14mm because you are coming off a 14mm paddle and want the familiar feel, that is a legitimate reason, and the Friction Pro V2 14mm is the paddle to get. If you want it because you think thinner means more power, the Q2 Widebody is the better answer to that want.
What to buy
- Most players, best overall RPM — Q2 Widebody 16mm, 9.2 overall, $212.49 with PRH.
- You genuinely want 14mm — Friction Pro V2 Widebody 14mm, 8.7 overall, $212.49 with PRH. The most forgiving 14mm RPM we have tested.
- Maximum stability at 16mm — Friction Pro V2 Widebody 16mm, 7.2 twist weight, the highest in the RPM range.
- Longest-lasting grit — Jade Widebody 16mm on the SICmatrix face, $229.49 with PRH.
- Still deciding on shape rather than thickness — RPM Q2 shape comparison.
Price, and how to use code PRH at RPM
Q2 and Friction Pro V2 both list at $249.99 and drop to $212.49 with code PRH at rpmpb.com — 15% off. Jade lists at $269.99 and drops to $229.49. The code is not tied to a thickness or a shape; it applies across the range.
Enter PRH at checkout and confirm the discount line before you pay. It is our standing partner code, not a seasonal sale, so it does not carry an expiry date. Full details are on our RPM discount code page, and our which RPM paddle should you buy guide covers the whole range.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the RPM Q2 come in 14mm?
No. All four RPM Q2 shapes — Widebody, flat-top Hybrid, rounded-top Hybrid and Elongated — are 16mm only. There is no 14mm Q2. RPM's 14mm options are the Friction Pro V2 (widebody and flat-top hybrid) and the Jade (widebody and elongated).
Is 14mm or 16mm better for an RPM paddle?
16mm, for most players. Across all four RPM pairs we tested in both thicknesses, 14mm gained about 0.15–0.20 in power and pop but lost about 0.40 in control and 0.40–0.50 in forgiveness, and finished 0.10–0.20 lower overall every time. Choose 14mm only if you want a firmer, faster ball and your reset game is already solid.
What is the difference between a 14mm and 16mm pickleball paddle core?
A 14mm core puts less material between the face and the ball, so the ball leaves faster and firmer — more power and pop, less dwell time and less feedback. Twist weight also falls, because there is less mass toward the edges, which means a smaller effective sweet spot. Spin barely changes, since the face rather than the core controls that.
Which RPM paddle has the most power?
The Q2 Widebody 16mm, at 9.3 power and 9.2 pop — higher than any 14mm RPM we have tested. It is also the highest-scoring RPM overall at 9.2, and it holds 9.1 forgiveness and a 6.9 twist weight while doing it. If you want a firm, fast ball, it is a better answer than going thinner.
How much is an RPM paddle with a discount code?
The Q2 and Friction Pro V2 list at $249.99 and cost $212.49 with code PRH at rpmpb.com. The Jade lists at $269.99 and costs $229.49. PRH is 15% off across the range, applied at checkout.
Related guides
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Brands on this page: RPM Pickleball. Codes are on each shop button and on /deals.
Other matchups worth reading
Comparisons featuring the same paddles as this one.