Swing weight
How heavy a paddle feels while you're swinging it. The best single predictor of hand speed at the kitchen.
Swing weight measures how hard a paddle resists rotation when you swing it, in kg·cm². It is not the same as scale weight. Two paddles can both weigh 8.0 oz and swing nothing alike. It all depends on where the mass sits.
Rough guide: under ~110 is quick and control-leaning, ~110–118 is balanced, above ~118 is power-leaning with real plow-through. Higher swing weight buys power and stability. It costs you hand speed in kitchen exchanges.
Unit-to-unit variance is real, and brand-claimed numbers often differ — so we cross-check reported swing weight across reviewers instead of printing one number.
See also:Static weight ·Balance point ·Hand speed