Speed pads are not automatically better.

It depends on your aim style and the game. Speed (low-friction) pads let you flick and track with less effort but make micro-adjustments harder because your mouse slides forever. Control (high-friction) pads give you predictable stopping power—once you land on a target, your mouse stays there.

In fast-paced FPS games like Valorant or CS2, small crosshair corrections matter more than raw flick speed. That’s why a lot of pros use a slightly textured cloth pad over a hard plastic speed pad. But in a tracking-heavy game like Apex or Quake, low friction helps you smoothly follow a target without drag. The tradeoff is always: speed costs control, and control costs speed.

If you overshoot a lot, you probably want more friction. If you feel like your crosshair is stuck in mud, go faster. Don’t overthink it—buy a cheap version of each and see what feels natural after a week.

There is no right answer, just the tradeoff your muscle memory prefers.