A control system (42) for controlling operation of main and secondary drive units (22, 34) in a web winder system (10) to provide tension control of a continuous material web (12) is disclosed. The control system (42) causes the main drive unit (34) to operate in a velocity mode to set a linear velocity of the continuous material web (12). The control system (42) receives inputs from tension and speed detectors (44) in the web winder system (10) that detect a tension and speed of the continuous material web (12) and causes the secondary drive unit (22) to operate in a modified torque regulated closed-loop tension control mode so as to control a tension in the web material (12), with the control system (42) causing the secondary drive unit (22) to operate according to a torque regulated closed-loop tension control mode and integrate a speed feedback loop into the torque regulated closed-loop tension control mode so as to introduce active damping into the tension control.