A control system for controlling operation of main and secondary drive units in a web winder system to provide tension control of a continuous material web is disclosed. The control system causes the main drive unit to operate in a velocity mode to set a linear velocity of the continuous material web. The control system receives inputs from tension and speed detectors in the web winder system that detect a tension and speed of the continuous material web and causes the secondary drive unit to operate in a modified torque regulated closed-loop tension control mode so as to control a tension in the web material, with the control system causing the secondary drive unit 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.