The Spartus Spitfire has been the paddle of our spring. The elongated went on pre-order in September, the widebody followed in October, and between them they have been among the most ordered paddles in the shop. Spartus has now built a third shape: a flat-top hybrid. It is on pre-order with us now at $170, and we expect our first shipment in Sydney in late November.
What the Spitfire Hybrid is
It is the same paddle underneath. Spartus told its retailers the Hybrid is built on "the same Turbo Foam 16mm core and PermaGritNano surface" as the other two shapes. What changes is the frame: a flat top, a shape that sits between the reach of the Spitfire Elongated and the forgiveness of the Spitfire Standard, and a white edge guard and grip. Spartus keeps that colourway for the Hybrid alone, so you can tell it apart across the court.
The numbers, next to its siblings
These are Spartus's own figures for each shape.
| Elongated | Hybrid | Standard (widebody) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Elongated | Flat-top hybrid | Widebody |
| Average weight | 7.85 oz | 7.75 oz | 7.9 oz |
| Swing weight | 116 | 109 | 107 |
| Twist weight | 6.2 | 6.6 | 7.4 |
| Core | 16mm Generation 4 Turbo Foam | ||
| Face | QuadFiber carbon under PermaGritNano | ||
| Price at Pickld | $170 | $170 | $170 |
Read across the middle column and the Hybrid does what its name says. Its 109 swing weight is much closer to the widebody's 107 than to the elongated's 116, so it should feel quick in a hands battle. Its 6.6 twist weight sits between the two, so it should be steadier than the elongated on an off-centre hit, without the widebody's full forgiveness. And the flat top keeps more hitting surface up where you meet the ball on a volley.
What the testing says about the Spitfire
Nobody has published lab data on the Hybrid yet. It only starts shipping from Spartus in the second half of November. What we do have is detailed testing on the elongated, which shares its core and face.
Pickleball Effect measured the Spitfire at 2,132 RPM of spin, which they put in the 98th percentile of every paddle they have tested. After their abrasion test the PermaGritNano face kept 94 per cent of its overall grit level and 97 per cent of its peak height, enough for their Tier 1 grit durability category. They rated its power in the 88th percentile and its pop in the 76th, and they describe a soft, slightly hollow feel that is gentler than most foam power paddles.
Spartus also says Pickleball Pursuit named the Spitfire its 2026 Paddle of the Year. Spartus first used that line for the elongated, before the other two shapes were out.
So what can we honestly tell you about the Hybrid before it lands? The core, the face and the grit are the ones that tested this well. The shape is new, and nobody in Australia, us included, has hit one yet. When ours arrive we will play them and add what we find here.
Who makes Spartus
Spartus was founded by Josh Kim, who came to paddles from a background in engineering, law, finance and business. He started the company in California and now plays out of Denver. Spartus describes itself as an R&D company that develops its own cores, layups and surfaces rather than buying them off the shelf, and it sums up what it is after in one line: "Highest performance. Best value. No compromise between them."
You can see the second part in the price. The Spitfire sells for US$110 at home, and $170 here.
Which Spitfire should you pick?
- Elongated if you play from the baseline, want reach and leverage on drives, and do not mind a heavier swing.
- Standard (widebody) if you live at the kitchen line and want the biggest, most forgiving face.
- Hybrid if you cannot decide between the two, or want a quick swing with a little more stability than the elongated gives you.
Still not sure? The paddle finder will narrow it down. For the full story on the original paddle, read our Spartus Spitfire launch article.
How the pre-order works
A $100 deposit holds your Hybrid. We only charge the rest when your paddle is ready to ship, and pre-orders go out in the order they were placed. Spartus ships the first Hybrid run in the second half of November, and we expect ours in Sydney in late November. If that date moves by more than two weeks, we will email you before it passes. Changed your mind? You can cancel any time before it ships and we will refund everything you have paid, deposit included.
We stock Spartus and ship from Sydney, with free shipping over $150 and 30-day returns. Warranty claims come to us and we take them up with Spartus for you.
Pre-order the Spartus Spitfire Hybrid, or see the whole range on the Spartus collection.
Ben & Chris
