THE PADDLE REGISTER · 2026 · CURRENT
Spartus Spitfire
John Kew led a newsletter with it: the features of a $220 paddle, internal weighting included, at $99.
- List price
- $99
- Launched
- Jul 1 · store listing went live, 2026date known to the day
- Build
- Full foam (Gen 4)
- Warranty
- 180 day limited warranty
photos and colorways at gospartus.com ↗ its row on the 2026 calendar
Certification note. USAP listed a second shape, the Spitfire Standard, on Aug 25.
Status checked Sep 21, 2026. Lists change; confirm on the USAP and UPA-A lists before a tournament.
TIMELINE
- May 20, 2026 APPROVAL USA Pickleball lists Spartus 'Spitfire Elongated'. equipment.usapickleball.org ↗
- Jun 29, 2026 TEASED John Kew newsletter previews the $99 Spitfire ahead of a July release. johnkewpickleball.beehiiv.com ↗
- Jul 1, 2026 LAUNCH Spitfire Elongated listing published on gospartus.com at $109.99 (Shopify published_at). gospartus.com ↗
- Jul 27, 2026 NEW VARIANT Pickleball Effect publishes its Spitfire review (Tier 1 grit durability, 94% Ra retention). pickleballeffect.com ↗
- Aug 25, 2026 APPROVAL USA Pickleball lists a second shape, 'Spitfire Standard'. equipment.usapickleball.org ↗
HOW IT IS BUILT
Mixed-density foam core with an EVA band and internal 3 g weights at 3 and 9 o'clock. PermaGrit durable face.
- 1Generation 4 'Turbo Foam' EPP floating foam core
- 2EVA foam band (mixed foam densities)
- 3internal 3 g weights at 3 and 9 o'clock
- Face
- QuadFiber four-layer layup (carbon fiber with fiberglass per Pickleball Effect) with PermaGritNano peel-ply grit
Construction per pickleballeffect.com ↗
Brand lists swingweight 116 / twistweight 6.2 and 7.85 oz ±0.2; the 117 / 6.18 here are Pickleball Effect's measurements (John Kew measured 117.8 / 6.14). John Kew's prototype test put grit durability at Tier 3 while Pickleball Effect rated production Tier 1. Only the elongated is on sale; a 'Spitfire Standard' was USAP-listed 2026-08-25.
VARIANTS · PUBLISHED AND MEASURED NUMBERS
| Variant | Shape | Length × width | Handle | Core | Weight | Swingweight | Twistweight | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spitfire Elongated 16mm | elongated | 16.5 × 7.5 in | 5.5 in | 16 mm | 7.65-8.05 oz | 117 | 6.18 | gospartus.com ↗ |
Swingweight and twistweight are each lab's own measurement of its own sample. Unit-to-unit variance is normal.
MEASURED BY THE LABS
The register does not re-measure paddles or copy a lab's numbers wholesale. Power, pop and spin belong to the people with the radar guns; go read them.
FIELD REPORTS · AFTER YOU BUY IT
Reviewers measure a paddle new. Nobody measures it at hour sixty.
Loading field reports…
Keep a bag on Rally: log the hours you put on this paddle, when the grit fades, and when it goes dead. It stays on your device until you press "send a wear report", and the report carries no name.
Open the bag on Rally ↗ Compare with…NEARBY IN THE REGISTER
the whole register · everything from Spartus · the 2026 calendar · CC0
