When Thrive released the Ignite Hybrid, the interesting part was not simply that it had finally built a foam paddle. It was that the Ignite did not feel like most other paddles in the category. I already have a full review of the Ignite Hybrid, so I will not cover it in detail again here.
Many foam power paddles chase the stiff, hollow, always-on response of something like the Selkirk Boomstik. Thrive went in the opposite direction. The Ignite feels softer, denser, and more connected to the hand, almost like a foam paddle designed to retain the best qualities of a well-made Gen 3 honeycomb build.
That softer response gives the Ignite much better control on dinks, drops, and resets because the ball does not jump off the face too quickly. However, it still has plenty of offense. When you accelerate through drives, serves, or overheads, the paddle opens up and produces noticeably more power. The surface also grips the ball well, creating strong spin without making the paddle feel overly reactive.
That balance is what separates the Ignite. It stays calm and predictable during the soft game, then rewards a committed swing with substantial pace. It may not offer the same effortless pop as the Boomstik on very compact swings, but it gives you much more control over how much speed you produce. The Ignite gives you control on soft shots and power when you swing through the ball.
The Ignite Elongated ARC, which Thrive calls the "Super Hybrid," is for people who like hybrid shapes but want more reach and leverage, and aren't willing to trade away their hands to get it.
The Flat-Top Elongated is the opposite pitch: maximum reach, heavier drives, more plow-through, a traditional elongated power profile.
Thrive’s Ignite Elongated ARC and Flat-Top Elongated are now available for preorder with $30 worth of gifts at $219.99 ($198 with code SLICE10).
What they have in common
Both come in at 16.5 x 7.5 inches with a 15.5 mm EPP floating core, thermoformed build, four-layer fiberglass and carbon face, peel ply with Clear Fusion Grit, and three grams of internal tungsten per side.
Where they split is swing weight. The ARC lands around 111 to 114; the flat top sits noticeably higher at roughly 115 to 118. That gap drives almost everything else. The ARC gets its offense from hand speed and leverage. The flat top gets it from mass, distribution, and momentum.
A quick word on Clear Fusion Grit
The name doesn't tell you much, so here's what it actually is: a layer applied on top of regular peel ply, not a replacement for it. You get the same peel ply feel you already know; it just lives two to three times longer before it goes smooth. Thrive's surface tested around 2,088 RPM with better retention than the average raw carbon face in accelerated wear testing.
That's the whole pitch, and it's a good one. If you like peel ply but you're tired of retiring paddles when the grit dies, this is the answer. And if you've tried Tier 1 grit and weren't a fan, since it stiffens the paddle regardless of what's underneath it, this is probably the surface you've been looking for. The core still gets to feel like the core.
You get to pick your actual paddle
This is one of my favorite things about buying an Ignite. Thrive doesn't publish an average spec and mail you whatever came off the top of the pile. Every paddle gets measured by hand, and you order the swing-weight profile you want. It shows up with a handwritten card listing serial number, static weight, swing weight, twist weight, and head-heavy figure.
That matters, because static weight tells you almost nothing on its own. Within a single shape, a lighter paddle will usually have a lower swing weight. Usually, not always. Where the mass sits counts as much as how much of it there is.
| Model | Static Weight | Swing Weight | Twist Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignite ARC | 7.90 oz | 112.33 | 6.15 |
| Ignite Flat Top | 7.91 oz | 116.37 | 6.16 |
The ARC is quick and easy to redirect; the flat top carries real momentum through the ball and wants you to start your swing earlier. If you've ever asked a company for "the lightest one you have" and been surprised by what showed up, this is why.
Shape and handle
ARC: Hurache-ish, but with more paddle to hit with
The easy comparison is the 11SIX24 Hurache, but the ARC doesn't taper nearly as hard from the top corners down to the bottom ones. You still get the rounded top and the clean swing path, without the blade-like narrowness. The practical hitting zone is bigger than I expected walking into it.
The handle is listed at 5.5 inches, not the six you get on the Hurache-X, but the throat shape lets you run the overgrip a bit higher, call it 5.75 inches of usable space. That's enough for my two-handed backhand. On paper it's a 5.5. In your hand it's closer to 5.75.
The lower swing weights suit the shape. You get genuine elongated reach without the head constantly tugging your hand forward.
Flat top: a proper elongated power shape
The flat top keeps more material at the tip and upper corners, which gives you a fuller platform at full extension and pushes more mass away from your hand. Same listed dimensions as the ARC, but it looks and plays like a traditional elongated paddle. The ARC feels like a hybrid someone stretched. The flat top feels like the real thing.
On court
Both paddles benefit from the length, but they get their offense from different places. The ARC's lower swing weight makes it easy to accelerate, which shows up as head speed, topspin, and placement: aggressive returns, controlled drives, rolls, flicks, reactive overheads. The power is progressive. Swing at 70%, and it stays polite; commit to it, and there's a lot more pace waiting. My 112 sample is a good example of that.
The flat top at 116 produces heavier serves, deeper returns, and groundstrokes that push through the ball instead of sitting on it. It doesn't need to move as fast to get depth, but it does want early preparation and a full swing. Cut the swing short, and you'll feel it.
At the kitchen, the ARC is the better mix of control and offense. Soft, dense response, low swing weight, manageable balance; drops, resets, long dink exchanges, and late defensive scrambles are all easier. The flat top has the same core feel, but the extra head weight makes last-second corrections harder. What you get in exchange is a paddle that punishes an attackable ball much more decisively: heavier rolls, speedups, counters, overheads. It isn't dramatically poppier on short swings, since it's the same core and the same face. Its advantage comes almost entirely from swing weight and plow-through.
Hand battles are where the two separate hardest. At 111 to 114, the ARC is unusually quick for a 16.5-inch paddle and will simply get to balls the flat top won't during fast transitions. The flat top is slower to position, but once it's there, it redirects pace with more authority and feels more solid on centered blocks. If you have strong hands and prepare early, you'll probably prefer the flat top, or the Boomstik. If you want speed, placement, and all-court adaptability, the ARC is the one.
A little weight at 3 and 9 tightens up the ARC's stability if you want it. Just don't load up near the top; that undoes the whole reason to buy this shape.
Against the other foam and EPP paddles
Honolulu J6CR
The J6CR is the stiff, hollow one, and it hits like it. Much more immediate pop and power, closer to the Boomstik than to a control paddle. It's also very forgiving, so that power is easy to access.
Next to it, the ARC feels more controlled and more earned: spin, acceleration, a committed swing. The flat top gives you a heavier ball and better plow-through, but the J6CR is livelier on compact swings and in quick exchanges.
- J6CR: instant pop, real power, excellent sweet spot
- Ignite ARC: faster hands, more spin, progressive power
- Ignite Flat Top: heavier ball, better plow-through
Spartus Spitfire
Still one of the best value plays in this category. Softer and a bit more hollow than the Ignite, with lower pop and a response that's easy to keep a lid on. Dinks, blocks, and resets are simple.
The Ignite feels denser, more compact, more connected. The ARC is quicker and does more offensively; the flat top hits a much heavier ball on full swings. But the Spitfire wins on a $ 99 price tag, and it isn't close. What you're paying up for with the Ignite is the selectable swing weight, the nicer feel, and the higher ceiling.
- Spitfire: low pop, easy control, hard to beat on value
- Ignite ARC: quicker, denser, more versatile
- Ignite Flat Top: more plow-through, more full-swing power
Selkirk Boomstik
Opposite end of the spectrum. Way more instant power and pop, plus a sweet spot that borders on absurd. Counters, flicks, blocks, put-aways, all of it takes less effort. The catch is that the power stays near the surface during soft exchanges, which is exactly when you don't want it.
The starting points are different too. The Boomstik arrives around 8.3 oz with 7.5 grams of MOI weighting in the box. The Ignites run about 7.8 to 8.1 oz and let you pick a measured swing weight.
The Boomstik uses mass, an active face, and a huge sweet spot to hand you power and passive stability; install the MOI weighting, and there's more of both. The Ignite leans on swing speed, leverage, and your input. Less free pace, but a response that's much easier to meter out.
The lighter starting range also leaves you room to work. Hesacore, extra overgrip, edge tape, a little side weight- you can do all of that without ending up with a boat anchor. That matters most on the ARC, which lives in a completely different maneuverability class than the Boomstik.
The flat top narrows the stability and plow-through gap thanks to its swing weight, but it still doesn't give you the Boomstik's sweet spot or its rebound speed.
Simple version: the Boomstik is easier when you want the paddle doing the work. The Ignite is easier when you want the paddle doing what you did.
- Boomstik: maximum free power, pop, stability, forgiveness
- Ignite Flat Top: heavy, controlled power through leverage
- Ignite ARC: faster, calmer, more customizable
Quick comparison
| Paddle | Power | Pop | Control | Sweet Spot | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu J6CR | High | High | Good | Excellent | Stiff, hollow, excellent spin |
| Spartus Spitfire | Medium-high | Low to medium | Very good | Good | Soft, slightly hollow |
| Ignite ARC | High-mid | Medium-high | Very good | Good | Soft, dense, quick |
| Ignite Flat Top | High | Medium-High | Very good | Good, best higher on the face | Soft, dense, powerful |
| Selkirk Boomstik | Elite | Elite | More demanding | Excellent | Stiff, powerful, always active |
Those are my on-court impressions, not lab numbers**.**
Which swing weight should you order?
For the ARC, it comes down to how much you plan to add. A 111 or 112 leaves room for a Hesacore, an extra overgrip, edge tape, and a bit of side weight while keeping the paddle fast. My 112.33 at 7.90 oz is right in that pocket, still customizable, still the quickest 16.5-inch paddle I've had in hand battles. An 113 or 114 will feel more substantial out of the box and probably won't need much.
For the flat top, I'd take a 115 or 116. My 116.37 already has plenty of leverage and momentum. Start at 117 or 118, add a grip and some tape, and you may end up with something more demanding than you bargained for.
The ARC gives you room to build. The flat top is mostly built already.
The Boomstik takes that further still, around 8.3 oz before you even open the MOI weight packet. Think hard about how much more grip or perimeter weight you actually need there.
Get the ARC if you want
- Elongated reach that doesn't feel elongated
- Fast hands for doubles
- A Hurache-style shape
- Enough grip room for a two-hander
- Strong control with a higher ceiling than the J6CR or Spitfire
- A lighter platform you can customize
- The option to order a lower measured swing weight
- Something calmer and more maneuverable than a Boomstik
- One paddle that does everything reasonably well
If you're planning on a Hesacore, extra overgrip, edge tape, or side weight, get the lowest swing weight.
Get the flat top if you want
- Maximum leverage and plow-through
- A heavier serve and drive
- More hitting area up near the tip
- Better overheads and put-aways
- Passive depth on returns and counters
- A traditional elongated power paddle
- Something that rewards early prep and full swings
- Power that's more controlled and progressive than the Boomstik's
Bottom line
The original Ignite Hybrid got my attention because it made foam feel familiar. These two take that idea in genuinely different directions.
For me, the ARC is the better doubles paddle. The Hurache-inspired outline moves through the air, but the gentler taper leaves more paddle to hit with than I expected, and the listed 5.5-inch handle plays closer to 5.75 once you run the overgrip up. At 7.90 oz and 112.33 swing weight, mine gives me real elongated reach and leverage while staying quick enough for hand battles, resets, counters, and the ugly defensive stuff.
The flat top is the better pure attacker. Nearly the same static weight at 7.91 oz, but 116.37 swing weight means a heavier ball, more authority up top, and easier depth on serves, drives, returns, overheads, and counters. You pay for it with slower hands and less room to tinker.
Power when you ask for it, control when you don't.
Price: $219.99, or about $198 with code SLICE10.