Why are Flat-Top paddles in Vogue? Is the Curved Top Dead?

“Flat top hybrid” is the phrase pickleball nerds can’t stop talking about right now.

So, are curved-top paddles going extinct? Not quite. But there’s something interesting happening at the pro level. Almost all the top men have switched to flat tops. Meanwhile, plenty of the top women are still slow to transition out of them.

Why the split? And what are the pros seeing that we aren’t?

Let’s get into it.

What even is the flat top?

Hybrid shapes, popularized by Six Zero, have traditionally featured what’s called an “aerocurve,” with more pronounced curves around the top corners of the paddle.

While they looked pretty slick, manufacturers started to realize flattening out the top of the paddle can actually give it a serious performance boost.

Curved vs. flat: what's the difference?

It all comes down to where the weight is.

Curved tops are built for speed. There's less material up top, so the paddle feels lighter when you swing it. It whips around fast but the sweet spot sits a little lower on the face.

Flat tops are built for power and stability. Those square corners put more weight at the tip. It's a bit slower to swing. But it twists less on off-center hits, it drives through the ball harder, and the sweet spot reaches higher up the face.

Curved tops used to be popular because paddles back then didn't have the power they do now. Elongated paddles like the OG Hyperion and the Pursuit Pros had swing weights well above 120. Nowadays power is easier to generate with thermoforming and floating cores where you don’t need to sacrifice speed for power.

Many pros are adopting flat tops now

On the men's side, the curve is pretty much gone (you can thank Ben Johns for that).

Ben used to play the curved Joola Hyperion, and when he switched to the flat-topped Perseus, everyone seemed to follow suit.

Today, he plays the Perseus Pro V 16mm. JOOLA still sells a Hyperion with his name on it. But none of the top 10 men or women play one right now.

Look at the rest of the men's top 10 and you'll see the same thing. Federico Staksrud's Kosmos Pro V has a flat top. Haworth and Bellamy used to use the curved top Glider but now have switched to flat tops recently too.

There is one exception (kinda). Dylan Frazier, ranked No. 12, was playing the Volair Shift HYB and is now playing the CMD. It's a lighter hybrid that fits his fast hands. But even then, it’s barely an exception since Volair’s hybrid shape is millimeters off from being a complete flat top.

And JW Johnson spent a lot of 2026 with the curved PIKKL Hurricane Pro before moving to a new PIKKL paddle that isn't out yet.

The adoption is less noticeable for women

Plenty of top women still use a curved top, but not the sharp curve of the original Hyperion. Today's version is rounder and softer, and it usually sits on a wider paddle. You get the speed without giving up too much hitting area.

Here’s what the top women are playing with

• Anna Leigh Waters (1): Franklin C45 Aurelius, now testing an unreleased Franklin. It’s a small widebody, and her earlier C45 Hybrid has an oval top.
• Anna Bright (2): JOOLA Scorpeus Pro V 14mm, a flat-top widebody.
• Jorja Johnson (3): PIKKL Hurricane Pro 16mm, a curved top. She’s now testing an unreleased PIKKL.
• Tyra Black (4): PIKKL Hurricane Pro 14mm, a curved top.
• Catherine Parenteau (5): Luzz Glider 16mm, a curved hybrid.
• Parris Todd (6): Franklin C45 Parris Todd 13.25mm, a shape between the C45 Hybrid and the Dynasty.
• Kate Fahey (8): JOOLA Agassi Pro V 14mm, tapered with a wider head.
• Kaitlyn Christian (10): Luzz Glider 16mm, a curved hybrid.

Brooke Buckner plays the Agassi Pro V. Tyra Black's Hurricane Pro is a great example of the new style. It has a wide, square 16 x 8 inch body with a curved top. It's quick in your hands, but it still gives you a big face to block with.

Why the split? It's how they play

The split actually proves the point that flat tops has its own set of trade-offs for different playstyles. For most women, speed is the most important factor. Hands battles at the kitchen tend to last longer on the women's side. Women often take a half-step back off the line so they have room for a full, two-handed swing. The Dink's look at women's doubles strategy says the same thing: women stand a little farther back, hit deeper topspin dinks, and aim speed-ups at the body. Put-aways also aren't as deadly on the women's side, so speed-ups work more often. When the point comes down to a quick exchange, the faster paddle wins.

Men generally want more reach and power. Men counter one-handed from right up at the net, and they drive the ball deep. The speed-ups and drives coming at them are heavier. So the paddle can't afford to wobble on contact. A flat top twists less and has a vertically larger sweet spot, which helps it hold steady. The extra length also helps on flicks and dinks at the line.

Rec players: where the curve lives on

The curved top is not even close to dying even if it's fading on the men's tour. It's still a big deal on the women's tour. And it has a loyal fan base at your local courts.

Why do paddle nerds love it? It’s super customizable. A curved top typically starts out light when you swing it. That makes it a blank canvas for lead or tungsten tape. You start light and add weight exactly where you want it, for more stability or more power.

The numbers show how much room you have to play with:

• Ronbus Quanta R1 (curved top): 107
• Ronbus Quanta R3 (square top): 113
• JOOLA Perseus Pro V 16mm (flat top): 117

Those two Ronbus paddles are the same length from the same brand. The only big difference is the top, and the curved one swings 6 points lighter. That's a lot of room to add tape and still end up with a fast paddle.

Who still makes curved tops?

Smaller brands are keeping the curve alive. Ronbus makes curved tops in three of its Quanta shapes, and PIKKL's Hurricane Pro has one too. The big brands are more mixed than you might think:

• JOOLA still sells the Hyperion Pro V right next to the flat Perseus, Kosmos and Scorpeus.
• CRBN sells its CRBN⁴ line as a "Hybrid AeroCurve."
• Selkirk, Proton and Engage don't list anything described as a curved top right now.
• 11SIX24’s popular Vapor and Hurache-X shapes are both curved tops.

The overall market is leaning flat, too. The Dink reports that flat-top hybrids like the Kosmos are one of the fastest-growing shapes. So the curve won't take over rec play overnight, but you’ll start noticing the changes soon.

Do you care about flat tops?

So, are you Team Flat Top or Team Curved Top? Have you actually noticed a difference on the court, or is this another case of paddle nerds obsessing over a few millimeters? Drop a comment below. I'm curious what everyone's playing with and whether the hype is justified.