Quick answer: Selkirk widebody paddles are being phased out slowly. Co-founder Rob Barnes said in a November 1 interview that Selkirk sells about eight elongated paddles for every widebody, with hybrid shapes arriving around mid-2027. Our 823-paddle catalog shows the rest of the market hasn’t followed yet: widebody has held at about 27% of new releases since 2023. Elongated is the shape losing ground, to hybrids.
The 30-second version
- What Selkirk said: it sells about “eight to one elongated to wide bodies,” and over time “we’re going to be moving away” from widebody.
- Not yet: the Boomstik ST still comes in widebody and elongated. Hybrids from Selkirk are planned for around mid-2027.
- The market: widebody was 27% of 2026 releases in our catalog, the same as 2025. That’s flat, not falling.
- The real shift: elongated fell from 55% of 2023 releases to 42% in 2026, while hybrids rose from 16% to 31%.
- Selkirk today: 50 catalog entries, 31 elongated, 19 widebody and zero hybrids.
Are Selkirk widebody paddles going away?
Yes, but slowly. Asked whether Selkirk is moving away from widebody paddles, Barnes said: “I think over time you’re going to see that trend. We’re going to be moving away.” He added “not yet,” pointing out that the Boomstik ST is coming in both widebody and elongated.
Asked whether a hybrid Boomstik is in the works, he said Selkirk is “looking at it at 2027, probably mid-year.” He also said that in 2027 “you’ll see more” products in hybrid shapes.
Why would Selkirk drop a shape it likes?
Because of sales. Barnes said Selkirk’s engineers rate widebody highly on “sweet spot, playability, consistency.” Then he gave the number that matters: “we sell … it’s like eight to one elongated to wide bodies.”
That puts widebody at roughly one of every nine Selkirk paddles sold. Barnes also said because the underlying technology has improved, “the negatives of a hybrid compared to a wide body” have shrunk. Our numbers back up the forgiveness point. Across the catalog, widebody paddles have a median twist weight of 6.90, against 6.47 for hybrids and 6.06 for elongated. Higher twist weight means the paddle twists less on off-center hits. Our twist weight guide explains why that matters.
Is the rest of the market dropping widebody too?
Not yet. We counted every paddle in our catalog with a known shape and release year, merging duplicate listings that share a name. Widebody’s share of new models has barely moved since 2023:
| Release year | Models | Elongated | Widebody | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 74 | 55% | 28% | 16% |
| 2024 | 112 | 47% | 33% | 20% |
| 2025 | 187 | 49% | 27% | 24% |
| 2026 | 126 | 42% | 27% | 31% |
So the shape that’s losing share is elongated, not widebody. Hybrids are taking it, which matches what we found in our 2026 paddle trends count. A catalog counts models released, not paddles sold, so this doesn’t contradict Barnes. It does show a gap: brands keep releasing widebody versions at about one in four, while Selkirk says its buyers choose them about one time in nine.
Where does Selkirk’s own lineup stand?
Of the 14 brands with 20 or more paddles in our catalog, Selkirk is the only one with no hybrid. Its 50 entries (counting Selkirk Labs) are 31 elongated and 19 widebody. JOOLA is next, with 1 hybrid out of 51. Its 2026 releases, the Dauntless and the Omni, each come in an elongated and a widebody version.
Barnes said what Selkirk sells right now covers about “80%” of players “from a statistical playing capability standpoint,” and that the Omni may be tweaked over time to lean toward softer control.
Should you still buy a widebody paddle?
If it suits your game, yes. Selling fewer of a shape doesn’t make it worse:
- Widebody if you play mostly at the kitchen line and want the most forgiving face. See our best widebody paddles.
- Elongated if you want reach and put-away power. See our best elongated paddles.
- Hybrid if you can’t decide. See our best hybrid paddles.
Our elongated vs widebody comparison tests the same model in both shapes, and the Paddle Finder will narrow it down for you. If you play in New England, try both shapes at your local club’s demo days before you buy.
FAQ: Selkirk and widebody paddles
Is Selkirk discontinuing widebody paddles?
Not now. Rob Barnes said Selkirk will move away from widebody “over time,” and the Boomstik ST still comes in a widebody version.
How many elongated paddles does Selkirk sell per widebody?
About eight. Barnes put it at “eight to one elongated to wide bodies” in a November 1, 2026 interview on the Nico the Lefty YouTube channel.
When will Selkirk release hybrid-shaped paddles?
Barnes said Selkirk is looking at 2027, “probably mid-year.” Selkirk had no hybrid-shaped paddles in our catalog as of November 2026.
Are widebody paddles disappearing from the market?
Not in our catalog. Widebody was 27% of 2026 releases, the same as 2025. Elongated is the shape losing share, mostly to hybrids.
Are widebody paddles more forgiving?
On twist weight, yes. Widebody paddles in our catalog have a median twist weight of 6.90, compared with 6.47 for hybrids and 6.06 for elongated.
