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A racket to play padel. Padel is a racket sport that brings together tennis, squash and badminton. It is played indoors and outdoors in doubles.
Have you been playing for a while Padel and does it feel a bit like you've reached a plateau in your game?
Perhaps you are ready to switch to a new padel racket!
One thing is certain, there is no “perfect” padel racket.
Of course price plays a role, but which racket is the right choice mainly depends on your level of play and what performance you are looking for exactly. And you may also want your racket to look good.
In this buying guide you will find all the answers when it comes to buying a new padel racket and we give you useful tips to help you make the right choice.
A padel racket is really quite different in terms of construction technique than a squash racket
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
How should you choose a Padel Racket?
When you are looking for a padel racket, you want to think about a number of things.
- How heavy or light is the racket?
- What material is it made of?
- What thickness should you go for?
- Which shape should you choose?
Decathlon has translated this Spanish video into Dutch in which they look at choosing a padel racket:
Let's see how you can answer these questions for yourself.
Which padel racket shape is best?
Padel rackets come in three shapes. Some shapes are better for players of certain skill levels.
- Round shape: Round heads are best for beginners. The round racket has a fairly large sweetspot, so you can hit quite a few of your shots and don't get demoralized to leave the game! The sweet spot is right in the middle of the head, so the racket is relatively easy to use. The racket has a low balance, which means that it weight a bit to it handle up, away from the head. The round head ensures that the racket spreads its weight evenly. Overall, this racket shape is easiest for the beginner to handle.
- teardrop shape: As you can imagine, the teardrop shape will have its weight mostly balanced in the middle of the racket. It will be neither heavy nor light. The sweet spot of this racket will be more effective on the top of the head. The racket has a faster swing than a round racket, because of the aerodynamics. This type gives you a good balance between power and control. In general, the teardrop racket is suitable for players who have been playing Padel for a while. It is the most popular type of racket among padel players.
- diamond shape: The diamond or arrow-shaped head has a sweet spot that is higher in the racket. Advanced or professional players find it easier to hit the ball hard with the diamond shaped head. Beginners can't handle the diamond racket yet.
In general, padel manufacturers will label their racket as designed for professionals, beginners or regular players.
If you're playing against someone who plays at a similar level to you, the type of racket you use will affect the style of the game.
Round rackets ensure that you play the ball slower and with fewer special effects. When you're just starting out, this is what you want. When you learn and upgrade your racket, you play a faster game with more effects like top spin, cut, etc.
Here you can read more about what Padel is exactly and all the rules.
balance
In a Padel racket, the balance indicates the point where most weight of the racket along its vertical axis.
- High: These rackets are called "big heads" because they have the weight closer to the head of the racket, at the other end of the handle. Despite the fact that they weigh less, the weight will be a greater distance from our hand, making it feel like they weigh more. These types of rackets will give us a lot of power, but can overload the wrist because the weight is further away. We will have to use more force to hold the racket. These high balance rackets usually have a diamond shape on the top.
- Middle / Balanced: the weight is a little closer to the handle, which allows us to better handle the racket, so have more control and help us rest the wrist a bit. These balance rackets are usually teardrop shaped and some models may be round.
- Low: the weight is way down, close to the handle and this gives us excellent control, as the hand will be able to move the weight more easily, but we will lose a lot of power on the volley and defense shots. It is a balance used by experienced players with a great touch and while it may seem contradictory, it is also recommended for beginners due to the fact that they will have better control. These balance rackets usually have a round shape.
If you are just starting to practice Padel, we recommend that you get a racket that is under-balanced (or Low-balanced) and round shaped, and you will be able to handle the racket well.
So having a round head also increases the sweet spot (the natural and best point of impact on the surface of the racket) and eases your assumptions.
If you are a regular player with knowledge of your weaknesses, we recommend that you choose a racket to help you correct your mistakes. A diamond shape has a higher sweet spot, it gives you more power and therefore requires more control and mastery.
Here you will find the best padel rackets of the moment (with reviews).
Consider the weight of the racket
Rackets come in three weights:
- heavy
- medium
- light
Lighter rackets are better for control, confirms padelworld.nl. But you won't have as much power in your shots as you have with a heavier racket.
The right weight for you depends on you
- length
- geslacht
- weight
- fitness/strength
Most rackets vary between 365 grams and 396 grams. A heavier racket will be between 385 grams and 395 grams. A lighter racket would weigh between 365 grams and 375 grams.
- Women will find that a racket between 355 and 370 grams is light and easier to handle, with better control.
- Men find rackets between 365 and 385 grams good for a balance between control and power.
Which material is right for you?
Rackets come in different materials. You want a combination of durability, firmness and elasticity. A padel racket has a frame, the surface on which the ball hits and the shaft.
The frame gives the racket power and sturdiness. The impact surface, depending on what it is made from, affects our performance and our “feel”.
The shaft will usually be wrapped in a grip or rubber for comfort while playing.
Carbon frame rackets provide a good combination of strength and strength. Some rackets have a plastic cover that protects the frame.
This feature is good for beginner rackets as they often get scraped against the floor or hit the walls.
In general, padel rackets are difficult to repair, unlike tennis rackets which can be repaired if they burst.
So it is important to make sure that you buy a durable racket in the beginning.
Softer rackets are best for power because they are more elastic. These rackets are good for the back court and for powerful volleying. Of course they are less durable.
Harder rackets are good for power and control, but you will put more effort into making powerful shots. They are best for advanced players who have developed a technique to get the most out of their shots.
In the end, it's up to you whether you want more power or control, or a combination of both.
To make it easy for you, we've already listed the best padel rackets in our buyer's guide at the beginning of this article. So you can easily choose one based on your needs.
The best padel court locations in the Netherlands: you can read more about them here
Hardness, know your strength
As explained above, Padel rackets have a solid face that is filled with holes to allow for an easy swing in mid-air.
This surface can be hard or soft and will strongly determine the performance of the racket. A softer racket will have more elasticity to bounce the ball and will give more power to your assumptions.
The surface is normally a core, made of EVA or FOAM covered with different materials depending on the manufacturer, but the most common are: fiberglass and carbon fiber.
EVA rubber is hard, less felixble and gives less force to the ball. The advantage therefore lies in the durability of the lodge and more control.
EVA is the most widely used core by manufacturers.
FOAM, on the other hand, is soft, offers a little less control, but a lot more elaticity and offers more power and speed to the ball. Of course FOAM is less durable.
Recently, some manufacturers have developed a third type of core that combines both EVA and FOAM. This hybrid, is a soft rubber with much longer durability, a core made of foam, surrounded by EVA rubber.
In general:
- soft rackets: Provide strength to your assumptions because their higher elasticity gives the ball extra energy. On the other hand, they reduce your control. These rackets will help you defend yourself at the end of the playing field (because it will help your hits get to the other side). It is clear that soft rackets tend to last less than hard rackets because softer materials are easier to damage.
- hard rackets: Unlike the soft rackets, hard rackets offer control and power. They are more demanding than soft ones because what they lack in rebound power has to be provided by your arm and so you need to have good technique to optimize this impact.
It is difficult to recommend a hardness for beginners or advanced players, for example because a woman starting out will probably need a softer racket than a man as he will usually have more power.
As we improve our technique, we need to see which racket hardness suits our game better.
What thickness should a padel racket have?
When it comes to thickness, padel rackets should not exceed a thickness of 38mm. Thickness won't really be a determining factor.
In general, rackets are between 36mm and 38mm thick and some have a different thickness on the frame than on the hitting surface.
