Are you looking for a padel racket and are overwhelmed by the sheer selection of models? Then this guide will help you find the perfect racket for you to try out the trend sport of the year.
Padel tennis is the fastest growing sport in the world and there is a good reason for that: it is much easier than tennis, which is why it is easy to start playing the sport without any previous experience and still enjoy it. Players also paddle against each other in teams of two and, as is the case in team sports, shared pain is half the pain and shared joy is double the joy. Contrary to old clichés, padel tennis is still a very young sport.
It was invented in 1965 by Don Enrique Corcuera in Acapulco, Mexico, and only because the Don had a space problem. As a passionate tennis player, he wanted his own tennis court on his property, but it was too small for that. He therefore had a smaller version built that resembled a tennis T-field. However, there was a concrete wall around the court, which is unfavourable for playing from the baseline. But the players integrated the wall into the game when the ball bounced off it.
The mix of tennis and squash was born and was so much fun that it first spread to South America, then to Spain and now to Northern Europe. Since 2013, the German Padel Association has also been part of the International Padel Federation and padel experienced a real boom, especially in 2023.
If you too have got a taste for padel and now want to get your own paddle blade, you should consider a few points before buying.
Buying a padel racket: What you need to consider
Expensive equipment does not make a good player, as is the case with any sport in padel tennis. However, the right equipment can help to alleviate frustration. When buying a padel racket, you should pay attention to the following parameters: weight, surface, inner material, balance and shape, with the last three being the most important for beginners. You can choose from three inner materials, shapes and balances: there are soft, medium-hard and hard inners, as well as round, teardrop-shaped and diamond-shaped rackets, whose balance is rather low, middle or top-heavy (top).
Padel racket: How to find the right balance and shape
If you hold a padel racket in your hand, it’s relatively easy to find out its balance: place the racket in the middle on an edge such as the thin armrest of a chair. If it tilts towards your head, its balance is at the top; if it stays lying down, it is balanced in the middle; if it tilts towards the handle, its balance is at the bottom. Typically, diamond-shaped padel rackets are top-heavy, teardrop-shaped are middle-heavy, and round rackets are low-heavy. Why is that?
Depending on where the balance is, the ideal point of contact for the ball (sweet spot) is also located. If the balance is high, it is at the top of the club, if it is in the middle, it is in the middle. A low balance is the most forgiving of mistakes and also offers the most control when hitting – regardless of whether you hit the ball on the edge of the club, in the middle or at the top. Logically, if the balance is high, it makes sense to have a larger area at the top of the club than in the middle and at the bottom – hence the diamond shape. But there are also exceptions, i.e. round clubs with balance at the club head.
As far as the inner workings are concerned, soft rackets offer the highest precision and hard rackets exert the most pressure on the ball. Medium-hard rackets offer a mix of precision and pressure. Which racket is the right one depends on the type of player.
Padel rackets: The player types
Beginners usually do best with a round and soft racket with a low or medium balance, because these rackets are the most forgiving when the ball is hit on the outer edge of the face. Of course, the rackets can also be used for serve and volley, which is a slightly more offensive style of play. However, the soft, round and low-balanced racket does not generate as much pressure on the ball as a hard, diamond-shaped racket that hits the padel ball perfectly.
So if you want to force your opponent to make mistakes by hitting them with balls, you should use a hard, diamond-shaped racket with a high balance. However, this requires a lot of skill and padel and tennis have one thing in common: you play against yourself rather than your opponent. This means that as long as you make more mistakes than your opponent, you should focus on control and precision rather than speed with your racket. The more confident you become, the more likely you are to choose more sophisticated rackets.
Important: None of this is a rule set in stone! There are soft and diamond-shaped professional rackets with a high balance for strong players who place a high value on precision and thus defeat their opponents. If your friends already have their own rackets, ideally you should try out the different degrees of hardness, shapes and balances. This usually gives you clarity about which shape and balance you can cope with best.
Surface, weight and material
A quick word about the surface: There are rackets with flat and rough hitting surfaces. It doesn’t make a difference, because you very rarely give the ball spin. The famous topspin you get in tennis is largely taboo in padel. So choose the surface that gives you a better feel when hitting.
The same applies to the weight of the racket. However, heavy rackets can of course give a ball more power than light ones, provided the player has enough strength to swing the racket. You should definitely check how strong your arms are and choose a lighter or heavier racket based on your personal preference. Women’s and children’s rackets are usually a little lighter than the men’s models, which usually weigh around 370 grams.
Most manufacturers use carbon for the frame, which only serves to protect the inside. Slightly more expensive models protect their interior with carbon fiber. The interior is where things get interesting, because there are different layers of foam that do their job. The softer these are, the more the ball sinks into the racket and the more power the racket takes out of the ball. So if you tend to hit balls back too hard and hit them out of bounds, you should choose a soft core. The harder the foam, the more power the ball gets back when you hit it. But to get it into the field, you need a good technique. Let’s look at a few different rackets and who they are worth it for.
Full control: round and low balance
Weight: ca. 370 GrammSurface: smoothForm: aroundBalance: low (handle-heavy)Interior: SoftPlayer type: control
For beginners and players who value precise and safe shots, a padel racket with a round head and low balance is suitable. All those players are in luck: Such rackets are among the cheapest in comparison. For example, “The Exordior” by Fila is recommended, which can be had for just over 50 euros with a discount. It is made of fiberglass, weighs around 370 grams according to the manufacturer and has a smooth surface. Fila uses a soft core for its racket, which creates particularly high levels of control and precision.
Precision: Round and medium balance
Weight: 355 bis 365 gSurface: forForm: aroundBalance: centered/adjustableInterior: hartPlayer type: Precision/Control
The AdidasAdipower Multiweight Ctrl 3.3 costs more than three times as much, which is mainly because it is a professional racket. Specifically, it is the racket of choice for Alex Ruiz. The Spaniard is considered one of the best players in the world, currently occupies eleventh place in the world rankings with his partner Carlos Gutierrez (January 2024). The racket is round and has a central balance. Interesting and somewhat atypical is a hard interior. Beginners could have problems with this because a hard padel racket gives the ball more power. So you run the risk of sending balls out of bounds in droves. The special thing about the Multiweight variant is that it has weights and screws that change the balance and weight of the racket. You can therefore adapt the racket to your playing style, which would justify the rather lavish investment. Nevertheless, only advanced players should consider this racket.
Balanced Attack: Medium Balance Drop
Weight: 365 gSurface: smoothForm: tearBalance: centerInterior: medium firmPlayer type: Control/Attack
Teardrop-shaped rackets are hybrids that players like to use to get used to the diamond shape. They are suitable for players who want a mix of attacking play at the net and control. As a rule, the teardrop-shaped rackets have a middle balance, as is the case with the Head Flesh Pro. It costs around 100 euros and is suitable for advanced players. This is due to its medium-hard interior, which could overwhelm complete beginners. Its surface is smooth, and Head uses carbon as the material.
Attack: Diamond with upper balance
Weight: 345 bis 360 gSurface: forForm: DiamondBalance: top-heavy/adjustableInterior: softPlayer type: Offensive/Attack
Offensive padel players rely on a top-heavy balance. If hit correctly, the racket generates a lot of pressure on the ball. If hit in the middle or at the bottom, however, players quickly lose control. If you are one of the more experienced players who prefer an offensive style of play at the net, then the Adidas Metalbone 3.3 could be a suitable racket for you. Again, this is a professional model. This time, however, it is Ale Galán (number five in the world) who chose the racket. Nice: With the Metalbone, too, you can adjust the weight and balance of the racket to your style of play using screws and weights. And of course Adidas relies on a rough surface structure for the Metalbone. What makes the racket special, however, is its core, which, contrary to expectations, is soft and therefore produces particularly high precision.
Sources:dpv-padel.de, youtube/everythingpadel, youtube.com/thepadelschool, worldpadeltour.com
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