Like for every racket sport, it is very important to play with a padel racket adapted to your level. This will prevent fatigue injuries while improving performance and enjoyment. Our experts give you their best advice to choose the right padel racket for your needs!

[How to Choose a Padel Racket]

Before talking about the technical aspects of a padel racket, we should define the different levels of game and the primary requirements:

Casual player: as your technique is in progress, you will need to choose an easy to play padel racket, which is pretty light, and which offers enough control to put the ball on a good spot.

Intermediate player: your style of game is not defined, and you may look for a versatile padel racket to face any situation. You should look for a good mix of power and accuracy.

Advanced player: depending on your style of game, you will look for a padel racket with either maximum power or great accuracy.

A Padel Racket is Like a Recipe, Where the Ingredients Are:

the shape, the balance, the weight, and the material.
These are the key factors you should observe for choosing your ideal padel racket!

The SHAPE (3 main shapes)

[How to Choose a Padel Racket]

ROUND SHAPE

With a weight balance closer to the handle, round-shaped padel rackets are the most maneuverable. Their round sweetspot is quite forgiving and located in the middle of the head.

These padel rackets provide excellent control, which is a great asset for casual and defensive padel players. The downside of round padel rackets is their lack of power for smashes.

[How to Choose a Padel Racket]

TEARDROP SHAPE

This is a mix between the round and the diamond shape. Teardrop-shaped padel rackets have a balance close to the middle, are versatile and offer a perfect combination between power and control.

They will fit to intermediate players and to players who don't have a specialized game yet (defensive or offensive).

[How to Choose a Padel Racket]

DIAMOND SHAPE

With a balance and a sweetspot closer to the top, this type of padel racket is clearly the most powerful, and the choice of most professional players.

They perfectly fit to the offensive-minded players, especially those playing on the left side. Their downsides are their maneuverability. They can also cause arm fatigue for non-trained player.

The BALANCE

Directly linked to the shape, the balance plays a great role in the maneuverability of a padel racket.

Over 275mm, the racket is called head heavy: it offers a maximal amount of power but is tougher to manipulate.

Around 270mm, the racket has a neutral balance which provides versatility.

Under 265mm, the racket is called head light: the weight is mainly located close to the grip, which helps for quick reactions and control.

The WEIGHT

Most padel rackets for adult players weigh between 370g and 375g. This is also a good weight range for players looking for a mix of power and control.

Below 370g, a padel racket is easier to move, better suited for reaction volleys but less powerful. A lightweight padel racket will suit casual players, women (340 to 370g) and kids between 5 and 10 years (280 to 340g).

Over 375g, a padel racket brings more power, but is also less maneuverable and less control oriented. A heavy racket will be more efficient for the offensive game but needs excellent physical skills.

The MATERIAL

[How to Choose a Padel Racket : Racket Components]

The Impact Surface of a padel racket is generally made with fiberglass (cheap but heavy) or with graphite (more expensive but light) in up to 3 layers. The more layers a racket has, the better the durability, but the lower the power.

The Core of a racket is made of:

FOAM (Polyethylene): a soft material known for its comfort, used for padel rackets with soft fibers on the Impact Surface.

E.V.A. (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate): used for the ability to come back quickly to its initial position after impact, its light weight, and its resilience to high temperatures.

As a result:

A soft foam + soft fibers on the impact surface = power

E.V.A. + hard fibers = accuracy

Choosing a Padel Racket: Our Guide

The most important thing is to feel comfortable with your equipment and to choose your padel racket according to your physical skills