With more and more people taking up padel every week, it’s easy to see why knowing how to choose a padel racket is more important than ever. A padel tennis racket should offer comfort to fully enjoy matches and give you the confidence to take your skills to new heights!
In the UK, we are spoilt with a massive range of padel rackets, so knowing the best racket for you, your ability level, and your playing style can be a little overwhelming. It’s a minefield trying to discover the best brand and shape. Add to that the sizeable cost, and it really is important to be sure you are making the right purchase.
Today, we’re excited to share our top tips for choosing a padel racket so you can find the perfect racket to have you hitting winners every time.
Understanding the Different Types of Padel Rackets
There are rackets available for players of all ages and skill levels, from junior rackets to variations of full-sized adult rackets.
The best padel rackets for beginners offer certain characteristics that help new players get used to the unique gameplay of padel. In contrast, intermediate and advanced players will want rackets designed to enhance aspects of more technical gameplay.
The main difference is the shape of the racket. A padel tennis racket comes in three shapes – round, diamond, and teardrop.
Each shape offers certain advantages and disadvantages depending on your ability and playing style so as a good introduction to the different padel tennis racket types, here’s a simple breakdown before we get into the more the more specific racket specs.
Key Feature | Round Shape | Diamond Shape | Teardrop Shape | Junior |
Balance Point | Low balance | High balance | Medium centre balance | Lightweight |
Sweet Spot | Large centralised sweet spot | High sweet spot | Centralised sweet spot | Shorter length |
Used For | More precision and control | More power | Balanced control | Young stars! |
Skill Level | Recreational and beginner | Advanced | Intermediate | Junior |
How to Choose a Padel Racket: What Are Padel Rackets Made Of?
Rackets are mostly made from fibreglass, carbon fibre, or a combination of the two, with variations of rubber grips and foam cores.
As players, we must consider the rigidity of the racket surface, its level of flexibility, its weight and ease of use, and how this benefits our hitting style!
Racket Materials
Fibreglass
Fibreglass rackets are softer and more flexible, so the ball bounces more off the surface. Because of this, they also absorb more impact, making them more comfortable and safe for beginners and older players.
Carbon Fibre
Carbon fibre rackets are made from harder and heavier materials, so they naturally have less flexibility and are more expensive. However, the big upside is that they offer excellent power and durability for more seasoned players.
Racket Weight
Racket weights range from 340g to 390g, but there are no exact weight rules. Rackets are usually classified into two categories: Light and heavy.
A lightweight padel tennis racket offers more control but less power; great for recreational and beginner players and perfect for a drop shot!
Heavy rackets offer excellent power but less control, ideal for more advanced players with more padel experience.
Racket Cores
Cores play an important role in how a racket functions and should be factored in when choosing a padel racket. A core refers to the rubber used in the build of the flat striking surface of the padel racket.
There are two main types of rubber cores used in padel rackets – polyethylene foam cores and EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) rubber cores.
Foam cores have a softer touch with more flexibility. These rackets are usually cheaper and great options for beginner padel players!
EVA rubber cores are very popular now. Rackets have a harder feel, are less flexible but more durable, and offer potent power for more proficient players!
Smooth vs Rough Racket Surfaces
Padel tennis racket surfaces can vary in degrees of perforation and texture, offering certain pros and cons. There are two types of padel racket surfaces – smooth and rough.
Smooth surfaces offer excellent bounce and absorption but little spin on the ball. Therefore, they are ideal for beginner players.
Rough surfaced rackets offer more grip and spin on the ball but less bounce, suited to more seasoned players.
How to Choose a Padel Racket: Padel Racket Balance Types
Different racket shapes will also directly affect the degree of balance and where it’s placed in rackets.
There are three balance types to consider – low, medium, and high.
Low Balance
Round rackets tend to have this balance type. The weight distribution is focused towards the racket’s handle, offering more control and precision, perfect for beginners!
Medium Balance
Also known as average balance, this type is a great pick for intermediate players and is commonly found in teardrop-shaped rackets. The weight is balanced and placed between the head and handle of the racket, giving you a more even feel that strikes a great blend of power and control.
Heavy Balance
Also known as top balance, these rackets are suited to more advanced players and are mostly found in diamond-shaped rackets. The weight slopes towards the head of the racket, offering tremendous power but less overall control. Because they are also heavier and thicker, they are ideal for more advanced players.
How to Choose a Padel Racket: Matching Your Racket with Your Style
It’s easy to understand why matching your padel racket with your style of play is essential to taking your game to the next level!
Here are a few questions worth asking yourself when deciding how to choose a padel racket:
- Do you prefer to play more offensively or more defensively?
- How often do you play?
- What is your budget?
- Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player?
- Do you prefer more control, or do you need more power on the padel court?
How to Choose a Padel Racket: How Holes Affect Style
The number, size, and position of the holes on the striking surface will change the performance and feel of your racket, mainly influencing control, power, and spin.
Rackets with more and bigger holes provide more power but less control, whereas fewer holes offer great control with less power. When starting out, we recommend you prioritise more control while getting used to the game.
How to Choose a Padel Racket: Leading Brands for the Best Padel Rackets in the UK
There are many excellent market-leading padel racket brands available online and in-store throughout the UK!
Here are some of our favourites:
- Babolat
- Adidas
- Head
- Nox
- Tecnifibre
Where to Buy Padel Rackets in the UK:
How to Choose a Padel Racket FAQs
What is the best padel racket for a beginner?
As a beginner, a lightweight, round head shaped racket will be the best option. It will provide a larger sweet spot making it easier for you to hit the ball and offer great control whilst you are learning the specifics of the game and the padel court.
Can You Use a Tennis Racket to Play Padel?
We don’t recommend using a tennis racket to play padel because the less pressurised padel ball won’t respond properly to the racket to suit the gameplay.
How long does a padel tennis racket last?
This naturally depends on many factors like the racket’s quality, materials, how often you play, how you look after it, and the weather it’s exposed to. On average, a padel racket should give you about 100 sessions worth of play, which is around 6-12 months if you play 2 or 3 times a week.
Is a smooth or rough padel racket better?
It really depends on the performance you’re looking for and your skill level as a player. Rough surfaces provide effective grip and spin on your shots but don’t have the same bounce or ball output. Smooth surfaces offer more stability and control but less spin.
Why are padel rackets so expensive?
As with any quality sporting equipment, reasons for pricing are a result of material and production costs. Padel rackets are made to last using carbon and fibreglass which are expensive and take a long time to produce. The manufacturing process is complex and very costly but with so much interest placed on the sport now, there are padel rackets to suit any budget!
Are padel rackets worth investing in?
It’s certainly worth the investment! Padel offers tons of fun, is great exercise, and you really only need a few pieces of basic gear to play, namely – a racket, padel shoes, and padel balls.
Summing Up Our How to Choose a Padel Racket Guide
So, there you have it, everything you need to know to choose the perfect padel tennis racket so you can develop and enjoy this fantastic game to the fullest!
While there are many rackets to choose from in the UK, we hope you have a clearer understanding of the racket that’s right for you and your playing style.
Now that you know exactly how to choose a padel racket, we wish you many thrilling padel sessions to come!
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