Padel tennis is the fastest growing sport in the world and there is a good reason for this: it is significantly easier than tennis, which is why the barrier to starting the sport without any previous experience and still finding joy in it is low. In addition, players paddle against each other in teams of two and, as is the case in team sports, shared suffering is half the suffering and shared joy is double the joy. Contrary to old phrases, 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 to have his own tennis court on his property, but it was too small for that. He therefore had a smaller version built that resembles a T-court in tennis. However, there was a concrete wall around the court, which is unfavorable 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 spread first to South America, then to Spain and now to Northern Europe. The German Padel Association has also been part of the International Padel Federation since 2013 and padel experienced a real boom, especially in 2023.
If you too have tasted blood and now want to buy your own padel blade, you should consider a few points before purchasing.
Expensive equipment does not make a good player, that’s the case with padel tennis as with any sport. However, the right equipment can help ease the 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 interior materials, shapes and balances: There are soft, medium and hard interiors as well as round, teardrop or tear-shaped and diamond-shaped rackets whose balance is more low, middle or top-heavy (top).
If you hold a padel racket in your hand, finding out its balance is relatively easy: place the racket in the middle on an edge such as a thin armrest of a chair. If it tilts towards the head, its balance is at the top; if it remains 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 center-heavy, and round rackets are low-balanced. Why is that?
Depending on where the balance is, the ideal meeting point for the ball (sweet spot) is also at the top of the racket if the balance is high, or in the middle if the balance is high. A low balance is the most forgiving and also offers the most control at impact – whether you hit the ball at the edge of the racket, in the middle or at the top. Logical: With upper balance, it makes sense to have a larger area at the top of the racket than in the middle and bottom – hence the diamond shape. But there are also exceptions, i.e. round rackets with balance on the racket head.
As far as the inner workings are concerned, it should be said that soft rackets offer the highest precision and hard rackets put 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.
Beginners generally do best with a round, soft, low or medium balance club because these clubs are most forgiving when the ball is hit on the outside edge of the face. Of course, you can also play serve and volley with the rackets, which is a slightly more offensive style of play. However, the soft, round and low balanced racket does not create 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 him or her with balls, you should use a hard, diamond-shaped racket with upper 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: As long as you make more mistakes than your opponent, you should focus on control and precision instead of speed with your racket. As you become more confident, you will be able to choose more sophisticated clubs.
Important: None of this is a rule set in stone! There are soft and diamond-shaped professional rackets with 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 try out the different degrees of hardness, shapes and balances. This usually gives clarity as to which form and balance you can handle best.
Briefly about the surface: There are rackets with a flat and rough hitting surface. That doesn’t make a difference, because you very rarely give the ball spin. The famous topspin like in tennis is largely taboo in padel. Therefore, choose the surface that gives you a better feel when hitting.
The same applies to the weight of the racket. However, the rule here is that heavy rackets can of course give a ball more power than light rackets if the player has enough strength to swing the racket. Here you should definitely look at how strong your arms are and choose a lighter or heavier racket based on your personal discretion. Women’s and children’s rackets are usually slightly lighter than men’s models, which usually weigh around 370 grams.
Most manufacturers use carbon for the frame, which only serves to protect the interior. Slightly more expensive models protect their interior with carbon fiber. Things get interesting on the inside, because that’s where different layers of foam do their job. The softer they are, the more the ball sinks into the racket and the more power the racket takes out of the ball. So if you like to play balls back too hard and hit them out of bounds, you should choose a soft core. The harder the foam is, the more power the ball receives when hit. But getting it into the field requires proper technology. Let’s take a look at a few different clubs and who they might be worth it for.
For beginners and players who value precise and safe strokes, a padel racket with a round head and low balance is suitable. All those players are lucky: these rackets are among the cheapest in comparison. We recommend, for example, “The Exordior” from Fila, which is available with a discount for just over 50 euros. It is made of fiberglass, weighs about 370 grams according to the manufacturer and has a smooth surface. Fila uses a soft core in its racket, which creates a particularly high level of control and precision.
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 Alex Ruiz’s bat of choice. The Spaniard is considered one of the best players in the world and is currently in eleventh place in the world rankings with his partner Carlos Gutierrez (January 2024). The racket is round and has a center balance. What is 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 one after the other. The special thing about the multiweight version is that it has weights and screws that change the balance and the weight of the racket. You can adapt the racket to your playing style, which would justify the hefty investment. Still, only advanced players should consider this racket.
Teardrop-shaped clubs are hybrids that players like to use to get in the mood for the diamond shape. They are suitable for players who want a mix of attacking play at the net and control. Typically, the teardrop-shaped sticks have a centered 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 thoroughbred beginners. Its surface is smooth and Head uses carbon as the material.
Padel players who play offensively rely on a top-heavy balance. When hit correctly, the racket creates a lot of pressure on the ball. However, when hit in the middle or at the bottom, 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 has chosen the bat. Nice: With the Metalbone you can also adjust the weight and balance of the racket to suit your playing style using screws and weights. And of course Adidas uses a rough surface structure for the Metalbone. What makes the racket special, however, is its core, which, contrary to what you might think, is soft and therefore produces a particularly high level of precision.
Sources: dpv-padel.de, youtube/everythingpadel, youtube.com/thepadelschool, worldpadeltour.com
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