How to Choose a Padel Racket?

Ready to start playing Padel but not sure which racket to choose? Choosing the right type of padel racket may seem daunting as we have a wide variety of such rackets in the market. Feeling lost with so many options for the same equipment is normal. It is not always wise to go with the padel racket that catches your attention at first sight. It is crucial to take a closer look and determine its specifications and characteristics. A wrong choice of padel racket can make you perform worse during the game and increase the risk of injuries.

Are you worried about which racket padel you should choose for your next padel game? We are here to give all the key elements you must consider when choosing a padel racket.

Factors To Consider For Choosing The Right Type Of Padel Racket

It is important to notice that a padel racket does not fit all players. Therefore, you must consider the following factors to get your ideal match.

Shape

The shape of the padel racket can have a significant impact on the style of the padel game. You can choose from the three different types of padel racket shapes;

1.     Diamond Shape Rackets

Diamond shape rackets (formally known as power padel rackets) are recommended for players who need more power when hitting the padel ball. They help to bounce the padel ball a lot but provide less control during gameplay.

2.     Round Shape Rackets

The round shape rackets (formally known as control padel rackets) are great for all types of padel players, especially beginners.

3.     Teardrop Shape

Teardrop shop padel rackets (formally known as balanced padel rackets) are ideal for padel players with some game experience. Teardrop shape rackets combine the key features of both diamond padel rackets and round padel rackets. They help to have a more balanced game that requires too much power.

Balance

Balance is also an important factor to consider when choosing the right padel racket, as it determines the stability of the racket. It also specifies how the weight is distributed between the highest and lowest points of the padel rackets. Here you also have three options to choose from;

1.     Low Balance Rackets

Low-balance rackets are quite easy to handle and provide comfortable gameplay. It is ideal for padel players who need maximum control on their shots with proper security. The low-balance padel rackets can reduce the risk of injuries and provide greater control over the racquet. The negative point about these rackets is they don't provide the same power in smashes and volleys.

2.     Medium Balance Rackets

The medium balance padel rackets offer a perfect balance between control and power. You can go with this padel racket if you're an all-round player seeking a balance between speed and control.

3.     High Balance Rackets

High-balance padel rackets are ideal for highly experienced padel players. They offer high speed in attacking play but reduce comfort and control.

Material & Rigidity

Rigidity and material are two important factors you must consider when choosing a padel racket. The rigidity of the padel racket depends upon the material used during its manufacturing, and it significantly affects the flexibility of the racket. You can go with;

1.     Soft Padel Rackets

The soft padel rackets are made up of fibreglass material that offers a greater degree of flexibility. It means that when a padel ball hits these rackets, it bounces a lot. Soft padel rackets are great for beginners as they help to return aggressive hits.

2.     Hard Padel Rackets

The hard padel rackets are manufactured of carbon fibre material that offers little flexibility. Due to their high durability, these padel rackets are a bit more expensive than soft padel rackets.

Weight of the Padel Racket

No maximum or minimum limit is associated with the weight of the padel racket. It mainly depends on the players' preferences, playing style, and playing frequency. In the market, you can get mainly two types of padel rackets based on weight;

1.     Light Padel Rackets

Light padel rackets are great for beginners as they have less power but more control.

2.     Heavy Padel Racket

Heavy Padel Rackets are ideal for experienced padel players as they give more power but reduce control.

Internal Core of Padel Racket

The core refers to the material used to cover the inner structure of the padel racket. Mainly, two types of materials are used to construct the surface of the padel racket, which are;

1.     Eva

The padel racket has a core made from Eva material, offering high durability and rigidity.

2.     Foam

Foam is another material used to construct the core of padel rackets. The foam gives a soft touch to the racket and increases its flexibility. It is a cheaper material than Eva, that's why used for low-quality padel rackets.

Some Particular Circumstances Affect the Choice of Padel Racket

The choice of a padel racket depends on a padel player's needs and experience. For instance, know the answers to several basic questions before buying a padel racket.

• How often do you play the padel game, and for what purpose you're playing? Investing in a more durable and expensive padel racket is important if you play the padel game a lot.
  
  
• What is your level of playing padel? Are you an experienced one or just started playing padel? If you're a beginner in the padel game, you must choose an easy-to-handle and cheaper padel racket.
  
  
• If you have a limited budget, you must choose the padel racket accordingly. It is not always true that a good padel racket must be expensive; you can have great options even in your selected budget.
  
  
• What is your playing style in the padel game? Do you prefer attacking or playing on a defensive side? If you love playing smashes and volleys, you must go with the padel racket having more potency.

Padel Lab Recomendations 

After reading the above we hope you have some idea on which racket to choose to get started or which one to go for next. At Padel Lab we have an amazing selection of Rackets hand picked by the team. Here are a few of our reccomendations below, 

Beginner-Intermediate  - Drop Shot Ego (2022)

Intermediate - Adidas Adipower Lite

Advanced - Nox Genius Attack 18K  

Final Words

The choice of a right padel racket mainly depends on the player’s preferences and certain pre-conditions. It is crucial to consider some factors such as weight, internal core, flexibility, rigidity, balance, and shape of the padel racket to get an ideal racket for your next padel gameplay.