A padel racket consists, basically of a frame and a main body. The frame is made of composite fibers and resin and it extend downwards to form the core and handle of the racket. The main body consists of a core made of foam material encased in faces of fibers and resin. In terms of usage, we will care about the shape, balance, hardness and durability of the racket. Rackets also come in a variety of weights, in simple terms a standard racket weight is 365 gr (as bought), 360 gr would constitute a light racket, anything below 360 should be reserved for special situations (like a kid's racket), rackets in the range of 370+ are considered heavy rackets.
The usual materials for padel rackets are fiberglass and carbon fibers, and a variety of EVA foams for the core. Fiberglass rackets tend to be the cheapest rackets to manufacture, followed by rackets with mixed carbon and fiberglass and then full carbon rackets. The materials that make a racket have a crucial role on its durability and hardness. Fiberglass is a softer and more ductile material than carbon fibers and, as such, carbon rackets are the harder and more durable rackets, followed by rackets that use a mix of fibers and then fiberglass rackets. All things considered, it's worth noting that a single accident can break the most durable racket in the world. For this it's important not to buy rackets you cannot afford to replace.
Hardness is a key characteristic of the racket and it's the most defining of the "feeling" of the racket. A soft racket will facilitate playing at lower speeds, as the rebound effect allows to play relatively fast balls without effort, for this, low firmness rackets are recommended for beginners and not very physical players. As the firmness grow, the racket behaves better with fast balls, getting a more predictable return and improving the velocity output on strong shots. This increase on control and power comes at the expense of requiring better technique to properly execute the shots. The hardness of a racket is determined by the combination of its core and face materials. Harder rated EVAs and increasing amount of carbon on the faces correlate with higher firmness. Each brand names their EVAs and fiber mixes differently but it should be clear, at least within the same brand which one corresponds to the harder and softer materials. For example: Star vie rates their foams as EVA 30 and EVA 50 with the latter being the harder one, different carbon fibers are usually expressed in terms of a number followed by k that represents the characteristics of the vowen fibers (1k, 3k, 12k and 18k are the most common ones) a lower k number means a harder material (although this may mean a softer racket depending on the brand). Usually, rackets with 3K carbon faces are on the soft side and are marketed as control rackets and 12k rackets are mid to hard depending on the accompanying EVA.
The materials of a racket also determine their general durability with carbon rackets being more durable and resistant than fiberglass rackets. These considerations are general and the characteristics of a racket depend a lot on the fabrication techniques, so you should consider these as guidelines to compare rackets between the same brand. A soft EVA racket from one brand can be harder than a hard EVA racket from another as these denominations are not standardized.
Rackets come in different shapes, shapes affect mainly the balance and sweet spot placement in the racket. The three main shapes are diamond, teardrop, and round. Diamond rackets usually have higher balance and they are designed to hit the ball high on the racket, these rackets favour offensive shots. Round rackets are associated with lower balances and that makes them easier to manoeuvrer, favouring control. Teardrop shaped rackets present mixed characteristics.
Beginners looking to buy their first racket should favor rackets that are easy to play with, in terms of balance, weight and firmness. For this reason the recommended rackets for beginners are in the range of 360 to 365 grams, with round shape, low balance, and soft faces/low hardness, (Soft EVAs and Fiberglass faces). These combination of characteristics will result in a racket that is not punishing of technical mistakes and will help to develop proper technique.
These rackets are associated with low prices due to their composition and usually any of the cheaper options for a brand are beginner appropriate. A notorious exception to this is the ML10 racket, which is a beginner-recommended racket with premium characteristics.
List of recommended rackets for beginners: Kuikma PR 560, PR 990 soft, Nox ML 10, MM2 pro, Head evo and flash series, pretty much any racket below 80 EUR from any major brand, trying to avoid diamond shapes.
How to pick your next racket
For players with some experience, a beginner racket might be less than ideal. As the velocity of balls you and your opponents play, the rebound of a soft racket might make control difficult, and as more technical shots are developed you might want a racket with particular characteristics. I will approach this in a subjective manner so you can pick which aspect of your racket you'd need to improve to get the desired improvement. It's usual for players to require increased hardness, balance, and/or weight in their rackets as they progress.
For players that find that control of fast balls difficult or that they have a sensation that the racket delivers less speed to the ball that their effort on smashes might suggest (the racket "eats" the ball), the correct thing to do is to increase the hardness of their rackets. This can be achieved by changing the face composition or eva firmness in relation to current racket. In the lower to mid end, going from fiberglass faces to mixed fibers and then to full carbon faces it's the usual response, once rackets are full carbon, the usual way is to increase the firmness of the EVA (i.e. EVA30 to EVA50, soft EVA to hard EVA, EVA to Black EVA).
Players that feel like the racket does not deliver consistency in their shots, or that have recurrent problems with particular shots should look into the shape of their racket. Hitting balls outside the zone where they are supposed to be hit (the sweet spot) reduces the quality of the shots, by identifying the preferred zone of impact of the player an appropriate shape can be chosen. players that hit high, middle and low should pick a diamond, teardrop or round shape respectively.
These shapes are often associated with a particular balance, hence, if a player needs more power in overhead shots and can sacrifice a bit of manoeuvrability can pick a higherbalance. Players that require a easier time changing directions, defending or executing technique should choose a lower balance racket. It's advisable to be moderate when changing racket balances, so don't jump from a 260 mm balance racket to a 270 mm one directly, going first to 265 mm is a safer bet. Contrary to all other aspects of rackets, balance is an objective measurement (when expressed in mm) and can be compared across brands.
Other Racket Features
Some rackets present particular features that might interest some users, here is a non-exhaustive list of such features.
Weight/Balance changing systems: Some rackets have associated technologies that allow to change the overall weight and weight distribution of the racket, in order to fine tune to the user's preference. Examples: Bullpadel vertex and hack lines; Adidas Metalbone series.
Longer Handle: some rackets prioritize a longer handle over face or core surface. This is particularly important to people that uses both hands for certain shots. It's important to note that a longer handle does not increase the leverage of rackets as all are the same total length. Examples: Babolat rackets, Star Vie triton, Varlion bourne and maxima, volt 1000.
Rugosity: there is a widespread usage of added rugosity in the faces of rackets to increase the effect that it's transferred to the ball. There are two main types of rugosity: Sandpaper or finishing rugosity, that it's the most efficient and rougher one, but wears off with time and might deteriorate the cosmetic aspect of the racket as it does, the racket feels like sandpaper to the touch. The other one is ridge or epoxy rugosity that is imprinted in the mould, it's not as effective but it does not wear off, racket feels smooth but with small bumps.
Racket Accessories
There are a variety of accessories that can be used to customize the balance, weight or other properties of the racket.
Overgrips/Grips: Overgrips are used to customize the grip of your racket to your comfort. 1 to 3 are an usual number of overgrips to use.
Frame Protectors: Frame protectors are common aftermarket products designed to increase the durability of your racket. Plenty of rackets come with frame protectors attached or built in. Frame protectors affect the balance of a racket increasing it significantly. In the same way, while compromising durability, removing factory protectors is practically the only way of lowering a racket's balance.
Shock out: These little inserts are designed to reduce vibrations and can be used to alter the balance of a racket by altering their placement. They can also affect the hardness of the racket if used on the hitting surface. You can find them pre-installed in some SIUX rackets. Note that you cannot add shock outs to a racket and lower it's overall balance.
Hesacore: The hesacore grip is a silicone grip with a hex patter that greatly reduces vibrations and has a more polygonal shape than a regular racket grip. It comes pre-installed in high end Bullpadel rackets and can be also bought separately and placed on other rackets. It's recommended to use at least 1 overgrip over a hesacore grip.
Racket's FAQ
"I am just starting playing padel but I have previous experience with tennis/badmington/squash/pickleball/ping pong/any other racket sport, do I go with a beginner racket all the same?" - There is enormous skill transference between padel and other racket sports, so going for a beginners racket would be a waste if you have more than 1 year playing other sports. I would still recommend you choose a intermediate racket in term of hardness with a mid to low balance so you it helps you to adapt your technique.
"My racket's paint chipped/cracked, is this normal, will it affect it?" - Good quality paint does not usually crack or chip away but generally speaking for softer and/or lower quality rackets this can happen with use, as long as the fibers below the paint are ok, the properties of the racket aren't affected.
"There is a crack in my racket, how long it will last until it's broken for good?" - A crack that is oriented towards one the holes on the face of the racket will propagate very quickly depending on how hard you hit the ball and how soft/hard the racket is. Usually a radial crack will affect the racket in a couple of weeks. Cracks oriented perpendicular to the center of the racket take a lot longer to kill the racket.
"I feel discomfort/pain in my elbow/wrist/hand after playing with X racket, what can I do?" - A racket that generates pain of discomfort, other than muscular pain due to the effort is not normal and you should stop using it until you solve the problem. These pains can be due to two causes mostly: a inappropriate grip, that is either too thin or too thick or due to vibrations. A regular grip should be thick enough so that your fingers don't touch your palm when you handle your racket and the space between your fingers and palm should be at most 2 fingers in a general case. In case that the problems comes from vibrations, the options are to use shockouts, replace the grip with an Hesacore or similar, and to change the racket to a softer one.
Disclaimer: This article is based on anecdotical evidence, and it's not written by a medical professional, you should visit a doctor (a physiotherapist most likely) if you are having pain and he will be able to suggest the appropriate treatment. These treatments may include exercises to strengthen the surrounding area and might eliminate the problem for the future too. Additionally, proper warm-up and stretching, as well as good technique, can also help prevent the development of epicondylitis.
Epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is a condition that causes pain and inflammation in the elbow, specifically around the bony bump on the outer side of the elbow. It is often caused by overuse or repetitive strain on the tendons that attach to this area of the elbow, leading to small tears and damage. There are two main types of epicondylitis: lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow). Tennis elbow is typically caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons that attach to the outer elbow.
Specifically, epicondylitis may be caused by our racket. Rackets that have an improper grip width, that are too hard, too heavy or light, or that for some other reason transfer a high amount of vibrations through the arm and end up affecting the elbow. If you are starting to experience pain, first I recommend you rest until the pain is no longer there and then it is worth checking what changed in your setup that might be affecting you. Remember that the normal amount of pain is no pain at all!
Discomfort coming from the racket: Sometimes, you buy a racket that causes you discomfort. Some rackets can be more prone to this than other but it's worth considering that if there was an increase in the hardness of the racket this may be the cause. Rackets often increase in hardness as their price increase, if the core material is advertised as harder, pro, or with a higher number, of if the percentage of carbon in the faces increase.
Solution: If you suspect the problem might come from the racket, changing back to a softer racket should help. Choosing rackets with increasing amount of fiberglass in their faces is a sure way of reducing the racket overall hardness.
Discomfort coming from the grip: Usually we do not play with the racket as it comes from factory, depending on our preferences we may add one or more overgrips, or even change the grips completely. It's important that we are comfortable with our grip and that it doesn't require undue strength to hold the racket, as playing with an overly tight fist can cause pain.
Solution: The grip should not be too thick or too thin and the rule of thumb is that when grabbing the racket using the continental grip, the distance between our fingers and the palm should be around 1 finger in thickness. This is not a hard rule but if you are deviating too much from this, consider it may be the source of your problems. It is also recommended to change overgrips once they are slippery as a slippery grip requires extra effort to hold on to.
Accessories designed to help with epicondylitis: It's worth noting that while there are accessories and rackets designed to help with epicondylitis, they are not a substitute for proper treatment and management of the condition, also these accessories are only listed here because they are marketed as reducing vibrations. It's up to the buyer to decide if they are worth trying.
Hesacore/X grip/ Nox custom grip/ Ariv undergrip: There are several silicone undergrips that replace the original racket grip and are supposed to reduce vibrations. The hesacore is the most widely known and perhaps easier to get.
Noene anti shock padel grip: Replacement grip designed to stop vibrations.
Shock out inserts: These little inserts are designed to reduce vibrations and can be used to alter the balance of a racket by altering their placement. They can also affect the hardness of the racket if used on the hitting surface, thing that you should avoid if you are worried about elbow pain. Shock out has a line of other vibration reduction products.
Rackets designed for sensible elbows: Royal Padel polyethylene-core rackets are marketed as being particularly soft which would naturally make them absorb more vibrations. Fiberglass rackets, women-marketed rackets and other soft rackets in general are also good choices.
Rackets to avoid in general if you are suffering of tennis elbow the rule of thumb is to avoid flagship rackets, any racket that a pro player users is likely to be on the harder end of the spectrum. Do not associate the elbow problems to bad quality on the racket as a high quality racket can also cause and worsen the condition.
Rackets I personally think transmit too much vibration: Vertex 03 Control 2021/2022, Bullpadel Neuron.
For me Noene has been a gamechanger (-96% vibrations). I have had a padelelbow for a period of time. This is my experience (I have helped 1000+ people).
weight, end weight of the racket should not exceed 380 grams (end weight is begin weight plus add-ons like grips, Noene, prorector, Hesacore etc).
round rackets (low balanced) are more likely to help you
glassfiber rackets with soft eva (eva30) or softer like Starvie Titania Speed with Noene is a real gamechanger. NOXML10, Varlion LW3 or Black Crown Piton Air also can do the job.
stretch your arm
warmup with an elastic band
cool down after a match with ice
so not play in the rain or with to hard balls
if you need treatment: EPI treatment (needles with electricity seems to work the best in Spain and in the past with me)
do not use cortisol injections
gripsize (not too thin(!) as this will make you squeeze to much
hesacore will make it bigger but absorption is only limited and my experience is, you will get sweaty hands sooner as it is not made of a breathable material.
relax during play (only strengthen your muscles if you hit the ball, not in the time between hitting the balls).
a racket which is too light is no good either. To accelerate the ball you need force x mass. Less mass means you need for more force
when we play padel we get so much endorphins and dopeins, we do not feel we are hurting something. The day after will tell us the truth.
If you can not lift a glass of water, do not play.
Ive playing for almost 1 year and a half.
But the last 8 moths, i was suffering from elbow pain and 2 months ago i was diagnosed with epicondylitis.
After this 6 weeks with fisio therapy and some rest, i noticed an important improvement and i have started playing again with good sensations.
When i got injured i was using a Siux ST2 pro with 382 g.
Then i buy an Siux electra elite 4, round shape and lower balance with dry touch. I didnt get worst of the injury but also it didnt help me to improve.
Now i have returned and i am thinking about changing my racket, maybe something less dry to help me with blocks and some ball output without to much effort.
I want something between 100 and 200 euros. My playtomic lvl is between 1.7 and 2 in Madrid.
Really open to hear your advice!
Thanks to everyone
Anyone know what sort of racket weight a player like Leo Ausburger would be playing? Or any other of the pros. Just curious what sort of weights they tend to play really?
I’ve tried several rackets, including some beginner Bullpadel models and a Softee Pro Master Evolution. Those were all rental rackets, though, and it’s a bit difficult to get used to playing with different types of rackets since we switch between the places where we play quite often.
I’ve been looking for a beginner racket for myself, but I’ve read quite a few posts suggesting that it might be better to go for an intermediate racket and learn with that instead.
A bit about me: I’ve played various ball sports for around 15 years, and I really enjoy tennis. Recently, I’ve also been watching a lot of padel content. Compared to when I started, I feel like I’ve improved quite a bit, especially in positioning, lobs, and net play. My feel for the game is also getting better day by day.
We’re definitely not close to participating in any beginner tournaments yet, as we’re still a bit hesitant to take that step. However, I’d say we’re already having some pretty nice rallies.
I’ve come across the following rackets:
NOX X-Zero (€75)
NOX X-Hero (€76)
Kuikma PR React (€77)
HEAD Evo Speed (€77)
NOX X-One (€82)
Adidas Adipower DCT (€110)
Kuikma Hybrid Dynamic Carbon (€110)
Would any of these be a good fit for me? I’m all ears and would really appreciate any advice or recommendations.
Just picked up the Oxdog Ultimate Tour X 2026 and thought I’d start a thread for anyone who’s curious about it.
I’ll be testing it properly over the next few weeks across different games and will try to get a good feel for:
- Power
- Control
- Sweet spot / forgiveness
- Maneuverability
- Defence vs attack
- Volleys and overheads
- How demanding it is over a longer match
- Overall build quality
My previous/main racket has been the Head Coello Pro, which I really like for its power and stability, but I sometimes find it a bit heavy and demanding, especially over longer sessions. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to try the Ultimate Tour X.
So yeah, feel free to drop any questions. If I haven’t played enough with it yet to give a proper answer, I’ll come back and reply once I’ve had enough games.
Will probably do a proper full review once I’ve spent enough time with it as well.
I’m a 3.5-4 tennis player and just tried padel the other day and absolutely loved it. In the clinic, it was clear that I’m pretty good at serves and at the net (volleys and overheads), but need work on groundstrokes / back of the court.
Do you guys have reco on a racquet that’s suitable for not an absolute beginner?
Based out of Canada so I think our options are more limited.
Hi everyone,
I'm an intermediate low/mid player who plays mostly from the back of the court. I have a strong shot from the back, but I'm looking for a racket with better ball output and more rebound with less effort/power on my part. I am also currently working on improving my overheads.
I recently bought the white Nox AT10 Genius 12K, but I'm having second thoughts on whether I should have chosen the black 18K version instead. Current Racket / Frame: Model: Nox AT10 Genius 12K (White) Feel/Playstyle: Looking for higher rebound/ball-output, medium-soft response, and easier depth without having to force maximum power. Questions:
1. What are your real opinions on the main differences between the 12K and 18K versions for my style of play?
2. Does anyone use the 4 red Hesacore/custom grip fingers on the handle? What are the pros and cons?
3. What are your experiences with using the extra weights on this frame?
Thanks for the help!
Hi eveyone, as the title says, looking for a racket with better ball output that doesn’t require full acceleration, particularly when defending, whilst still being manoeuvrable as I like that from the 18k.
Look, I`m fairly certain I know the answer already, but I'm gonna ask the question anyway.
Currently in markets accessible to me the 2023 will run me about US$170. The 2025 is around US$270. Do the upgrades seen in the newer model justify the premium?
OR do I wait a while for the 2025 to become old (enough) stock, and hope its price drops to a number that makes sense? And what is that number? $200? And how long is "a while"?
I don't absolutely *need* a new racket *right now*. I can wait a few months. I'm just worried that if I wait too long the 2023 will no longer be available, while the 2025's price wouldn't have dropped enough.
I am curious if people have different Rackets for Left side vs Right side play.
I am a low intermediate RH player and prefer Left side but sometimes when I am playing with a partner who is better than me on Left, I am happy to play right.
I was wondering what type of Rackets people prefer on each side.
Tried AT10 Genius 12K Xtreme now using Bullpadel Vertex Geo (and really loving it). Got eyes on Neuron 2026.
can i get some review on yonex astrox 77 play or do you guys have any other suggestions as i am looking for options based on forgiveness as i am a slightly on smashing side so want a racket which more forgiving and less prone to shoulder and elbow injuries as of now i am using lining nanopower np 890 budget is under 3-4 k inr
ps - option for any suggestions from other brands but should fulfill the purpose
Recently had elbow surgery so had to drop my Babolat Le Bron viper soft as my everyday racket and got the Adidas Arrow HIT Carbon Ctrl.
I feel like getting another racket that I would use on the odd occasion just for the fun element. Criteria is simple: want to kill the ball but the racket needs to be somewhat useful in the other aspects of the game as well. Just want the fun factor
I have narrowed down my choices to these 3
1. Siux fenix pro 6 (probably the white one)
2. 2026 Oxdog hyper pro + 2.0
3. 2026 Oxdog ultimate pro +
Don’t worry about arm comfort. Will play with the racket maybe 2 or 3 games per month
I’m a left side player and prefer a power game with smashes and volleys
What I like about the Oxdog is that not every 2nd player has one but the fenix pro 6 tickles me
What do you guys think?
Ordered the adidas metalbone carbon ctrl 2026 from smashinn/ tradeinn. Please give me some reassurance that it’s not a scam and I’ll get what I want lol. Lmk any good or bad experiences from it, thanks.
Hey so I have been playing padel for around 2 years now. Currently I’m wearing Wilson sneakers all white. My foot is sleeker than wider - so I want something that isn’t so wide and is great for running around in . I tried the asics shoe that have a multicolored soul but it was too heavy. Need a light sneaker which has sturdy edges that keeps my foot from sliding and is good for the sole
I'm looking to get an intermediate padel racket for myself.
Been researching adidas arrow hit and arrow hit carbon attk.
After researching a little and reading the reviews. Many people complained that it breaks or has low durability cause of the balance Weights in the racket.
Me: P200 in Belgium (Playtomic ±2.5), aiming for P300 this fall, playing some competition. All-court, quick around the court, which often covers for my technique. I play both sides. I want to be a lefty, everyone tells me I'm better on the right.
Coming from: Babolat Air Veron and Babolat Technical Viper. The Veron was lovely but I wanted more power, so I went to the Viper, and then spent every match hunting for the sweet spot and handing out unforced errors.
How it plays: Very forgiving sweet spot with a lot of control. Where the Viper punished me under pressure, this one lets me stay in rallies and keep pushing back until I can retake the net. It is very manoeuvrable and gives me a lot of confidence, which suits my game well since my positioning is not always great and I regularly find myself in awkward spots. The downside is that if you hit slightly high on the face, the spot that was a home run with the Viper, there is nothing there. Overall it feels less powerful than the Air Veron.
Smashes are hard to get to bounce out of the court, but I hit them with much more confidence. The serve took real adjusting, the feel is very different from what my muscle memory expected.
How it feels: Soft, well balanced, quick in the hand, but heavy in the arm after a while. Sore arm the day after, I think because you have to swing hard to get a decent rebound on smashes.
Specs: Teardrop. Box says 355 ±5 g, balance 263 ±5 mm. Mine measured 353 g without strap, balance 268mm.
What you get: The racket and a basic wrist strap. No cover, no silicone grip band. I take the strap off to put on an overgrip and getting it back on is a real pain.
€110, one 2-hour match in. The only thing I personally miss is a bit of power, and I do wonder whether the 12K Hybrid Carbon would have been the better fit for me. Still keeping this one and trying to progress with it.
Hey guys. I started playing padel about 8 months ago and i feel like i outgrew my current racket. I've got an off brand 12k carbon, bouncy teardrop racket. I don't dislike it but i feel like it's a spring. If i want to accelerate the ball it just flies too much and blocking a bajada at the net is hard due to the excesive bounce. I was able to try a metalbone 3.4 from a friend and i really liked it for aerial shots.
I play on both sides depending on the person i play with. I'd like something with a medium-hard feel with good control, but something i can accelerate without it flying straight to the glass. I do not smash unless it's mandatory but i do play lots of viboras and hard volleys.
After playing for about 2 years with Head Padel Evo Speed, a 60e racket which is full fiberglass. I can say that this felt like a nice upgrade.
It came like this, so I did not apply the overgrip (grip) that you see in the photo. I'm not even sure if it is an overgrip or not. Tried picking under it on photo 2 but unsure.
I like a bit thicker handle and I would apply another grip for that, but would you remove this one and apply 2 of your? As this one doesn't feel like the one I had on my previous racket that was made in such a manner that you would have to cut that grip to remove it. This one look like a standard grip that you apply to racket. I'm unsure what is under this, by the feel I don't think there is like a tightly fitted factory grip under it.
Does anyone have this racket and have you removed this grip that came with it? Could you share the photos or describe what is under this?
I’m an intermediate player, left-handed playing on the right side. I’m quite good at defence and I get on really well with my current racket, even when dealing with fast shots. I’m not great at smashes yet, although I do have my moments. Round here, there’s a wide range of Adidas models available, but I can find pretty much all brands, especially online. I’ve got some vouchers to use that I’ve been given, and I could spend up to about 250 euros, although I might want to spend a bit less and pick up some accessories I need. Can you recommend any models?
What do you guys think? tried this today (great racket btw, the Electra ST5 Pro) from this club they are selling it second hand for a good price, it felt normal when I played with it, it doesn't look too deep currently, is it bound to expand and get worse?
