The Bandeja Lab

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Which padel racket should you buy?

Twelve questions about how you play, what hurts and what you can spend. You get three rackets that fit, in order, with the reason for each, and the shape, weight, balance and core to look for if you would rather hold a few in a shop. Twenty real models, all widely stocked, none of them paid to be here.

  1. How long have you played padel?
  2. Do you come from tennis or squash?Racket sports carry over. Tennis players usually want more head; squash players want less.
  3. How often do you play?
  4. Which side do you play?
  5. How would your partner describe your game?
  6. Where do most of your errors come from?
  7. Any elbow, shoulder or wrist trouble?
  8. Weight you are comfortable swingingMost adult rackets sit between 350 and 375 g. Forty grams is the difference between a quick net and a tired shoulder.
  9. Your hand around a standard gripWrap your fingers round a racket handle, or a small drink can, and look at where your fingertips land.
  10. What is wrong with your current racket?
  11. Where do you mostly play?Wind and heavier outdoor balls reward a little more mass.
  12. Budget

The four things that matter

Shape. Round rackets have the sweet spot in the centre and the balance in the hand: the most forgiving and the most control. Diamond rackets put the mass in the head for power, with a small sweet spot high on the face that punishes mishits. Teardrop sits between and is where most club players end up.

Weight. Around 350 to 370 grams for most adults. Lighter is easier on the arm and quicker at the net; heavier adds stability and power on the overhead. Weight and balance together decide how a racket feels, so a heavy head-light racket can feel lighter than a light head-heavy one.

Balance. Where the mass sits. Low (toward the handle) for manoeuvrability and control; high (toward the head) for power. If you have elbow trouble, go low.

Core and face. A soft EVA or foam core absorbs vibration and gives a bigger sweet spot; a hard core gives more power to players who already hit the centre. Fibreglass faces are softer and cheaper; carbon faces are stiffer and last longer. Beginners and sore elbows want soft; finishers with clean contact can go hard.

Whatever the finder says, hold it before you buy, and add an overgrip: nearly every racket ships with a handle too thin for the hand that holds it.

The twenty rackets the finder chooses from

Prices are the usual street band in euros and move with the season and the colourway. "Built for" is the player the racket was designed around, not the most it can do.

RacketShapeWeightBalanceCoreFaceBuilt forPrice
Bullpadel Flow Lightround350 glowsoftfibreglassbeginner€70 to 110
Head Flashround350 glowsoftfibreglassbeginner€60 to 100
Adidas RX 2000 Lightround345 glowsoftfibreglassbeginner€70 to 110
Wilson Carbon Forceround360 glowsoftcarbonimprover€90 to 140
Nox ML10 Pro Cupround360 glowsoftfibreglassimprover€90 to 150
Nox ML10 Pro Cup Ultralightround340 glowsoftfibreglassimprover€90 to 150
Head Gravity Motionround360 glowsoftcarbonclub€150 to 220
Head Speed Motionround365 gmediummediumcarbonclub€170 to 240
Babolat Counter Viperround365 gmediummediumcarbonclub€180 to 260
Adidas Adipower Lightteardrop350 gmediummediumcarbonclub€180 to 260
Head Extreme Motionteardrop365 gmediummediumcarbonclub€170 to 240
Wilson Bela Proteardrop365 gmediummediumcarbonstrong club€190 to 280
Babolat Air Viperteardrop355 gmediummediumcarbonclub€180 to 260
Nox AT10 Geniusteardrop365 gmediummediumcarbonstrong club€220 to 300
StarVie Metheorateardrop365 gmediumsoftcarbonclub€170 to 240
Bullpadel Hackdiamond370 ghighmediumcarbonstrong club€220 to 320
Bullpadel Vertexdiamond370 ghighhardcarboncompetitive€220 to 330
Adidas Metalbonediamond370 ghighhardcarboncompetitive€250 to 380
Babolat Technical Viperdiamond370 ghighhardcarboncompetitive€220 to 320
Siux Diablodiamond365 ghighmediumcarbonstrong club€180 to 280