Which padel racket fits the best to me?

There is a sea of brand and padel racket models out there, but how do you know which one fits you the best? In this video Sandy discusses what each player should be looking for when choosing the right padel racket!

Type of player

The first thing to know is to decide what type of player you are. Your style of play dictates what type of racket you should play with. There are three types of racket and every type has a type of play. The three shapes are:

• Round: a round racket is focused on control, the balance and sweetspot are low in the racket.
• Teardrop/hybrid: a teardrop racket is based on a mix of power and control, the balance and sweetspot are in the middle
• Diamond: a diamant racket is focused on power, the balance and sweetspot are high in the racket.

The shapes

The three shapes are already named and now we are going to analyze them. A round shaped racket has a sweetspot closer to the grip. This gives you more control. This racket is suitable for beginners. It also puts less pressure on your wrist, elbow and shoulder, so you will not get injuries on your arm for example.

The diamond shaped rackets are focused on power. The sweetspot is further up the racket. The racket is also heavier at the top. This will give you more power. Diamond shaped rackets suit medium or advanced players.

The hybrid shaped rackets give you a mix between power and control. The sweetspot is in the middle. It suits medium to advanced players. If you do not know what to choose, the hybrid option is the best option.

Weight

The weight for men and women is different. Sandy and Manu advices the following weights:

For a woman they recommended between 350 and 365 gram.
For a man they recommended between 365 and 365 gram. Each overgrip applied adds an extra 5 gram. Each extra added accessory affects the weight and the balance.
There is also a difference between light and heavy rackets. A light racket increases swing speed and shakes more when not contacting on the sweetspot. A heavy racket is more solid when not contacting on the sweetspot.

Hardness

There is a difference between soft rackets and hard rackets. The differences are:

With a soft racket the ball gains speed when playing soft and loses speed when playing hard. A soft racket is the best for beginners, because of the bigger sweetspot and it is best to get used to at first.
With a hard racket the ball loses speed when playing soft and gains speed when playing hard.

Price

When you are new at padel or do not know which racket fits the best to you, start with a cheap racket and learn to identify and appreciate different characteristics. Define the characteristics that you are looking for. When you have that clear, choose 2 till 4 rackets, not more. Try them out on the court, preferably in a match.