Padelracket
Padelracket
The moment you start playing padel fanatically, you obviously want to have your own padel racket. The padel racket has no strings, but is made entirely of plastic (carbon, fiber or graphite). In the racket blade, usually round, a large number of holes are drilled so that you suffer less from air resistance. The racket measures up to 45.5 x 24 centimeters and is fastened around the wrist with a cord to keep it from swinging around.
But how do you know which padel racket is right for you? What do you have to look out for? We have listed some tips for you.
Weight
You can choose from two types of racket weights, a light weight (usually between 365 and 375 grams) and a heavy weight (usually between 385 and 395 grams). For beginners, the lighter weight is recommended, as well as for women and children. The heavier version is more for the advanced player, as heavier rackets provide extra power and solidity.
Form
There are three shapes of padel rackets: Round, Tear/Drop or Diamond.
A round racket can be recognized by its round shape and is ideal for the beginning player. Because the sweet spot is quite large, it is relatively easy to hit the ball well.
A Teardrop/Droplet shaped racket is in between the round and diamond shape and is suitable for the medium to advanced padel player. The sweet spot is located relatively high on the racket which provides a lot of power. This is a racket shape that is perfect for offensive players.
A diamond shape racket is for advanced padel players. The sweet spot is small and is located at the top of the racket. This makes it harder to hit the ball well, but it gives a lot of power to the attacking balls you hit. For a beginning player, this racket shape is less suitable, as it is difficult to hit the ball properly.
Padel ball
The ball you use at padel is very similar to a tennis ball, but a bit harder. The ball must be able to bounce well, officially 135 to 145 centimeters high if you drop it from well above your head (exactly 254 centimeters is in the rules). Clothing and footwear are the same for tennis and padel.
