Which racket material padel choose? Are there any to avoid? Which are the best for value for money?
Classic questions of most players who have to go shopping, inexperienced on the technical details of the product.
To help you choose, we have decided to talk a little about the most typical materials that you can come across and in what price ranges they are found.
In this way you will be able to get a precise idea of what you are buying and if it is more or less for you. So let's not delay any longer and let's go.
How is a padel racket made?
A padel racket consists of a chassis, one surface it's a nucleus as main parts, with other details such as grips, strings and c. that are of no interest to us for qualitative purposes.
The frame must be rigid so as not to deform during the blows, thus returning the right force that the arm wanted to impart.
If the frame flexes, the shot will be weaker and less predictable in its course, especially if the flex in question is not constant.
This is why it is necessary to choose materials that are able to withstand impacts, otherwise the racket cannot be considered a good product.
Second we have the face of the blade, which has a similar function, but with relative less importance than the frame.
A flexing face isn't really a problem, quite the contrary. If the surface is softer, especially in the central part, the racket is more docile and more forgiving.
This is because the sweet spot is usually placed in the middle, i.e. the "softer" area that offers the best control of the shot.
Because if the frame flexes it's a problem but the face isn't? Because the flexibility of the face is still controlled by the core of the racket, which can be in FOAM or EVA.
There are different schools of thought in this regard, with respective advantages on both sides but, in principle, EVA rubber is better.
How should a good padel racket be?
Let's start by saying that a basic racket that can be considered valid for playing must respect at least one fundamental characteristic.
That is the one that the frame is in carbon fiber, or at least a part of it is.
Generally, already in the 60/70 euro rackets, you can find quality frames, while further down there are only toys.
Don't skimp on the purchase because if you aim too low, you will end up taking home a product that is worthless and, as a bonus, it will have a good chance of making you cum epicondylitis.
It doesn't matter if the core is FOAM, it doesn't matter if the face is some cheap material, the rigid frame should be a top priority.
In this way you will be awarded a first price but what if you want something superior?
Generally between 60 and 100 euros things don't change much, that's why we talk about beginner's rackets, with the intermediate models just above.
Passing the 100 you can start to find full carbon frames, racket face in graphene or carbon and EVA rubber core.
A racket that has all of this is usually able to accompany you for many years, without ever making its limits felt.
Then there are rackets that are cheap and offer all these things, like those of the Kombat, but don't take it as a bargain.
They have the data sheet that makes them look valuable, but it's more about marketing than anything else.
The best rackets have extensive engineering studies and tests to perfect them, which is totally absent in cheap brands.
But the top padel rackets, what materials do they have? Well, technically they have the same as the mid-range ones (at least in many cases), but with less striking differences.
Many of them use more expensive methods of production of the same, such as the interweaving of the fibers in 3k or 12k.
The core then has the best types of EVA rubbers on the market, which, however, are difficult to grasp because their names basically mean very little.
Other rackets, such as the adidas Metalbone for example, they have particularities such as the aluminized carbon face.
In short, between a beginner's racket and an intermediate one the materials improve, between an intermediate one and a pro one the details are filed.
We, at least for the average user, we do not recommend buying a racket for more than 200 euros, because the price difference is not always exploited.
This is for those looking for the best quality/price ratio, but if you want the best of the best then it makes no sense to set any limits.
If you are looking for the best rackets for intermediate or le best ever, you can find them in our articles.
Conclusions
These are our personal recommendations on how to choose padel racket material, we hope we have been of some help to you.
As you go up in price, the differences narrow, with ever smaller steps, but it is a speech that applies to almost any product.
Always choose the best that your budget can afford, avoiding aiming downwards to save a handful of euros.