How Do i Test a Padel Racket?
By: Melle | Last update: 8 March 2022
It is important to have the right racket that suits you. When we talk about whether the racket suits you, I mainly mean the playing style. What kind of playing style do you have? This can have a major impact on what kind of racket you should purchase. Before you buy a racket, it is nice to test it. You can test padel rackets at many associations . Before you start testing, I will describe three different playing styles and tell you which racket fits best with this style.
Controlled play style
With a controlled style of play, we’re mainly talking about hitting the balls exactly where you want. So you have control over the ball and over where it ends up and how. Do you give the ball a lot or little spin? The round padel racket is suitable for this playing style. The round rackets have a large sweet spot, so you often hit the ball well. The round rackets are also recommended for beginners because you have so much control. We often see that defensive players also go for a round padel racket. Read more about the best round padel rackets here!
The combined play style
This is actually a combination between the controlled playing style and the attacking style of play. There are also rackets that are suitable for this. These are the teardrop-shaped rackets. You often hear that people continue to develop and want to move from a defensive playing style to a combined more attacking style. This is what the teardrop shape is made for. It is a combination of control and power. The rackets will be slightly heavier than the round padel rackets and have a smaller sweet spot.
It is good to know that there can be a lot of difference in the drop-shaped padel rackets. There are many different manufacturers that all do it slightly different. They place the sweet spot higher on the racket or perhaps a little lower. The balance is different and the weights can vary . That is why it is very important that you test different rackets so that you really feel the difference and can see what really suits you. Here you will find more information about teardrop -shaped padel rackets!
Attacking Play Style
During the game, your opponent sometimes plays weak balls. Is it your instinct to immediately smash it back and knock it out of the cage? Then you probably have an attacking playing style. For the people with this playing style there are diamond shaped padel rackets. These padel rackets provide a lot of power and speed. Unfortunately, you do lose control, which is why the diamond rackets are not recommended for beginners. The sweet spot is small and the balance is very high. They are difficult rackets, but you do have the power and speed you are looking for. Read more about diamond shaped padel rackets here!
How do I test padel rackets?
We recommend that you test 3 rackets per session. This is nice so that you have a little more time to test a racket and really feel how it plays. You can request a test moment at various trainers or associations. If you have such a moment, don’t play a match but practice on different strokes such as the forehand and the backhand. Also try smashing and some harder shots like the bandeja and make some volleys.
What should you pay attention to?
Weight:
I recommend light rackets to beginning players and injury-prone players. With a heavy racket you can play offensively and give more speed to the ball when hitting back. Remember that with heavy rackets you often lose a lot of control.
Material:
There are different metarials that rackets can be made of. For example: carbon, graphite and fiberglass. The materials influence the feeling you get while playing. A fiberglass racket will feel different from a carbon racket.
The rubber that is in the racket can also be different and have a lot of influence on the feeling you get with the racket. Some rackets will absorb shocks better than others. This has to do with the material used to make the racket.
Conclusion
If you want to test rackets, it is best to test 3 rackets at a time to get the best feeling how the rackets play. You don’t forget how the rackets play because you only test three. Before you start testing, it is useful to see which playing style you have. Your playstyle may change but see which one you like best at the moment. Make sure you practice different strokes and do not compete if you are bound to, for example, an hour of testing.
Recent blogs