cuanto-dura-pala-padel

How long does a paddle racket last and how to extend its useful life?

How long does a paddle tennis racket last?

Unlike tennis rackets, which can last for years, paddle tennis rackets have a more limited useful life in optimal conditions. The duration of a padel racket in optimal conditions (that is, maintaining the same performance at ball output level, control and power) is approximately one year.

After that time, the rubber, due to the continuous contractions and expansions when hitting the ball, will begin to soften and lose elastic properties, reducing the performance of the racket.

This does not mean that you cannot play with it for longer, but rather that, due to the continuous contractions and expansions when hitting the ball, the blade's rubber will begin to soften and lose elastic properties, reducing its performance.< /p>

Do paddle tennis rackets break?

When we talk about the duration of a racket, we refer to the period that a racket endures offering optimal performance. We are not referring to the time it lasts before breaking.

The padel rackets, especially the high-end and mid-range ones, are designed to withstand the blows of the ball at a force much greater than that which the player can print on it, which is why they are not should break when hitting the ball.

However, it must be taken into account that a corpulent player who presses the shots a lot, must play with a racket that is hard enough to withstand the force that is imparted to it, since a racket with soft rubber would be more prone to breaking. . That is why good advice is important when buying a shovel.

What is the useful life of a paddle tennis racket and how often do you have to change the racket?

The useful life of one year, as we mentioned before, is an average.

Depending on factors such as the weather conditions where we play, the frequency of matches, our style of play and, especially, the care we take of the racket, we can shorten or lengthen its useful life.

How to keep your paddle tennis racket in good condition for longer?

Next, we will give a series of tips to guarantee maximizing the life of our shovel

Protect the frame.

As we already mentioned, paddle tennis rackets should not break when hitting the ball. The reason why the blades usually break is the impacts suffered by the frame. These impacts cause the fiberglass or carbon to deteriorate and the structure loses its strength.

A good way to protect it is to buy a protector to put it in that area and to help us reduce possible blows in that area, but we have to know that these protectors will add about 10 grams on average to the weight of the racket and will raise the balance of the blade slightly, making the blade less manageable.

Be careful with temperatures

We have to be especially careful if we play outdoors in winter since, at the end of the game, we can have the planes of the racket wet. If this happens, we must dry the shovel before storing it so that the rubbers do not pick up moisture.

If you're one of those people who leaves the shovel in the trunk of the car all day and then plays in the afternoon, you're making a big mistake. The materials that the blades are made of undergo variations depending on the temperature to which they are exposed, contracting and expanding, so it is not a good idea to leave the blade in a trunk that can reach temperatures from -15º to 40º.

We always recommend the use of padel rackets to store the racket, preferably with thermal pockets, as they will better resist thermal variations.

Watch your grip

The fist of our racket is the area that is in permanent contact with our hand, making it one of the areas that most influences our game.

Having a suitable grip and overgrips is essential for a correct development of your game. Change the overgrip from time to time, depending on your sweating in each match, so that the blade never slips and use the number of overgrips that you need to be able to hold the fist well without tightening it excessively.

The rule of thumb for determining how many overgrips to put on is one finger width between the base of your thumb and the nail of one index finger.

Avoid unnecessary hits

Avoiding unnecessary hits is the best way to protect the frame of a racket. Among the most common unnecessary blows we can highlight:

  • Do not lift the ball off the ground by hitting the ball with the paddle to make it rise as this could damage the frame.
  • Avoid hitting your knees, palms, or other areas with the shovel.
  • Try to have good communication with your partner to avoid hits between blades that are usually tragic.
  • Do not pay with the shovel for your mistakes in the game by throwing it or hitting the wall, fence or ground with it.

If you follow these little tips, you will be able to prolong life and keep your shovel in the best condition.

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