There are hundreds of different paddle tennis rackets on the market, from dozens of different brands. Beyond the most obvious differences, such as the mold or the color, what should we look for when choosing a paddle tennis racket?
Factors that affect the behavior of a paddle tennis racket on the court
In this post we are going to define what are the concepts that we must take into account to know the differences in the behavior on the court between one racket and another. In future posts, we will analyze in detail each of these points, and how the materials that make up a paddle tennis racket improve or worsen each of them:
- Hardness: the hardness of a padel racket refers to the bending capacity of a padel racket. A blade that flexes a lot will be called a soft blade, and a blade that flexes a little will be called a hard blade. The hardness is determined, as we will see later, by the composition of the faces of a racket, and by the rubber used.
- Durability: durability refers to the time that a padel racket retains the same features it had at the time it was manufactured. The average durability of a well-cared-for padel racket is between 8 months and a year, depending on the materials used in its manufacture.
- Maneuverability: the manageability of a racket refers to the ease with which we can move the racket. The manageability, as we will see in later chapters, depends both on the weight of the racket and on the balance.
- Sweet spot: The sweet spot is that surface of the racket where the performance of the racket, such as ball output, control, etc. they reach their optimum point. These benefits are maximized in the center of the racket, and as we get closer to the edges they decrease.
- Control: control refers to the ability of the racket to place the ball where we want. The control increases with harder blades, as they do not flex as much, which prevents the ball from being shot more.
- Ball exit: The ball exit refers to the ease with which the ball is thrown off the racket without exerting force with our arm. The softer blades will have a greater ball output than the harder blades, by achieving greater flexion, and therefore a greater spring effect.
- Power: power is the ability of the racket to transmit the force that we exert in blows such as the auction. The theory states that hard blades are the ones that have the most power, since they are the ones that flex the least and, therefore, absorb the least. However, this is only valid for players who have an advanced technique, or a strong physical constitution. The rest of the players will get more out of a softer racket, since they will not reach that point where the racket takes away power when flexing.