Guide
How to choose a padel racket
There are four things that actually change how a padel racket plays, and about forty things the marketing will tell you about instead. This is the four.
Written by the ProPadel team in Dublin. Last updated 20 August 2026.
1. Shape decides how forgiving it is
Padel rackets come in three shapes and the shape sets where the sweet spot sits. Round puts it in the middle of the face, teardrop slightly higher, diamond high up near the top.
That matters because the sweet spot is where the racket gives you power back. Hit outside it and the ball dies. Beginners make contact all over the face, which is why a round racket flatters a beginner and a diamond racket humiliates one.
- Round: most forgiving, easiest to control, lowest power ceiling
- Teardrop: the middle ground, and where most club players end up
- Diamond: highest power, smallest sweet spot, least forgiving
2. Weight is about your arm, not your ego
Most padel rackets sit between 355 g and 375 g. That 20 g sounds like nothing and feels like a lot after ninety minutes.
Lighter is quicker to the ball and much kinder on the elbow. Heavier hits harder if, and only if, your technique can swing it properly. If you are new, or coming back from any kind of arm injury, go light. You can always add weight with lead tape later. You cannot take it out.
3. Balance is where that weight sits
Two rackets can weigh the same and feel completely different depending on whether the weight is in the head or the handle.
Head heavy gives you more force on a smash and more strain on the arm. Head light is faster at the net and easier to defend with. Even balance splits the difference. Round rackets are usually head light, diamonds usually head heavy, which is why the shape and the balance tend to arrive together.
4. Core softness sets the feel
The foam inside is either soft, medium or hard. Soft cores compress more, which means more control, more comfort and less raw power. Hard cores give you power and feedback, and they punish a mishit.
In cold weather, and Ireland has cold weather, every core plays harder than it does in Spain. A soft core is the safer buy here for that reason alone.
So what should you actually buy?
If you have played fewer than twenty times: round, under 365 g, soft core, and spend under 150 euro. The NOX X-Zero Red and the Adidas Drive Light both fit.
If you have played a season and you are finding the middle of the face: teardrop, medium core, 360 to 370 g. This is where the NOX AT10 Pro Cup lives.
If you are generating your own power and want more of it: diamond, hard core, 370 g plus. Adidas Metalbone, Bullpadel Vertex, LOK Maxx Hype.
And whatever you buy, buy a frame protector at the same time. Padel rackets do not die from hitting the ball. They die from clipping the concrete on a low volley.
Common questions
How much should I spend on my first padel racket?
Between 79 and 150 euro. Below that the build quality gets unreliable, and above it you are paying for performance you cannot use yet. Put the difference towards a lesson, which will improve your game far more than a more expensive racket will.
Are expensive padel rackets actually better?
Better for a good player, worse for a beginner. A 350 euro professional frame is heavier, stiffer and has a smaller sweet spot. In the wrong hands that is not an upgrade, it is a handicap with a nicer paint job.
Can I use a tennis racket for padel?
No. Padel rackets are solid, stringless, perforated and shorter, and the padel court is built around how they behave. A tennis racket is not legal for padel and will not work on the glass.