Padel racket weight and balance

Padel rackets run roughly 350 g to 380 g. Under 360 g is light, 360 to 370 g is standard, over 370 g is heavy.

A lighter racket gets to the ball faster, which matters enormously at the net where padel is actually won. A heavier racket carries more momentum through the ball, which matters on a smash. Most people overestimate how much they need the second one.

Balance is measured as the distance from the handle to the balancing point. Under 265 mm is head light, around 270 mm is even, over 275 mm is head heavy.

Head heavy frames feel powerful and slow. Head light frames feel nimble and require you to swing. The same 365 g racket can feel like two different rackets depending on which side of 270 mm it sits.

Lateral epicondylitis, the same injury tennis players get, shows up in padel players who buy too heavy and too head heavy too early. The vibration from off-centre hits travels straight into the forearm.

If your elbow is complaining: drop weight, move the balance back towards the handle, soften the core, add a dampener, and put a fresh overgrip on. In that order. Four of the five are cheap.

Lead tape lets you move a racket up the weight scale but never back down, so start light and add.

Two grams at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions widens the sweet spot without much change to the swing. The same two grams at 12 o'clock turns a balanced racket into a head heavy one and adds real power. Add in one gram steps and play a full session between changes.