Padel equipment guide - how to choose the right padel racket, balls, kit & trainers
For padel players of all ages and abilities, using the right equipment can make a huge difference to your experience on court.
A lot of padel venues will have equipment that you can hire on site, but if you are looking to get your own padel equipment, you’ve come to the right place. Search for your nearest padel courts.
Our partners at Tennis-Point have put together this helpful guide with everything you need to know when buying or upgrading your padel equipment.
Let’s start with arguably the most important question – how do you choose a padel racket?
There are four things you should consider when buying a padel racket – whether it’s your very first racket or you’re looking for something new:
- Your level of play
- Shape of the racket
- Weight and density
- Sweet spot
Your level of play
The first thing to consider is what level you play at. Most manufacturers will specify what level each of their rackets are aimed at – usually ranging from beginners to intermediate, advanced and pro-level rackets.
Before you buy a racket, make sure to read the racket description and see if it suits your level and style of play.
Shape of the racket
There are three basic shapes of padel racket – each one tailored to different styles and types of gameplay:
- Diamond – increases the speed and power of your shots. Most suited to players who like to play more attacking shots
- Round – increases control and consistency. Most suited to players who like to play longer rallies and have a defensive game
- Teardrop – balance between power and control. Most suitable for all-round players
For anyone just starting out, we’d recommend going for a round or teardrop shaped padel racket.
Weight and density
Rackets usually weigh between 340-390g, with different weights impacting the response when you hit the ball:
- Light padel rackets (340-360g) – increases control and reduces power
- Heavy padel rackets (370-390g) – increases power and reduces control (more suitable for advanced / pro players)
For beginners, we recommend a mid-weight racket between 360-370g to give you a good mix of power and control.
The density of your padel racket will also contribute to how you play as well:
- Hard padel rackets – increases control but firmer shot response
- Soft padel rackets – increases power and absorbs shot response
Top tip: If you suffer from any form of arm pain, a lighter, softer racket could be more suitable for you to reduce the impact of shot.
Sweet spot
The sweet spot on a padel racket is the most effective surface on the racket face for hitting the ball.
- Large sweet spot – increases control and consistency
- Small sweet spot – increases power but reduced control when you miss the sweet spot
- Elliptic sweet spot – this is offered by some padel rackets and gives more of a mix of control and power
For beginners, we suggest going for a larger sweet spot, so you get more consistent results when hitting in rallies.
Padel balls are very similar to tennis balls – they are the same shape and are made of the same materials.
The biggest difference is that padel balls are less pressurised and are slightly smaller. This means that they play slower and don’t bounce as much – which is particularly helpful when playing off the glass.
We recommend using padel specific balls when you’re playing to have the best experience when getting on court with your friends and family.
To play padel you can wear any type of comfortable activewear but there are more padel-specific options that can offer you great benefits.
Tennis-Point have a wide range of padel clothes that not only look great but offer functional features around body cooling and injury prevention.
This includes clothes with breathable, moisture wicking materials as well as compression sportswear to support blood circulation around the body and help regulate body temperature.
If you’re just starting to play padel, then any pair of comfortable sports trainers are a good place to start, but if you’re playing more regularly, you might want to consider getting some specific padel trainers.
Padel is a very dynamic game with a lot of sudden direction changes and explosive sprints. All this running, stopping and jumping puts stress on our feet. Therefore, you want to choose a trainer with good feet and ankle support, and most of all, are comfortable to wear.
When you’re looking to buy a pair of padel trainers you should consider cushioning, stability, resistance, and robustness.
These will help protect you from injuries, give you more freedom and convert high impact energy to improve your movement around the court.
Ultimately, the best choice will likely depend on you and your personal preferences. For example, if you’re taller and have wider feet, you’ll want to look for a trainer with more stability and cushioning that have models available in wider sizes.
Last but not least – you’re going to need something to carry around your padel kit in.
There are a few different options of padel bags that you can buy depending on what and how much kit you’re looking to carry:
- Padel racket bags – great for regular players with multiple rackets. Larger options also have space for trainers and clothes
- Sports bags – perfect for carrying a couple of rackets, big enough for all the rest of your kit as well and a good option when travelling
- Padel back packs – small and practical, these are a great option for players travelling to games on public transport or by bicycle