Which weight should you choose for your padel racket?
It’s very important to choose an optimal weight for your padel racket, as this really can make all the difference to the quality of your game. We recommend an intermediate level weight of approximately 365-375g for men and between 350-360g for women. However, the final decision is totally up to personal preference and depends on which racket you find most comfortable. At StarVie we work with various weight ranges that include rackets that weigh:
– Under 355 g.
– Between 356-365 g.
– Between 366-375 g.
– Over 376 g.
LIGHTER RACKET VS HEAVIER RACKET
Rackets of a lower weight give us greater manageability and comfort when performing both shots and movements on the court. In the case of heavier rackets, they provide greater force when performing shots which translates to greater power in our game.
You must bear in mind that choosing the ideal weight is essential to avoid arm injuries such as the well-known epicondylitis or tennis elbow, whether we are talking about lower or higher weight rackets. These injuries are the result of overload that is generated in the area of tendon attachment in the forearm. For this reason, it is really important to choose the racket that best suits your physical build and technical game level, considering that an racket weight or too much grip on your handle increases elbow tension.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN CHOOSING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT?
However, you have to take into account other factors when deciding on the ideal weight for your racket. Adding a racket guard, to avoid scratches to your racket’s shape or feel, will increase its weight by a couple of grams. In this case, our protectors weigh around 6 grams. It is also important to consider the extra weight that you add to the paddle racket with the use of overgrips. Each of them weighs roughly 7 grams.
Similarly, your racket’s balance also plays a very important role. But what exactly is the balance of a padel racket? It’s the distribution of its weight throughout the mold itself. That is why we talk about rackets that are more balanced towards the head or have a higher balance, or rackets with medium or low balance if the weight is distributed in the centre of the head or towards the handle.
Rackets with the weight centred towards the head lose some manageability, although they offer you extra power, compared to those with a more centered balance or their weight towards the handle. To avoid putting too much weight on your wrist and possible injuries, it’s better that you opt for slightly lighter weights if your racket has a high balance.
