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It is the star piece of equipment when playing padel! The padel racket is the object of desire for all fans of this sport. Some even spark long love stories between themselves and their owners, who only part with them after difficult goodbyes.
Stories that span across seasons, with a few exceptions... Indeed, one can notice a difference in feel in our rackets between summer and winter.
So are there differences between padel rackets in summer and winter? That is the topic we will address today.
Yes indeed, as you might know, padel palas are sensitive and fragile items.
Temperature, seasonal changes and the conditions in which they are stored and maintained will determine their performance and behaviour on the court.
Indeed, it is important to know the characteristics of a racket when playing padel. Many players wonder when they should change their racket, and whether they should play with one racket in winter and another in summer?
The obvious answer to this last question is that it is not necessarily essential to have a winter racket and a summer racket, but it can be wise to consider it if you really feel the difference during your winter and summer matches.
For this reason, we will describe the characteristics of winter padel rackets and summer padel rackets, but also how to protect and maintain them.
Finally, we will conclude with examples of summer/winter racket pairs that may be worth considering.
The padel racket in winter
Winter is characterised by adverse weather conditions. The cold, rain and damp make the game very different from other seasons, and the performance of both the pala and the ball also changes.
In low temperatures, the ball will have less bounce and/or the racket lower ball output. The combination of both factors (humidity and cold) will make the game less powerful, fast and dynamic.
This reaction is due to the materials that make up the racket, which tend to harden, compress and provide lower ball output. This will make the game less explosive and increase ball control.
Less stiff rackets are therefore recommended in winter with softer materials, such as FOAM foam or a combination of FOAM and EVA foams, which will help offset the winter cold.
The padel racket in summer
The opposite happens with rackets in summer. With the weather conditions, rackets become softer than in winter. Indeed, sunshine and high temperatures tend to make padel rackets softer.
In high temperatures, the racket tends to soften. In reality, it is the materials of the racket that expand, giving the impression that the core is softening.
This time of year provides better ball output, slightly faster play and a longer ball bounce.
We therefore recommend stiffer rackets during this time of year. Palas made of carbon and EVA foam (or fibreglass/carbon and FOAM/EVA hybrids) are to be preferred if you want to get closer to your winter feel.
It is also essential to point out that properly maintaining your racket is important to keep it in good condition for as long as possible.
How to protect and maintain your padel racket?
As you may have seen in the article, padel rackets are very sensitive to temperature variations. That is why it is important to take good care of them.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of best practices to follow in order to keep your racket in good condition:
- Store your pala in a cover or a padel bag. The best option is to have a thermal cover or bag in which you can store your rackets so they are not affected by temperature changes.
- Have a racket protector fitted to your racket frame. It significantly cushions the shocks your pala takes from impacts against the glass wall, the fence or the ground.
- Surprisingly, throwing or hitting your padel racket in frustration is extremely harmful to it. Indeed, a padel racket is very fragile, much more so than its cousin the tennis racket.
- Do not leave your racket in the boot of your car. As we all know, a car parked outside experiences large temperature swings, both in summer and in winter, and even if your racket is kept in a thermal compartment, it will not maintain the temperature indefinitely. It is therefore important to bring your padel bag indoors after every match.
Summer / winter racket pairs
After looking at the differences between padel rackets in summer and winter, it can be worthwhile, as some players do, to get one racket for playing in summer and one racket for playing in winter. Obviously, these rackets need to be very similar, and ideally, the same model with one difference: one slightly softer and the other slightly stiffer so as to offset summer/winter variations.
The Babolat Veron and Babolat Viper
The Viper and Veron are the two new ranges of 2021 Babolat rackets.
These 2 ranges consist of 3 rackets each: the Counter, the Air and the Technical.
The difference between these 2 ranges lies in the materials used to manufacture the racket. To sum up, we find the same racket shapes and the same balances between these 2 ranges. The difference? The Vipers are stiffer than the Verons.
It can be suitable, for example, to combine the Air Viper and the Air Veron in order to get similar sensations in both summer and winter.
The Head Delta or Head Alpha
Head's Alpha racket range comes in 3 rackets:
- Head Alpha Pro
- Head Alpha Motion
- Head Alpha Elite
The Delta range also comes in 3 rackets:
- Head Delta Hybrid
- Head Delta Motion
- Head Delta Elite
At Head, across every range, rackets come in different models with the same design and shape.
You could, for example, combine the Delta Motion with the Delta Hybrid. The Delta Motion is slightly less stiff than its sister, the Delta Hybrid. The Delta Motion would therefore be used in winter and the Delta Hybrid in summer.
Or if you prefer Head Alpha, you can very well combine the Alpha Elite with the Alpha Motion, for example. The Alpha Elite, which would rather be used in winter, pairs wonderfully with the Alpha Motion, which in this example would be used in summer.
The Bullpadel Vertex 03 and Vertex 03 Comfort
The Vertex 03 and the Vertex Comfort are 2 rackets that can be complementary. Indeed, as its name suggests, the Vertex Comfort is more comfortable and more forgiving on impact. It will therefore be perfect in winter if you use the Vertex 03 during the summer period.
Ultimately, many padel rackets can complement each other, but take care not to have two rackets that are too different. To make sure of your choice, do not hesitate to contact us for advice.
Joffrey Gilant, the "butcher" of Esprit Padel
