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It’s the most important piece of equipment when you play padel! The padel racket is the object of desire for every devotee of the sport. Some even inspire long love affairs with their owners, who only part with them after a difficult goodbye.
These relationships last through the seasons, with a few exceptions… You may notice that your rackets feel different in summer and winter.
So do padel rackets behave differently in summer and winter? That’s what we’ll explore today.
Yes, as you may know, padel rackets are sensitive and fragile pieces of equipment.
Temperature, changing seasons and the conditions in which they are stored and maintained will determine their performance and behaviour on court.
It is important to understand the characteristics of a racket when playing padel. Many players wonder when they should change their racket and whether they should use one racket in winter and another in summer.
The simple answer to that last question is that you do not necessarily need a winter racket and a summer racket, but it may be worth considering if you really notice a difference during your winter and summer matches.
For this reason, we’ll describe the characteristics of winter and summer padel rackets, as well as how to protect and care for them.
Finally, we’ll look at some summer/winter racket pairs worth considering.
The padel racket in winter
Winter brings challenging weather conditions. Cold, rain and damp make playing very different from other seasons, and the performance of both the racket and the ball changes too.
In low temperatures, the ball will bounce less and/or the racket will produce less ball speed. Together, these two factors (damp and cold) make play less powerful, fast and dynamic.
This happens because the materials in the racket tend to harden and compress, reducing the speed at which the ball comes off it. Play becomes less explosive, but ball control increases.
Less rigid rackets with softer materials are therefore recommended in winter. FOAM foam or a combination of FOAM and EVA foams can help compensate for the cold.
The padel racket in summer
The opposite happens to rackets in summer. In warmer weather, rackets become softer than in winter. The sun and high temperatures tend to make padel rackets more flexible.
In high temperatures, the racket tends to feel softer. In fact, the racket’s materials expand, giving the impression that the foam has softened.
At this time of year, the ball comes off the racket faster, play is slightly quicker and the ball bounces farther.
We therefore recommend stiffer rackets at this time of year. Rackets made with carbon and EVA foam (or fibreglass/carbon and FOAM/EVA hybrids) are the ones to choose if you want a feel closer to what you experience in winter.
It’s also essential to care for your racket properly to keep it in good condition for as long as possible.
How to protect and care for your padel racket ?
As you’ve seen in this article, padel rackets are very sensitive to changes in temperature. That’s why it’s important to look after them.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of good practices for keeping your racket in good condition:
- Store your racket in a cover or a padel bag. Ideally, use an insulated cover or bag to store your rackets so that changes in temperature have less effect on them.
- Fit a racket protector to your racket frame. It greatly reduces the impact when your racket hits the glass, the fence or the ground.
- Perhaps surprisingly, throwing or hitting your padel racket out of frustration is extremely damaging to it. A padel racket is very fragile—much more so than its cousin, the tennis racket.
- Don’t leave your racket in the boot of your car. As we all know, a car parked outside is exposed to significant temperature changes in both summer and winter. Even if your racket is stored in an insulated compartment, it won’t stay at a stable temperature indefinitely. So it’s important to bring your padel bag indoors after every match.
Summer / winter racket pairs
Having looked at the differences between padel rackets in summer and winter, you might consider doing what some players do: getting one racket for summer and another for winter. Of course, the rackets should be very similar—ideally the same model, with one key difference: one should be slightly softer and the other slightly stiffer to compensate for seasonal changes.
The Babolat Veron and Babolat Viper ranges
Viper and Veron are the two new Babolat 2021 racket ranges.
Each range comprises three rackets: the Counter, the Air and the Technical.
The difference between the two ranges lies in the materials used to make the rackets. In short, the rackets in both ranges have the same shapes and balances. The difference? The Viper rackets are stiffer than the Veron rackets.
For example, pairing the Air Viper with the Air Veron could help you enjoy a similar feel in summer and winter.
The Head Delta and Head Alpha ranges
Head’s Alpha racket range comprises three rackets:
- Head Alpha Pro
- Head Alpha Motion
- Head Alpha Elite
The Delta range also comprises three rackets:
- Head Delta Hybrid
- Head Delta Motion
- Head Delta Elite
At Head, each range includes different racket models with the same design and shape.
For example, you could pair the Delta Motion with the Delta Hybrid. The Delta Motion is slightly less rigid than its sibling, the Delta Hybrid. You would therefore use the Delta Motion in winter and the Delta Hybrid in summer.
Or, if you prefer the Head Alpha range, you could pair the Alpha Elite with the Alpha Motion. The Alpha Elite, which you would use in winter, pairs beautifully with the Alpha Motion, which you would use in summer in this example.
The Bullpadel Vertex 03 and Vertex 03 Comfort
The Vertex 03 and Vertex Comfort are two rackets that can complement each other. As its name suggests, the Vertex Comfort is more comfortable and softer on impact. It could therefore be perfect for winter if you use the Vertex 03 in summer.
Ultimately, many padel rackets can complement each other, but be careful not to choose two rackets that are too different. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.
Joffrey Gilant, the "butcher" of Esprit Padel
