Padel rackets come in three shapes: round, teardrop and diamond. The shape decides where the sweet spot sits, how the weight is spread and how forgiving the racket is when your timing is off. Here is how to choose between the two shapes we sell, teardrop and diamond.
What the shape changes
All three shapes share the same maximum size (455 mm long, 260 mm wide and 38 mm thick under the international rules), so the difference is where the material and the holes sit. A rounder head puts more face and weight near the handle, which makes the racket easy to swing and forgiving. A more pointed head pushes the mass towards the tip, which adds leverage on overheads but shrinks and raises the sweet spot.
Teardrop: the all-rounder
The teardrop sits between round and diamond. The sweet spot is large and set around the middle of the face, the balance is even, and the head still has enough weight to put pace on a smash. It suits players who are learning, players who defend a lot from the back of the court, and anyone who wants one racket for every part of the game. In our range that is the Niupipo carbon teardrop, which comes in five colours.
Diamond: built to attack
A diamond head carries its weight high. Overheads and volleys come off with real punch, and a well-timed smash goes through the court. The price is a smaller sweet spot that sits higher up the face, so off-centre hits lose more. Diamonds suit intermediate and advanced players with reliable timing who spend most of the point at the net. We sell three: two 3K diamonds, a 12K and an 18K.
How to decide in one minute
- Fewer than a year of regular play, or you mostly defend: teardrop.
- You win most of your points at the net and your overheads land: diamond.
- Elbow or shoulder trouble: teardrop, because the even balance asks less of the arm.
- Not sure: teardrop. It is the shape most club players settle on, and it will not hold you back.
Still torn? Answer four questions in our racket finder, or line them up on the compare page.