How we rate gear

Where the picks come from

We start from the makers' own specs, then read independent reviews and what players and coaches say about each racket, shoe and ball. We group products by who they actually suit: a great pro racket is a bad buy for most club players, so it won't appear in our beginner guide.

We don't test gear on court ourselves, and we never pretend to. Our job is research: we read the specs and the reviews so you don't have to, and turn them into clear advice and comparable numbers.

How the racket stats work

Every stat is estimated from specs. None of them is a lab measurement, and we don't play-test rackets. Each racket gets five stats from 1 to 10: Power, Control, Speed, Comfort and Sweet spot. One fixed formula (method v2, 11 October 2026) turns five inputs into those numbers, so every racket is rated on equal terms.

The five inputs

• Shape: round, teardrop, hybrid or diamond.
• Balance: low, low to medium, medium or high (head-heavy).
• Core feel: soft, soft to medium, medium, medium to hard, or hard.
• Weight: the middle of the listed weight range, in grams.
• Face material: fibreglass or carbon. Unknown faces are scored halfway between the two.

Every input carries a status, shown next to it on the site:

• Verified: read from the 2026 spec listing on the date shown, with the source linked on the racket's card.
• Reported: from our first research pass in October 2026; the exact source wasn't recorded, so we're re-checking these.
• Estimated (est.): not listed anywhere we checked. We estimate it from the racket's line and materials. These are the least certain values.

Each racket also gets a data confidence rating: High when no input is estimated, Medium with one estimated input, Low with two or more. Rackets we couldn't confirm as a current model are flagged on their cards.

The formula

Shape sets a starting point: round starts at 3 power, 8 control and 9 sweet spot; teardrop 5, 6 and 6; hybrid 5, 7 and 7; diamond 7, 4 and 4. Balance scores 0 (low) to 2 (high), core feel 0 (soft) to 2 (hard), weight 0 to 3 (330 g and under up to 366 g and over), and face 0 (fibreglass) to 1 (carbon). Then:

• Power = shape start + 0.6 × balance + 0.6 × core + 0.4 × weight + 0.4 × face
• Control = shape start − 0.8 × (balance − 1)
• Speed = 9.5 − 1.2 × balance − 1.1 × weight
• Comfort = 9.5 − 1.8 × core − 0.6 × balance − 0.6 × (weight above 2) − 0.5 × face
• Sweet spot = shape start − 0.5 × core

Each result is rounded and kept between 1 and 10. The label on each racket comes from Power minus Control: 3 or more is a Power hitter, −3 or less a Control player, anything between an All-rounder.

Known limits

• Rackets with the same inputs get the same stats, even if they feel different on court. Specs can't capture everything.
• Balance is rarely published in a comparable way, so several balance values are reported or estimated.
• The weights in the formula are our judgement, based on how shape, balance, core, weight and face are commonly described by makers and reviewers. They haven't been validated against measured on-court data.

Changes

v2 (11 October 2026): added face material as an input; re-checked 11 rackets against their 2026 listings, which changed several values (for example the Bullpadel Neuron 02 and Elite W are teardrops, and the Counter Veron weighs 355–375 g). v1 (October 2026): first version.

How to read them

Use the stats to compare rackets and narrow your choice, not as precise measurements. A one-point difference is within the method's margin: treat it as a tendency. A gap of three or more points reflects a real difference in how the racket is built. Two players can still feel the same racket differently, and makers change rackets from year to year, so check the exact model year before buying.

Money

Some links go to shops that pay us a small commission if you buy. The price you pay is the same. No brand or shop can pay to be included, ranked higher or rated better, and commissions never change the stats. We link to more than one shop where we can, so you can buy wherever it's cheapest. Read our affiliate disclosure.

Updates and corrections

Rackets change every year. We review each guide at least once a season and show the date it was last updated at the top. If you spot a wrong spec or a broken link, email hello@padelversus.com and we'll fix it.