When Is It Time to Get a New Padel Racquet?

How long do padel racquets last?

Padel racquets tend to last around 100 matches which for players playing 2-3 times a week would mean they last around 8 - 12 months. However, it is more than just how often you play that impacts the lifetime of a padel racquet. It also depends on the quality of the racquet (materials and manufacturing process), a player’s style of play as well as how well they look after their padel racquet on and off the court.

Factors that reduce the lifespan of a padel racquet

• Frequency of play – professionals playing 4+ hours a day will change their padel racquets every month or two.

• Aggressive playing style – players who love to smash and hit the ball hard will place more stress on their racquets

• Cheaper materials – padel racquets made with soft fibreglass racquet faces and polyethylene foam which tend to be used for beginner racquets have shorter lifespans

• Treatment of the padel racquet – regularly hit the walls while playing, taking out frustrations on your racquet, leaving the racquet in direct sunlight long periods, exposing the racquets to significant changes in temperature, using it to bounce balls up off the floor.

  
  

Best practices to make a padel racquet last as long as possible

• Invest in a good quality racquet from a reputable brand. NOX regularly comes out top in terms of best value padel racquets compared to other brands for high quality, durable and affordable racquets.

• Only use your racquet to hit the balls…

• After play, put your racquet back in its case and keep somewhere that is temperature controlled.

  
  

Signs your padel racquet needs replacing

• Cracks in the padel racquet face – these are most impactful when they go from one hole to another. These cracks create dead spots on the racquet making it harder to play consistently.

• Broken padel racquet frame – this commonly occurs when two players hit their racquets together. This makes the racquet harder to use and increases the inconsistency in shots.

• The core foam in the padel racquet is too compressed – this is due to playing a significant amount of matches with a padel racquet and will result in variable power in shots due to the differing levels of compression. This is most easily tested by pushing into the racquet face on each side and seeing if one side feels significantly softer than the other.
  

The issues with playing with an old/broken racquet

Apart from the increased frustration with your performance from using an inconsistent padel racquet, it can increase the chances of injury.

The reduced absorption of the foam of an old/broken racquet sends more significant vibrations to a player’s arm, which can exacerbate or cause injuries such as tennis elbow, or epicondylitis.

Why choose NOX for you next padel racquet?

NOX have some of the best racquets in the world, not just in terms of power and control but also in terms of durability. Regularly winning awards for their quality.

NOX ensure that all racquets are tested by Testea Padel to ensure that they are manufactured to maximise their lifespan.

NOX racquets come with a warranty.

The Luxury range of padel racquets all come with cases with thermal lining to protect the padel racquets from the elements.