On the shovel they are the protagonists. EVA and FOAM rubber are the core and heart of any padel racket. Both materials dictate the hardness of a racket, a determining point when playing. While EVA rubber highlights its hardness properties, FOAM rubber has porous and, therefore, softer characteristics.
If we are only talking about two materials, it is because EVA rubber and FOAM are the most used for the manufacture of padel rackets. The noise, touch, vibrations or hardness will depend on the use of one or another rubber. Therefore, before choosing a racket, you should know the differences between these rubbers.
What is EVA in padel?
EVA rubber is a thermoplastic polymer composed of layers of ethylene and vinyl acetate. Its name is the abbreviation of ethyl vinyl acetate but in practice all padel players refer to it as EVA.
EVA rubber has greater resistance than FOAM rubber and a smooth touch can be seen in its morphology. Given their resistance, rackets with EVA rubber usually have a longer useful life.
Llines like the Phoenix or Raven Siux They integrate EVA rubber into their core and the power achieved with this material stands out significantly in the style and level of play.
Advantages of EVA rubber
Padel rackets made of EVA rubber have a series of characteristics that, depending on the player's experience, can be considered advantages when playing padel. These advantages are:
- Power: padel rackets with EVA rubber have a lot of ball output. In this way, stronger hits can be achieved.
- Hardness: despite the densities of EVA rubber, the thermoplastic polymer continues to give the racket a harder feel. Thus, deformations are not so common in blades with EVA. All this translates into a longer useful life of the blade.
- Control: because yes, EVA rubber not only provides power but also control. In this case, the rigid feel provides greater safety, comfort and control during hitting.
Disadvantages of EVA rubber
Compared to FOAM rubber, EVA rubber presents intolerable disadvantages for some players.
- Strength: at the moment of impact, with EVA blades it is necessary to apply more force to the ball so that it is thrown away.
- Less absorption: this disadvantage is directly related to the hardness of the rubber. The lower the absorption capacity, the more likely elbow discomfort is, which can lead to more serious injuries.
Types of EVA padel rubber
The density of the rubber has created a key categorization in the materials used in the blades. Thus, a distinction is made between:
- EVA Soft rubber: it is a low-density rubber close to the properties of FOAM rubber. It has more ball output, but still has a relatively hard feel.
- Black EVA: present in a large number of rackets, Black EVA rubbers offer great power and control.
What is FOAM in padel?
FOAM rubber is another polymer that is used in the manufacture of blades. In this case, the FOAM rubber has polyethylene pores that make it a softer material than EVA rubber.
For players looking for a soft feel and good ball output, this rubber becomes a perfect ally. Also for those players who suffer injuries or have discomfort in their elbow.
Advantages of FOAM
Among the advantages of FOAM rubber are:
- Control: in rackets with FOAM rubber, the ball output is more noticeable. In other words, you feel how the ball comes out both on soft hits and on shots.
- Noise: the sound when hitting the ball with FOAM paddles is less thunderous than that produced with EVA rubber paddles.
- Vibrations: in this type of blades, vibrations are significantly reduced. This is because FOAM rubber is more absorbent and exerts a spring effect on impact.
Disadvantages of FOAM
However, as with EVA rubber, FOAM is not perfect and some players negatively value some characteristics associated with its use.
- Durability: The useful life is shortened with these softer rubbers, as is the case. Deformations appear earlier in FOAM rubber, which forces blade changes to be made sooner than desired.
- Power: the relationship between soft rubber and power is directly proportional. The softer the rubber, the less power the paddle will have.
