Hours of use, weather, materials, aggressiveness in the game... The conditions that influence the useful life of a racket can prolong or shorten its days. Therefore, it is difficult to date the expiration of our racket. Because it may be that the racket you bought two years ago is still suitable for use or that in less than a year your racket is crying out for its replacement.
Despite the factors, after the first year of use it is common for the first symptoms of deterioration to begin to appear, although the frequency of play and the materials will be very determining factors. However, the question is constant: How long does a Padel racket last?
What influences the duration of the Padel racket?
blade material
The material of which the racket is made is one of the factors that most influences the useful life of a Padel racket . Two of the most common materials are EVA rubber and FOAM. Likewise, both rubbers have different absorption capacities. For example, EVA rubber offers different densities, that is, a greater or lesser capacity to absorb shock. This affects the duration of the Padel racket significantly, because if you identify with a more aggressive player, opting for softer rubbers will make the useful life of your Padel less than expected.
Also, fiberglass or carbon are the cause of early deterioration of the Padel racket. As you can guess, carbon fiber offers higher quality and durability to the racket.
Game time
If you are one of those who play more than three Padel matches a week, surely you have noticed how your racket has been progressively losing properties. Also, if your style on the court is aggressive, your racket will wear out quickly.
On the contrary, if you identify yourself as a player who is starting out in the world of Padel and who visits the track once a week, the useful life of your racket can be extended up to four years.
weather factors
As we saw previously, the blades are made of materials with a certain degree of flexibility. The exposure of the blade to drastic changes in temperature causes expansion and contraction in this type of material, causing notable changes in the properties of the blade.
The exposure of the blades to the open air is another factor that affects their durability. High temperatures or playing with cold and rain produce drastic changes in the rubber of the racket. Two situations that force the racket to play in extreme conditions.
Another weather factor that affects our rackets is humidity. Although this situation is more common in winter, it is advisable to wipe the racket with a dry cloth after finishing the game. In short, humidity is not good for the rubbers of the racket and if, in addition, the racket is stored with traces of moisture, the only thing that can be expected is that its useful life will be reduced more than expected.
What is the useful life of a Padel racket?
The factors described above are good indications of how much we can extend the useful life of a racket. The care of the material is the key factor for a racket to last longer. However, the frequency of use is the star determining factor.
It is recommended that a player at the initiation level change his racket every three or four years. But, when we talk about regular players more than three times a week on the court, the useful life of their blades is shortened to eight months. Also, when the profile is much more aggressive, the blade change happens more frequently than for defensive players.
How to know if the blade is broken?
The most obvious symptom that a racket has broken is the loss of consistency and power in our hitting. The balls no longer come out with the same power, directly influencing the pace of the game.
Likewise, the chances of breakage increase when improper use of the racket is repeated frequently, exposure to high temperatures, a game with a greater punch or hitting the ball from the ends of the racket.
Recommendations to prolong the useful life of Padel rackets
If what you want is to prevent wear and tear on your racket, there are a number of accessories that prolong its useful life.
- Cover the frame with a protector: Frame protectors provide added security during the game. The blows and scratches against the wall and the floor of the court can be alleviated with adhesive protectors or specific ones for each brand.
- Overgrip: the overgrip is a fundamental element if what you are looking for is comfort and grip, but it is also essential if you want to prevent your racket from slipping during the game.
- Temperatures: as we have been saying throughout this post, do not expose your racket to high temperatures. Try to store the rackets in a paletero with thermo compartments.
As we have seen in Padel ProShop , the duration of a Padel racket is subject to innumerable factors. Although the continued use of the racket is a symptom of earlier wear, the personal care of the racket will determine how long we can enjoy it on the playing court.
