Padel tennis rackets, unlike tennis rackets, generally have lower durability. While a tennis racket can last you years and years having to change the string when it breaks, pedal paddles can last a few months or hopefully a little over a year, depending on how you use it. My five tips on how to take care of your padel racket are:
- Don’t hit your racket to the ground.
- Use the racket protector correctly
- Replace your grip often
- Don’t expose your racket to extreme hot or cold temperatures
- Invest into a padel bag
It is annoying when you have invested a few hundred dollars to your new racket and it breaks within months. But with good care, you can significantly extend the life cycle of your new racket.
Care tip 1: Don’t hit your racket to the ground
I see a lot of players hitting the ball on the playing field to pick it up. I recommend you not to do that. It can easily cause damage to your racket, some brands even tell the resellers to mention that to their customers when they are buying a new racket. What hitting the ground does is that it causes a lot of small cracks to the frame. Those cracks end up being larger ones as time passes and move slowly to the core of the bat.
Care tip 2: Use the racket protector correctly
Your racket protector plays an important part in order to take care of your padel racket. You should stretch the protector over the top of the racket very tightly. It should cover the largest space of the frame that is possible.
I know it is super easy to accidentally hit the walls when stretching for a ball. If you have not protected your racket, the frame might get damaged. The frame is the strongest part of your racket, so if it breaks, your bat is gone soon. Cracks will get bigger and they end up at the core of your racket.
Spend some time when applying it to the right place. If you place the racket protector the wrong way and it is loose then all this will happen:
- Racket head will get dirty.
- The racket makes a rattling sound from the protector moving.
- The racket won’t actually be protected properly.
Step by step instructions to applying racket protector
Have a friend helping you, it makes the job easier.
- Have one person hold the padel racket so that it is upright and in a vertical position.
- Peal the racket protector so that you get the sticky part of it.
- Start sticking down from the middle of the racket, right at the top.
- Stretch one side of the racket protector round the racket frame.
- Stretch as MUCH as possible in order to get the best results.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Make sure there are no bumps or gaps where air/dirt can get in.
Care tip 3: Replace your rackets grip often
Your grip will deteriorate when you play often. Remember to replace it sooner rather than later.
In the hot season, over the summer, I advise you to change your grip every week. Your hands are sweating and if you are using the old grip it is harder for you to keep a solid grip on your shots. It does not matter if you have bought the top-notch racket, without a solid grip your shots will not be effective.
Care tip 4: Don’t expose your racket to extreme hot or cold temperatures
Keep it at a stable temperature. Heat is something that will damage your racket. Materials get exposed to heat expansion and this will have an effect on the core of your bat. Many of the more advanced models have an EVA core. If you leave it for a long period of time in high temperatures, it gets weaker. Your racket will be less powerful, have less durability and you will end up with a racket that is harder to control. Avoid especially places that may get extremely hot, such as a car trunk, or a surface that gets hot in direct sunlight. The same applies to extremely cold places as well.
Care tip 5: Invest into a padel bag
Don’t just throw your expensive racket into the boot of your car when you have finished playing. Use a bag that is designed to carry rackets. Your rackets will be all in the same place, in nice order, and protected. Most of the problems of taking care of your set of rackets can be solved with a good padel bag.