Analysis of the racket characteristics used by men´s amateur padel players

Abstract

Padel has had exponential growth in recent decades and is practiced by players of different ages and competitive levels, however, the characteristics of the rackets they use have never been analyzed. Thus, the objective of the study was to analyze the characteristics of the rackets used by men´s amateur padel players according to their experience, the number of practice hours per week, their usual side of the court and their laterality. A total of 873 men´s amateur padel players ( age: 29.99 years;  weight: 78.71 kg;  height: 177.51 cm) participated voluntarily, completing an ad-hoc questionnaire. The results indicate that amateur men´s padel players usually use rackets made of carbon fiber (73.2%), with a weight between 351 and 370 grams (60%). In addition, the experience of the players and the number of playing hours per week are associated with the number of over grips and the composition of the racket. The playing side of the men´s amateur padel players is associated with the shape of the racket and the dominant hand is associated with the composition of the racket. These findings are very new as they can help men´s amateur padel players to choose their rackets.