Padel racket test with Babolat and Dunlop in Münster
A new padel location opens almost every month (there are now over 100 Padel locations in Germany), existing padel locations are building more courts and the number of padel players is steadily increasing - which raises the question for many new padel players"Which padel racket is right for me?".
Padel racket test with Babolat and Dunlop
To answer this question, I met with Florian Schlücker of Babolat (left in the photo) and Jan-Christoph Boldt (right) from Dunlop for a test match. Fourth in the group was Richard Ströhl (centre), who runs a padel facility in Cologne together with Patrick Pihan(Padel Walls).
Florian and Jan-Christoph made their current padel lines available.
As I had been playing the Dunlop Inferno for the last few years, I started the padel racket test with a racket from this brand:
Dunlop Blast - this is also the official racket of Padel Pro Tour player Juan Mieres.
Fortunately, the change was not very difficult, as Dunlop has a very homogeneous range of racquets.
Dunlop Padel Rackets
It's relatively easy to switch from one racquet to the next - depending on whether you want more control or speed.
The 2017 Inferno model combines both characteristics, but is also less forgiving than the entry-level models. The force required to hit the ball is relatively low, which can be a significant advantage, especially in defence.
Definitely a racquet for ambitious players.
- Super-premium 16K Carbon construction with premium Carbon for maximum consistency and performance in all shots.
- The Tri-Clamp reinforcement provides stability for increased control and reduced drag for increased swing speeds and power in attacking shots.
- The exclusive Power Holes drilled hole pattern generates additional power on attacking shots and Hyper Grip textured finish generates additional spin for more penetrating shots.
- Headsize: Diamond
- Weight: 365 Grams
Facts about the Dunlop Blast:
- Shape: Oversize Híbrid
- Profile: 38mm
- Weight: 365-375gr
- Players: Advanced and Profile
After that, two rackets from the Babolat range came up for testing. As I had never played with a Babolat padel racket before, I was curious to see what I could expect. It was clear right from the first 2-3 strokes - this is a completely different world.
Dunlop Blast Padel Racket
By that I mean neither worse nor better, but simply a completely different feeling of play.
First I played the Babolat Star, which is quite light at only 355 grams, which is also noticeable during play. This racket is characterised by very good power transmission and high precision. I found my way into the game with this racket very quickly. Especially when volleying and serving, I had a very high control over the ball.
Facts about the Babolat Star:
- Shape: round
- Profile: 38mm
- Weight: 355 gr
- Players: Advanced
After that I switched to the Babolat Storm.
With Babolat, too, you quickly notice that the racket family is homogeneous and you can try out a different racket without having to make a big change. The precision is very good, as with the Star model, and you can make a little more power at the same time. Advantages especially for volleying.
Nevertheless, I had a few problems with the Storm model because you need more power with this racquet - this was particularly noticeable in my game with the groundstrokes from behind and with the serves. Maybe I just need to do more strength training again!
Facts about the Babolat Storm:
Babolat Storm
- Shape: Drop
- Profile: 38mm
- Weight: 365 gr
- Players: Advanced
Padel racket test conclusion:
Both Padel supplier have great rackets. Their models cover the whole range from beginners to advanced and professional players. Since I have been playing Dunlop for 4 years, I get along very well with these rackets. Here I will also take a closer look at the Turbo SF, which I had played for a few minutes a few days before. And at Babolat, I will borrow the Babolat Star again. I really had a lot of fun with that one!
A complete presentation of the two 2017 product lines will follow individually in the next few days. There will also be a brief overview of bags and shoes.
My thanks go to:
Florian and Jan-Christoph for the presentation of the rackets and to Richy, who came all the way from Cologne and won the most sets on this day! And of course to Arnd Schade from Trend Sport Rummenige in Münsterwho not only provided us with a great padel location with a panoramic court, but also with hot and cold drinks.
Here you can find more information about padel tennis rackets
Buy Padel Rackets
Here you can easily buy padel tennis rackets (e.g. Adidas padel rackets or Wilson padel rackets):
Tip:
- Super-premium 16K Carbon construction with premium Carbon for maximum consistency and performance in all shots.
- The Tri-Clamp reinforcement provides stability for increased control and reduced drag for increased swing speeds and power in attacking shots.
- The exclusive Power Holes drilled hole pattern generates additional power on attacking shots and Hyper Grip textured finish generates additional spin for more penetrating shots.
- Headsize: Diamond
- Weight: 365 Grams
- Dunlop Sports Aero-Star Pro padel racket, black/red
Ask your padel coach if he can give you a few padel rackets to test.
Then you know what you're buying beforehand!
What are padel balls?
Here you can read about Padel Tennis Balls inform.
- Produkthighlights:
- Optimiert für den häufigen Gebrauch: Ideal für regelmäßige Spieler, die Wert auf Qualität und Haltbarkeit legen.
- Verbesserte Sichtbarkeit: Leuchtend gelbe Farbe, die eine optimale Ballverfolgung gewährleistet.
- Höchstleistung für Profis: Entwickelt für Spieler mit fortgeschrittener Technik, die Kraft und Geschwindigkeit in ihren Schlägen suchen.
Test report by David Ernsting
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