This is one of the frequently asked questions. Can you help me better understand palas? Let us take advantage of one of our discoveries to clarify you.

We could spend hours explaining the differences between palas, their shape, their foam and all their technologies. We do not want to give you a detail of everything that is on the market but to show you in another way, the differences between palas.

The post comes from MasyMasPadel on Instagram which presents 9 black palas. You choose one, the one you prefer, then sliding to the right, you find out which pala it is.

It seemed interesting to focus on the first image, that of the black palas.

If at first glance you do not see any difference between the palas, it is indeed that you are not yet used to rubbing shoulders with the slopes of padel. For you the pala does not matter.

If you see differences then we can discuss.

These palas are part of the top sales. These are the most common models on the market.

If you have a keen eye, you will quickly see the presence of 2 round palas; the third on the first line and the first on the second line. Round means balance. These are palas for all types of shots. We then see differences between these 2. That of the second line, we will take it as a base because it does not present any great particularities. That of the first line, is different. A reinforcement at the level of the “bridge”, holes which go to the edges of the pala, and a center without holes.

These differences that we see, this is what the brands note in their descriptions. Punto dulce enlarged means that the holes are approaching the edge. Control without loss of power can be understood by the center without holes. A gain in rigidity with a reinforcement on the bridge will also gain in precision.

Other

We are not going to detail all the palas, but you will realize for yourself.

If we take the third pala of the second and third line, we will realize that it is really different:

  • diamond shape
  • the holes are of different sizes
  • the holes are precisely placed
  • the bridge

Diamond shape

Almost all palas in this example are diamond shaped for an attack game with a lot of power.

Hole size

The holes allow to give effect to the ball, and to lighten the pala. In order to gain precision, it will be better to play on the pala part with the smallest holes. For strikes, we do not seek precision but power. The wide holes will allow the pala to move faster.

Hole placement

On these 2 palas, we clearly see that the position of the holes directs the ball towards the highest part of the pala. In this case, the manufacturer seeks to move the “punto dulce” upwards in order to gain ball speed and therefore power.

Bridge

On these 2 palas the bridge is different. On the bottom pala, the brand seeks to stiffen with reinforcement, while on the top pala, the bridge is empty, preferring to gain precision with the work of the holes.

It's up to you to play and continue your learning.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rrPwMouJO/

 

Julien Bondia

Julien Bondia is a teacher of padel in Tenerife (Spain). Columnist and advisor, he helps you play better through his tutorials and tactical/technical articles padel.