Snowshoes padel always have holes on their surface. What are they used for, are they really essential? We take stock.

We have already seen that the mousse, or the carbon or fiberglass present on the faces of a pala had a great influence on its behavior on the track. What about holes? Are they a parameter to be studied in particular when choosing?

First, the holes are supposed to bring aerodynamics to your pala, and therefore facilitate its mobility in space. Except that this argument was contradicted by a study by Francisco Huera-Huarte, a researcher at the Catalan University Universitat Rovira I Virgili.

 

Video credit: YouTube Universitat Rovira I Virgili

 

This study from five years ago already highlights the fact that the holes have a negligible influence on the behavior of your pala. According to the researcher, there is therefore no point in putting them on, and in the event that the manufacturer absolutely wishes to incorporate them, it would be more useful to distribute them on the external part of the racket, not in the center.

Indeed, a pala which would not have holes in its central part would be more stable, more resistant, and would have a higher “sweet spot”. Under these conditions why put them? First, the FIP regulations require at least one hole in the racquets of padel, it is therefore not possible to market completely full palas.

Then, the lightness: a pala with holes will be lighter and therefore more convenient for most players. Following this study, Drop Shot had released a racket with only one hole, at the heart of the racket, but it was not a great commercial success.

The player padel maybe just used to the holes in the pala and more likely to choose a model that includes them. Holes are also an argument for manufacturers, who all offer different layouts. Until another study comes to corroborate or deny the conclusions of Francisco Huera-Huarte, we advise you to focus more on the materials, shape and weight of your racket, rather than the arrangement of the holes.

 

Xan is a fan of padel. But also rugby! And his posts are just as punchy. Physical trainer of several padel, he unearths atypical posts or deals with topical subjects. It also gives you some tips to develop your physique for the padel. Clearly, he imposes his offensive style as on the field of padel !

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