Are you looking for a new padel but not sure whether to choose soft foam or hard foam? We explain the differences to you.

Moss is a very important element in the behavior of a pala. It is therefore essential when choosing your racquet to pay particular attention to the rubber it contains.

The advantages of a soft foam

A soft foam will mainly offer you three advantages:

  • More comfort
  • More bale exit
  • Better absorption of vibrations

Thus, we recommend first beginners to choose very flexible snowshoes, which will allow them to minimize the risk of injury, and to do better in particular in defense and on reflex shots, thanks to the higher ball output.

But beginners are not the only ones who can benefit from the advantages of soft erasers. Those who have tendency to suffer from joints will be better protected with a soft foam (as well as with a number of other features), but also all those who are mainly looking for comfort. Generally, it all depends on each person's feelings, and we can compare the choice of a racket foam padel the choice of a string and its tension in tennis.

The most flexible foams are those made from FOAM or polyethylene.

The advantages of hard foam

Hard foam will give you two main advantages:

  • More precision
  • More power

The harder a rubber, the less power it will absorb you put into the ball, allowing you to hit harder than with soft foam. This is valid as long as you already have a good shot, otherwise you will certainly benefit more from the spring effect and the ball output of the soft rubber. Likewise, because it will have less of this trampoline effect, the rigid rubber will allow you to be more precise when typing.

Therefore, players who hit hard or who already have a good technical level will be the ones who will benefit most from the advantages of the rigid rubber. But not all powerful and technical players prefer hard foams! It is therefore important to test several palas with different foam densities in order to know which one suits us best.

For more firmness, therefore, prefer EVA, EVA Mid, or even EVA Hard compounds.

And between the two?

You will understand, between a very hard foam like EVA Hard and a very flexible foam like FOAM HyperSoft, there are lots of possibilities. Thus, many rackets are equipped with rubber that could be described as neither hard nor soft, therefore versatile, as is the case with the widespread EVA Soft.

In addition, some manufacturers now offer gum mixes, in order to offer hybrid characteristics. To avoid getting lost, it is important to first know what you are looking for, then to understand the effects that the different gums will have on the sensations. To allow you to see more clearly, do not hesitate to take a look at the summary  HERE.

The foam but not only

Foam is very important in the stiffness of the racquet, but it is not not the only parameter that influences. The faces of course, for example faces covered with fiberglass will provide a softer feel than carbon faces. Note that in carbon there is also a hierarchy: for example 3k carbon will be less hard than 12k, itself less hard than 18k etc.

Other parameters add rigidity or flexibility to a racquet : the materials that make up the frame, the heart, but also the paint, or the glues used to assemble the different components ...

This is why it is important to test, because two rackets with the same shape, EVA Soft foam, and 12k carbon on the sides, will not necessarily provide the same sensations… So you have to try to know what you are looking for to make a selection of rackets among the hundreds of models that can be found on the market and then test them.

To help you make your selection, do not hesitate to take a look at this little guide that we have prepared!

https://padelmagazine.fr/le-guide-pour-bien-choisir-votre-raquette-de-padel/

 

 

 

 

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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