Stéphane Penso tests the rackets of a brand that starts to talk about her : Oxdog !

Ramiro Choya conquered

Originally, Oxdog is a half-Swedish, half-Finnish floorball equipment company. It was founded in 2011 by two Swedes, Joacim Bergström & Mattias Eklund and a Finn, Marko Sompa. This trio had over 20 years of experience selling and marketing floorball items.

The name Oxdog is composed of the two words: Ox, which means beef in English, and Dog, which means, you guessed it easier, dog. The ox represents strength; it is combined with a dog, an intelligent, fast and always faithful animal.

From 2022, Oxdog invests heavily in padel, not only on the Swedish market, but also internationally by sponsoring the coach who needs no introduction, Ramiro Choya.

“When I play with rackets Oxdog, I feel that innovations and new technologies help me in different aspects of my game. I like the balance of the rackets, the absence of vibrations, as well as the finish in the smallest details”.

With a worldwide reputation for 10 years in Research and Development in the field of floorball, the company has decided to take a radical turn and offers, for its first year in the padel no less than 11 models, all packed with technological and innovative innovations.

The palas are split into 3 shapes and available in several densities of rubber, weight and balance. We understand that the company wanted to cast as wide a net as possible in order to satisfy a wide spectrum of players.

Let's start with the family Ultimate. This designation symbolizes the power category, which is characterized by a diamond format thus providing you with maximum performance in the game.

This collection is designed for the player of padel to the offensive game that loves power at all levels and also seeks daunting precision.

Ultimate Pro+

OxDog Ultimate Pro+

Equipped with the most rigid core of the series, it is a high-end pala cut for the massacre, where the key words are power, dryness and intransigence.

On the program high balance, rough surface. With perfectible maneuverability, but with a dizzying trunk, it is a pala that will be appreciated by players of an excellent level, who are not very centered, and who want to take their game to another dimension.

Cosmetically, the marriage of black and gold is a safe bet, which gives it a contemporary and unfussy look.

Ultimate Pro

Incorporating a slightly less dense foam (mid+) than the previous model and lightened by 5 grams, this pala will therefore be futilely less powerful but delicately more manageable.
Always with a high balance, this reference will delight advanced level players looking for a little more comfort and a slightly improved sweet spot.
Black still predominates, but the frame is now surrounded by gold which gives it a particularly devastating look.

Ultimate Tour

This pala will be the happy medium of the Ultimate series. With a medium balance and equipped with a moderately rigid core, it will allow you to gain in maneuverability and in typing comfort, but will cause you to lose a little more power (I assure you, it is still very robust)!

More control and forgiveness for off-center hits will make this racquet suitable for players who are still playing offense.

In terms of design, the white and black colors are simple and fit perfectly into the approach ofOxdog which advocates high-end quality and refined patterns.

Ultimate Match

The only model in the family incorporating a soft rubber, and benefiting from a high balance, this pala will be distinguished by a preponderant ball output, increased comfort, and insolent maneuverability (the lightest pala).
It will therefore be intended for intermediate or advanced level players, who want to reduce the risk of injury and who want to benefit from more control and tolerance than on the models seen previously.
The look of this racket is also very pleasant thanks to the combination of matte black and azure blue.

Ultimate Court

Unlike the other racquets in the Ultimate collections which are made solely of HES carbon, this pala is equipped with composite – a mixture of carbon and fiberglass – giving excellent forgiveness and appreciable ball output.

Mid foam and median balance make this reference the ultimate weapon for those who play a padel leisure but want to benefit from a certain controllable power.

The color code here is still very classic: a black background coupled with a bright orange which gives this racquet the most dazzling rendering of the Ultimate series.

Conclusion

Needless to say, for a first attempt, it's a masterstroke! The five references seen today are aimed at a very specific audience, and the difference in sensation is very noticeable.

Embossed surface, very simple strap and perfect sleeve height equip all these beautiful people.
The vibrations are perfectly contained and when hitting, the sound is almost muted. The difference in foam density between all these models is obvious, as is the balance and therefore the maneuverability that results from it.

Note a very interesting feature (RBS) for tweak fans, with the possibility of lifting a small metal plate (8gr) on the underside of the handle to gain even more power!
It's up to you to make your own adjustments, and personally, I had enough watts under my belt in that stock setup, and the ideal formula for me was to just leave the plate in place.
Will it be otherwise on the other forms? In my opinion no!

The Ultimate Pro+ has an ultra stiff core, head balance, while being the heaviest. Very stable on the fly, intractable in aerial play, it will suffer more defensively and in off-center strikes. This is the most extreme reference, which means that the slightest error will be immediately sanctioned.

The Ultimate Pro is a copy/paste of its big sister but it offers more control because the balance, although also in the head, is better distributed towards the neck.
Always extremely precise and demanding with its rigid core, it will not lack power while being a little more manageable at the bottom.
In game nothing to add, it still sends pots up, while offering more tolerance in the fast and defensive phases.

The Ultimate Court, incorporating fiberglass in its faces, is the most pleasant pala to play. Admittedly, it necessarily lacks punch against an Ultimate+, but its superior maneuverability will win you many duels on the fly. The fiberglass combination will get you out of perilous situations in very low defenses and will give you a much more valuable ball output than on the full carbon models. This is the pala that I enjoyed the most.

Concerning the Ultimate Match, it is the lightest pala in the range and the only one to benefit from a soft compound. As much to tell you that comfort level, we are in total happiness, and that in defense, it is his private garden. When it comes to raw power, it falls short of its cousins, but it's the most explosive in hit combinations where you don't need to cock lavishly. The sweet-spot is also quite spacious, which will delight the “professional decenterers”, of which I am one.

And to finish, the Ultimate Tour is the Swiss army knife of the range, versatility in its purest form, good everywhere average nowhere. Regulated weight, mid compound, mid balance…this is a flawless pala that is easy to play, recreational, yet dangerous in the right hands.

Here is for this first part concerning the diamond shape models. The second part will arrive very soon, we will detail the three models in depth.

Finally, I leave you the list of technologies on board these different models, you will see that the engineers did not go to any lengths!

  • Vibra Damp : technology used in the grip area in order to absorb vibrations. First, the carbon used in this piece has a layer of fiberglass. Then four guides covered with silicone strips were included. Finally, there is a double-sided handle with an EVA rubber part in the center.
  • Silent Speed : The sound when hitting the ball is significantly lower. The combination of carbon with railed frames means the racquet doesn't make as much noise, especially on diamond shaped palas.
  • Power Ribs™: these are rails that penetrate the frame of the racquet and help to homogenize its surface as much as possible, reducing vibrations when hitting the ball and thus widening the sweet-spot.
  • HES-Carbon : this unique carbon reacts more quickly and transfers maximum energy in speed and power, in addition to providing increased durability. The unique carbon and resin manufacturing process Oxdog optimizes fiber performance and is particularly effective in extreme blows.
  • Diamond shape : the unique Diamond shape ofOxdog combines maximum performance and control. It is suitable for players who are looking for the best. SilentSpeed ​​technology and PowerRibs™ on top take performance to a new dimension!
  • Dural Molded : With a focus on the tooling and production process, frames deliver class-leading performance and durability, PowerRibs™ optimize them even further.
  • DSH Dual : Double diameter drilling system in which the holes closest to the frame are larger than those in the center of the racquet, which allows to widen the sweet-spot.
  • RBS – The 8gr stainless steel weight located in the handle can be removed very easily using a screwdriver and allows those who wish to modify the point of balance.

Thanks to Julien de La Padelerie in Gemenos for the loan of snowshoes.

Stéphane Penso

Fan of padel, Stéphane has become the official tester of the planet padel in Europe. Everything goes through his expert hands. Thanks to his extensive experience in the snowshoeing world, he is able to scan your gear from head to toe!

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