Interesting question, definitely a very personal topic. Definitely consequent to relevant experience in the game over time.
The concept of “ideal” for the racket clearly varies from player to player, and, clearly, it becomes broad and personal based on your experience, so much so that we could say it is the most intimate thing in padel, right after the choice of your playing partner, as mentioned in the previous post, by level of feelings and relationships.
The racket is, therefore, strictly intimate.
It could be a continuation of your limb, it could become a part of you as you use and understand it: then the symbiosis is created between you, the sportsman, and your means, the symbol of your sport.
There are three different racket shapes to choose from: the round racket, the teardrop racket, the diamond racket. If I have to speak about my path, I can tell you that from the beginning I never stopped experimenting to find what best suited my playing style. Among the many shapes I then landed on the round racket, confirming it in recent years, and this by virtue of having characteristics that facilitate more ball control, but, conversely, less power. The larger sweet spot also gives a larger impact zone, which is useful for me. This typical character of the round racket thus met my playing peculiarities, creating precisely that necessary intimate symbiosis, which exclusively refines the style that belongs to me.
This is to say: always experiment and understand well who you are, what you are better at and with what style of play.
Going deeper, I can tell you, however, that the diamond racket is the most complicated, certainly more suitable for imparting effects on the ball, for those who like to be reckless, and with the weight falling more on the head to thus impart more force and power to the shot, though at the risk of losing control.
The teardrop racket, on the other hand, has better balance, so much so that we can say it is the compromise between power and control, achieving it with a high center of gravity on the racket.
In conclusion, as for me, I just got to know more about my “control freak,” which is in line with the game tactics I carry out: maximum balance of every effort spread throughout the game. Because that’s how I am.
Since padel is also about self-knowledge, I recommend that amateurs start with a round racket, the “easiest” for those starting out and wanting to understand the sport, with a racket whose weight falls towards the handle, as opposed to the head, giving more control with the swing and greater impact, making starts easier.
It used to be said that those who were used to playing right-handed preferred the round one, while left-handed wanted the teardrop one, but in reality things have changed today, and there are countless variables that can lead to being more offensive in attack with the teardrop or diamond one playing right-handed.
Well, you have found out then that I love the round racket, purely for tactical purposes. This leads me to tell you that it is very important to get to know yourself, to open up, to note your virtues and your flaws, between limitations and evolutions. The racket will then be your personal paintbrush for painting the canvas of your game, with your own unique style, once you have learned to recognize yourself… completely.