padel rackets ireland.

How to choose a padel racket

Choosing a padel racket comes down to three things — shape, weight and your level — and getting them right makes more difference to your game than any single brand or model. Here's the quick version.

• Round shape: the sweet spot sits in the centre for maximum control and forgiveness — the best place for beginners and improvers to start.
• Teardrop shape: a balance of power and control, and the most versatile all-round option.
• Diamond shape: weight towards the head for maximum power, suited to confident attackers with clean technique.

Most rackets weigh 350–375g. Lighter frames with a lower balance are easier to manoeuvre and kinder on the arm; heavier, head-heavy frames hit harder but ask more of your technique and elbow. On Ireland's mostly indoor courts a softer EVA core stays comfortable year-round, while stiff full-carbon frames feel firmer in the cold.

What a padel racket really costs per game

Almost every club in Ireland charges €5 to hire a racket — per racket, per session. We checked that against a dozen clubs including Padel LK, The Hive, Kerry Padel and Dublin Sports Dome, and €5 is the standard rate.

Play once a week for a year and hire alone costs you around €260. Buy your own and a €179.95 racket works out at €3.46 a session across that first year — and nothing at all in the years after it. You also get a far better racket than the one on the club rack, and a grip that hasn't been through forty other hands.

If you're not ready to commit to a frame on its own, our starter kits bundle a racket with balls, a grip and a protector for less than buying the four separately.

The brands we stock

At Openplay we stock the full 2026 ranges from Bullpadel, Adidas, Nox and Head — the same pro-spec frames played on tour, shipped free across Ireland on orders over €75 from our Waterford base.

New to the sport? Read our best padel rackets for beginners guide and how to choose a padel racket, or browse our in-depth racket reviews. Not sure where to play yet? Find your nearest court on our Ireland court finder.