--- title: "Padel racket claims vs lab measurements: 18K, spin, sweet spot" url: "https://padeltrue.com/guides/padel-racket-claims-vs-measurements" description: "Five things printed on padel racket spec sheets, set beside what laboratories measured: carbon K count, rough faces and spin, sweet spot position, power and arm safety." language: en date_modified: 2026-10-10 source: "PadelTrue, every specification links to its source on the HTML page" --- # What padel racket makers claim, and what measurements show ## Direct answer Five things printed on padel racket spec sheets, set beside what laboratories measured: carbon K count, rough faces and spin, sweet spot position, power and arm safety. This page answers: - Is 18K carbon better than 12K or 3K? - Does a rough padel racket give more spin? - Do diamond rackets have a higher sweet spot? - How much more powerful is a power racket? - Can a racket prevent tennis elbow? ## 1. Carbon 3K, 12K, 18K, 24K K is the number of carbon filaments in one bundle, in thousands. 18K means 18,000 filaments per bundle. It is a bundle size. It is printed on rackets as if it were a grade. Most makers say a higher count is stiffer. One of them warns against reading much into it, and a large retailer describes one brand's range the other way round. ### What makers say > The change from 12K carbon to 18K provides the racket with a little more rigidity without altering the other characteristics[NOX](https://noxsport.com/en/blogs/making-you-improve/similitudes-y-diferencias-palas-at-luxury-agustin-tapia) > From the highest to the lowest hardness, adidas rackets are made of Carbon Aluminized 2 to 1, Carbon Aluminized 24k, Carbon Aluminized 15k, Carbon 6k, flax fibre and, finally, glass fibre.[adidas padel](https://allforpadel.com/en/blog/adidas-guide-what-is-the-best-padel-racket-for-you-n474) > en este caso, la fibra 24K es la más blanda, mientras que la fibra 3K es la más sólida.[Padel Nuestro, a retailer, describing the Siux range. In English: here the 24K fibre is the softest and the 3K the most solid.](https://blog.padelnuestro.com/guia-fibras-de-carbono-en-padel/) ### What was measured > All manner of claims are made in the name of K-count, but when all is said and done, K-count has little direct influence on racket performance.[Tennis Warehouse University](https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/padel/carbon_layup.php) > The choice of a K-count is more of a production process decision than a performance decision.[Tennis Warehouse University](https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/padel/carbon_layup.php) NOX accepts that a higher K is stiffer in theory, and adds on the same page: at NOX we think that it is very risky to issue categorical statements based solely on the K numbers of the carbon. **What to do with it.** Do not pay more for a higher K, and do not read it as harder or softer. Within one brand's range the maker's own description of each model is the only usable guide. This is why PadelTrue shows the K count on every racket page and scores it nowhere. ## 2. Rough faces and spin ### What makers say > With this double roughness we obtain greater control and the possibility of printing greater effects to the ball.[NOX](https://noxsport.com/en/pages/nox-padel-racket-technology) > Rough Surface: Helps generate spin on volleys and smashes.[LTA Padel](https://www.ltapadel.org.uk/play/padel-equipment-guide/padel-rackets/) ### What was measured > So, for almost all padel impacts, all rackets will produce about the same spin. When a player feels one racket produces more spin than another, it is most likely due to the speed, spin, and angle of the ball sent by the opponent, or the player can swing faster or steeper with a particular racket or against a particular style of player. It is not because of the racket surface roughness.[Tennis Warehouse University](https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/padel/padelspin.php) The explanation given is that roughness only matters when the ball slides across the face, and at the angles padel is played the ball grips instead. **What to do with it.** A textured face is a real, published feature and it is listed on every racket page. It should not decide a purchase. Spin comes from the swing. ## 3. Where the sweet spot sits ### What makers say > This shape has a smaller sweet spot that is located higher up on the face of the racket, allowing players to generate devastating speed.[Wilson, on diamond rackets](https://www.wilson.com/en-us/blog/padel/how-tos/how-choose-padel-racket) > With a diamond-shaped racquet, the hitting point is located at the top of the racquet, making your shots more powerful.[Babolat, which says hitting point and not sweet spot](https://www.babolat.com/gb/padel/racquets/diamond.html) ### What was measured > Despite the importance of padel racket shape for players, no significant correlation was found between racket shape and the SSP, even for the shape average values.[Blanes and others, Sensors 2023, a robot test of 225 rackets, 93 of them compared by shape](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10747547/) One caution about the measurement. The study defines the sweet spot as the point on the centre line where the least vibration reaches the handle. It measures position, and says nothing about how large the forgiving area is. So it contradicts the claim about where the sweet spot sits. It does not contradict the claim that round rackets are more forgiving, which makers and the LTA all state and which nobody has measured either way. **What to do with it.** Choose a shape for its balance and its handling, which are measured effects. Do not choose it for a sweet spot location. ## 4. How much more power ### What makers say > Our diamond-shaped padel racquets have a head-heavy weight and will provide great power with each shot.[Babolat](https://www.babolat.com/gb/padel/racquets/diamond.html) ### What was measured > Most rackets fall within about a 5-7% range of power potential (ACOR) difference between rackets from lowest to highest.[Tennis Warehouse University, 50 rackets tested](https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/padel/racketpower.php) > Altering the design, materials, and construction of the racket only contribute modest changes to ball velocity.[Tennis Warehouse University](https://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/padel/racketpower.php) The direction of the maker's claim holds. More mass behind the ball and a higher balance do raise power potential. The size is the issue. The whole market sits inside a few percent, and the same source notes that a heavier racket can produce a slower shot if the player cannot swing it as fast. **What to do with it.** Read a power rating, ours included, as a direction and not as a quantity. A rating of 80 against 40 means the build leans further toward power. It does not mean twice the ball speed. ## 5. Rackets and arm injuries ### What makers say > A lightweight racket (345-360g) is easier to handle, helps improve technique, and reduces the risk of shoulder or elbow injuries.[adidas padel](https://allforpadel.com/en/blog/como-escoger-una-pala-bienvenido-al-padel-con-adidas-n561) > Additionally, it's the most comfortable of the three foams, and it's a great option for players who tend to suffer from joint pain.[Wilson, on soft EVA](https://www.wilson.com/en-us/blog/padel/how-tos/how-choose-padel-racket) ### What was measured > A weight equal to or greater than 350 g seems to be a parameter that is related to the appearance of injuries in amateur padel players.[Muñoz and others, 2022, a survey of amateur players](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9779620/) The same study reports that core type, racket shape, number of overgrips and face material are not associated with the appearance of injuries in amateur padel players. This is the thinnest evidence of the five and it should be read carefully. It is one survey, the answers are self-reported, and the effect for weight is very small. The authors conclude that adjusting racket weight prevents injuries. A questionnaire can show that two things go together. It cannot show that one causes the other, and the authors themselves note that fitness, technique and fatigue could be involved. It counts all upper body injuries, not tennis elbow alone. **What to do with it.** A softer, lighter, lower-balance racket is more comfortable to play with, and sources agree on that. No study has tested that by changing players' rackets and following what happens. If your arm hurts, a racket change is worth trying and a physiotherapist is worth more. Our [comfort guide](https://padeltrue.com/guides/most-comfortable-padel-rackets) lists rackets by comfort and makes no injury claim. ## Limits of the measurements - Tennis Warehouse University is run by a retailer. Its articles describe its own laboratory tests. - The sweet spot study was partly funded by a company in the industry. - The injury study is a questionnaire. It shows association and cannot show cause. - We found no independent laboratory that has tested core firmness against comfort or against play at different swing speeds. If you know of a published measurement that contradicts anything on this page, send it and the page will change. ## How this shapes the index PadelTrue rates rackets only on inputs where makers, a governing body or research agree on the direction: shape, balance, weight, core firmness and face material family. Carbon K count, surface texture and thickness are shown and not scored. The full formula and the evidence for each weight are on the [methodology page](https://padeltrue.com/methodology). ## Questions ### Is 18K carbon better than 12K or 3K? No measurement supports that. K is the number of filaments in a carbon bundle, in thousands. Most makers say a higher count is stiffer, one retailer describes a brand the other way round, and Tennis Warehouse University concludes that K count has little direct influence on racket performance. ### Does a rough padel racket give more spin? Makers say so. The one laboratory test we found concluded that for almost all padel impacts every racket produces about the same spin, and that differences players feel are not because of surface roughness. ### Do diamond rackets have a higher sweet spot? Makers say so. A robot test of 225 rackets, 93 of them compared by shape, found no significant correlation between racket shape and the position of the sweet spot. The test measured position, not the size of the forgiving area. ### How much more powerful is a power racket? Less than the marketing suggests. Tennis Warehouse University found that most rackets fall within about a 5 to 7 percent range of power potential from lowest to highest. ### Can a racket prevent tennis elbow? No study has tested that directly. One survey of amateur players found a weak association between injuries and rackets of 350 g or more, and no association for core, shape or face material. Softer and lighter rackets are more comfortable, which is a different claim.