Guide
What a padel racket rating can hide: gaps in our 120-racket dataset
In our published sample of 120 rackets from 15 brands, 63 rackets (52.5%) lack at least one of the five inputs used by our rating model. 57 (47.5%) have all five. These are gaps in the data we collected, not proof that the makers never published the information.
Research date 28 September 2026. A dated snapshot. It does not change when the live dataset does.
Why it matters
Two rackets can sit next to each other in a comparison with scores that look equally solid. One score may come from a complete specification and the other from a partly complete one. Readers need to see which they are looking at.
What is missing from this sample
| Rating input | Present | Missing | Missing share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | 117 | 3 | 2.5% |
| Balance category the model can use | 84 | 36 | 30.0% |
| Core firmness category | 91 | 29 | 24.2% |
| Face material family | 113 | 7 | 5.8% |
| Weight | 111 | 9 | 7.5% |
The balance row needs care. 25 records have no balance field at all. A further 11 contain balance information, usually a number, but no category our model uses. A measured balance is useful and we show it. We do not turn it into a category with an invented threshold. So it would be wrong to say that all 36 records are missing a balance specification.
What our scores do with a gap
The model puts a neutral midpoint in place of an input it does not have. That is a calculation rule. It is not evidence that the racket sits in the middle. Two similar scores do not prove two rackets feel the same. Check the specification rows and their sources before treating a small difference as a reason to buy.
Use the comparison tool to inspect two models, and the methodology to see the calculation. Published specifications, maker descriptions and calculated ratings are different kinds of evidence. This report contains no on-court or laboratory tests.
How to reproduce the result
We analysed the exported PadelTrue dataset as it stood on 28 September 2026, model version 1.0. One record is one published racket entry. For each entry we checked shape, balance category, core firmness category, face material family and weight against the input rules of the model. A numeric balance was counted separately from a missing balance field. No commission and no price entered this analysis.
The evidence file lists every racket, its missing inputs, its source addresses and the SHA-256 of the dataset analysed: spec-coverage-2026-09-28.json. The live dataset changes after this date. The numbers in this report do not.
Limits
This is a convenience sample, not a census of the padel market. Our publication gate already leaves out records with fewer than three model inputs, so the sample leans toward the more complete records. A missing value may come from a gap in our collection, a translation, a label we could not map or a page we could not read. Coverage does not measure racket quality or the honesty of a maker.
Some firmness categories come from a brand guide and not from the product page. The categories and the weights are editorial choices described in the methodology. They are not standard laboratory measurements.
Found an error? Send the exact model, the year and the source to hello@padeltrue.com.
Questions
Does a missing spec mean the manufacturer hides it?
No. It means our dataset does not hold it. The maker may publish it on a page we did not read, in another language, or under a label we could not map.
How does PadelTrue rate a racket with a missing input?
The model uses a neutral midpoint for that input and the racket page shows how many of the five inputs were published. A midpoint is a calculation rule, not a finding about the racket.