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.
Weight follow-up: a range is not the weight of the racket in your hand
A separate snapshot, 29 September 2026: 101 of the 130 entries with numeric weight bounds in our 151-racket export describe a range, rather than one number: 77.7%. A published specification can be present and still leave the weight of the particular racket you receive undecided.
| Weight recorded in our export | Racket entries | Share of all 151 |
|---|---|---|
| A range: lower bound is below upper bound | 101 | 66.9% |
| One number: equal recorded bounds | 29 | 19.2% |
| No weight field in the export | 21 | 13.9% |
One number is not proof of a measured unit weight. A missing field does not mean the manufacturer never published one. These are counts of our collected records, not a survey of every racket on sale.
What this changes when you compare two rackets
Babolat lists the Air Viper 2.6 at 355 g with a tolerance of 10 g in either direction, and the Counter Viper 2.6 at 365 g with the same tolerance. That gives intervals of 345–365 g and 355–375 g, overlapping from 355 to 365 g. The Air has the lower nominal figure; those specifications alone do not guarantee that any particular Air is lighter than any particular Counter. We have not weighed individual examples or measured how often this occurs. Babolat Air specification · Babolat Counter specification, checked 29 September 2026.
Before buying: if a few grams matter to your choice, ask the shop whether it can weigh the actual racket it will send and say which accessories were included.For the other differences between these exact models, read our Air versus Counter comparison.
Reproduce this follow-up
The calculation counts a range when both recorded bounds are finite positive numbers and the lower bound is smaller; equal bounds count as one number. The denominator for 77.7% is 130 recorded weights, not all 151 entries. No price, commission or rating is used. The original 120-racket study above remains a separate 28 September snapshot.
Per-racket results and dataset hash · Frozen 151-record dataset · Offline calculation. Save the latter two files together and run node weight-ranges-reproduce-2026-09-29.mjs rackets-weight-snapshot-2026-09-29.json. The live dataset may change; this observation does not.
Why can a 365 to 375 g racket weigh 390 g ready to play?
Compare the same setup before replacing the racket. Bullpadel lists the Vertex 05 Hybrid 2026 at approximately 365 to 375 g. It also describes four optional 3 g CustomWeight plates: up to 12 g added. Manufacturer specification, checked 30 September 2026.
For example, a racket weighing 375 g before those plates would weigh 387 g after all four, before any further additions. That is arithmetic, not a measurement of a customer's racket. It does not explain every 390 g reading; we have not verified exactly which fitted accessories the maker includes in its published range.
Before buying, ask the shop to weigh the actual unit and list what is fitted. At home, note extra overgrips, protectors and removable weights, and weigh the complete setup you intend to use. Avoid counting factory-fitted parts twice.exact model's specification.
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 lower listed weight guarantee a lighter individual padel racket?
Not when the published weight intervals overlap. Air Viper 2.6 is listed at 355 g ±10 g and Counter Viper 2.6 at 365 g ±10 g, so their intervals overlap from 355 to 365 g. This is a comparison of published specifications, not weighed samples. Ask the shop for the weight of the actual unit if a few grams will decide your purchase.
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.