Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the UK, and there’s a good chance someone on your list has caught the bug. Buying a racquet for a padel player can feel like guesswork, though: shape, balance, carbon and finish all change how a racquet plays.
This guide does the guesswork for you. Each racquet in the Davor Padel range is matched to a type of player, so the right gift is easy to find. Whether they’re picking up a racquet for the first time or chasing every point at the net, there’s a Davor racquet built for the way they play.
Which racquet suits which player?
| Racquet | Shape | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Round | Control, comfort and defence | £165 |
| Elite | Hybrid (diamond/teardrop) | Attacking intermediate-to-advanced players | £185 |
| Legacy | Diamond | Advanced and pro-level net players | £210 |
| Beacon | Diamond | Aggressive left-sided players | £145 |
| Edge | Teardrop | Tactical all-rounders and right-sided players | £115 |
| Wizard | Diamond | Power with a softer, spin-friendly feel | £130 |
The PRO Range by Icíar Montes
The PRO range by Icíar Montes was designed with one of padel’s greatest players, who held the World Number One ranking for 12 years and won 14 World Titles as a player and coach. Each racquet is named after a part of her career, and each is built for a different style of play.
For the player who wins with patience: Icon
A gift for the player who loves long rallies, clever lobs and soft touches at the net.
- Shape: Perfectly round format.
- Sweet Spot: Very wide and centred sweet spot combined with the steady structure of 3K carbon gives you predictable ball flight. Your defensive lobs and touches at the net will feel very accurate.
- Medium-Soft Feel: Because 3K carbon flexes more than higher K carbons, it doesn’t feel overly stiff. It absorbs shock well, making it very comfortable and forgiving on the arm.
- Balance: Low or even balance, meaning the weight sits closer to the handle. This makes the racquet feel light, highly manoeuvrable, and easy to defend with.
- Textured finish (friction and spin): Bites into the felt of the ball upon impact, it affects handling by increasing friction against the ball. While proper technique is the primary driver of spin, the texture makes it easier to slice, particularly when brushing the ball (e.g. for a “vibora” and/or “bandeja”). It slightly increases control in defensive scenarios by dampening a tiny fraction of the ball’s exit velocity.
- Matte finish (flexibility and ball release): The final outer lacquer coat influences the rigidity of the outer face layer, altering how fast the ball leaves the racquet. Matte finishes allow the underlying carbon fibre to flex naturally to its maximum potential. This results in a slightly longer dwell time (the ball stays on the racquet a millisecond longer), providing better precision, a softer feel, and added control.
- Playing style: Prioritising maximum control, comfort, and extreme manoeuvrability over raw power. At lower speeds, the flexibility of the 3K face helps spring the ball off the racquet with minimal effort. This makes it excellent for defending deep balls from the back of the court. Because both the round shape and the 3K carbon lean towards flexibility and control, this combination lacks raw smashing power. It requires you to use your own physical technique to generate high ball speed.
For the player ready to go on the attack: Elite
A gift for the improving player who wants more power without losing confidence in defence.
- Shape: A hybrid geometry that blends the aggressive, overhead-friendly lines of a diamond shape with the slightly broader mid-section of a teardrop.
- Sweet Spot: Shape naturally shifts the weight towards the head for heavy smashes. Pairing it with a flexible 3K carbon weave prevents the racquet from feeling like a rigid brick. This gives you a crisp, responsive feel with a wide sweet spot; maximising leverage for attacking shots without completely sacrificing forgiveness.
- Balance: Typically built with a medium-high balance, making the racquet feel slightly head-heavy to assist with swing weight and downward momentum on smashes.
Textured finish (friction and spin): The combination of a glossy surface and 3D texture lets you hit aggressive, fast-sinking volleys that skid low off the glass, making it incredibly difficult for opponents to defend. - Glossy finish (flexibility and ball release): Hardens the outermost layer of the racquet face slightly. Combined with the elastic 3K carbon, this creates a spring-like effect. The ball pops off the face quickly on defensive blocks and low-speed shots.
- Playing style: Designed specifically for offensive and aggressive players who want the explosive power of a diamond mould but prefer a slightly more manageable sweet spot for defence. The 3K + 3D Glossy setup transforms the 3K carbon into an all-court attacking weapon. It provides the extra punch and spin needed to finish points while remaining forgiving enough for intermediate-to-advanced players.
For the player who owns the net: Legacy
A gift for the advanced player with clean technique who loves to finish points with heavy spin. Available in green and orange.
- Shape: Geometric diamond format, featuring wider upper corners and a narrower bottom section.
- Sweet Spot: Located high up on the racquet face, rewarding clean, elevated contact but offering less forgiveness on off-centre hits.
- Balance: Distinctly high balance (head-heavy), which provides maximum leverage and inertia when swinging through the ball.
- Textured finish (friction and spin): The mechanical 3D texture physically grabs the felt of the ball, while the matte finish provides a high-friction surface. This combo gives you extreme grip, allowing you to hit devastating, heavy-spinning viboras and bandejas that stay incredibly low off the glass.
- Matte finish (flexibility and ball release): It allows for controlled power (reducing trampoline effect) as you mute that instant springiness. Because the 18K carbon is already rigid, this setup gives you complete, predictable control over exactly how deep you hit your attacking shots.
- Playing style: At the net, this combination shines. You can block fast, incoming shots with little fear of the ball flying long. The 3D matte surface lets you slice the ball with extreme confidence, forcing your volleys to skid dead on the opponents’ side. However, this setup offers very low natural ball output (salida de bola). When you are stuck deep in corners or defending low balls, you cannot rely on the racquet to bounce the ball back for you. You must use a complete, clean swing technique to get the ball over the net. The18K carbon face creates an ultra-stiff, maximum-power weapon built for advanced and pro-level players.
For the left-side player who loves to smash: Beacon
A gift for the confident, aggressive backhand-side player who wants to end rallies fast.
- Shape: Diamond.
- Sweet Spot: The sweet spot is positioned higher up the face, closer to the tip of the frame. This rewards clean, advanced ball-striking but is less forgiving on off-centre defensive shots.
- Balance: Concentrates weight toward the head of the racquet. This creates a “hammer effect,” giving your smashes and aggressive drives immense downward leverage
- Textured finish (friction and spin): As a 3D finish actively bites into the felt of the ball to help you execute heavy spin on your volleys, viboras, and sliced serves.
- Glossy finish (flexibility and ball release): The glossy lacquer acts as a rigid topcoat. It hardens the surface even further than a matte finish would, speeding up the ball output while keeping the 3D texture protected from chipping or wearing down over time.
- Playing style: This configuration is tailor-made for advanced, aggressive left-sided (backhand) players who look to finish points quickly. It sacrifices defensive cushioning and forgiveness in exchange for devastating raw power and surgical aerial accuracy.
The Davor 2026 Collection
The latest racquets from Davor Padel, built for intermediate-to-advanced players who want pro-level technology at a more accessible price.
For the tactical all-rounder: Edge
A gift for the right-sided player who builds points with clever lobs and spin, and still likes to put away the easy smash.
- Shape: Tear drop.
- Sweet Spot: Centred and forgiving. The hitting zone is slightly elongated and wider than a pure diamond shape. This provides excellent forgiveness on off-centre hits when defending difficult balls low to the glass.
- Balance: Medium, this leaves the racquet feeling highly manoeuvrable at the net during fast reflex volleys while retaining enough mass overhead to drive the ball forward.
- Textured finish (friction and spin): Prolonged dwell time due to the 3K carbon being flexible and the matte surface offering immense friction, the ball stays stuck to the racquet face for a split second longer. This gives you ultimate tactile feedback to guide precise lobs, drop shots, and sliced volleys.
- Matte finish (flexibility and ball release): A matte coating strips away the hard lacquer of glossy finishes, leaving the 3D moulded texture raw and highly abrasive. It bites directly into the felt of the ball upon impact.
- Playing style: It suits all-round (versatile) intermediate to advanced players who favour a tactical, strategic game. It is perfect for right-sided (forehand) players who build points with precision lobs, heavy spin, and smooth defensive resets, but who still want enough balance to put the ball away when given an easy smash.
For the power player with a soft touch: Wizard
A gift for the player who loves the overhead power of a diamond racquet but doesn’t want the harsh stiffness that often comes with it.
- Shape: Diamond.
- Sweet Spot: The sweet spot is positioned in the upper portion of the face, meaning it rewards precise, clean ball striking.
- Balance: The balance sits top-heavy, concentrating mass right behind your overhead shots.
- Textured finish (friction and spin): The raw matte texture behaves like fine sandpaper across the moulded 3D micro-grains. It aggressively digs into the felt of the ball upon impact.
- Matte finish (flexibility and ball release): Because the 3K carbon lets the ball sink in and the matte surface keeps it from slipping, the ball stays on the face longer (high dwell time). This allows you to carve under the ball with precision, adding heavy slice to viboras, volleys, and cut serves
- Playing style: It is perfect for an intermediate-to-advanced player who wants the tactical advantages of a power racquet without the punishing stiffness. It is ideal for players who love the heavy overhead geometry of a diamond frame to finish points, but still want a soft, high spin feel to construct rallies with measured volleys and deep lobs.