A padel racket is short, solid and drilled with holes. A tennis racket is long and strung. That's the bit everyone spots. The rulebooks go much further than that, and some of the rules surprise people who come over from tennis.
This page is the equipment only. Length, width, the face, the wrist cord, weight and grip, taken straight from the current FIP Rules of Padel and the ITF Rules of Tennis. If you want the court, the serve and the walls, my padel vs tennis guide covers all of that.
Padel racket vs tennis racket: the spec table
| Padel racket | Tennis racket | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 45.5 cm, head plus handle | 73.7 cm |
| Maximum width | 26 cm | 31.7 cm |
| Maximum thickness | 38 mm (head), with a 2.5% tolerance when measured | Not set in the rules |
| Handle | Up to 20 cm long, 50 mm wide, 50 mm thick | Not set separately |
| Hitting surface | Solid, flat faces with holes. Holes 9 to 13 mm across in the centre, up to 20 mm near the edge | Crossed strings, interlaced or bonded. Strung area up to 39.4 cm by 29.2 cm |
| Faces | Both flat. Can be smooth or rough | Must play the same on both sides |
| Wrist cord | Compulsory. Non-elastic, up to 35 cm, worn round the wrist | No rule |
| Weight | Not in the rules. Usually 340 to 390 g, says the LTA | Not in the rules. Most adult rackets 9 to 12 oz strung (roughly 255 to 340 g), says Wilson |
| When things go wrong | Break the safety cord or drop the racket and your pair loses the point | Snap a string and you can play the next point with it, unless the event organiser says no |
| Add-ons | Only to protect the racket, cut vibration or spread weight. No device that can talk to you mid-game | No energy source built in. Vibration dampers only outside the string pattern |
Padel specs are from the 2026 FIP Rules of Padel. Tennis specs are from Appendix II and Rule 4 of the ITF's 2026 Rules of Tennis. Weights come from the LTA's padel racket guide and Wilson's tennis racket guide, because neither rulebook sets one.
Length: the 45.5 cm cap
The padel rules give you 45.5 cm in total. That's head and handle together. A tennis racket can be up to 73.7 cm. So the longest legal padel racket is about 28 cm shorter than the longest legal tennis racket.
The handle has its own limit too. Up to 20 cm long, and no more than 50 mm wide or thick. Tennis doesn't set a separate handle size in its rulebook at all.
Width is closer than you'd think. 26 cm for padel, 31.7 cm for tennis. The real gap is in the length.
The face: holes, not strings
This is the big one. A tennis racket has a string bed. The ITF says it must be a flat pattern of crossed strings, and the pattern can't be less dense in the middle than anywhere else. Wilson's racket guide talks about patterns such as 16x19 and 18x20.
A padel racket has no strings at all. The face is solid, and the rules say it must be drilled with holes. In the centre, each hole has to be between 9 and 13 mm across. Within 4 cm of the edge, the holes can be bigger or a different shape, up to 20 mm. The rules don't cap how many holes you have.
Both faces have to be flat. But they can be smooth or rough. The LTA's racket guide says what's underneath is usually a foam or EVA core, with a fibreglass or carbon surface on top.
What that means for you:
- Nothing to restring. No string tension, no snapped strings before a match.
- Thick, not thin. A padel head can be up to 38 mm thick, and the FIP rules say every racket must be made to its homologation standard.
- Your tennis racket isn't legal. The padel rules let you use any racket you like, as long as it's regulation. A strung tennis frame isn't.
The wrist cord: compulsory in padel
Every padel racket has a cord coming out of the bottom of the handle. If you come from tennis, it can look like an optional extra. It isn't.
The rules say the cord must be non-elastic, no longer than 35 cm, fixed into the handle and worn round your wrist. Its use is obligatory. It's there to protect against accidents, which makes sense when four people share a small glass box.
Tennis has no rule like this.
The cord also decides points. Under Rule 13.1 r of the 2026 FIP rules, if a player breaks the safety cord or drops the racket, their pair loses the point there and then. In tennis, a player who snaps a string can play the next point with that racket, unless the event organiser rules it out.
I've played in Madrid, the Algarve and all over London, and the cord rule doesn't change. It's in the international rules, not a club quirk.
Weight: shorter, but often heavier
Neither rulebook sets a weight. So here's what the governing body and a racket brand say.
The LTA says padel rackets usually weigh between 340 and 390 g. Its rough guide:
- 340 to 360 g: more control, less power
- 360 to 370 g: where it suggests beginners start
- 370 to 390 g: more power, less control, more for advanced players
Wilson says most adult tennis rackets weigh 9 to 12 oz strung. That works out at roughly 255 to 340 g.
So a padel racket is much shorter, and often heavier. If you're coming from tennis, don't judge a padel racket by the number on the label alone. Hold a few.
Shape is the other big choice: round, teardrop or diamond. That's a whole buying guide on its own, and the beginner's guide to padel is the place to start if it's your first racket.
The grip: the part you do replace
Tennis players already know this habit. A padel racket has a base grip on the handle, and most players wrap an overgrip on top. The LTA's equipment guide puts it simply: the base grip is the layer on the handle, the overgrip goes over it for tack, and the overgrip wears out faster.
With no strings to look after, the grip is the main thing on a padel racket you'll swap out regularly. If you're switching from tennis, the routine is the same. My guide to fitting an overgrip walks through the wrap and when to change it.
I sell Padelism overgrips in a 3 pack for £7 or a 6 pack for £12. They're sweat-absorbing and wrap over the base grip. The rest of the small kit, from grip socks to caps, is in accessories.
Taking your racket away
One more practical difference. The gov.uk hand luggage rules name tennis racquets but not padel rackets. Flying with yours? My padel holiday packing list covers what to check.
FAQ
How long is a padel racket compared with a tennis racket? A padel racket can be no longer than 45.5 cm, head and handle together. A tennis racket can be up to 73.7 cm. That's a difference of about 28 cm at the limits.
Is a padel racket heavier than a tennis racket? Often, yes. The LTA says padel rackets usually weigh 340 to 390 g. Wilson puts most adult tennis rackets at 9 to 12 oz strung, roughly 255 to 340 g. Neither rulebook sets a weight.
Do you have to wear the wrist strap in padel? Yes. The FIP rules say the racket must have a non-elastic cord, no longer than 35 cm, worn round the wrist, and that using it is obligatory.
Why does a padel racket have holes? Because the rules require it. The face must be perforated, with holes between 9 and 13 mm across in the centre. Within 4 cm of the edge, they can be larger or a different shape, up to 20 mm.
Do padel rackets need restringing? No. There are no strings. The part you replace is the overgrip, which wears out faster than the base grip underneath.
