Why switch to an intermediate racket?
Your padel racket must keep up with your level of play. As you begin to feel more confident in your skills, it becomes easier to understand what you want from your racket, and what you would like to avoid. The specific characteristics are increasingly clear, as is their impact on the pitch.
Having the possibility to choose the particularities of a 'shovel' according to one's needs, preferences and abilities, is the first step in raising one's level of competitiveness. You can finally decide to drop your choice on a more difficult racket to control, but with more overall potential. Likewise, thanks to the habit and resistance developed by playing habitually, one is able to manage a more complex racket without increasing the risk of injury.
How do you recognize a racket with more specific characteristics?
Most intermediate shovels are very well rounded, i.e. balanced between their strengths and weaknesses. However, the details make all the difference. There are starting to be differences between control racquets and power racquets, or between smooth cymbals and rougher cymbals.
Furthermore, the rackets have more durability as they are made with more resistant materials.
Balancing
Balance is one of the main factors in distinguishing a racket that is easier to swing from one that produces more power at the cost of a little control. A central balance usually corresponds to control rackets, because it facilitates coordination and execution of shots. Rackets that require more effort and allow you to hit harder tend to have the balance shifted slightly towards the racket head, thus creating a longer leverage.
Consistency
As explained for beginner rackets, texture can depend on numerous structural elements of the racket. The interiors are usually made of rubber or foams of different models, of different softness depending on the material of the external plate.
The platter is usually made of carbon fiber (sometimes associated with layers of different materials, specific from model to model) or glass fibre. Fiberglass is the most elastic material, followed by the most popular 3K carbon fiber, while 12K carbon fiber is the least flexible.
A harder consistency corresponds to a more powerful racket, if you are able to produce the necessary effort. Instead, a softer consistency corresponds to a racket capable of cushioning more powerful shots, and which requires less overall effort.
Form
In the intermediate racquet category, a difference between round, round hybrid, and teardrop blades is starting to show. In that order, you move from control rackets to more powerful rackets. The shape is closely related to the balance and the position and extension of the sweet spot.
Round rackets tend to have a larger center balance and sweet spot. Teardrop racquets naturally have a more displaced balance towards the racquet head, and a slightly reduced sweet spot.
