Panel
The panel is the hitting face of a padel racket - usually a composite layer of carbon fibre or fibreglass bonded to an EVA foam core. The panel determines how the ball feels off the face, how much power transfers, and how the racket ages. Panel quality is the single biggest difference between budget and premium rackets.
What is the panel?
The panel is the flat hitting surface on each face of a padel racket. It consists of an outer skin (carbon fibre, fibreglass, or a blend) bonded to a foam core. The skin handles the impact and provides stiffness; the foam absorbs energy and gives the racket its bounce-back feel. The two layers together produce the trampoline effect that defines padel-racket characteristics.
Materials
Carbon-fibre panels are stiffer, more responsive and more durable than fibreglass. They transfer more power but are harsher on the arm. Fibreglass panels flex more, absorb more vibration and are softer on the arm - usually paired with budget or beginner rackets. Premium rackets use carbon-fibre panels with three or four layers of fibre for extra stiffness.
Surface and pattern
The panel surface is either smooth or rough. Rough panels (textured) grip the ball better and generate more spin; smooth panels (sanded) produce cleaner contact and slightly more pace. Most modern rackets use rough surfaces because the walls reward spin. The hole pattern - the perforations across the face - reduces aerodynamic drag during the swing.
Coach tip: Panel quality is where the price difference between budget and premium rackets is most visible. A £80 fibreglass-panel racket and a £250 carbon-fibre-panel racket feel almost the same in the first session, but the £250 racket holds its feel for 18 months while the budget one softens after six.
Common mistakes
Two common errors. First, judging a panel by feel alone in a 30-second test - panel characteristics emerge over weeks of play. Second, ignoring panel maintenance. A clean panel performs better than a dirty one, and small chips on the edge propagate into larger cracks if ignored.
