adidas Arrow Hit Junior Padel Racket 2026

An adult padel racket weighs 345 to 375 g, and a child who holds one for an hour will start swinging with the whole shoulder, which is how bad habits and sore wrists start. The Arrow Hit Junior is listed at 310 to 330 g, 15 to 50 g less than the light adult rackets in the same range, and has a round head with a soft core so the ball goes where the child pointed it.

That is the whole point of a junior racket. It is a smaller version of the grown-up thing, built to be swung properly. StarVie's round, ultra-soft Junior is a similar-weight alternative. Our kids padel racket page has a height-to-weight guide and the other junior rackets we list.

Everyone agrees on the weight, the round head, the fibreglass face and the EVA Soft Performance core. The listings split on balance: Central Sports says low, Stringers World says even, Tennis Warehouse Europe says medium. Thickness is 36 mm on the adidas licensee's sheet and at Central Sports, 38 mm at another retailer, and a 36 mm frame is a small but real difference in a child's hand.

Padelkiwi describes a carbon-rib exoskeleton frame and an adjustable wrist cord that is new for 2026, which is a retailer description we have not confirmed with adidas. A wrist cord is obligatory in padel anyway; check it is present and the right length when the racket arrives.

Shops sell it as a white and blue version and a white and pink version. They are the same racket in different colours, so choose by what the child likes. Blue and pink are the two colourways adidas makes, and for a nine-year-old the colour is part of the appeal.

Retailers put the junior range at under 12. After that, many children move straight to the lightest adult rackets, and adidas has a few: the round Drive Light and RX Series Light are 345 to 360 g and fibreglass-faced, soft enough for a teenager who is still growing. Our beginner padel racket page covers the rest.

Do not rush it. A racket that is too heavy teaches a child to muscle the ball, and the habit is hard to lose. For a stronger child who wants a diamond, the 2024 Metalbone Youth 3.3 is lighter than an adult racket.

A racket protector goes on first; children throw rackets at walls. A small overgrip from the padel grips page keeps the handle dry, and a tube of adidas Speed RX balls and our padel balls guide complete the basics. For feet, there is the adidas Crazyquick junior shoe and our padel shoes page.

Browse more on the padel racket page, and read our guide to choosing a padel racket if you are unsure about shapes.