Shockout Phantoms Padel Racket Protector

The material is PVC, described as flexible and resistant, and the guard sticks to the top edge of the head. Padel Nuestro and Decathlon Poland both say it adds no weight, and Decathlon adds that the balance and feel of the racket stay the same. It also helps keep the original paint from coming off in daily use, and it can come off without lifting the paint.

Every one of those is the seller's word. No grams are published, so a very light guard can still make a difference on a racket you have tuned carefully, and the claim about balance is easy to say and hard to prove.

It helps to see the claims side by side. Four things are said about the Phantoms, and none comes with a test, a measurement or a before-and-after photo. That is normal for a low-cost accessory, but it means the practical test is the racket in your hand and the paint after a month of play.

The same design family includes the Comic protector with its rough microgrid texture, and the Serious protector in the Joker design. If you want a plainer guard, look at Black Crown's plain black strip or the Nox protector.

Wipe the frame dry, start at the top of the head and smooth the guard down both sides without stretching it. Replace it when it lifts. A protector shields the paint from scrapes and light knocks, and it will not stop a frame cracking in a heavy hit.

See the full racket protector range, a fresh overgrip from the padel grips range and the padel racket range. Small kit is on the padel accessories page.

Players who want a measured, published weight and size, and anyone who fine-tunes balance with lead tape and wants to know the exact grams going on the frame.