Stiga 18K Hard 2 Cybershape Padel Racket

Everything on the sheet points one way. The balance is high, so the weight sits towards the top of the head and helps the racket through overhead shots. The core is a foam of higher density than the softer Cybershape rackets, which the stockist says adds stiffness and a firmer sound at contact. STIGA's own line is that it is stiff, with impressive speed and control and a good feel.

The face carries an 18K Carbon Duplex layer with a silver treatment that binds the weave, and a sandy Crystal Grip finish for spin. The frame is the 360 Carbon Frame, 100 per cent carbon with extra layers added for impact resistance. The handle is longer than usual, with a replaceable wrist strap, and the stockist mentions it suits hot climates, which on a British court is mostly a talking point.

Cybershape is STIGA's name for a hexagonal head with straight lines and an asymmetric frame. The brand says the sweet spot is about 20 per cent larger than on a round racket, and sits higher on the face, and it ties the shape to wind-tunnel tests that showed lower air resistance. Those are STIGA's figures and we have not seen anyone else repeat them.

A higher sweet spot suits a high-balance racket, since an attacking player meets the ball early and out in front. Whether it feels bigger in your hand than a diamond is something to find out in a demo, not on a spec sheet.

The two share a weight, a face material and a shape, so the choice is about balance and feel. The 18K 2 has a medium balance and softer ball contact, and a retailer describes it as the one for control players who want a forgiving feel. The Hard 2 is clearly the more offensive of the pair, with a stiffer core and a higher balance.

The other siblings sit around them: the 3K 2 is the stiff, precise one, the 18K LW 2 is lighter for the arm and the 18K X Hard is the most powerful of the range, with a harder Power Foam core, and Adam Axelsson's signature X Hard is the signature take. Our advanced padel rackets page sets them against other brands.

Anyone still learning the bandeja or anyone nursing an elbow. A stiff racket with a high balance passes more of the ball's shock to the arm and rewards clean technique, and a first racket from the best padel racket for beginners page will be kinder. If you want attacking shape from a better-known mould, the diamond padel racket page is the place to compare.

A stiff racket likes a fresh grip, so a tacky overgrip from the padel grips page is the first thing to add, and frame tape from the racket protector range guards a head that gets low often. Lively balls help a firm core, and the padel balls page explains how quickly a tube fades.

A bag with a shoe pocket such as the Babolat RH Pro keeps sand off the kit, and court shoes are on the padel shoes page. The full padel racket range is on one page, and our guide to choosing a padel racket explains shape and balance.