What the Padel Court Fences Must Look Like to have a Random Bounce
How many times have you cursed the Padel court fence for a clumsy bounce that caused you to lose the point?
As much as it may get on your nerves, it is all within the norm, and the random bounce of the ball on the fences certainly adds an extra component of unpredictability and fun to our favorite sport.
This means that sometimes the fence may offer a more favorable bounce and therefore easier to intercept, while at other times it may cause the ball to take directions that are difficult to defend and for which it is advisable to position yourself in the right position to try to intercept it anyway.
But what must the fence of a padel court look like to achieve a bounce that is neither too smooth nor too uncontrollable?
In recent years, it was realized that it was necessary to set standards also for how the fence of padel courts is made to standardize the playing experience wherever you are and by studying very precise measures to ensure the much coveted random bounce: for this reason, the International Padel Federation has drawn up a set of guidelines, contained in the Official Manual "Padel Game Regulations" that set very precise parameters for the design of the grids.
Which are?
1)The fence should be made up of rhomboids or squares simply twisted or soldered but always with holes diagonal measurement no smaller than 5 cm and no larger than 7.08 cm. The recommended thickness of the wire is between 1.6 mm and 3 mm. With a maximum of 4 mm and a tension that allows the ball to bounce on it. If a soldered fence is used all points of solder must be protected on both sides to ensure against cuts or scratches. If the soldered 8 mesh is not interlaced, it must be in squares, not rhomboids.
2)The parallel threads must be on the inside and the vertical threads on the outside. If the fence is simply twisted the torsion mechanism must be on the outside of the court and conveniently protected. The joins or seams must not have any sharp or pointed edges. Both types of fence must form a flat and vertical surface and must ensure that the above characteristics are always maintained.
As we have seen, therefore, a fence of any shape and size is not enough to achieve a random but consistent bounce of the ball, and it is necessary to adhere strictly to these parameters to provide the best possible playing experience while ensuring that good dose of unpredictability so beloved (and hated) by players.
What about Fiberglass fences?
We at NXPadel, manufacturers of Fiberglass Padel Courts, have also aligned ourselves with these parameters from the very beginning and have studied and designed our meshes design so that it respects them at every point. As illustrated in this video, the Fiberglass mesh forms a perfectly flat surface composed of squares that meet all the measurements in terms of size and thickness required by the Official Manual "Padel Game Regulations".
The same goes for both the tension of the mesh, which can bounce the ball perfectly, and especially of the arrangement of the vertical and horizontal threads, a fundamental aspect to guarantee the ball a random bounce.
Why then choose the Fiberglass structure?
As we have seen, even on Fiberglass Padel Courts, a bounce that is always random is guaranteed and tested, as all players like and especially as it is required by the IPF.
But what are the advantages of choosing this type of structure in terms of playability?
In addition to the countless installation, transportation, and maintenance advantages that this innovative type of court can provide, there are also several advantages for players:
Let's look at them:
1)Shock Absorption: thanks to its special mechanical properties, the Fiberglass fence is super elastic and can absorb any kind of shock from the players' bodies without causing injury or muscle pain. About this, it is important to add that the Fiberglass fence immediately returns to its flat shape after impact and never runs the risk of deforming to ensure that it always looks great and so as not to alter the consistency of the rebound on it.
2)100% Anti-Rust: Fiberglass is a chemically anti-rust material and will never run the risk of rusting. This, in addition to being a great advantage from a maintenance point of view, also becomes crucial for the players, who will never run the risk of impacting on rusty parts of the court and getting greenbacks or injuries.
3)Anti-abrasive Profile: another advantage for players is the anti-abrasive profile of the fence: its surface is perfectly flat, free of roughness due to welding, and because of this, impacting against it will pose a significantly lower risk of getting injured.4)Resistance to winds up to 130km/h: the Fiberglass structure, despite its lightness that can facilitate installation and transportation, is strong and super durable. Our padel courts are tested to withstand winds up to 130km/ according to the Official Eurocodes.
So, as you may have seen, what determines the causal rebound on the padel court fence is closely related to their design, which, as in the case of the Fiberglass Padel Courts, meets the strict parameters imposed by the IPF.
Innovation and the choice of different materials that can bring new benefits to all stakeholders gravitating around the sport are a plus, but you know, the typical padel player is rather punctilious and precise, especially about rebounding... so better not to upset him!
