Padel is accessible, social, and easy to learn. But that does not mean the sport is easy on your body.
Short sprints, explosive braking, many lateral movements, repetitive rotations, and overhead shots like the smash, bandeja, and vibora place a strain on various parts of the body.
Many players are familiar with tennis elbow, but issues with the knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist, and lower back also occur in padel.
Short answer: research into padel injuries points primarily to the elbow, knee, ankle, shoulder, and lower back as major problem areas. Well-chosen shoes, a suitable grip, and a racket with appropriate weight and balance can influence playing comfort, but equipment alone does not prevent injuries. Technique, training load, strength, recovery, and physical preparation are at least as important.
How common are injuries in padel?
A systematic review of eight studies with a total of 2,022 players found approximately 3 injuries per 1,000 training hours and 8 injuries per 1,000 matches. The elbow was the most common, followed by the knee, shoulder, and lower back. Tendon and muscle injuries were the most frequently reported. The authors do note that research into padel injuries is still relatively limited.
Newer studies largely confirm this picture. A 2026 review highlights the elbow and shoulder for the upper limbs, while the knee and ankle are common for the lower limbs.
Interesting for Belgian players: a 2025 study of 457 recreational players in Belgian clubs found that 36.5% had sustained an injury in the previous year. The lower limbs accounted for 53.5% of registered injuries, and the median recovery time was 30 days.
1. Knee and ankle complaints in padel
Padel constantly involves short accelerations, lateral steps, braking actions, and changes of direction. It is precisely this high movement speed and abrupt change of direction that are cited in scientific literature as potential factors contributing to injury risk.
A misstep, a foot getting stuck while your body rotates, or an aggressive change of direction can place a heavy strain on the knee or ankle in particular.
Can the right padel shoes help?
Good shoes are relevant here, but frame this correctly.
A padel shoe must suit your foot as well as the surface, providing sufficient lateral stability and appropriate traction for the movements you perform. Research into sports footwear emphasizes that traction and lateral stability should primarily be assessed during realistic movements on the actual playing surface.
However: there is insufficient evidence to state that one specific type of sports shoe prevents injuries. A large meta-analysis on sports injury prevention found no convincing preventive benefit from simply wearing “specialized shoes”; targeted training programs had a much clearer effect.
The practical message is therefore:
do not buy a shoe because it claims to prevent injuries. Choose a shoe that fits well, provides sufficient lateral support, and is suitable for the court you play on.
Also check your sole regularly. A completely worn-out shoe no longer performs the same way it did when it was new.
2. Shoulder pain in padel
In padel, the shoulder has to handle many repetitive overhead movements.
Think of:
smashes, bandejas, viboras, and other overheads.
The most recent epidemiological review names the shoulder, after the elbow, as one of the most affected areas of the upper body. Researchers point to the high volume of overhead and fast shots as a plausible contributing factor.
Does your padel racket have an impact?
Possibly, but you must be careful with cause and effect here.
A heavier or head-heavy racket requires more effort to accelerate and brake repeatedly. Research on padel players finds associations between racket characteristics and injuries, but such studies do not prove that a certain weight or shape directly causes the injury.
For players who fatigue quickly in the shoulder or arm, it may be logical to look at:
weight + balance + hardness + your own technique, and not simply the term “arm-friendly”.
For example, a 355-gram racket with a very high balance may feel physically heavier during overheads than a slightly heavier racket with more weight distributed toward the handle.
3. Wrist and hand complaints
Wrist complaints receive less attention than tennis elbow, but they do occur.
A recent study of amateur padel players found that wrist and hand complaints often developed gradually, suggesting that repetitive strain may play a role for some players.
Many factors can contribute: technique, gripping too tightly, fatigue, contact off the sweet spot, and possibly grip and racket configuration.
Why the grip is important
A grip that does not fit your hand comfortably can cause you to squeeze harder.
Biomechanical research from tennis — not specific to padel — shows that grip diameter can influence required grip strength and the strain on the wrist extensors. This makes grip size a relevant factor to consider, but it is no guarantee against injury.
Also, a completely worn-out overgrip is not ideal. When your racket constantly tries to twist in your hand, you often automatically grip tighter.
A fresh overgrip therefore primarily helps with grip, control, and comfort.
Not because an overgrip is medically proven to prevent wrist injuries.
4. Lower back pain in padel
The lower back also appears regularly in padel injury research. In the systematic review, the lower back was among the most reported problem areas after the elbow, knee, and shoulder.
That is not surprising.
During padel, you constantly combine:
trunk rotation, defending low, rising quickly, lateral movement, and overhead movements.
Especially as you become fatigued, your technique may change.
Can equipment solve back problems?
Equipment is much less important here.
A racket that fits you well may be more comfortable to play with, but lower back issues are not solved by a different type of carbon or a thicker overgrip.
For the lower back, physical preparation, resilience, technique, recovery, and gradual training build-up are far more relevant.
This is exactly why you gain more credibility as a padel shop if you do not try to solve every problem with a product.
5. Achilles tendon and calf also deserve attention
If you write more broadly than tennis elbow, I would certainly not forget the ankle and Achilles tendon.
A study of Italian recreational padel players actually found the lower leg/Achilles region to be the most reported injury location in that sample. A recent Portuguese study also saw many ankle injuries and frequently reported fatigue/overuse as a cause cited by players.
That fits the nature of padel: many short starts and explosive pushes.
That is why it is unwise to go from zero sports to playing padel four times a week just because you've developed a taste for it.
Your stamina can improve quickly.
Tendon tissue often adapts much more slowly.
Can an arm-friendly padel racket prevent injuries?
Here I would very consciously answer no.
A racket can feel more comfortable, and characteristics such as weight, balance, stiffness, and grip can influence mechanical stress. Research from racket sports, for example, shows clear differences in vibrations depending on racket construction and whether the ball is hit centrally or outside the sweet spot.
But you cannot conclude from that:
“This racket prevents injuries.”
That is not proven.
A so-called arm-friendly racket can be interesting when it, for example:
is easily maneuverable, does not feel extremely head-heavy, has a larger sweet spot, and feels comfortable for the player in question.
But technique and load remain more important than a marketing label.
Do good shoes prevent padel injuries?
Here, too, the answer is nuanced.
Appropriate shoes help give your feet grip and lateral support during the specific movements of padel. That is a good reason to wear real padel shoes or suitable court shoes.
But scientifically, it is too strong to write that good padel shoes automatically prevent knee or ankle injuries.
Broader research into sports injury prevention finds stronger support for targeted training programs than for simply putting on a different shoe.
Equipment supports you, therefore.
It does not replace physical preparation.
What can you do yourself to reduce the risk of injury?
The strongest approach is not one product, but a combination of gradual training build-up, good technique, strength and stability, sufficient recovery, and equipment that actually suits you. General sports injury studies show that targeted training programs can reduce the risk of injury, and specifically for ankle injuries, there is support for proprioceptive training.
Equipment only comes alongside that.
That is why, during an equipment check, I would mainly look at four things: does your shoe fit your foot and playing surface, does your racket still feel maneuverable after a full match, can you hold the grip in a relaxed manner, and is your equipment not worn out or damaged?
When should you stop playing?
Pain is not always the same as an injury, but continuing despite clear complaints is not smart either.
Have complaints assessed when pain keeps returning or gets worse, hinders your daily movements, or if your joint clearly becomes less mobile. Seek medical help more quickly in case of a clear traumatic injury, severe swelling or deformation, numbness/tingling, or if you can barely use an arm or leg anymore.
A blog — and also a padel shop — cannot provide a diagnosis.
With persistent complaints, a doctor or physiotherapist is the right person to assess the cause.
Which equipment do you choose if you are prone to complaints?
There is no universal “injury-free” racket or perfect shoe.
At Punto de Padel, we would therefore not start with:
“This is our most arm-friendly racket.”
We prefer to look at the player.
Think of physique, level, how often you play, current racket, weight, balance, grip thickness, shoe fit, and where you experience discomfort.
Sometimes a lighter or less head-heavy racket proves more comfortable.
Sometimes the problem lies more with a worn-out grip.
And sometimes equipment is not the solution at all, and it is wiser to first have your technique or complaints assessed professionally.
That is better advice than pretending €250 of new equipment will solve every physical problem.
Frequently asked questions about padel injuries
What are the most common injuries in padel?
Research mainly cites the elbow, knee, shoulder, ankle, and lower back. Tendon and muscle injuries are very common, but the exact distribution varies by study and player group.
Can you get wrist pain from padel?
Yes. Wrist and hand complaints are reported among padel players and can arise both acutely and gradually. In case of persistent or severe pain, it is best to have the cause assessed professionally.
Why do I get shoulder pain after padel?
That can have many causes. Padel involves many repetitive overhead movements that strain the shoulder, but you cannot make a diagnosis based on pain alone.
Is a lighter padel racket better for preventing injuries?
Not automatically. Weight is only one attribute. Balance, racket construction, technique, training load, and the player themselves also play a role. Research into racket characteristics shows associations with injuries, but there is no simple rule yet like “lighter = safer”.
Does a Hesacore or thicker grip help with wrist or arm complaints?
A different grip can influence comfort and the required grip strength, but there is insufficient evidence to promise that a certain grip system prevents injuries. Primarily choose a grip thickness that feels relaxed and stable.
Which shoes are best if you have knee problems?
You cannot determine that generally from a webshop. A good fit, appropriate traction, and lateral stability are relevant for padel, but existing complaints may require individual advice from a doctor, physiotherapist, or other qualified professional.
Choosing padel equipment at Punto de Padel
Good equipment does not make you immune to injuries.
But incorrectly fitted or worn-out equipment can make your game unnecessarily uncomfortable.
At Punto de Padel, we therefore help you choose:
padel shoes that fit your foot and surface, a racket with appropriate weight and balance, a grip setup that feels comfortable, and equipment that suits your level and playing frequency.
However, do you already have clear or recurring pain?
Find out where it comes from first.
After that, we can help ensure your equipment matches your game and situation as well as possible.