ARTURO COELLO'S BRAND, BUILT ON TEARDROPS
Head padel rackets,
from the Flash to the Coello Pro
Head has the most teardrop-heavy catalogue of the major brands, which is quietly a good thing: the teardrop is the shape that suits the largest number of players. The brand carries Arturo Coello, currently one of the strongest players in the world, and Head is the rare big brand whose flagship is not an extreme diamond.
- 74 models
- 59 from 2023 on
- €80 to €380
- 3 sponsored pros
THE RANGE
The Head lines,
and what each is for
Head has 74 models in the catalogue. Almost all of them belong to one of these families, so knowing the families is most of the work.
| Line | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Speed | The control-and-comfort line. Round and teardrop shapes with softer cores. The easiest Head range to play with. |
| Extreme | The power line. Higher balance, stiffer, aimed at players who attack. |
| Coello | Arturo Coello's signature frames, at the top of the range. |
| Gravity | Hybrid shapes that sit between Speed and Extreme, for players who want both. |
| Radical | All-round club rackets, a good default if you are unsure. |
| Flash | The entry range: light, round and inexpensive. |
WHAT MAKES HEAD DIFFERENT
Foam cores
where everyone else uses EVA
Head is the Austrian ski and tennis company founded by Howard Head in 1950, and it brought two tennis habits into padel that nobody else shares. The first is the core. Where almost every other brand fills the frame with EVA foam of some hardness, Head uses its own Power Foam, Control Foam and Comfort Foam, and the catalogue reflects it: Power FOAM is the most common core across the 74 Head rackets we track, and the three foams map directly onto the Extreme, Speed and Gravity lines. Foam is lighter and springier than EVA, which is why Head frames tend to feel quick in the hand for their weight.
The second habit is shape. Head is the only major brand whose flagship is not an extreme diamond: 50% of its catalogue is teardrop, 27% diamond and 23% round, and Arturo Coello, one of the strongest players in the world, competes with a Head that has a bigger sweet spot than its rivals' pro frames. Paula Josemaría and Ari Sánchez, the dominant women's pairing of recent seasons, both play Head. The Speed line adds Innegra fibre to the face, a shock-damping material borrowed from Head tennis, which is the reason the Speed frames are so often recommended for sore elbows.
Prices run from about €80 for a Flash to €380 for the Coello signature, with a median of €200. The Radical and Gravity lines in the middle are as good a default as any brand makes for a UK club player who does not yet know which side they prefer.
CURRENT MODELS
Head rackets
compared on specs
The most recent Head models, newest first: shape, weight, balance, core, face material, price band and the level each one is built for. The name under a model is the professional who plays with it.
| Model | Shape | Weight | Balance | Core | Surface | Price band | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Extreme Pro 2026 | Diamond | 370 g | High | Power FOAM | Fibreglass + carbon | Premium€280 | Advanced |
| Head Coello Motion 2026Arturo Coello | Diamond | 360 g | High | Power FOAM | Carbon | Pro€350 | Advanced |
| Head Coello Pro 2026 | Diamond | 370 g | High | Power FOAM | Carbon | Pro€350 | Advanced |
| Head Extreme Motion 2026 | Diamond | 360 g | High | Power FOAM | Fibreglass + carbon | Premium€240 | Advanced |
| Head Coello Team 2026 | Diamond | 360 g | Medium to high | Power FOAM | Fibreglass | Premium€220 | Advanced |
| Head Extreme Team 2026 | Diamond | 365 g | Medium to high | Power FOAM | Fibreglass | Premium€200 | Advanced |
| Head Radical Motion 2026 | Teardrop | 355 g | Medium | Control FOAM | 3K carbon | Mid€199 | Intermediate to advanced |
| Head Radical Pro 2026 | Teardrop | 370 g | Low to medium | Control FOAM | 3K carbon | Premium€239 | Intermediate to advanced |
| Head Extreme One 2026 | Diamond | 350 g | High | Power FOAM | 12K carbon | Premium€280 | Advanced |
| Head Radical Team 2026 | Teardrop | 360 g | Low | Control FOAM | Fibreglass | Mid€179 | Intermediate to advanced |
| Head Extreme One X 2026 | Diamond | 370 g | High | Power FOAM | 12K carbon | Premium€280 | Advanced |
| Head Radical Team Light 2026 | Teardrop | 340 g | Low | Control FOAM | Fibreglass | Mid€149 | Intermediate |
Weight is the manufacturer's stated range. Balance is where the mass sits: low means towards the handle, high means towards the head. Price band is the recommended retail price in euros (entry under 120, mid 120 to 200, premium 200 to 300, pro over 300); UK street prices are usually lower. Level is our reading of the shape, balance and core, not a rule.
BY SHAPE
Which shape
do you need?
Round: Head Extreme EVO 2026
Head has 17 round models. This shape suits the right side, players who build points, anyone still developing their timing, and anyone protecting an arm. Our current pick from the range is the Head Extreme EVO 2026, at around €90.
Teardrop: Head Radical Motion 2026
Head has 37 teardrop models. This shape suits the largest number of club players, because it gives some power without shrinking the sweet spot. Our current pick from the range is the Head Radical Motion 2026, at around €199.
Diamond: Head Extreme Pro 2026
Head has 20 diamond models. This shape suits advanced attacking players who finish points with the smash and hit the middle of the strings consistently. Our current pick from the range is the Head Extreme Pro 2026, at around €280.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Buying a Head
without buying the wrong one
Brand is the last thing that should decide a padel racket, and the first thing most people decide. Once you are inside a range, three specs settle the question.
Shape decides forgiveness
Round puts the sweet spot in the middle of the face where you actually hit the ball. Diamond moves it up towards the tip, which buys power and costs you every off-centre shot. Teardrop sits between the two and is the right answer for most club players. Head covers round, teardrop, diamond, so you do not need to leave the brand to change shape.
Core decides comfort
Soft cores hold the ball longer, forgive a slow swing and transmit less shock to the elbow. Hard EVA cores are more powerful and more precise but punish poor timing. If you have ever had tennis elbow, this single spec matters more than shape, weight and brand combined.
Your side matters more than your level
The left side finishes points and usually wants a higher balance. The right side builds points and covers the middle, so it usually wants a larger sweet spot. Two players of the same level on opposite sides should not buy the same racket.
Then let the data narrow it
The table above is the fastest filter: read down the shape, balance and core columns before you look at a single price, and the level column tells you who each frame was built for. Our racket finder does this across all 1,418 rackets in seven questions, and if you have run a match analysis it uses your real technique scores instead of your own estimate of your level. If you are still choosing between brands, start with our guide to the best padel rackets or, for a first racket, the beginner picks.
FAQ
Questions about
Head rackets
What racket does Arturo Coello use?
His own Head signature line, built on the brand's power platform. As with every professional endorsement, the retail version shares the mould rather than the exact customised specification the player competes with.
Which Head padel racket is best for control?
The Speed line. It uses rounder shapes, lower balances and softer cores than the Extreme range, which puts the sweet spot in the middle of the face where a control player actually makes contact.
What is the difference between Head Speed and Head Extreme?
Speed is the control and comfort range: softer, more forgiving, lower balance. Extreme is the power range: stiffer, higher balance, more demanding. Gravity sits between the two for players who do not want to commit either way.
Are Head padel rackets good for beginners?
Yes, and unusually so for a major brand. The Flash and Speed lines are round or teardrop with soft cores and forgiving sweet spots, which is exactly what a developing game needs.
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