The Padel Patch

HEAD challenged us to support the growth of padel as cost-effectively as possible without changing the identity of the sport, and early research quickly revealed a major obstacle: rental rackets break frequently, cost £400–£500 to replace, and generate unnecessary waste. Interviews with players, coaches, retailers, and padel-center managers confirmed that these rackets often last only 6–10 weeks, placing a financial strain on centers and negatively affecting the experience of new players who are often handed damaged equipment. This issue became the focal point of our design direction.

Using the Double Diamond model, we moved between discovery and definition as our understanding of the problem developed. We immersed ourselves in padel, conducted interviews across a range of user groups, mapped insights, challenged our assumptions, and tested multiple framings of the design challenge. While we explored ideas such as durable racket redesigns and carbon-fibre recycling, feasibility constraints and user feedback made it clear that the most practical and impactful direction was not to redesign the racket, but to extend the lifespan of existing ones.

This guided us toward repair-focused solutions. Through hands-on prototyping with carbon fibre and two-part epoxy, we demonstrated that small cracks could be repaired effectively without compromising playability. Feedback from coaches, club managers, and players confirmed the approach’s viability, and repeated trials showed that the process was simple enough for centers to perform themselves. The final outcome—a low-cost repair kit with pre-cut carbon-fibre patches, epoxy resin, acetone, sandpaper, and clear instructions—offers centers a practical way to reduce replacement costs, limit waste, and improve the quality of rental equipment.

This work culminated in a pitch to HEAD’s Research and Development department, where we presented our design journey, prototype results, and the final repair-kit solution as a feasible, low-cost method for supporting the sport’s growth.

Key takeaways include the value of revisiting the problem as new insights emerge, the importance of testing ideas directly with users, and the impact of focusing on solutions that enhance both sustainability and player experience. Extending the life of rental rackets ultimately proved to be a simple and meaningful way to advance HEAD’s goal of growing padel responsibly and accessibly.