A Few Padel Gifts He’d Probably Love to Get This Father’s Day…

Wilson Bela Elite V2

Of all the people I play padel with here in Charleston, SC, the best by far is an Argentine guy we call Gabi, who started playing padel in Buenos Aires before most people in the U.S. had even heard of pickleball.

Needless to say, I trust Gabi’s opinion on all things padel-related. And while he loves the Siux padel rackets he plays with, the one racket he covets above all others — and talks about non-stop — is most definitely this one.

Perhaps it’s because it carries the name of an Argentine, Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín, who is widely considered the greatest padel player of all-time after his 16 years spent ranked as No. 1 in the world.

Or perhaps it’s just because it looks cool and plays great (and gets stellar reviews on Amazon, to boot). Either way, this is one gift Gabi — or probably any other padel addict — would love to receive for Father’s Day.

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Harrow Vapor

Having come from a squash background, I have purchased thousands of dollars worth of Harrow products over the years as they pretty much dominate the North American squash equipment world (with good reason).

But recently they began to move into the padel world, and a squash contact of mine who works there brought down a few demo paddles to try out, of which this was by far my favorite and the one I am playing with regularly. (It was also featured in a recent episode of Good Morning America, for what that’s worth.)

In my opinion, it has a great balance of touch and power and a nice big sweet spot, which makes it ideal for a wide-range of playing abilities and styles. And personally, I think it’s kind of cool-looking, too.

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Dunlop Pro Padel

I’ve played with probably over a half-dozen different brands of padel balls at this point, and while there are plenty I would avoid at all costs, no one brand stands out as the absolute best to me.

However, the balls I most commonly see being played with in all sorts of conditions and climates around the country are these, and these are actually what we’ve all been playing with here in Charleston, SC.

These Dunlop balls seem to have a good true bounce, hold up well (no fuzz flying off them after just a few points), don’t overly absorb moisture on damp courts, and are very durable — we’ll sometimes play two to three times with a single can.

Granted, the price tag is a bit steep, so you could/should also consider buying them in bulk like we have been to save money (you know, for even more gifts!).

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Salming Recoil Ultra Mids

As someone with notorious weak ankles, I’ve had a notoriously hard time over the years finding mid-top tennis, squash, or padel shoes with plenty of ankle support that aren’t horribly uncomfortable or horribly ugly.

Luckily, about seven years back, I stumbled across Swedish athletic brand Salming and their mid-top squash/court shoes. While not specifically a padel shoe, per se, they offer great support, traction, performance, and durability on both the squash and padel court (they are definitely not meant for rough, gritty tennis courts, though!).

Even better, they are incredibly comfortable from the very first time you put them on and aren’t too hard on the eyes, either. (And for men with stronger ankles, Salming makes a wide range of other excellent low-top court shoes you might want to consider).

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Feetures Men’s Socks

Probably much like the special man — or men — in your life, I have my fair share of faults and peccadilloes. Among them, I am a major sock snob.

Yes, I’ve tried all the fancy brands you probably hear plenty about, but when it comes to socks for playing squash or padel, practically the only socks I ever buy are from Feetures.

Feetures have a thousand-and-one options when it comes to socks — and pretty much all of them seem to get great reviews — but my go-to pair is always these.

They are comfortable, supportive (in all the right places), super-breathable, and moisture-wicking — no matter how wet my shoes might be from sweat, these socks never are.

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Sexy Ted Wrist-Bands and Bandanas

While playing padel (or even just standing outside in the humidity), I tend to sweat. A LOT. Many men do… and if yours is one of them then you both need some Sexy Ted in your life.

Yes, believe it or not, Sexy Ted is a real person (I went to his wedding, in fact). But it’s also a sports lifestyle brand. And an attitude. And an entire way of life.

For me, though, it’s what I always count on to keep sweat off my grip and out of my eyes, which is why I buy these two / items non-stop — and you might want to, too.

Shop Sexy Ted’s full collection here