Decathlon Kuikma PR 990 Padel Racket

Decathlon's Kuikma line is the quiet success story of UK padel. Most clubs I visit have at least one player on a Kuikma, and the PR 990 specifically is the £50 racket I send absolute beginners to when they refuse to spend more.

The hybrid shape is the smart design choice for a budget racket. Pure round shapes are forgiving but limit attacking shots, pure teardrops add power but punish mishits — the hybrid 990 sits between, with the sweet spot still positioned reasonably low for forgiveness but the head shape pulled towards a teardrop for slightly more pace on overheads. The medium balance keeps it manoeuvrable.

The soft EVA core is genuinely soft and gives you real dwell time on the strings, which is what you need when your timing is not yet repeatable. The fibreglass face is the same compromise every sub-£70 racket makes — you will not get carbon-level spin or pace, but for someone learning to make consistent contact, that is not the bottleneck.

Durability is the honest weakness. The fibreglass and budget edge guard mean a hard scrape against the back glass will damage the racket faster than a £100 carbon stick would survive. Expect 12 months of careful use rather than two years of abuse.

Ideal owner is the genuine beginner shopping in Decathlon and not wanting to spend more than £50. Wrong owner is the regular player who would outgrow it within six months, or anyone who does not have a Decathlon nearby — it is essentially store-exclusive.

In-store and online at Decathlon UK at £50.