The Bandeja summer 2024 issue

products
products
stiga
& suix
It was, perhaps, only a matter of time before
Swedish manufacturer Stiga Sports looked at its
hexagonal table tennis bats and thought... padel.
Some two years and much
research later and it’s launched
the Stiga Cybershape, which
ditches racket head curves for sides
and angles. There’s real hope that the
Cybershape’s edges might deliver the
ultimate weapon for digging balls out
of corners and from the super tricky
serve/floor/wall combo.
And we’re not alone. Former World
Padel Tour pro and Swedish national
team coach Daniel Dios, instrumental
in the development of the Cybershape,
doesn’t think he will go back to round
bats any time soon: “This racket takes
the concepts of sweetspot and power
to a whole new dimension,” he said.
“The ability to reach balls close to the
ground or the walls was probably the
most surprising thing to me. Every shot
feels fantastic and you can hit hard
without compromising on technique.
After testing Cybershape for almost a
year I find it very hard to imagine going
back to my old round rackets.”
Sweetspot
But that’s not all. Cybershape has
a 20% larger sweetspot than round
rackets meaning that, theoretically,
you have a higher chance of hitting a
decent shot. John Bandstigen, Product
Manager Racket Sports at STIGA Sports,
said this feature, combined with the
racket’s ‘blistering’ acceleration’, is a
benefit of the hexagonal mould. “As
you hit harder and faster shots you get
tremendous power and forward assist
that gives you a sense of total control,
despite the high speed,” said John.
Testing
In developing the Cybershape, Stiga
wanted to address the ‘limitations
of conventional round designs’, with
extensive testing and collaboration
involving Sweden’s Royal Institute
of Technology. And it’s not just the
shape that’s changed, Stiga has
used advanced composites and
manufacturing techniques to deliver
performance and durability.
Sell-out
Perhaps one reason that we’ve been
unable to get our hands on a racket
is that Stiga can’t make enough,
as a spokesman explained: “While
innovative sports equipment often
encounters a spectrum of reactions
initially, the Cybershape’s reception
has been overwhelmingly positive,
a testament to its exceptional
performance and the credibility of
the professionals endorsing it. We are
unable to meet demand.”
The Stiga Sports Cybershape padel
racket comes in three versions:
Cybershape 3K, Cybershape 18K
and Cybershape 18K Hard. All have
a 100% carbon frame, longer
handle and weight 360g +/-8g.
Prices start from £279.90.
Siux Fenix
Pro 4
Stiga isn’t the only padel
manufacturer that thinks the
padel racket world isn’t quite
round. Specialised Spanish
brand Siux has launched the Fenix
Pro 4 in standard and lightweight
versions. And while it’s not quite as
angular as the Stiga, it’s definitely
not a standard shape.
Álvaro Alejandro, Product Manager
at Siux, explained that they’ve
developed the Fenix Pro 4 for
players with an aggressive game.
Its high balance, hard touch and
sweetspot at the top of the racket
are designed to enhance this style
of play.
Prices for the Fenix Pro 4
start at around £195
Editor’s note
I had the pleasure of playing with
this racket during a trip to Spain
(thank you to Ana Belén Polo
at Siux). First off it’s a fantastic
looking racket and drew plenty of
attention - it might not be quite
so reflective in the British sun but
under warm Spanish rays it glowed
burnt orange, really eye-catching.
In play it felt like a best friend
from the off, beautifully balanced
and just lovely to play with. I’m an
average player so the level of tech
in this racket is likely wasted on me
but the overall package felt great
and it played really well. The only
downside? I had to give it back.
With strings
attached!
Developing racket technology isn’t confined
to established sports equipment manufacturers,
as The Bandeja finds out…
Solving the problem of padel
rackets breaking proved an
irresistible challenge for keen
player and inventor Mikel Azcona.
The Spaniard couldn’t help thinking
that tennis rackets, which last longer,
held the answer and so he invested
almost a year and three attempts
into a developing a prototype
stringed padel racket.
He told The Bandeja: “First I tried
using a padel racket, removing the
core and using the frame to attach
string to a new core. It didn’t work
very well since the frame didn’t have
the necessary rigidity. Then I tried a
tennis frame but it didn’t have the
right dimensions or rigidity either. I
finally decided to make the entire
frame. I created a mould, prepared
the materials and tools and then I
achieved the first prototype. I did all
of this by hand in the garage of my
father’s house.”
His invention was launched to the world
via YouTube and LinkedIn - but Mikel’s
joy at his new creation was short lived,
as he explained: “I discovered after
showing my work that the manufacturer
Vairo tried the same solution some
years ago with the Vairo Innovatic 7.2.
“At first I was very disappointed given
the effort I had invested in my research.
After the initial disappointment I felt r
elief and peace of mind as I’d decided
not to patent it, so at least I saved
myself some money.”
But Mikel remains undeterred: “Creating
the racket has helped me obtain
valuable contacts in the padel world
that may be useful in the future as I am
already working on another innovation.”
Mikel Azcona
with his stringed
padel racket.
The version that Vairo
developed, we think around
17 years ago.
WIN!
Fancy playing with this gorgeous
Wilson Bela 2.5 racket, worth £295?
Then head over to our website
www.thebandeja.com/competitions
for details of how to enter our
competition to win it.
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SUMMER 2024 | thebandeja.com
thebandeja.com | SUMMER 2024
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