Padel is a rapidly growing sport with a large base of amateur players. One crucial technique for winning points, which many amateurs struggle with, is the smash. The combination of its importance and difficulty makes it a compelling topic for design innovation. The central question is: how can padel amateurs learn the smash faster?

This report describes the development and testing of a padel ball with fuzzy felt designed to improve amateur players’ smash performance. The project began with conceptualising various ideas that were based on literature research on 1) the sport padel, 2) the smash in padel, 3) biomechanics of the smash, 4) motor learning and 5) coordination. The fuzzy padel ball concept is selected due to its multidisciplinary characteristics and discovered gap in the market. It has the potential to lower ball speed when the amateur player receives a lob, providing them with more time to set up their smashes. This approach aims to improve the learning experience.

The manufacturing process of standard padel balls can in theory be modified slightly to create a fuzzier felt that covers the rubber balls. Machines are used to break the weaving structure of the felt that goes around the balls. This production step raises the fuzziness of the felt and causes an increase in drag, which slows down the ball. Going through this machine multiple times will increase the fuzz even more, something that existing padel ball companies already do to make their ball travel slightly slower through the air than their competitors. Since it was not possible to use professional rubber balls glued with fuzzier felt right away, prototypes were created using different fabrics glued to padel and tennis balls to simulate the concept.

The prototypes are used for multiple tests that investigate which of them travels slower through the air. These tests consist of a drop test (to measure the fall speed of the prototypes) and a smash test (to measure the smash performance of the best prototypes). In the smash test, nine participants received multiple lobs which they had to smash at a target mat at the other side of the net. Their smash accuracy and speed were recorded and combined to produce a smash performance score. Results showed no significant difference in smash performance between normal and fuzzy balls. However, players provided qualitative feedback on timing adjustments and perceived a slower ball speed during the lob and an increase in weight. In conclusion, padel amateurs can learn the smash faster by integrating biomechanics, motor learning, and coordination. The fuzzy felt padel ball concept provides a promising tool for achieving this, although further refinement and testing are necessary.

Future prototype development should use high-quality felt with varying fuzziness and explore different internal pressures to counteract damping effects. Glueing felt directly onto rubber balls improves prototype quality. Additionally, investigating the durability of prototypes, creating removable fuzzy covers for existing balls, and collaborating with established manufacturers could provide further insights. Another qualitative finding of this study was the psychological impact of sensory feedback. One player perceives that louder smashes are correlated with higher smash speeds, which is not the case. This aspect should be examined more closely in future research.
Future studies should refine the smash test setup, use a round target for better statistical comparisons, and engage a professional padel trainer for consistent lobs. Improved filming techniques, including slow motion and higher-quality cameras, will enhance data accuracy.
Although the primary hypotheses were not supported, the study provided valuable insights into the differences between the effect of using normal and fuzzy padel balls.