Bullpadel XPLO 27 Padel Racket

The Bullpadel XPLO 27 is the 2027 model in Bullpadel's XPLO range, and many retailers list it as the XPLO 02. Bullpadel developed it with Martín Di Nenno and rates it 5 out of 5 for power, the top of its scale. It is built for experienced attacking players who win points at the net with smashes and viboras and have the arm speed to swing a head-heavy racket.

• Shape: Geometric, a diamond base widened at the 2 and 10 o'clock positions
• Weight: 365 to 375 g
• Balance: High, around 27 cm
• Thickness: 38 mm
• Hitting surface: 507 cm²
• Face: X-Tend Carbon 3K
• Core: MultiEVA
• Frame: Carbon
• Surface: 3D Grain rough finish
• Feel: Intermediate to hard
• Level: Professional

Most of the weight sits toward the head, which gives you extra leverage on overheads. The geometric head widens the frame where a classic diamond narrows, so the sweet spot is bigger than on a pure diamond but still sits high on the face. Control, manoeuvrability and sweet spot size each score 2.5 out of 5 on Bullpadel's own scale, so this racket suits players whose technique is already solid.

The faces are X-Tend Carbon 3K over a three-layer MultiEVA core. The outer layers are stiffer to drive hard hits and the inner layer is softer for comfort. Inside the frame, Geometric Core adds reinforcement in the upper head and around the throat to limit twisting and bending on impact. The frame is a tube of interwoven carbon with a hexagonal profile Bullpadel calls Hexature, which it says is 3 mm thicker for stability and resistance to torsion. Air Power reshapes the channels in the lower frame to cut air drag and help swing speed, and Wave System lets energy travel from the top of the frame to help on slower shots.

The Smart Holes drilling pattern is designed for this mould to set face stiffness and ball exit speed, and the 3D Grain texture helps the ball grip the face for spin. Four Ease Vibe dampeners sit in the face holes, and Bullpadel says they absorb up to 49% of impact vibration. Moving them changes the feel and balance, and you can pick up spare Ease Vibe dampeners if you want to try different positions. To shift the balance further, Bullpadel Custom Weight plates add 3 g each in the marked zones on the frame.

The handle uses Hesacore, a honeycomb grip with an elastomer that dampens vibration and gives your fingers more contact. Vibradrive adds another elastomer strip along the handle to absorb the shake from off-centre hits.