Padel Raquettes Luperca

Pros

• ✓The XtraSoft EVA core sends the ball back without you having to muscle it: defensive lobs from the back of the court land deep in your opponent's court without any extra arm speed The 38mm frame spreads the sweet spot across almost the whole face, so volleys taken away from the centre still fly true instead of twisting off-line At 355-365g with a medium balance, the racket whips round in your wrist fast: you get there in time on a rushed wall exit, where a head-heavy racket would already be a step behind The glass fibre face flexes on contact and damps vibration, which your elbow will thank you for in the early weeks, when most balls are struck off-centre The teardrop shape with medium balance keeps the racket centred on the block volley: the serve return and the side-wall ball come out flat with controlled depth

Cons

• ✗The short handle trims the acceleration path on the smash: a flat smash works as a placement shot, not a finishing one The smooth face doesn't bite the ball, so the vibora and the cut bandeja come out without kick and your rival reads them with time to spare The soft rubber soaks up energy when you lean into it: chase a smash from position 3 and the racket sinks, giving back less than you put in The ceiling arrives early; the moment you start attacking the net with intent and working spin into your game, the glass fibre face runs out of answers

Glass fibre on the face, XtraSoft EVA in the core and a 38mm profile: the SET Luperca is the entry point into the catalogue of a Spanish brand founded in 2017, weighing in at 355-365g with a teardrop shape and medium balance.

This isn't a racket chasing a flashy spec sheet. It just wants the ball to clear the net without you doing anything strange with your arm.

XtraSoft EVA: why the ball comes off the face without you pushing it

The XtraSoft EVA core is a soft rubber, and that shapes almost everything you feel. The ball sinks into the face, stays there a fraction longer, and leaves with pace you didn't fully put in yourself.

On court that means defensive lobs from the baseline reach deep into your opponent's court without acceleration, and the serve return carries depth even when you're rushed.

The glass fibre face backs that up. It flexes more than a rigid face would, widens the usable hitting area and softens the shock in your hand.

The 38mm frame rounds things off: it's a generous profile that adds inertia and stability, so the racket absorbs a heavy ball from your opponent without getting knocked off line.

Who is the SET Luperca actually built for?

The SET Luperca is built for beginners who play most of their points from the back of the court. The mix of soft rubber, flexible face and wide sweet spot lets you land deep balls without polished technique or fine-tuned timing, prioritising control over power.

SET Luperca specs at a glance

Shot by shot: where it delivers and where it falls short

Baseline play. This is where the racket lives. Ball exit is its strongest asset: blocks and lobs come out deep with barely any effort, and for a beginner that's the difference between defending a point and giving it away.

Wall exit. The medium balance and 355g minimum weight let the racket turn fast in your hand. When the ball crowds you and you have to dig it out of the side glass in a hurry, you're there in time.

Volleys. Stable and directional, even off-centre. They're not aggressive volleys — the ball comes out at medium pace with a high bounce, giving your rival time to react — but they rarely sail long.

Bandeja. Comes out safe, but flat. Without any texture on the face the ball doesn't bite, and the bounce doesn't kick off the side wall the way it should.

Smash. The weak link. The short handle cuts the acceleration path short, and the soft rubber soaks up part of the energy instead of returning it.

Why the smooth face limits your spin game

A smooth face means less friction between rubber and ball. No friction, no rotation — and without rotation, three shots disappear:

1. **The vibora**, which relies on lateral cut to open up the angle.
2. **The cut bandeja**, which needs backspin to die on contact with the glass.
3. **Kick on serve**, impossible to generate without grip.

For someone just starting out, this barely matters — spin comes later. But it's worth knowing, because the day you want to start adding spin, the limitation will be in the racket, not your technique.

What you gain — and lose — by not stepping up in range

The Luperca sits at the entry tier of SET's catalogue, below higher-end options like the SET White Wolf. The real difference isn't the badge: a premium racket demands a fully-formed stroke and gives back more once you have one, while this SET model delivers results from day one and then plateaus.

That plateau has a timeline. As soon as you start smashing with real intent and looking for rotation, the glass fibre face and soft core will stop giving you what you're asking for.

Verdict: who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it if you've been playing under a year, you operate mostly from the back of the court, you've had elbow trouble, or you struggle to get depth on the ball. That profile gets a manageable 355-365g build, a wide sweet spot and zero penalty for off-centre contact.

Skip it if you're already attacking the net with purpose, finishing points with the smash, or building points around spin. The short handle and smooth face are structural limits, not something you adapt your way around.

As a padel racket to learn on, it does exactly what it promises; as one to grow into, it has a low ceiling — and that's worth knowing before you buy, not after.