Kelme Mastin

Pros

• ✓The soft EVA rubber core and fibreglass face filter the impact for you: the ball pops off the racket face on its own on wall exits and defensive lobs, with no need to force the swing The wide sweet spot of the 38 mm teardrop shape shrugs off off-centre bandejas and blocked volleys, losing almost nothing in direction compared to a clean centre strike The rough surface genuinely bites on sliced balls and the vibora, generating a low, kicking bounce that's tougher for your opponent to lift back into play A three-layer interwoven fibreglass face and frame, 100% made in Spain: built to prioritise toughness and durability over stiffer weaves that tend to crack sooner

Cons

• ✗On a fast, flat smash the fibreglass frame flexes and soaks up part of the energy: the Mastin gives back what you put in rather than multiplying racket-arm speed At the top end of its 375 g range, the weight shows up in fast net-to-net volley exchanges, where the wrist runs out of time on the second change of direction The soft feel of the EVA soft rubber cuts down on feedback during a sliced bandeja: it's harder to pinpoint exactly where the ball meets the face The rough texture wears smooth with court hours, and the bite it generates drops off noticeably sooner than on higher-end treated surfaces

The Kelme Mastin suits intermediate players who already have a technical base and want to progress without jumping to a too-demanding paddle. Its teardrop shape shifts the sweet spot slightly upwards, striking a balance between control and power. Its 360-375g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

The Kelme Mastin tackles a very specific problem for the intermediate player: getting through a third set with your elbow intact and the ball still landing in. Teardrop shape, three-layer interwoven fibreglass face and frame, soft EVA rubber core, and a weight range of 360 to 375 grams.

Kelme entered padel in 2016 and manufactures its rackets 100% in Spain. The Mastin is their most honest take on an all-round padel racket: no carbon, no exotic weaves, and a build entirely geared towards letting the ball leave the face on its own.

Three layers of fibreglass: what the Mastin gains — and loses — by ditching carbon

The interwoven fibreglass in the frame and face works the opposite way to a carbon weave. Where carbon fires the ball back almost instantly and sends every vibration straight into your forearm, fibreglass flexes, holds onto the ball a few milliseconds longer and releases it with far less shock in the hand.

On court, that translates into a forgiving racket. Impact arrives filtered, and your arm will thank you for it over long sessions or if you've had elbow or shoulder trouble before.

The trade-off shows up at the ceiling. When you really accelerate through a flat smash, the frame gives a fraction and part of that energy gets lost in the flex instead of transferring to the ball.

The soft EVA rubber core doubles down on that philosophy. It's a rubber of contained density that compresses under moderate impacts, so you don't need a perfect strike or competition-level timing to get depth on the ball.

What level of player is the Kelme Mastin built for?

The Kelme Mastin is built for the intermediate, all-round player who mixes baseline and net play and values point security over the outright winner. The teardrop shape, soft EVA core and fibreglass face combine for a very high ball exit and a wide sweet spot, with low technical demand.

Player profiles it suits:

1. The amateur playing two or three matches a week who needs a reliable, durable racket rather than an explosive one.
2. Anyone coming off a stiff carbon racket and starting to feel the impact in their joints.
3. The baseline player who builds points with long lobs, wall exits and sliced balls.
4. The player who comes to net to close out points 3 with placement and bounce rather than raw pace.

Kelme Mastin: full specs

Shot by shot: where the 38 mm teardrop pays you back

Wall exits and defence. This is where it wins matches. The blend of soft rubber and fibreglass flex lets you send the ball deep from a stretched, forced position without having to muscle the shot. The deep defensive lob comes off with minimal effort, which is great news for a baseline grinder.

Bandeja. The wide sweet spot in the teardrop shape absorbs off-centre contact without the racket twisting in your hand. The bandeja tends to come out flatter and deeper rather than high and heavily sliced: the EVA soft rubber cushions the ball rather than biting into it, so if you're after a heavily cut bandeja you'll need to force the slice more.

Vibora and smash. The vibora is where the rough surface really shines, since it grips the sidespin well and the ball kicks away after the bounce. The smash 3 works through placement; the flat smash driven hard into the back glass is where the fibreglass frame hits its limit.

Volleys. Stable and very easy to block thanks to the forgiving hitting plane. At the top end of the weight range, that 375 g costs you half a beat of reaction time in fast mid-court exchanges.

Does this Kelme racket's rough surface actually generate spin?

Yes, and it's one of its genuine selling points. The rough face grips the ball on the slice, which shows up as a bandeja that stays low off the bounce and a drop shot that dies before it reaches the second wall. On topspin balls from the baseline, that same grip helps keep the ball down and inside the court.

The honest trade-off: a rough surface on fibreglass polishes smooth with court hours, and the bite drops off noticeably after a few seasons of regular play.

Verdict: when the Mastin is the right racket — and when it falls short

It's the right racket if your priority is not missing, not getting injured, and owning a racket that can take hits off the glass without cracking. Its balanced character between power and control, combined with above-average ball exit, makes it very easy to play from your very first match with it.

It falls short if you already generate your own power and want a crisp, direct response with pinpoint feedback on impact. The soft feel of the EVA soft rubber and the fibreglass flex smooth over that information.

One practical buying tip: within the 360 to 375 g range, going for the lighter option keeps things manoeuvrable at net, while the heavier option gives you more mass to block fast balls from the back of the court. As a doubles pairing, the Mastin works best alongside a partner who takes on the finishing smash while the Mastin holds down the rally.