Series 1: Build Your Own Padel Brand
Part3 : Understanding the Padel Racket Production Process — Mold : Frame”
Once you define your brand positioning, the first technical decision you need to make is the frame shape of your padel racket.
Frame shape is not just a design choice — it determines the foundation of your racket’s balance, structure, and overall feel.
But before choosing a frame, every brand must understand a key fact:
👉 A frame shape comes from a mold. And molds cost money.
This is why the very beginning of padel racket development usually starts with one strategic question:
Should I use a public mold or invest in my own private mold?
🎯 1. Two Ways to Start Your First Frame Shape
Most new brands fall into one of these two paths:
Option A — Invest in Your Own Shape (Private Mold)
You have some budget, and you’re willing to invest in something unique for your brand.
Opening a new mold typically costs around USD 1,000, and it allows you to define a frame shape that belongs only to your brand.
This is a good choice when:
- You already know your positioning
- You want long-term uniqueness
- You’re confident about your market direction
- You want to build a signature model
Option B — Start Lean with a Public Mold (Factory Mold)
This is the typical MVP approach:
Start with the smallest investment and test the market.
A public mold means you use a frame that the factory already owns — no mold cost, no waiting time, and full flexibility to create your visual design on top of a proven shape.
This option is great for:
- First-time founders
- Testing product–market fit
- Launching your first collection quickly
- Brands focusing more on design than structural innovation
🧩 2. What Exactly is the “Public Mold” ?
A public mold (or factory mold) is the mold that the factory pays to open, and all customers are allowed to use.
You can imagine it as a shared resource — you don’t own it, but you can freely use it for production.
Characteristics:
- Usually based on popular and market-proven shapes
- No frame design / mold development cost
- Fastest way to start production
- Each factory offers different choices
For example, Greenbird Sport currently offers more than 30 frame shapes, covering round, teardrop, diamond, and hybrid shape.
If you’re aiming for a clean, simple frame but with cool visuals and strong branding, a public mold is already more than enough.
🔒 3. What is a “Private Mold”?
A private mold is developed exclusively for your brand.
You pay for the mold (usually around USD 1,000) and work with the factory to create the 3D shape you want.
This option gives you:
- Full control over the frame shape design
- Long-term product differentiation
- Exclusive identity in the market
- The ability to expand into multiple models based on your mold
But it’s important to remember:
A private mold affects the outer shape, but the performance still depends heavily on carbon layup, EVA hardness, balance distribution, and internal structure.
A mold is just the beginning — not the entire performance.
🏗️ 4. Why You Can’t Change Frame Shape Without Investment
In production, the frame is made by heating and pressing layers of composite materials inside an iron mold.
This mold defines the final shape, boundaries of the drilling hole pattern, and thickness distribution.
Therefore:
👉 You can’t ask the factory to “slightly adjust the frame shape” without adjusting or opening a new mold.
This is a common misunderstanding for new brands.
Frame shape is make by the Mold.
No mold, No new shape.
✔️ 5. So… Which Option Should You Choose?Choose Public Racket Mold If:
- You want to start quickly
- Your focus is branding + design
- You’re testing initial market response
- Your budget is limited
- You don’t need a unique shape yet
Choose Private Racket Mold If:
- You want a signature model
- You have a clear long-term product plan
- You have enough budget
- You want structural uniqueness
- You’re planning multiple models from one mold
- Your estimated selling profit could cover the frame shape designer fee and new mold open cost.
From my experience, 90% of new brands start with public molds, and shift to private molds only after they understand their market and customers.
💬 From the Field
During my years of working on-site with padel racket factories, I learned that:
- Frame shape is the foundation, but performance heavily comes from the internal structure.
- Successful padel brands often begin simple, then innovate once they find their identity.
Starting with the right mindset helps you avoid costly mistakes and allows you to grow strategically.
✍️ By SHIH-NUNG (Snow Hsu)
OEM padel racket developer & bilingual project manager at Greenbird Sport
— Supporting brands and clubs with custom padel racket development in China.
If you’re building a Padel brand or evaluating OEM/ODM partners,
Greenbird Sport works with clubs, startups, and brands to develop custom padel rackets with reliable partner factories in China.
For project discussions or OEM inquiries,
📩 snow@greenbirdsport.com
⚡ Coming Next
Next in the series:“Inside the Padel Racket Structure — Carbon Layers, EVA, and Why Specs Matter.”
→ I’ll break down how the inside of a racket creates power, control, stiffness, and comfort — and what new brands often misunderstand.
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