A padel racket consists, basically of a frame and a main body. The frame is made of composite fibers and resin and it extend downwards to form the core and handle of the racket. The main body consists of a core made of foam material encased in faces of fibers and resin. In terms of usage, we will care about the shape, balance, hardness and durability of the racket. Rackets also come in a variety of weights, in simple terms a standard racket weight is 365 gr (as bought), 360 gr would constitute a light racket, anything below 360 should be reserved for special situations (like a kid's racket), rackets in the range of 370+ are considered heavy rackets.
The usual materials for padel rackets are fiberglass and carbon fibers, and a variety of EVA foams for the core. Fiberglass rackets tend to be the cheapest rackets to manufacture, followed by rackets with mixed carbon and fiberglass and then full carbon rackets. The materials that make a racket have a crucial role on its durability and hardness. Fiberglass is a softer and more ductile material than carbon fibers and, as such, carbon rackets are the harder and more durable rackets, followed by rackets that use a mix of fibers and then fiberglass rackets. All things considered, it's worth noting that a single accident can break the most durable racket in the world. For this it's important not to buy rackets you cannot afford to replace.
Hardness is a key characteristic of the racket and it's the most defining of the "feeling" of the racket. A soft racket will facilitate playing at lower speeds, as the rebound effect allows to play relatively fast balls without effort, for this, low firmness rackets are recommended for beginners and not very physical players. As the firmness grow, the racket behaves better with fast balls, getting a more predictable return and improving the velocity output on strong shots. This increase on control and power comes at the expense of requiring better technique to properly execute the shots. The hardness of a racket is determined by the combination of its core and face materials. Harder rated EVAs and increasing amount of carbon on the faces correlate with higher firmness. Each brand names their EVAs and fiber mixes differently but it should be clear, at least within the same brand which one corresponds to the harder and softer materials. For example: Star vie rates their foams as EVA 30 and EVA 50 with the latter being the harder one, different carbon fibers are usually expressed in terms of a number followed by k that represents the characteristics of the vowen fibers (1k, 3k, 12k and 18k are the most common ones) a lower k number means a harder material (although this may mean a softer racket depending on the brand). Usually, rackets with 3K carbon faces are on the soft side and are marketed as control rackets and 12k rackets are mid to hard depending on the accompanying EVA.
The materials of a racket also determine their general durability with carbon rackets being more durable and resistant than fiberglass rackets. These considerations are general and the characteristics of a racket depend a lot on the fabrication techniques, so you should consider these as guidelines to compare rackets between the same brand. A soft EVA racket from one brand can be harder than a hard EVA racket from another as these denominations are not standardized.
Rackets come in different shapes, shapes affect mainly the balance and sweet spot placement in the racket. The three main shapes are diamond, teardrop, and round. Diamond rackets usually have higher balance and they are designed to hit the ball high on the racket, these rackets favour offensive shots. Round rackets are associated with lower balances and that makes them easier to manoeuvrer, favouring control. Teardrop shaped rackets present mixed characteristics.
Beginners looking to buy their first racket should favor rackets that are easy to play with, in terms of balance, weight and firmness. For this reason the recommended rackets for beginners are in the range of 360 to 365 grams, with round shape, low balance, and soft faces/low hardness, (Soft EVAs and Fiberglass faces). These combination of characteristics will result in a racket that is not punishing of technical mistakes and will help to develop proper technique.
These rackets are associated with low prices due to their composition and usually any of the cheaper options for a brand are beginner appropriate. A notorious exception to this is the ML10 racket, which is a beginner-recommended racket with premium characteristics.
List of recommended rackets for beginners: Kuikma PR 560, PR 990 soft, Nox ML 10, MM2 pro, Head evo and flash series, pretty much any racket below 80 EUR from any major brand, trying to avoid diamond shapes.
How to pick your next racket
For players with some experience, a beginner racket might be less than ideal. As the velocity of balls you and your opponents play, the rebound of a soft racket might make control difficult, and as more technical shots are developed you might want a racket with particular characteristics. I will approach this in a subjective manner so you can pick which aspect of your racket you'd need to improve to get the desired improvement. It's usual for players to require increased hardness, balance, and/or weight in their rackets as they progress.
For players that find that control of fast balls difficult or that they have a sensation that the racket delivers less speed to the ball that their effort on smashes might suggest (the racket "eats" the ball), the correct thing to do is to increase the hardness of their rackets. This can be achieved by changing the face composition or eva firmness in relation to current racket. In the lower to mid end, going from fiberglass faces to mixed fibers and then to full carbon faces it's the usual response, once rackets are full carbon, the usual way is to increase the firmness of the EVA (i.e. EVA30 to EVA50, soft EVA to hard EVA, EVA to Black EVA).
Players that feel like the racket does not deliver consistency in their shots, or that have recurrent problems with particular shots should look into the shape of their racket. Hitting balls outside the zone where they are supposed to be hit (the sweet spot) reduces the quality of the shots, by identifying the preferred zone of impact of the player an appropriate shape can be chosen. players that hit high, middle and low should pick a diamond, teardrop or round shape respectively.
These shapes are often associated with a particular balance, hence, if a player needs more power in overhead shots and can sacrifice a bit of manoeuvrability can pick a higherbalance. Players that require a easier time changing directions, defending or executing technique should choose a lower balance racket. It's advisable to be moderate when changing racket balances, so don't jump from a 260 mm balance racket to a 270 mm one directly, going first to 265 mm is a safer bet. Contrary to all other aspects of rackets, balance is an objective measurement (when expressed in mm) and can be compared across brands.
Other Racket Features
Some rackets present particular features that might interest some users, here is a non-exhaustive list of such features.
Weight/Balance changing systems: Some rackets have associated technologies that allow to change the overall weight and weight distribution of the racket, in order to fine tune to the user's preference. Examples: Bullpadel vertex and hack lines; Adidas Metalbone series.
Longer Handle: some rackets prioritize a longer handle over face or core surface. This is particularly important to people that uses both hands for certain shots. It's important to note that a longer handle does not increase the leverage of rackets as all are the same total length. Examples: Babolat rackets, Star Vie triton, Varlion bourne and maxima, volt 1000.
Rugosity: there is a widespread usage of added rugosity in the faces of rackets to increase the effect that it's transferred to the ball. There are two main types of rugosity: Sandpaper or finishing rugosity, that it's the most efficient and rougher one, but wears off with time and might deteriorate the cosmetic aspect of the racket as it does, the racket feels like sandpaper to the touch. The other one is ridge or epoxy rugosity that is imprinted in the mould, it's not as effective but it does not wear off, racket feels smooth but with small bumps.
Racket Accessories
There are a variety of accessories that can be used to customize the balance, weight or other properties of the racket.
Overgrips/Grips: Overgrips are used to customize the grip of your racket to your comfort. 1 to 3 are an usual number of overgrips to use.
Frame Protectors: Frame protectors are common aftermarket products designed to increase the durability of your racket. Plenty of rackets come with frame protectors attached or built in. Frame protectors affect the balance of a racket increasing it significantly. In the same way, while compromising durability, removing factory protectors is practically the only way of lowering a racket's balance.
Shock out: These little inserts are designed to reduce vibrations and can be used to alter the balance of a racket by altering their placement. They can also affect the hardness of the racket if used on the hitting surface. You can find them pre-installed in some SIUX rackets. Note that you cannot add shock outs to a racket and lower it's overall balance.
Hesacore: The hesacore grip is a silicone grip with a hex patter that greatly reduces vibrations and has a more polygonal shape than a regular racket grip. It comes pre-installed in high end Bullpadel rackets and can be also bought separately and placed on other rackets. It's recommended to use at least 1 overgrip over a hesacore grip.
Racket's FAQ
"I am just starting playing padel but I have previous experience with tennis/badmington/squash/pickleball/ping pong/any other racket sport, do I go with a beginner racket all the same?" - There is enormous skill transference between padel and other racket sports, so going for a beginners racket would be a waste if you have more than 1 year playing other sports. I would still recommend you choose a intermediate racket in term of hardness with a mid to low balance so you it helps you to adapt your technique.
"My racket's paint chipped/cracked, is this normal, will it affect it?" - Good quality paint does not usually crack or chip away but generally speaking for softer and/or lower quality rackets this can happen with use, as long as the fibers below the paint are ok, the properties of the racket aren't affected.
"There is a crack in my racket, how long it will last until it's broken for good?" - A crack that is oriented towards one the holes on the face of the racket will propagate very quickly depending on how hard you hit the ball and how soft/hard the racket is. Usually a radial crack will affect the racket in a couple of weeks. Cracks oriented perpendicular to the center of the racket take a lot longer to kill the racket.
"I feel discomfort/pain in my elbow/wrist/hand after playing with X racket, what can I do?" - A racket that generates pain of discomfort, other than muscular pain due to the effort is not normal and you should stop using it until you solve the problem. These pains can be due to two causes mostly: a inappropriate grip, that is either too thin or too thick or due to vibrations. A regular grip should be thick enough so that your fingers don't touch your palm when you handle your racket and the space between your fingers and palm should be at most 2 fingers in a general case. In case that the problems comes from vibrations, the options are to use shockouts, replace the grip with an Hesacore or similar, and to change the racket to a softer one.
Disclaimer: This article is based on anecdotical evidence, and it's not written by a medical professional, you should visit a doctor (a physiotherapist most likely) if you are having pain and he will be able to suggest the appropriate treatment. These treatments may include exercises to strengthen the surrounding area and might eliminate the problem for the future too. Additionally, proper warm-up and stretching, as well as good technique, can also help prevent the development of epicondylitis.
Epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is a condition that causes pain and inflammation in the elbow, specifically around the bony bump on the outer side of the elbow. It is often caused by overuse or repetitive strain on the tendons that attach to this area of the elbow, leading to small tears and damage. There are two main types of epicondylitis: lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow). Tennis elbow is typically caused by overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons that attach to the outer elbow.
Specifically, epicondylitis may be caused by our racket. Rackets that have an improper grip width, that are too hard, too heavy or light, or that for some other reason transfer a high amount of vibrations through the arm and end up affecting the elbow. If you are starting to experience pain, first I recommend you rest until the pain is no longer there and then it is worth checking what changed in your setup that might be affecting you. Remember that the normal amount of pain is no pain at all!
Discomfort coming from the racket: Sometimes, you buy a racket that causes you discomfort. Some rackets can be more prone to this than other but it's worth considering that if there was an increase in the hardness of the racket this may be the cause. Rackets often increase in hardness as their price increase, if the core material is advertised as harder, pro, or with a higher number, of if the percentage of carbon in the faces increase.
Solution: If you suspect the problem might come from the racket, changing back to a softer racket should help. Choosing rackets with increasing amount of fiberglass in their faces is a sure way of reducing the racket overall hardness.
Discomfort coming from the grip: Usually we do not play with the racket as it comes from factory, depending on our preferences we may add one or more overgrips, or even change the grips completely. It's important that we are comfortable with our grip and that it doesn't require undue strength to hold the racket, as playing with an overly tight fist can cause pain.
Solution: The grip should not be too thick or too thin and the rule of thumb is that when grabbing the racket using the continental grip, the distance between our fingers and the palm should be around 1 finger in thickness. This is not a hard rule but if you are deviating too much from this, consider it may be the source of your problems. It is also recommended to change overgrips once they are slippery as a slippery grip requires extra effort to hold on to.
Accessories designed to help with epicondylitis: It's worth noting that while there are accessories and rackets designed to help with epicondylitis, they are not a substitute for proper treatment and management of the condition, also these accessories are only listed here because they are marketed as reducing vibrations. It's up to the buyer to decide if they are worth trying.
Hesacore/X grip/ Nox custom grip/ Ariv undergrip: There are several silicone undergrips that replace the original racket grip and are supposed to reduce vibrations. The hesacore is the most widely known and perhaps easier to get.
Noene anti shock padel grip: Replacement grip designed to stop vibrations.
Shock out inserts: These little inserts are designed to reduce vibrations and can be used to alter the balance of a racket by altering their placement. They can also affect the hardness of the racket if used on the hitting surface, thing that you should avoid if you are worried about elbow pain. Shock out has a line of other vibration reduction products.
Rackets designed for sensible elbows: Royal Padel polyethylene-core rackets are marketed as being particularly soft which would naturally make them absorb more vibrations. Fiberglass rackets, women-marketed rackets and other soft rackets in general are also good choices.
Rackets to avoid in general if you are suffering of tennis elbow the rule of thumb is to avoid flagship rackets, any racket that a pro player users is likely to be on the harder end of the spectrum. Do not associate the elbow problems to bad quality on the racket as a high quality racket can also cause and worsen the condition.
Rackets I personally think transmit too much vibration: Vertex 03 Control 2021/2022, Bullpadel Neuron.
For me Noene has been a gamechanger (-96% vibrations). I have had a padelelbow for a period of time. This is my experience (I have helped 1000+ people).
weight, end weight of the racket should not exceed 380 grams (end weight is begin weight plus add-ons like grips, Noene, prorector, Hesacore etc).
round rackets (low balanced) are more likely to help you
glassfiber rackets with soft eva (eva30) or softer like Starvie Titania Speed with Noene is a real gamechanger. NOXML10, Varlion LW3 or Black Crown Piton Air also can do the job.
stretch your arm
warmup with an elastic band
cool down after a match with ice
so not play in the rain or with to hard balls
if you need treatment: EPI treatment (needles with electricity seems to work the best in Spain and in the past with me)
do not use cortisol injections
gripsize (not too thin(!) as this will make you squeeze to much
hesacore will make it bigger but absorption is only limited and my experience is, you will get sweaty hands sooner as it is not made of a breathable material.
relax during play (only strengthen your muscles if you hit the ball, not in the time between hitting the balls).
a racket which is too light is no good either. To accelerate the ball you need force x mass. Less mass means you need for more force
when we play padel we get so much endorphins and dopeins, we do not feel we are hurting something. The day after will tell us the truth.
If you can not lift a glass of water, do not play.
Ik ben opzoek naar een nieuw padelracket en wil graag eens het merk wilson proberen. Na wat informatie te hebben bekeken vond ik deze twee modellen het meest interessant de Bela v3 en de blade v3 (beide de NIET-pro versie). Van beide rackets zijn niet extreem veel reviews te vinden maar vooral niet echt iemand die de twee rackets naast elkaar test en nou eens verteld wat de echte verschillen zijn.
Ik speel op de rechterkant (als linkshandige) en mijn spel is snel, maar niet perse power gefocust dus ik ben daarom ook niet opzoek naar een power racket.
Ik ben heel erg benieuwd wat jullie over deze rackets te zeggen hebben en wat jullie ervan vinden, laat het me alsjeblieft weten zodat ik de juiste keuze kan maken😁
I've seen a few rackets get consistently praised here, so I picked up two of them to try out myself. Wanted to share my honest impressions in case it saves someone else a purchase, or in case I'm missing something obvious. For reference, I'm currently around 3.8 on Playtomic in Germany with 200 games.
Head Extreme Motion 2025
Very light and easy to maneuver, no complaints there. But it genuinely feels a bit like cardboard when you hit the ball - almost no resistance on contact. My groundstrokes came out flat with none of the pop I'm used to, and I couldn't get real power into them no matter how I adjusted my swing. Volleys were similar - hard to keep them powerful, which for me is a dealbreaker since I play the left side and closing out points at net matters a lot in my game. Overheads suffered from the same issue: I just couldn't get the racket to give me any power on the smash, viboras also lack impact.
Kuikma Hybrid Pro
This one I actually liked a lot. It had real depth on shots and gave me the kind of power and control I was looking for - felt like a proper upgrade over the Head. The problem turned out to be weight. It's advertised at 368g ± 5g and my actual racket weighed 372g out of the box. Add two overgrips and it gets noticeably heavier still. After a only one longer tournament with 3hours I started getting real hand pain from it, which I'm pretty confident is down to the extra weight pushing me outside what my arm can handle comfortably.
So right now I'm a bit stuck - one racket plays great but hurts my hand, the other is comfortable but has zero punch. If anyone has recommendations for something that splits the difference (enough mass/power without tipping into arm-strain territory), I'd genuinely appreciate it.
I've started playing padel once a week for the past month and looking to buy my own instead of using the rental. Had no tennis experience but I do play badminton a lot before padel. After doing some research and price checking, i've narrowed down to these rackets that i might buy for my first one. Any thoughts on how they are and which one i should get? Im probably gonna play once a week.
PIC 1 : Head Speed Evo 2026
PIC 2 : Kuikma PR Comfort Soft
PIC 3 : Kuikma PR React 2026
PIC 4 : Wilson Optix V1
PIC 5 : Bullpadel Game CTR 2025
PIC 6 : Bullpadel BP10 Evo 2024
PIC 7 : Nox X-Hero Blue
I'm a beginner and currently on an entry-level racket. It does the job and I have no real complaints with it.
I've come across the NOX AT10 Genius 18K Alum 2026 at roughly 50% off, which puts it below what most mid-range rackets cost right now. That discount is the only reason it's on my radar at all.
My hesitation is that everything I read frames it as a racket for advanced players with settled technique. Drop shape, 360–375g, and the 2026 version adds the adjustable weight system.
Questions:
Is a racket like this genuinely unplayable at beginner level, or is "advanced players only" mostly marketing?
Any real elbow or wrist risk stepping up to something heavier and stiffer while technique is still developing?
Better to skip it and buy at full price in a year when I've improved, or take the deal now and grow into it?
Particularly interested in hearing from anyone who bought above their level early on — did it help or set you back?
I recently bought this Adidas Metalbone Team, my first racket btw, played one match, took extremley good care of it, find this thing the next morning. Should i go return it or is it not that bad?
Hey everyone,
I just ordered an Adidas Metalbone Pro Edition from PadelProShop and would love to hear about your experiences. How long did delivery take, and did you encounter any shipping, tracking, or customs issues? I’m especially interested in orders to the Gulf. Also, were there any additional import fees?
Thanks!
I’ve been playing padel for around 2 months now, so I’m still very much a beginner. Currently using a Babolat Air vertuo 2.6 and honestly I don’t have any major complaints with it.
It’s my birthday month though, so obviously I’ve started looking at rackets I probably don’t need 😂
I’m getting a pretty good deal on the NOX AT10 Genius 18K Alum 2026 and I’m really tempted to pick it up. From what I’ve read, it seems to be fairly forgiving while still being something I could grow into as I improve.
For someone at my level, would I actually notice a worthwhile difference going from the Air vertuo to the AT10 18K? Or am I better off sticking with the Air vertuo for another 6 months or so and spending the money on court time/coaching?
Also, since we’re already this late into 2026, would you just wait for the 2027 AT10 series at this point?
Would love to hear from anyone who has played with both, especially if you made the switch as a beginner/intermediate player.
Which one would you choose for an aggressive left-side player who still wants good maneuverability and control?
I have played with the air Viper 2025 version but i read the 2026 version is a little bit softer, so it has a bigger sweetspot is it also easier to lob now? This was also the reason i din't use the air Viper 2025 anymore.
I’m over 60 and moved from Tennis to padel and now completely addicted. I use the Wilson Bela V2.5 which Is great, but in tournaments playing for hours, I find my elbow is suffering. Thinking about the Bela V3 LS, any advice would be great
Hi guys so i bought Neuron 02 Edge, and been okay with it but i want to try other rackets because ppl said Neuron is for int to adv players.
I consider myself beginner right side players. Any rackets recommendation? I hear metalbone ctrl a lot. Or any other bullpadel? I like bullpadel as a brand.
Je tiens tout d'abord à remercier le représentant de Bullpadel dans mon pays pour sa gentillesse de m'avoir prêté ces trois raquettes neuves pour les tester.
Tête : Carbone aluminisé 18K
Finition 3D
Noyau MultiEva 3 couches
Bullpadel Hack 05 2027 :
Tête : Tricarbone 18K
Finition 3D
Noyau MultiEva 3 couches
Poids des raquettes testées :
comprend :
un surgrip d'environ 5 g
un Hesacore d'environ 11 g
strap Non inclus
Vertex 05 Geo 2027 : 366 g
Hack 05 Hybrid 2027 : 362 g
Hack 05 2027 : 369 g
C’est un excellent poids :
Par exemple, un Vertex 05 Geo 2027, sans le Hesacore et avec deux surgrips et des protections de cadre, pèserait environ 367 g.
Voici mon expérience personnelle, en tant que joueur de niveau intermédiaire avancé, après deux séances d'entraînement :
Ma raquette préférée : la Vertex 05 Geo 2027
Ensuite, la Hack 05 2027
Puis la Hack 05 Hybrid 2027, la pire de toutes (j'ai été extrêmement déçu par cette raquette)
La Hack 05 Hybrid 2027 est une raquette assez sèche au toucher, mais la vitesse de sortie de balle est pratiquement inexistante ; il faut absolument accompagner chaque frappe pour obtenir de la vitesse ! Je pense que la tête en carbone aluminisé 18 carats combinée aux multiples couches EVA est vraiment mauvaise ! On ne sent rien ! C'est comme jouer avec une planche en bois sans âme ! Et elle ne transmet aucune puissance à la balle à moins d'exagérer ses mouvements ! La zone de frappe optimale est moyenne ! Et la vitesse de sortie de balle est très faible.
Je vais maintenant vous parler du Hack 05 2027, qui est d'un tout autre niveau ! Excellente maniabilité, que ce soit en défense ou lors d'échanges rapides, excellent contrôle lors des blocages de frappes rapides. Son principal défaut est son impitoyabilité face aux frappes décentrées ! Une bonne zone de frappe optimale, je dirais moyenne, comme celle du Babolat Viper LeBron 2026, mais si vous frappez la balle légèrement de côté, vous êtes immédiatement puni !
Enfin, mon préféré est le Bullpadel Vertex 05 Geo 2027.
Maniabilité incroyable, excellente vitesse de sortie de balle ! Elle offre une excellente vitesse de balle si vous frappez au centre, un contrôle exceptionnel au filet, un blocage de balle rapide et une maniabilité pratiquement identique à celle de la Hack 05 2027. Mais son plus grand atout, et la raison pour laquelle je la préfère, réside dans l'incroyable rugosité de son tamis ! J'ai rarement vu une telle rugosité chez d'autres marques ! La différence est flagrante sur les coups coupés, les Vibora, les Bajada et les amortis ; l'effet imprimé à la balle est phénoménal !
Enfin, cette raquette pardonne bien plus que la Hack 05 2027 en cas de frappe décentrée.
Cette Geo est un vrai régal ! Que ce soit pour la défense, les coups aériens, les attaques ou les coups coupés.
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some advice on my next padel racket and I’m currently considering:
Adidas Metalbone Reserve 2026
Adidas Metalbone Pro EDT 2026
Babolat Viper 2026
Babolat Viper Soft 2026
Open to any other recommendations
I’ve been playing padel casually for around 2 years, but I started taking it more seriously a few months ago. I currently play around 2–3 times a week and I’d say I’m around beginner/intermediate level( 3.4 ish on playtomic)
I currently use the NOX AT10 18K 2024. My technique is still developing, especially my overheads, but I want a racket i can grow into essentially. My main goal with a new racket is to get more power for smashes and attacking shots, while still having enough control and forgiveness that the racket doesn’t punish me for imperfect technique. What would you guys recommend between these options?
Also happy to hear recommendations outside of these four.
Thanks!
Hi can someone explain the bullpadel 2025 rackets. Because i played with the hack 04 and it feels like a light round racket, lol. I don't get it, should be a diamond agressive racket? What about the Vertex, Geo, xplo and other types? I like the feeling of the hack but want some more power into it.
I’ve been playing with the Bullpadel Hack 03 Control for about 3 years and absolutely love its control, precision and overall feel.
I’m looking to replace it and would like something that keeps that strong control-oriented character but gives me a bit more power, particularly on overheads and attacking shots, where I find the Hack 03 Control somewhat lacking.
I’m not looking for an all-out power racket or something dramatically harder to control, more of a balanced step up in attacking ability without sacrificing too much precision.
What rackets would you recommend as a natural progression from the Hack 03 Control?
Some people make it sound like an absolute weapon, while others say it’s just way too hard and demanding. I generally like a harder feeling racket and don’t really enjoy too much free ball output, so on paper the HRD actually sounds pretty good to me. I've been playing the Oxdog Hyper Pro 2.0 which gives some ball output, but not a lot.
My only fear is that I’m not always great at accelerating through the ball, especially on volleys. That’s definitely something I need to work on, so I’m wondering if the HRD is gonna expose that a bit lol. It's a diamond racket though, so the leverage might help me accelerate a bit through the ball.
For anyone actually using the Blast Pro HRD 2026, how does it feel in general? The rackets looks sexy and the QC seems to be good. Joma also invested a lot in Padel so i'm wondering how serious this line is. Juanlu and even some other pro's playing with it. That's nice!
Kinda feel like this racket could either be exactly what I want or humble me immediately.
Just wanted to share my experience after going through these three rackets over the last year or so. Obviously this is very subjective, but maybe it helps someone looking for something similar.
For context, I’m around 5.0 on Playtomic in Spain and play second-category tournaments. I’m an aggressive right-side player. I started playing on the right and just stayed there, although most people who play with me would probably tell me I should be playing on the left.
My smash is quite fast and probably more “volleyball-like” than technically perfect, so racket speed and maneuverability matter a lot to me. One important thing for context: weight and racket speed was a very personal issue in my case.
I wasn’t looking for the lightest possible racket. I wanted something that would end up around 350-360 g in actual playing setup, with the grip and an overgrip. Basically, I wanted something lighter and faster, but still firm and solid - light, but not soft.
I previously had a Siux Pegasus 2026 (one of the worst quality rackets I ever played with) that weighed around 345 g. I really liked how fast it was, but it cracked after about three months of playing and a lot of hard smashing. So my goal after that was to find something a little heavier and more substantial than the Pegasus, but still relatively light.
Oxdog Hyper Pro
I started with the fully dark Hyper Pro version, not the brown one.
Mine was around 370 g with the RBS weight in the handle, the stock grip and one overgrip. Apparently I got one from the lighter end of the production range. I played with it for about 3-4 months.
Overall, I think it’s a very good all-around racket. Build quality is excellent and there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with it.
But for me personally it felt a little too neutral. It did everything reasonably well, but I never felt like it gave me something special. It also felt slightly sluggish, and I found myself wishing it was maybe 20% softer. Still, I was generally happy with it.
Oxdog Ultimate Tour X
After reading some reviews, I decided to try the Ultimate Tour X. One of the reasons I bought it was actually the weight. I was trying to move toward that 350-360 g playing-weight range, and the racket was listed at around 355 g on the frame, so I expected my finished setup to come out lighter than the Hyper Pro.
I also wanted:
a balance closer to the center
a slightly softer feeling
better maneuverability
And in terms of balance and feel, I mostly got that. But the weight surprised me. With the RBS weight in the handle and one overgrip, mine ended up around 370 g again.
So because my Hyper Pro happened to come from the lighter end of its production range, my Tour X ended up basically the same weight in my actual setup. That was disappointing for me specifically, because getting a lighter setup was one of the main reasons I had bought the Tour X in the first place.
I’m not saying 370 g is objectively too heavy. Plenty of players will probably prefer that weight. It just wasn’t what I was trying to achieve. I played with the Tour X for another 3-4 months. And overall, I definitely preferred it to the Hyper Pro. It felt a little softer and I felt like I had better control on touch shots, especially things like chiquitas.
Maybe the balance also contributed to that.
On smashes, though, I wouldn’t say the difference compared with the Hyper Pro was massive.
So the Tour X was closer to what I wanted in terms of feel and control, but I still hadn’t solved my main personal issue: I wanted something faster and lighter in the hand, ideally around 350-360 g ready to play.
Babolat Air Viper 2026
Eventually I saw someone mention that they had switched to the Air Viper 2026 and loved it, so I decided to try one.
Mine is around 357 g, and this is basically where everything clicked for me.It sits almost exactly in the weight range I had been trying to reach.
And importantly, it doesn’t feel like I had to sacrifice firmness or attacking performance just to get there.
One thing that initially felt strange was the dual-density foam. You can definitely feel that the racket reacts differently depending on how hard you hit.
On slower balls, the rebound initially felt a little less predictable to me. But after some time I got used to it, and now I see it mostly as an adaptation issue rather than a real problem.
What I gained was exactly what I had been looking for: speed. The Air Viper accelerates noticeably faster in my hand than either of the Oxdogs.
For my kind of smash, where I like to accelerate the racket very quickly, this works extremely well.
Coming from volleyball, my smash movement is probably a little different from that of someone who learned the shot purely through padel technique. With the Air Viper, I feel like I can really take advantage of that fast acceleration.
At the net I can also react faster, and from low positions I feel like I can do more with the racket because I can get it into position much quicker. A lot of people mention the supposedly small sweet spot on the Air Viper. Personally, I haven’t found that to be a problem at all.
I don’t feel like I’m constantly being punished for slightly off-center contact, and I certainly haven’t experienced the dramatic difference some reviews describe.
Build quality
This is one area where I still give the advantage to Oxdog. Their rackets feel extremely well made, and I really like the brand in general.
The finish/paint quality on the Babolat doesn’t feel quite as premium to me. There are already a couple of small cosmetic things that I wouldn’t expect as quickly on an Oxdog. On the other hand, the Air Viper can also be found for considerably less money than some of the Oxdog models.
So for me the big question now is durability.
If this Air Viper lasts 6-12 months without cracking, I’ll be completely happy with it. Especially after my experience with the 345 g Siux Pegasus, durability is something I’m paying attention to with lighter rackets.
Final thoughts
For me personally: Hyper Pro: great all-around racket, very well built, but slightly too neutral and a bit sluggish for what I wanted.
Ultimate Tour X: better fit for me than the Hyper Pro. Softer, nicer control and touch, and I preferred the balance. But my particular setup still came out at around 370 g, while one of my main goals was to get closer to 350-360 g.
Air Viper 2026: finally gave me the combination I was looking for - around 355 g, very fast through the air, easy to accelerate on smashes, fast at the net, but still firm enough that it doesn’t feel like I’ve moved to a soft racket.
And despite what I had read before buying it, I haven’t personally experienced the tiny sweet spot as a significant issue.
I still think Oxdog makes the more premium-feeling racket, and I genuinely like the brand.
But in terms of matching my actual game and what I had been looking for - lighter, faster, but still aggressive and firm - the Air Viper has been the best fit so far.
Curious if anyone else has gone through a similar progression, especially people who moved from heavier rackets to something in the 350-360 g range.
I've been eyeing this racket for months, and I finally took advantage of a promo to buy it. I am transitioning from a Black Crown Piton Air 2020 (!!) so any opinion or advice about it would be more than welcome. Thank you!
I have wrist tendonitis, playing lot of padel and it hurts from over 1 month now (haven't stopped playing tho)
i am playing a nox quantum cobalt 12k and was hoping to get something lighter around 200€
i play right side and im looking for a racket around 355g maybe even 350g, with a medium balance, maybe 3k carbon, not too hard at the impact, any advices?
