Babolat Air Origin Padel Racket

Babolat calls it an all-round racket for players moving up from their first steps, or for experienced players arriving from other racket sports. Padelful puts it more narrowly: beginners and developing intermediates who want a light, comfortable racket that makes defence and net play less demanding.

The hybrid frame is the interesting detail. Babolat says it combines the sturdiness and lightness of carbon with the flexibility of fibreglass, which is a plain way of saying you get a soft racket that is not floppy. The Improver Heart feature is Babolat's name for a design aimed at helping newer players feel where the racket is and how its weight sits.

Soft and quick. Padelful reports forgiving defensive blocks, easy ball exit from the back of the court and fast hands in net exchanges, and scores rebound at 9. Off-centre hits still go somewhere sensible, which is what a newer player needs most.

The weaknesses are as plain. Flat smashes lack power, the smooth face gives little bite for spin, and soft volleys can lack penetration. If you start to find you are hitting through the ball and wishing for more, you have outgrown it, which is no insult for a first racket.

One source note. Babolat lists the balance as even, and several shops say medium; one Indian retailer quotes 265 mm. Babolat's own wording is the one we use.

The Origin range is Babolat's entry line. The Counter Origin is the round version, heavier at 355 g with a low balance, and the better choice if you want maximum control. The Air is the teardrop, and the one to take if you like to move forward and attack the net. The diamond Technical Origin+ is the third, for players who already smash.

If you want to step up within the Air line, the Air Vertuo 2.6 is quicker still but gives up the Origin's forgiveness, with a sweet spot score of 7.3 against 8.7. The Air Crest sits alongside as another soft first teardrop.

Strong hitters and anyone who relies on the smash. Padelful marks the flat smash as a weakness and says advanced attackers will outgrow it. If you already play well, the best padel racket for intermediate players list has firmer rackets, and our best padel racket for beginners page shows the alternatives at this level.

Babolat recommends its Syntec Uptake grip. An overgrip such as the Babolat VS overgrip is the usual first extra, and our padel grips page explains when to replace instead. Fit frame tape from the racket protector range before the first match, since new players clip the floor often.

Pair it with a tube of Babolat Court balls and see the padel balls page for how fast they fade. The padel bags page has options such as Babolat's two-racket Court S bag, and the padel shoes page completes the kit, and Babolat's Court Backpack Hero suits a commuting player, and the full padel racket range and our guide to choosing a padel racket cover the rest.