Babolat Counter Origin Padel Racket

For most newcomers, yes, and the reason is the shape rather than the badge. A round head puts the sweet spot in the middle of the face, where beginners are most likely to hit the ball, and a head-light balance makes the racket quick to swing and easy to stop. Babolat aims it squarely at players who have never held a padel racket.

There is a catch worth knowing about: the fibreglass face is soft and gives you very little pace of its own. You supply the speed with your swing. For a first racket that is a good lesson, because it teaches you to place the ball, but it will not flatter a smash.

Babolat describes the Counter Origin as built for manoeuvrability, comfort and tolerance, with what it calls an Improver Heart that helps players sense where the racket head is. The comfort comes from the EVA core and the fibreglass face; the tolerance from the round shape.

We have not found a Padelful page or other independent test for this model, and the retailer listings disagree on small points: one gives 345 to 355 g, another calls the frame carbon-reinforced. We use Babolat's sheet, which says 355 g and a hybrid frame. Any claim beyond the sheet, such as how it feels against a rival racket, would be a guess, so we do not make one.

The Origin line has three shapes. The Counter is round and head light, the Air Origin is a teardrop with a medium balance (the soft Air Crest is another entry teardrop), and the Technical Origin+ is a diamond. Babolat's older Stima Vita is a round, 345 g alternative at the same level, and the Stima Energy is the carbon-faced light round racket for players beyond the first season; Siux's fibreglass Optimus 5 is another soft, durable option at this level. For a first racket, the Counter is the safe choice (the Counter Crest is Babolat's other soft entry racket); the others make sense only if you already know you want to attack.

Most players outgrow an entry racket within a season or two, usually when they start to feel the face is giving them nothing back. The round Babolat ladder is a tidy way up: the Counter Vertuo 2.6 is the next step with a medium balance, the Counter Veron adds a Carbon Flex face, and the Counter Viper 2.6 is the hard, carbon end of the family.

You do not have to climb every rung. If your contact is consistent after a few months, our best padel racket for intermediate players page is the place to look.

Anyone who has played padel, squash or tennis for years and wants pace. A fibreglass face and a head-light balance will feel dead in the hands of a player who already hits hard, and a round racket gives up the power of a teardrop or diamond. The teardrop padel racket page has more lively options.

Babolat recommends its Syntec Uptake grip. Many beginners add a tacky overgrip such as the Babolat VS overgrip, and the padel grips page explains the difference between a replacement grip and an overgrip. Fit frame tape from the racket protector range; new players clip the glass more often than they expect.

Fresh balls make a soft racket feel lively, so a tube of Babolat Court balls is a sensible start, and the padel balls page explains how quickly they fade. Our padel shoes page covers courts with sand-filled turf, and the padel bags page is the place to find something to carry it all in.

For the wider picture, the full padel racket range is on one page, and our guide to choosing a padel racket explains shape and balance before you spend.