Y1 AX3 Padel Racket (2026)

Diamonds have a reputation for being hard work, and with a stiff face and a heavy head they can be. The AX3 softens that in two places. Padel Shack's listing describes the EV50 ProFoam core as soft, for comfort and shock absorption, and the 3K twill face is the most common carbon weave on club-level rackets, the same cloth many brands use for their first carbon models.

The rest is the same as its pricier siblings: Y1's BiFusion frame, built from two fused layers of carbon in what the listing calls a double-tube construction, a rough Texture Control face for spin, the OptiFlow hole pattern and a perforated VibraControl grip. Weight is listed at 355 to 375g, 365g nominal.

In Y1's naming, the letters give the shape (AX is the diamond) and the number gives the face weave. A 3K weave is made from strands of 3,000 carbon filaments each, against 12,000 on the AX12 and 18,000 on the AX18. The number describes the cloth, not the power: core, frame and balance shape how a racket plays as much as the weave does.

Laid side by side, Y1's three diamonds differ less than their prices. All three share the AX mould, the EV50 ProFoam core and 365g nominal weight, and every listing gives head-heavy in the spec field and a mid balance point in the description, so treat the balance as somewhere between the two until Y1 publishes a number. The AX3 and AX12 are both listed with 100% carbon frames; oddly, the flagship AX18 is listed as 30% carbon and 70% fibreglass.

The pink AXLTD carries the same wave graphic as this green AX3, and retailers also describe it as a 3K carbon diamond. It may be a limited colour of the same racket; we'll confirm that on its own page rather than assume it here.

Intermediate players who've started to attack at the net and want to try a diamond, and advanced players who prefer a softer feel to a rigid face. It sits with our diamond padel rackets and the wider best padel rackets for intermediate players. If a diamond feels too much, Y1's RX3 puts a 3K carbon face on a teardrop instead.

Fit a padel racket protector across the top corners, where a diamond takes its knocks. One overgrip from our padel grip range on the perforated grip keeps your hand dry without adding much weight.

Pick up fresh padel balls, a padel bag that keeps the racket out of the heat, and proper padel shoes for sand-filled turf. Y1's own racket cover fits too, and our guide on how to choose a padel racket covers diamond against teardrop if you're still deciding.