{"title":"Beginner rackets","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"babolat-counter-origin-2026-padel-racket","title":"Babolat Counter Origin 2026 Padel Racket","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Babolat Counter Origin 2026 is Babolat's entry-tier frame with a round head, which puts the sweet spot low and central — close to your hand, and the most forgiving layout in the sport.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is built for control: keeping the ball in play, defending off the glass and placing rather than blasting. The balance is even, which keeps it neutral through the swing and easy to adapt to. This is a frame for someone in their first year, or anyone who wants the largest possible margin for error.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe core is EVA foam. The Fibreglass face flexes more than carbon, which softens the feel and widens the effective hitting area. It is the more suitable material for most club players, not a compromise. The face is smooth — less spin bite, and nothing to wear off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStated weight is 345–365g. That sits at the lighter end of the range — quicker through the air and easier across a long session. Manufacturer weights vary by around ten grams either way, on every brand. Profile thickness is 38mm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eSpecifications from the manufacturer, verified 2026-08-02. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.babolat.com\/us\/padel-technical-collection-2026.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSource\u003c\/a\u003e. Manufacturer weights vary by around ±10g.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Babolat","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63977625026931,"sku":"PO-1013","price":184.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1015\/6287\/6275\/files\/150154-Counter_Origin-100-1-Face.png?v=1787057932"},{"product_id":"dunlop-fx-start-2026-padel-racket","title":"Dunlop FX Start 2026 Padel Racket","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe sensible first racket: a hybrid head with a wide sweet spot, medium balance, and the same Pro-EVA core Dunlop put in their flagship.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDunlop call it ideal for game improvers, and the geometry backs that up. A hybrid head keeps the sweet spot central and generous rather than pushing it high like a diamond, so a mishit still clears the net. Medium balance at 360g means it doesn’t feel heavy through the swing while your technique is still forming.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe part worth knowing.\u003c\/strong\u003e This racket runs \u003cem\u003ePro-EVA\u003c\/em\u003e — the same core as the FX Pro at more than twice the price. Dunlop keep the softer Soft-EVA for their junior frame, not this one. What you’re missing against the more expensive rackets is the technology in the frame and face, not a downgraded core.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConstruction is a graphite frame with a straight hole pattern, rather than the drilled Power Holes distribution on the Pro and Team. The face is smooth — no Spin Boost texture — which is the right call at this level, where consistent contact matters more than spin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProfile is 38mm, the legal maximum, so you get the full hitting surface.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn comfort.\u003c\/strong\u003e Not flagged as arm-friendly. Pro-EVA is a firm core, and while the hybrid shape and medium balance make it forgiving to hit, that isn’t the same as being gentle on an arm. If comfort is your deciding factor, ask us.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eSpecifications from Dunlop’s own 2026 FX Series product presentation, verified 2026-08-20. Manufacturer weights are a target and vary by around ±10g on every brand.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dunlop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":63977625420147,"sku":"PO-1029","price":141.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1015\/6287\/6275\/files\/dunlop-fx-start-2026-padel-racket-1.png?v=1787363444"},{"product_id":"babolat-counter-vertuo-2-6-2026-padel-racket","title":"Babolat Counter Vertuo 2.6 2026 Padel Racket","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe most forgiving racket Babolat make in this range — a round head built for players who win points by not losing them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow it actually plays.\u003c\/strong\u003e Independent testing scores it 8.2\/10 with a clearly defensive profile: comfort 8.5, maneuverability 8.3, sweet spot 8.2, control 8.1, spin 7.0, power 6.2. The reviewer put it plainly — power at 6.2 is the lowest parameter and the honest core of this racket's identity. It will not manufacture pace for you. Attackers were explicitly told to look elsewhere, and we'd repeat that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere it wins.\u003c\/strong\u003e Round is the most forgiving shape in padel: the sweet spot sits over the middle of the face and the mass sits closer to your hand, so mishits are survivable and the racket is quick to move. Combine that with a 265mm mid-low balance and you get a frame that keeps working when your legs have gone. If your game is redirecting pace, holding the back glass and waiting for the mistake, this is built for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOn comfort.\u003c\/strong\u003e Flagged arm-friendly, and comfort is its single highest measured parameter at 8.5\/10. The Black EVA core is soft, the face is soft fibreglass rather than carbon, and Babolat's Vibrabsorb system uses SMAC elastomers through the frame to damp vibration. Independent testing specifically calls it out as suitable for players with arm concerns. No racket is a treatment, but the construction argument here is real.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho it's not for.\u003c\/strong\u003e Anyone expecting the Viper's punch in a cheaper frame. This is a different racket for a different job, and buying it as a budget Viper will disappoint you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eShape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRound\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e350g ±10g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBalance\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e265mm — mid-low\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProfile\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e38mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFace\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSoft fibreglass with 3D Spin texture\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCore\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlack EVA foam\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTechnologies\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVibrabsorb System with SMAC elastomers · 3D Spin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLevel\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBeginner to intermediate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003eSpecifications from the manufacturer, verified 2026-09-02. Play characteristics and ratings summarised from an independent published test, not from manufacturer marketing copy. Manufacturer weights vary by around ±10g on every brand.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Babolat","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64591865282931,"sku":"APS-BA-0015","price":250.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1015\/6287\/6275\/files\/150185-COUNTER_VERTUO_2.6-100-1-Face.jpg?v=1788436661"},{"product_id":"babolat-air-origin-2026-padel-racket","title":"Babolat Air Origin 2026 Padel Racket","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Babolat Air Origin 2026 is the lighter, faster half of Babolat's entry tier. Where its sibling the Counter Origin is built for staying in the point, the Air Origin is built for the player who wants to move forward: at roughly 345g with a low 265mm balance, it is one of the easiest rackets in the 2026 range to swing quickly, and that is exactly what it is for.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA light, handle-biased racket asks very little of your wrist and shoulder. Volleys come around faster, reactions at the net feel easier, and off-centre hits twist the frame less than a head-heavy layout would. Babolat pitches it at aerial players taking their first steps, which is accurate — this is a first or second racket for someone who already likes being at the net.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe face is fibreglass over an EVA foam core. Fibreglass flexes more than carbon, which softens the feel, widens the effective hitting area and is kinder on the arm — for most club players at this level it is the more suitable material, not a compromise. The honest trade-offs: the smooth face offers less spin bite than the raised finishes higher in the range, and the light, even build means power has to come from your swing rather than the frame. If you mostly defend at the back of the court, the round-headed \u003ca href=\"\/products\/babolat-counter-origin-2026-padel-racket\"\u003eCounter Origin\u003c\/a\u003e is the more forgiving pick of the pair.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e (manufacturer): weight ~345g, balance 265mm, profile 38mm, fibreglass face, EVA core. Source: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.babolat.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eBabolat 2026 padel range\u003c\/a\u003e, supplier catalogue (verified 3 Sep 2026).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Babolat","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":64596922270067,"sku":"APS-BA-0026","price":195.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1015\/6287\/6275\/files\/150153-Air_Origin-100-1-Face.jpg?v=1788436665"}],"url":"https:\/\/australianpadelshop.com\/collections\/beginner-rackets.oembed","provider":"Australian Padel Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}