Padel Racket Review - Babolat Counter Origin

What the reviewers say

Xeexi1707, who tested the full Origin range on court with a Babolat product specialist, singled out the Counter Origin as the easiest racket in the line: "The sweet spot is enormous. At a slow pace, it's practically impossible to miss with this racket. A huge hitting surface, plenty of ball exit, and that soft feel you want for a control game." He noted it weighs 10g more than the Air Origin but has a noticeably larger sweet spot, making it the most forgiving shape in the range for players who want to keep the ball in play rather than accelerate it.

SimplePadel (Lucas Sánchez) reviewed it directly and confirmed the same pattern: the round head and head-light balance make clean contact and placement straightforward, while the EVA core keeps the feel comfortable. He flagged the obvious limit plainly: power is restricted, and improving players will outgrow it within a season.

PadelReference's expert assessment gave it a 10/10 for tolerance and a 9/10 for comfort, with control at 8/10 and power at just 4/10. Their note on the SoftEVA core is worth quoting: "The Soft EVA delivers excellent shock absorption, making it ideal for players with sensitive arms or early signs of tennis elbow discomfort."

Mejora Tu Padel (Manu Martin) reviewed the full 2026 Babolat range and placed the Counter family as the most complete control line, noting that the Veron sub-models (including budget variants) suffer from a glossy lacquer that muffles ball feel, adding that the round shape is "a classic control shape that penalises you very little when you miss the centre."

Zona de Padel tested the 2026 Counter range and described the round head shape as giving "a massive sweet spot, and no matter what I hit, I was timing it well at the net, quite comfortably." They placed the Counter line firmly in the beginner-to-lower-intermediate bracket, noting the weight distribution keeps aerial play comfortable even for players not used to head-heavy frames.

Our take: Kaj's summary

The Counter Origin does exactly what it promises and nothing more. The oversized sweet spot and SoftEVA core mean that a developing technique, off-centre contact included, rarely results in a shanked ball or a sore arm. For someone still building stroke mechanics and getting comfortable at the net, that forgiveness has real value. The trade-off is honest: there is very little power here, and players who start generating pace will notice the racket does not help them. Arm comfort and low learning friction are the genuine strengths; treat it as a learning tool rather than a long-term racket.

The head-light balance and large sweet spot make defensive resets and controlled lobs straightforward. Off-pace balls coming off the glass sit comfortably in the hitting zone, and the SoftEVA absorbs the impact well enough that players do not need to fight the racket to redirect the ball. This is where the Counter Origin performs best: staying consistent under pressure when pace is low to medium.

Power is limited. The fiberglass face and SoftEVA core absorb energy rather than return it, so smashes and overhead finishers require a full, committed swing to generate any real pace. Reviewers consistently rate the offensive capability as low for a reason. Players looking to develop a finishing game will find the racket underwhelming fairly quickly. Use it to learn placement and shot selection, not to punish short balls.

At the net, the head-light balance makes positioning and reaction volleys easy to execute. Block volleys sit controllably, and the large sweet spot means off-angle contact during fast exchanges is forgiving. The racket does not help generate spin or pace at the net, but for a beginner learning to stabilise the net position and redirect balls cleanly, it handles that job without resistance.

How it compares

The natural step up within Babolat's own range is the Babolat Counter Viper, which uses carbon faces and a firmer EVA core for more ball feedback and significantly more pace. Players who start with the Counter Origin and develop a consistent technique should move to the Counter Viper or Counter Veron next: the round shape stays familiar, but the carbon construction gives noticeably more to work with.

Outside Babolat, the Wilson Bela Junior or Nox ML10 Pro Cup Rough are comparable entry-level options at a similar price. If arm comfort is the priority, the Counter Origin's SoftEVA core is hard to beat at this price point.