Padel Racket Review - Head Extreme One 2023

What the reviewers say

The first surprise is the same for everyone: a solid face does not make the racket slow. Padel Spain found it "quite manoeuvrable, even though with no holes you would expect it to be hard to move, but the opposite is true: you get it into position fast". Stephane Penso at Padel Magazine, who tested a prototype months before launch, goes further: "despite its 345 grams it stays extremely stable on impact, and the manoeuvrability is a real asset in matches". Both found the sweet spot bigger than a diamond shape usually allows. Probando Palas, who also put it in the hands of four clubmates, calls it the most manoeuvrable racket he has tested: "coming off my Delta Pro, it is like playing a voice message at one and a half speed, there is suddenly time to spare before the shot".

On control they agree too. Joaquin Serna at The Padel Paper puts it plainly: "it is made for intermediate amateur players whose game is built on control". Dani 13, after several sessions with it, sends it the same way: to a right side player who defends and volleys rather than one who attacks everything from above.

Where they split is power. Penso calls the smash devastating and the racket an outright success. Jonas Eriksson at Tennisnerd, whose group put four players on court with it for two hours, comes out the other way: "it lacks a bit in power and stability compared to heavier rackets on the market", and he points it at beginners and lower intermediates rather than advanced players. Pablo at the4Set scores it "an 8 out of 10 on the smash, the one shot where I miss a little weight to transmit to the ball", while rating the speed into position as worth far more to his game. Padel Spain sits between them, noting you have to put more of your own force into the smash than with other models to bring the ball down.

Spin is the honest weak spot and nobody defends it hard. Serna is direct: the rough surface helps, but on a drop shot or a dormilona "it is not enough". Padel Addict, comparing it with the Extreme Pro, concluded that Head worked hard on the textured face, yet "on certain shots the holes are still a plus when it comes to making the ball rotate". The on-court testers disagree about where it fails. Serna and the4Set point at the slow touch shots. Dani 13 and Probando Palas found the opposite, that the surface grips well enough when you work the ball gently and gives up once you swing fast. Dani 13: "play it quick and the ball skids across the face instead of biting, and it floats on you".

Our take: Bowe's summary

A diamond that swings like a control racket is a rare thing, and that is the real reason to look at this one: quick to set, almost no vibration, honest about where the ball is going. The catch is spin. The textured face grips well enough when you work the ball slowly with the hand, but it stops biting once the swing speeds up, so a quick vibora or a kick smash skids off the face and floats long. It rewards players who build the point themselves and disappoints anyone waiting for the frame to finish it.

Behind the service line the high balance actually helps: the ball comes off the glass and out of the corner without a big swing, and the lob is easy to place deep. The limit is mass. At 345g there is not much help carrying a slow, low ball back over the net, so you supply the energy yourself. On a hard block against a heavy smash the head moves more than a 370g frame would.

The smash is good, not devastating. The head heavy balance and the firm 12K face give a clean, loud strike, and flat, fast smashes land well when the timing is right. Cut and kicked smashes are more work: without holes the face grips the ball less, so you come at it more from the side and need more arm to bring it down. Reviewers who wanted a finishing racket pointed at the Extreme Pro instead.

This is where the racket comes into its own. It gets into the volley zone fast, which buys time on body shots and lets you adjust late, and the firm face returns a dry, flat ball with very little vibration in the hand. Bandejas and viboras are accurate and repeatable, though they need a full follow through to land deep. On a heavy, spun volley the lack of mass shows and the face gets pushed around.

How it compares

Head Extreme Pro 2024. The traditional answer from the same family: heavier, with a drilled face. That extra mass and those holes give you more weight behind the smash and noticeably more spin. Take the Pro if you finish points from above, and the Extreme One if you want the same family of feel without the fatigue.

Babolat Air Viper 2023. Stiffer and more explosive, better if you want free power, but less forgiving when you are pulled into defense. The Extreme One is the more manoeuvrable and more comfortable of the two, and the Air Viper is the one that hits harder for you.