Babolat Counter Origin
8.6padell.io scoreSpecs + 1 review source- Shape
- Round
- Weight
- 345 to 365 g
- Balance
- Head-light
- Core
- EVA
The Babolat Counter Origin is a round, head-light, fiberglass racket weighing 345 to 365 g, with a 38 mm profile. On paper it is built for control, comfort and a forgiving hit. The one review agrees, but also calls its performance ceiling low. Good for learning, limited for hard hitters. Head size and handle are not published.
RBy Ruud Caris · facts checked 9 October 2026Choose it if
- you are picking up your first padel racket and want it to forgive your mistakes
- you play defensively, build points with depth and patience, and like a racket that swings quickly
- you want a soft, comfortable response and care less about adding pace to your smash
Skip it if
- you already hit hard and want the racket to add pace, for example the Babolat Counter Veron 2025, which Babolat lists as advanced
- you want a published balance in millimetres before you buy, since the Counter Veron 2025 lists 270 mm and this racket does not
- you want a round racket from another maker to compare, such as the StarVie Nyra, before settling
How it plays
Line = the average of all rackets ▲ above ▼ below
On paper this is a racket for placing the ball, not for forcing it.
- Control The round shape and head-light balance point to a racket that goes where you aim it, and the reviewer agrees.
- Power Fiberglass face, round shape and light head all lean the same way, so pace has to come from your swing.
- Comfort Fiberglass over an EVA core suggests a soft response, and the reviewer found it comfortable.
- Handling The head-light balance and round shape make it quick to bring back into position.
- Forgiveness The reviewer praised the size and forgiveness of the sweet spot, which fits the round shape.
Specifications
Not published by the brand: head size, surface, handle
Specs from the brand's own site · checked 23 September 2026 · Spotted a wrong spec? Report it →
Price history
Lowest price per day across the shops in your market. Checked every night.
What reviewers say
Only one source has reviewed the Counter Origin so far, so there is nothing to compare it against. padel.how played it and gives it 67 out of 100. Its pros are a large, forgiving sweet spot and a soft, comfortable response with easy depth. Its con is a limited ceiling for power and spin. It recommends the racket to first-time buyers, beginners and defensive recreational players.
That matches the brand's own pitch, which also targets beginners. It is a point in the racket's favour, but it is still one voice. Wait for more reviews if you want a second opinion.
The Babolat Counter Origin is built to forgive, and the one review says so in plain terms. The same review is just as blunt about where that forgiveness stops. That mix is the whole story of this racket.
Babolat lists it as a play style rather than a level. The product page, which is marketing, talks to people who are new to racket sports. Treat that as the brand's pitch. The specs and the review happen to point the same way.
Round, head light, fiberglass: the forgiving recipe on paper
The shape is round. The face is fiberglass. The core is EVA. The balance is labelled head light, and the frame is listed as hybrid. The profile is 38 mm.
What does that add up to? A round shape usually gives a more predictable hitting area. A fiberglass face is generally softer and less explosive than carbon. The EVA core points to a gentle response. A head-light balance makes the racket easy to swing and easy to stop.
That is a racket for placing balls. Not one for flattening them.
67 out of 100 from padel.how: a big sweet spot and a low ceiling
Only one source has reviewed it so far, and it is a modest sample. padel.how gives it 67 out of 100. It praises the size of the sweet spot and the forgiveness, plus a soft, comfortable response that makes depth easy. It points to first-time buyers, beginners and defensive recreational players as the target.
It also marks down power and spin. The reviewer finds the ceiling low once you want more from the racket. That matches what the specs suggest. You will find it easy to learn on. You may outgrow it once you want to finish points, not just keep them alive.
345 to 365 g and no balance in millimetres: what a light head asks of you
Babolat gives a weight range of 345 to 365 g. Babolat also lists a nominal 355 g. That range is wide, so two rackets of this model can differ in weight. If weight matters to you, check the exact figure on the racket you are buying.
In the middle of that range, the racket is not heavy. A head-light balance keeps it that way in the hand. On paper you get quicker handling and less strain on the arm over a long session.
The catch is simple. A light head gives less natural pace, so the power has to come from your own swing. If you want the racket to add speed for you, this is the wrong tool.
Babolat does not publish the balance in millimetres. The label head light is all you get.
Counter Origin next to the Vertuo and the Veron: same line, different jobs
The Counter name covers several rackets, and they are not versions of each other. They are different builds released in the same year.
The Counter Vertuo 2025 has a hybrid shape, a medium balance and an X-EVA core. It weighs 350 g. It is listed as beginner to intermediate. Its sweet spot meter reads low next to the high reading of the Origin.
The Counter Veron 2025 is another world. It is listed as advanced, with a high balance of 270 mm, a hybrid shape, a Carbon Flex face and 365 g. Its meters read medium for control, power and comfort, and low for maneuverability and sweet spot. If the Origin feels too soft for you, that is the direction of the jump, and it asks a lot more of you.
So the Origin is the most forgiving of the three on paper. That is its job.
Head size, handle, weight system: what the sheet leaves open
Several things are simply not published. Head size is missing. So are the handle details and the weight system. Surface and a signature player are missing too.
That matters in practice. The product page claims an oversize sweet spot, but it gives no figure, and you should read that as marketing. Without head size you cannot compare its hitting area to other rackets in numbers. You have the round shape, the reviewer's praise and the high sweet spot meter, and that is all.
The handle matters for comfort and grip size. If you have a strong preference, check the racket in a shop before you commit.
Counter Origin, StarVie Arkos 2026 or Kuikma PR Comfort Soft: picking your first round racket
There are close rivals on paper. The StarVie Arkos 2026 is also round, fiberglass and 38 mm, weighs 358 g, and shows the same meters as the Origin. Its core is S-EVA Flex, and it is listed as beginner to intermediate.
The Kuikma PR Comfort Soft is round and fiberglass too, at 341 to 360 g. Its sweet spot meter is medium where the Origin's is high. If forgiveness is your first concern, that gap matters. Put the two side by side in the comparison with the Kuikma.
The differences are small. Choose on grip, weight in your hand and which one you can try first.
Similar rackets
Questions before you buy
Is the Babolat Counter Origin a beginner racket?
The brand lists it as a play style, not a level, but the product page speaks to people new to racket sports. The one review recommends it to beginners and defensive recreational players.
Is the Counter Origin the same as the Counter Vertuo or Veron?
No. They are separate builds from the same year. The Vertuo has a hybrid shape and medium balance. The Veron is listed as advanced, with a high balance and a carbon face.
Is it heavy?
Babolat lists 345 to 365 g, with a nominal 355 g. With a head-light balance it should be easy to swing. Check the exact weight of the racket you buy, because the range is wide.
Is it comfortable for your arm?
On paper, yes. A fiberglass face, EVA core and head-light balance all suggest a soft response, and the reviewer found it comfortable. The handle details are not published, so grip size is worth checking.
Is the Counter Origin worth the money right now?
Today's price is labelled "Fair price" compared with the rackets that play most alike. Which shops deliver, and what shipping costs, depends on your country. The price comparison shows it for yours.
See all pricesWhat is the closest alternative?
The StarVie Arkos 2026 plays most alike. On paper the differences are under one point. Today: € 74.95.
Compare side by side →Who should not buy it?
Skip it if you want easy power for smashes (power 2.0/10).
How heavy is it really?
The brand gives 345 to 365 g. That counts as medium. Each racket can differ within that range.
Why a range? →