babolat
Air Viper
Shape
round
Weight
365g
Balance
medium
Price
$320
Babolat Counter Viper
8.2 / 10
Community rating
Best for: Best for An intermediate or advanced right side player seeking medium touch a large sweet spot
Shape: Round
Weight: 365g
Balance: Head Light
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Great balance of power and control
- Comfortable feel on impact
- Good value for money
Cons
- May require adjustment period
- Limited availability in some regions
Performance Scorecard
Overall
(summary of attributes below)
8.2
Power
8.0
Control
8.0
Sweet Spot
8.0
Maneuverability
7.6
Comfort
7.0
Spin
5.0
Specifications
- MSRP $320
- Weight 365g
- Shape Round
- Balance Head Light
- Surface 3K Carbon fiber
- Core Medium-Hard EVA
- Hardness Medium
Counter Viper
2023’s Babolat Counter Viper is the French brand’s racket designed for advanced control and defense-oriented players. This year’s model is the same as last year’s with a few minor changes (the following applies to the entire Viper line):
-
The paint job
-
The handle’s bulge is slightly higher
-
The racket now has a strap interchange system
-
The vibration reduction system is a tiny bit more effective
A hybrid round-shaped racket with a hard touch and a medium-high balance, this racket is designed for advanced right-side players or players who win points with patience, intelligence, and counter-attacking.
Intermediate players seeking a racket to complement this style of play should consider the Counter Veron as well. This is still a quite technical racket, and this hardness will tire out arms that are not accustomed to playing with a hard-touch racket.
This is thanks to its hard touch from the 3K carbon fiber combined with the Multi-EVA core, AKA, X-EVA, which is a sandwich of layers of hard foam around a layer of soft foam.
Babolat uses different types of carbon fiber on each of its models in the Viper line to achieve a similar “explosive power” sensation. Due to the wide shape of the Counter Viper’s racket face, 3K carbon, the hardest widely used in padel rackets, is taken because otherwise, the racket would become too soft. It is, nevertheless, still the softest, and as a result, most tolerant of the Viper line.
But it is not a power-oriented racket. Our reviewers struggled to knock it out X3 with this racket where it would have been otherwise easy.
The wide shape amplifies the size of the sweet spot, however, it comes with a cost: maneuverability. This racket can be slow and bulky.
Expert Reviews of babolat Counter Viper
Average score: 8.2 • Based on 5 expert reviews • Last updated: Feb 2023
8.4
Dani 13
Jan 22, 2022
"It is a very versatile racket that fires a lot at high and low speed. You need to be a little careful with the control, especially at the net. Recommended for intermediate, intermediate-advanced player who like a very dry touch. It is easy to use and offers a lot of control."
Power
8.0
Control
8.0
Sweet Spot
9.0
8.1
Fabio Ferro
Aug 30, 2022
"Undoubtedly, the easier (of the Babolat Viper line) racket to play with. A frankenstein racket in its shape, and with it’s large sweet spot, it gives a certain tranquility of play. But above all, with a rigid surface, which gives medium hardness, this racket allows a bit of everything. It is good for right side players perhaps, for more control, or the left side player who doesn’t want to rely totally on smashes, but also wants tolerance on volleys."
Weight: 376g Balance: 10cm
Power
9.0
Control
8.5
Sweet Spot
7.5
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