Our verdict and review of the Babolat Contact is that it is a very good choice for the beginner up to the intermediate level. The racquet has a round shape and a large sweetspot which makes it easier to get a clean ball hit even if you hit a little off the racquet. In addition, the racket is very affordable for those who do not want to spend several thousand dollars on a padel racket.
Content of the review
Babolat Contact characteristics
Our first impression of the Contact is that it is a solid, round racket with a nice color scheme of black, green, and blue. If these are not your favorite colors, it is worth mentioning that the same model is available in a different color scheme dominated by white, grey, and pink, in which case it has been named Reveal.
This is a racket designed for beginners in padel, but it is also suitable for recreational players. They have created a racket head that is a little larger than standard to make the sweetspot extra large so that even the hits that don’t end up in the middle of the racket can get good speed. The lightweight racket makes it easy to handle and is responsive on the court. It’s perfect for those just starting as it’s a forgiving racket that allows you to develop your beginner techniques.
There is a plastic bumper on the top of the racket to protect against impact, which is very handy as you may accidentally hit the wall or the ground before making contact with the ball. The integrated wrist strap is also a good idea, ensuring a good grip during the game.
This is a racket of good quality that delivers where you need it most and is a very reliable option for those who want to take their game to the next level.
Specifications
Information about the racket-
Brand: Babolat
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Shape: Round
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Balance: Medium - 265 mm
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Game type: Mixed
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Player performance level: Beginner - Intermediate
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Weight: 345 g (+/-10)
Easy to play
This is a racket designed for beginners in padel, but it is also suitable for recreational players. They have created a racket head that is a little larger than standard to make the sweetspot extra large so that even the hits that don’t end up in the middle of the racket can get good speed.
The low weight makes it an easy-to-handle racket that is responsive on the court. It’s perfect for those just starting out as it’s a forgiving racquet that allows you to develop your groundstrokes.
Durable and good quality
There is a plastic bumper on the top of the racket to protect against impact, very handy as you may accidentally hit the wall or the ground at first. The integrated wrist strap is also a good idea, ensuring a good grip during the game.
A racket of good quality that delivers where you need it most, a very interesting option for those who want to raise their level of play.
Material
Contact has a core of Soft EVA, this soft core is elastic and will give you good power in your swing without you having to use too much force. The racket surface is also flexible, made of fiberglass, which provides both comfort and security in your swings, as well as nice ball speed.
The racket is built up of a strong frame made of 100% carbon fiber, on top of which a plastic frame protector has been added to protect against any collisions with the floor or walls. The neck is reinforced with tungsten fiber, one of the newest technologies on the market called Dynamic Stability System.
DSS not only makes a racket stronger and more durable, but it also reduces vibration in each stroke, providing better comfort and security – important qualities for those who have just discovered this wonderful sport. Vibration dampening is also essential in preventing injuries to both wrists and elbows. So it’s a very gentle racket that allows you to build up your technique and playing ability while being gentle on your joints.
Carbon fibre frame and frame protector protect the racket from wear and tear
The racket is built from a strong frame made of 100% carbon fibre, with a plastic frame protector added on top to protect against hits from floors or walls.
The neck is reinforced with tungsten fibre, one of the newest technologies on the market called Dynamic Stability System. DSS not only makes a racket stronger and more durable, it also reduces vibration in each stroke, providing better comfort and ball feel – important qualities for those who have just discovered this wonderful sport.
Vibration dampening is also essential in preventing injuries to both wrists and elbows. So it’s a very gentle racket that allows you to build up your technique and playing ability while being gentle on your joints.
Balance
Contact is a racket with a medium balance, in other words, the weight is centrally located between the grip and the top of the racket. A racket with a medium balance is easy to swing, easy to handle, and comfortable to play with. It allows for quick movements and is ideal for players looking for security and control in their game.
In addition, they are gentle to play with, which can help avoid injuries. A racket with a lower center of gravity won’t shine when it comes to smashes and overhead plays, they don’t provide the same pressure as the top-heavy ones, but on the other hand, they give you a larger margin of error while improving your technique in the cage.
Racket shape
The Babolat Contact is a round racket, the best shape for those who are new to the sport of padel. Round rackets are easy to handle thanks to their low center of gravity and they generally have a larger sweetspot than the diamond and drop-shaped models, making them more forgiving. There are also advanced versions for competitive players, but this particular shape is by far the most suitable for polishing your swing and taking your game to the next level.
Hard or soft?
How hard the surface of the racket is, is one of the most important factors to keep in mind when deciding which padel racket to choose, and it is determined by the materials used in the manufacture of both the core and the hitting surface. Here, Babolat has combined a core of Soft EVA foam and a hitting surface of flexible fiberglass, making it a medium-strength racket.
The advantage of a softer racket like the Babolat Contact is that a more inexperienced player can easily get good speed on the ball even on softer shots. Thanks to more elasticity at impact, they generate more speed in these positions.
It also absorbs vibrations better and is, therefore, more gentle on the joints. Experienced players who hit harder often prefer harder rackets because they are more powerful, especially for smashes and volleys.
What level of player performance is Babolat Contact suitable for?
This is a very good quality racket for those who have just started playing padel, or those who only play occasionally. It’s a flexible racket that allows you to practice your beginner swings and technique in all aspects of the game, even when hitting further out to the frame it’s forgiving. However, the large sweetspot will ensure that most of your shots end up exactly where you want them.
Is the racket best suited for attacking or defensive play?
Contact is an all-rounder racket that doesn’t specialize in a particular style of play, it performs perfectly well across the board and is a great tool for honing in on a good basic technique.
Brief information about the Babolat brand
Babolat is the official sponsor of the World Padel Tour (WPT), and their most famous user in the sport is the Spanish world champion Juan “El Lobo” Lebrón.
The French brand has been dedicated to manufacturing padel rackets and other products to supplement the sport for about 20 years, ever since Padel became extremely popular in the Spanish-speaking countries around the world. Since then, Babolat has made a big effort to always lead the way with its constant new and improved designs and materials.
Their close collaboration with clubs, academies, coaches, and players has been built up to analyze the needs of the sport from the user’s perspective, and this is precisely why they have been so successful in adapting their products to the growing needs of a sport in constant evolution. The keywords for this brand have always been quality, security, and status, all of which are present throughout Babolat’s range of products.
In fact, Babolat is probably the world’s oldest brand dedicated to racket sports, Pierre Babolat founded this family business back in 1875 in Lyon, France. This was the period of the birth of tennis, and his business idea was to produce revolutionary, finer strings with higher tension and sustainability for both badminton and tennis.
For almost 150 years, the brand has been the favorite for most top players to string their rackets with, but today their product range has evolved tremendously to make them the world leader for all types of sports equipment such as shoes, balls, clothing, and caps.
| Babolat rackets | Shape | Balance | Game type | Player level | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babolat Viper Technical | Diamond | Top Heavy | Offensive | Advanced | 365 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Viper Air | Hybrid | Neutral | Offensive | Advanced | 355 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Viper Counter | Round | Top Heavy | Offensive | Advanced | 365 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Veron Technical | Diamond | Top Heavy | Offensive | Intermediate - Advanced | 365 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Veron Air | Hybrid | Neutral | Offensive | Intermediate - Advanced | 355 g (+/-10) |
| Babolat Veron Counter | Round | Top Heavy | Counter | Intermediate - Advanced | 365 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Defiance | Round | Neutral | Defensive | Beginner - Intermediate | 350 g (+/-10) |
| Babolat Viper | Diamond | Top Heavy | Offensive | Beginner - Intermediate | 360 g (+/-10) |
| Babolat Revenge Carbon | Hybrid/Drop Shape | Neutral | Mixed | Intermediate - Advanced | 365 g (+/-10) |
| Babolat Revenge W | Drop Shape | Neutral | Mixed | Intermediate - Advanced | 350 g (+/-10) |
| Babolat Contact | Round | Neutral | Mixed | Beginner - Intermediate | 345 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Vertuo Counter | Round | Neutral | Control | Beginner - Intermediate | 350 g (+/-10) |
| Babolat Vertuo Air | Hybrid/Drop Shape | Neutral | Allround | Beginner - Intermediate | 345 g (+/- 10) |
| Babolat Vertuo Technical | Diamond | Top Heavy | Offensive | Intermediate | 355 g (+/-10) |
| Click here to read about all Babolat padel rackets. | |||||
Probably the world's oldest brand in racket sports
In fact, Babolat is probably the world’s oldest brand dedicated to racket sports. Pierre Babolat founded this family business back in 1875 in Lyon, France.
This was the period of the birth of tennis, and his business idea was to produce strings of natural sinew for both badminton and tennis. For almost 150 years, the brand has been the favourite for most top players to string their rackets with.
Today, their product range has evolved tremendously to make them the world leader for all types of sports equipment such as shoes, balls, clothing and caps.
Advantages of Babolat Contact
If you’re a beginner or intermediate level player, this is a racquet you’ll get a lot of enjoyment from. The lightweight makes it easier to move around the court quickly, it feels light in the hand and gives a very good feel when hitting.
It’s forgiving of hits that are off-target because the sweetspot is well-sized, making it fun to play even if your technique isn’t quite at its peak. You’ll also be able to practice your smashes and volley game with Contact, once you’ve practiced a good technique you can consider a slightly harder option if you want to make your shots more powerful. We think this is a good quality and affordable racket that can help you grow as a player.
It is also nice to have two color choices for the same racket dependent on your color preferences.
Plus / Minus
Summary of our review-
A very good beginner's racket
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Affordable for those who want to get started with padel
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Big sweet spot
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Hard to get any extra power for the talented player
Cons
As a beginner’s racket, we don’t see any direct disadvantages to Contact, it delivers exactly what it’s supposed to. This racket provides stability all over the court, in front of the net as well as further back in the corners. If you’re a more experienced player who hits with harder power and has mastered a better technique, there are plenty of other options that will suit you better.
Our Babolat Contact rating and review
Our overall rating and review of the Babolat Contact is very good, especially for the beginner or exerciser. You get a very forgiving padel racket that helps you get a clean hit even if you don’t hit in the exact same spot all the time.
The combination of a very good beginner’s racquet and the low price makes us give the racquet a very high rating.
Below we have collected reviews for Babolat Contact online.
- 5 out of 5 by customer reviews at Padelspecialisten.com
- 5 out of 5 by customer reviews at Tengo.se
