Black Crown Piton 11 Soft 2023

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The 3K Silver flexes just enough that the ball comes out on its own on blocks and defensive volleys: you don't need to muscle the shot to send it deep from the back of the court. The sweet spot is remarkably wide for a 38mm frame; balls caught near the bumper or the throat still come out with direction on rushed wall exits. The rough surface bites hard on cut bandejas and lifted viboras, producing a low bounce and lateral kick that catches out opponents camped on the glass. The 3Xply EVA, with its hard outer layer and soft core, filters vibration without deadening the racket: a clean strike on the volley and less punishment on the wrist and elbow over long matches. Starting at 355 grams and in a round shape, it moves fast at net, letting you adjust your grip in quick exchanges from volley to bote pronto.

Cons

• ✗On flat smashes and the remate por 3 it comes up short on penetration: the pace has to come from your arm, since the racket prioritises control over heavy ball. The rough face polishes down with court hours and loses some of its bite; on sandy courts the PitonGlass wear shows up sooner than you'd expect. The round shape trims leverage and reach on high balls to the body and on smashes into the back walls: you need to compensate with positioning rather than arm.

When Black Crown wrapped up its 2023 lineup, the Black Crown Piton 11 Soft 2023 landed as the crown jewel of the range: round shape, mixed PitonGlass and 3K Silver face, 3Xply EVA core, 38mm frame and a weight range of 355 to 370 grams. The "Soft" tag describes the response, not the packaging.

Why the 3K Silver face sets this Soft apart from the rest of the Piton line

The face splits the work between two surfaces. PitonGlass supplies the rough texture that grips the ball and generates spin; the 3K Silver, a fine-weave carbon, flexes more than what you get on the standard Black Crown Piton 11 2023.

That difference in flex changes the entire character of the padel racket. Where the standard version demands arm, this one gives the ball back sooner and with less technical effort required.

Underneath, the 3Xply EVA does the heavy lifting — a foam built with a hard outer layer and a soft core. The outer layer stops the shot from sinking and going dead; the inner core soaks up the impact. The resulting feel is medium-soft: it gives on contact but never turns spongy on a crisp volley.

2TB EVA rounds out the build around the perimeter, exactly where the 38mm frame absorbs the stress from off-centre hits.

Piton 11 Soft 2023 specs at a glance

Control or power: what kind of padel racket is the Piton 11 Soft?

It's a control racket with a lively ball exit. The 38mm frame and rough face lock in direction, while the 3Xply EVA core and 3K Silver let the ball leave with minimal effort. It hits with precision, not violence.

Shot by shot: where the Piton 11 Soft shines and where it falls short

Wall exits. This is its best territory. The wide sweet spot forgives late contact, and the 3K Silver's flex drives the ball deep even when your body positioning is off. This is where the racket does the work for you.

Bandeja and vibora. The PitonGlass texture is real, not cosmetic: cut balls stay low off the bounce and kick out toward the side glass. The lifted vibora comes out slower than off a stiffer-profile racket, but with more spin and better height control over the net.

Volleys. The medium-soft feel gives a clean response on blocks and defensive volleys. On aggressive volleys aimed at the feet, the ball comes out a touch slower than a hard hitter might expect.

Smash. This is its honest ceiling. On the flat smash and the remate por 3, it lacks penetration: the 3Xply EVA soaks up energy that a harder core would return. The kick smash works better than the flat smash because it plays into the face's roughness.

Defence and lob. The weight starting at 355g and the round shape make the long defensive lob off the back wall easy to control with precision, not luck.

Who should be playing with this 38mm round racket?

The design targets an advanced player who builds the point rather than ending it in one shot. It suits three profiles in particular:

1. **A backhand-side player who plays containment tennis**, constantly forced into wall exits and long defensive lobs under pressure.
2. **A player managing elbow or wrist issues** who needs shock absorption without giving up a face that grips the ball.
3. **A mid-to-high level player in transition**, since the wide sweet spot props up your game on the days your timing isn't there.

It's not the pick for the aggressive drive player who lives for the remate por 3 and wants the racket to supply half the pace. That player will hit a wall the first time a high ball arrives.

As part of a pair, it pairs well with a partner who has a stiffer, more powerful profile: this racket sustains the rally and places the ball, while the other closes it out.

Verdict: high margin for error, capped power ceiling

The Black Crown Piton 11 Soft 2023 delivers exactly what its name promises. It's the softer read on the Piton family, with the 3K Silver's flex as the key differentiator versus the standard version, and a medium-soft feel that holds up through two-hour matches without punishing your arm.

In exchange, you accept a capped power ceiling and a rough face that polishes down with use. If you value hitting your spot on every ball over how many smashes you close out por 3, this Black Crown racket delivers; if you're after the opposite, look toward the harder-core profiles.