Raqueta De Padel Enebe Arrow 23

Pros

• ✓The Ultrasoft EVA core does most of the heavy lifting on ball exit: on defensive lobs from the back of the court, the ball comes off deep without you having to accelerate through the shot A huge sweet spot spread across the whole round face means balls struck near the frame after a tricky wall exit still leave with direction and no annoying vibration At 360-375 g with a medium balance, you can snap the wrist round in time for reaction volleys and string two blocks together without ever being late on the second one The fibreglass face cushions the impact and protects the joints, making this a sensible pick for anyone playing three or four days a week while nursing elbow niggles The 38 mm profile concentrates stiffness exactly where it's needed, adding extra stability on the cut bandeja, which comes out flat with good length towards the back wall

Cons

• ✗The soft EVA compresses too much on a flat smash and caps your power ceiling: if you're looking to close out points for 3 from mid-court, this racket will make you smash twice instead of once The smooth carbon face and fibreglass don't bite the ball the way a rough carbon face does; the topspin vibora loses revs and the kick off the bounce is short Being an all-rounder, it doesn't excel at any one thing to an extreme degree: an advanced player with a fully developed game will start feeling short on bite once the rally speeds up With no published balance-in-millimetres or sweet-spot-position data, customising it with lead tape is more trial and error than precise calculation

The Enebe Arrow 23 is a round-shape padel racket with a 38 mm frame, weighing 360-375 g, built around an Ultrasoft EVA core as part of Enebe's 2023 lineup, which the brand pitched under the banner of control, power and balance. Fibreglass face, smooth surface, medium balance and a very clear mission: stop intermediate players losing points to mishits.

Who is the Enebe Arrow 23 padel racket really for?

It's built for the intermediate player, still shaping their technique, grinding through two- or three-hour matches. The round shape puts the sweet spot right in the geometric centre of the face, the medium balance splits the weight evenly between hand and head, and the upshot is a padel racket that doesn't demand clean technique to get a solid ball exit.

Anyone coming from a stiff, head-heavy carbon racket will feel the difference within the first hour on court: less effort per shot, fewer dead balls off the frame, less strain on the forearm.

Ultrasoft EVA meets fibreglass: what this combo does to the ball

The Ultrasoft EVA core is what defines this racket's whole character. A soft foam compresses more on impact and gives energy back as ball exit rather than raw pace. On court that means the defensive lob comes out deep without you needing to accelerate, and the ball settles into the face instead of skidding off.

The fibreglass face pushes in the same direction. It's a more elastic, less rigid material than carbon, so it damps vibration and softens the feel. It loses bite in the process — fibreglass just doesn't grip the ball like a rough carbon face — but gains forgiveness and comfort.

The 38 mm profile is the logical counterweight: it keeps enough structural stiffness in the frame that the racket doesn't flex too much through faster-paced exchanges. Strip out that 38 mm and a build this soft would go limp at the volley.

Shot by shot: how the Arrow 23 actually plays

Defence and wall exits. This is home turf. The wide sweet spot of the round shape forgives the off-centre contact you get coming off the back wall with little room to work with; the ball still leaves with direction even when you catch it near the frame.

Bandeja. Comes out flat and with good length. The 38 mm frame gives stability on the cut contact and the racket won't twist in your hand if you're a touch late. The medium balance helps you get it up and over the shoulder in time.

Smash. This is where the ceiling shows. The soft EVA compresses and eats up some of the energy, so the flat smash leaves with less final pace than a big hitter would want. It closes points — just not always in one go.

Vibora. The smooth face limits the effect you can generate. The topspin vibora loses revs and the bounce afterwards doesn't kick the way it would off a rough surface. It compensates with placement rather than spin.

Volleys. Very manageable at the net on reaction blocks. At 360-375 g with medium balance, you can string two volleys together without ever being late on the second.

The three player profiles this Enebe suits best

1. **The intermediate player who wants to stop losing points off the frame.** The wide sweet spot turns unforced errors into playable balls, and that moves the scoreboard more than one extra winning smash ever will.
2. **Anyone nursing elbow or wrist niggles.** Fibreglass plus Ultrasoft EVA is the go-to combination when the priority is soaking up impact through long sessions.
3. **The baseline player who builds points with lobs.** The soft core's natural ball exit gives the lob depth without forcing the technique.

Who it doesn't suit: the player smashing for 3 looking for a winner from mid-court, and anyone who builds their game around a spinning vibora. Neither is this racket's strong suit.

Verdict: an honest round racket that knows what it isn't

Enebe didn't try to build an all-things-to-all-players racket with the Arrow 23. They built a round-shape racket with soft foam and an elastic face that prioritises forgiveness, comfort and ball exit — and they accepted the trade-off that comes with it: less raw power on the smash and less spin on the vibora.

The positioning holds up. For an intermediate player after a padel racket that helps keep the ball in play and protects the arm, the pitch stands. For an advanced player with a fully grooved game, it'll start feeling short on bite as soon as the rally picks up pace.

One practical note: there's no published data on balance in millimetres or on the sweet-spot surface area, so if you like fine-tuning a racket with lead tape, you'll be working by trial and error rather than by calculation. That said, with a racket this forgiving out of the box, most players won't feel the need to touch it at all.