Black Crown Piton Air Plus

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The sweet spot the PitonGlass face generates forgives off-centre hits: low volley blocks and bandejas taken close to the throat still come out with direction and depth With low balance and 355 g at the bottom of its weight range, this padel racket turns fast at the net: counter-viboras and reflex volleys at mid-court arrive in time The medium-feel Super Control EVA gives easy ball exit off the back wall: you send the ball deep without needing to complete the full swing The AVAIR system filters vibration through the handle, a genuine relief in long matches for anyone carrying elbow or forearm niggles The 2TB Air double-tubular construction stiffens a 38 mm frame that, paired with such a flexible face, keeps the racket from going soft and losing direction

Cons

• ✗The flat smash from the back of the court asks a lot of your arm: with power deliberately kept in check and mass sitting near the handle, closing out points from the baseline takes more effort than with a head-heavy racket The smooth carbon face limits bite on viboras and kick serves; any sidespin has to come from your wrist, not the racket surface Even at 370 g, that weight sits toward the handle: if you're expecting the racket to do the work on your smash, it'll let you down This is an advanced-level racket in a tactical sense: if you don't build the point with a deep bandeja and a solid wall exit, its control-oriented profile won't do much for you

The Black Crown Piton Air Plus targets advanced players with consolidated technique who want more performance without yet moving to a pure competition racket. Its round shape concentrates the sweet spot in the center of the face, increasing tolerance and favouring control. With a low balance, it gains maneuverability and quick response at the net. Its 355-370g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

Black Crown Piton Air Plus Review: The 38mm Round Racket Tito Allemandi Played in 2022

The Black Crown Piton Air Plus (2022) pairs a PitonGlass glass fibre face with a medium-density Super Control EVA core, a 38 mm frame built with 2TB Air technology, and an AVAIR anti-vibration system in the handle. It weighs between 355 and 370 grams, with a round shape and low balance. Tito Allemandi, world number 24 on the World Padel Tour at launch, competed with it.

That pedigree tells you exactly what it's for: a padel racket built to direct the ball and hold up rallies, not to blow points open.

PitonGlass Meets Super Control EVA: Why the Ball Stays on the Face

Glass fibre flexes more than a stiffer weave. On this racket that translates into a face that dips slightly on impact and sends the ball out generously, without forcing you to accelerate your arm all the way through the shot.

The Super Control EVA core matches it with a medium touch: neither the sharp response of a hard rubber nor the runaway trampoline effect of a soft one. That combination is where the racket's headline feature comes from — the sweet spot.

The usable hitting area stretches out toward the throat and the edges, so shots you don't catch dead centre neither drop into the net nor sail long. It's about as forgiving an impact zone as you'll find on a round racket.

The 38 mm frame with double 2TB Air tubing supplies the necessary counterweight: it stiffens the perimeter and stops a flexible face from turning into a racket with no direction.

Piton Air Plus Spec Sheet

How Does It Play, Shot by Shot?

At the net is where it clicks best. The low balance concentrates mass near the handle and the racket turns fast: blocked volleys down the line, counter-viboras and last-second adjustments all arrive on time. In quick exchanges at mid-court, you're never caught out.

The bandeja comes out comfortable and, crucially, repeatable. With the weight sitting close to your hand, raising your arm above shoulder height a hundred times a match isn't a chore, and the glass fibre's natural ball exit helps the cut lob land deep even without much racket speed behind it.

The flat smash from the back of the court is the trade-off. Power is deliberately reined in: without solid technique and weight transfer behind it, the racket won't close the point on its own. Here you smash for angle and bounce height, not raw pace.

Vibora and kick serves respond in direction, not bite. With a smooth surface, sidespin comes from your wrist — don't expect the face to grip the ball for you.

On defence and wall exits is where everything above pays off. A low ball hugging the glass, an imperfect contact, and still a deep return with half a swing: that's exactly the scenario this Black Crown model is built for.

What Level Is the Black Crown Piton Air Plus Suited To?

Short answer: it's a control-focused round racket for advanced players, with a PitonGlass glass fibre face, medium Super Control EVA rubber and low balance. It offers a very wide sweet spot, fast handling at the net and comfortable ball exit, in exchange for modest raw power on the smash.

"Advanced" here isn't about harshness — the feel is friendly — it's about tactical dependency. Its performance climbs when you know how to construct the point: deep bandeja, patience, reading the wall and attacking at the right moment.

It's a good fit if:

1. You play the backhand side and your job is holding the rally and placing the ball, not finishing it.
2. Your partner is the one smashing and you need a reliable, error-free setup shot.
3. You're coming from a harder racket and want comfort back without giving up direction.
4. You want a racket that turns fast for hands at the net.

It's not the right call if you close out points with a heavy topspin smash or an aggressive vibora: there, you'll feel the ball isn't flying off the face.

AVAIR and the Case for Your Elbow

The AVAIR system sits in the handle and works as a shock absorber for vibration reaching the forearm. In practice, it's the logical partner to a flexible face and a medium core: the whole racket transmits very little harsh impact.

For players with a history of tennis elbow or back-to-back two-hour matches, that comfort is as valid a reason to buy as the control itself.

Verdict: Forgiving Control Over Raw Speed

The Black Crown Piton Air Plus does one thing very well: it keeps the ball where you want it, even when the contact isn't clean. The wide sweet spot and the manoeuvrability of that low balance make it a dependable workhorse racket for the full length of a match.

The trade-off is clear and worth stating plainly: moderate power, zero bite from surface texture, and a smash that leans entirely on your technique. If you're after a racket that gifts you extra metres, this isn't it.

But if what you want is a round racket that forgives mishits, spins fast at the net and looks after your arm, this Black Crown option still makes a strong case for itself years after launch.