Head Speed Motion LTD Alfonso Hohenlohe 2024

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The Power Foam in the medium-density EVA core releases the ball incredibly fast on the block volley and the flat smash, letting you get depth without needing a full swing The Auxetic construction delivers crystal-clear feedback on contact: you can feel instantly whether the ball hit the sweet spot or drifted toward the tip, something players who work their contact point will appreciate The teardrop shape with a head-heavy balance loads mass into the throat, so the bandeja comes off the racket with its own natural weight, no need to force the arm to reach the back wall The rough surface bites well on the vibora and the cut smash, giving reliable side spin on high balls near the net The Soft Butt Cap soaks up some of the vibration from the 38mm frame on off-centre hits, which you notice clearly on a 365g, head-heavy padel racket

Cons

• ✗The fixed 365g weight, with no lighter option in the range, rules out players who need to shed grams to get through long matches or protect their elbow That head-heavy balance punishes reactive defence: on low, tight glass exits you need to prepare early or the racket simply arrives late to the contact point The sweet spot isn't especially generous for a teardrop with a 465cm² hitting surface: shots toward the tip lose pace and feel As a limited edition, availability and pricing don't follow the standard Speed range logic, worth bearing in mind if you like to replace the same racket every season

The Head Speed Motion LTD Alfonso Hohenlohe 2024 targets advanced players with consolidated technique who want more performance without yet moving to a pure competition racket. Its teardrop shape shifts the sweet spot slightly upwards, striking a balance between control and power. The high balance adds weight to the swing and pushes the racket toward an offensive profile. Its 365g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

Head Speed Motion LTD Alfonso Hohenlohe 2024 Review: A 365g Tribute Teardrop

The Head Speed Motion LTD Alfonso Hohenlohe 2024 is a limited-edition, 365g teardrop padel racket with a 38mm frame and Auxetic construction plus Power Foam, created in partnership with the Alfonso Hohenlohe Padel Club. A rough surface, a carbon-and-fibreglass face and a 465cm² hitting surface round out a racket built for advanced players.

Why is this padel racket named after Alfonso Hohenlohe?

The model comes from a collaboration with the Alfonso Hohenlohe Padel Club and pays tribute to the man who, after discovering padel in Mexico, built Spain's first courts back in 1974. This isn't a pro's signature racket — it's a commemorative edition that takes Head's existing Speed platform and dresses it up with a genuine piece of history.

That context matters when judging it. This isn't a mainstream release built to shift volume; it's a limited run on a familiar base already well known within the Speed family.

Auxetic and Power Foam: what each technology actually does on court

Auxetic is the heart of this racket. The structure widens under tension and contracts under compression, and that controlled deformation is exactly what feeds information back to your arm on contact.

On court, that translates into something very tangible: you know where the ball landed. On a low block volley you feel the weight of the impact; on a short chiquita you sense the grip before you even follow through. This is useful touch, not marketing spin.

The Power Foam sits on a medium-density EVA core. That pairing is built for a quick response without tipping into the hard-rubber feel that only works with a fast swing. Ball exit comes quicker than the racket's weight would suggest.

The face blends carbon with fibreglass. Fibreglass gives a slightly softer flex than pure carbon, which explains why this teardrop doesn't punish the arm as much as its head-heavy balance might imply.

The Soft Butt Cap rounds things off, filtering out some of the vibration travelling up the 38mm frame, particularly on shots that catch the edge of the frame.

Shot by shot: how it plays

Smash. The 365g weight with high mass up top does the work for you. You don't need to swing all out to get real pace, and the 38mm frame helps keep the trajectory clean when contact is centred.

Bandeja. This is where it shines brightest. The head-heavy balance lets the head drop onto the ball with its own momentum, and the rough surface holds the slice all the way through. It's a shot that feels natural from your very first match.

Vibora. The rough texture bites and lets you work the side spin with confidence. It wants a high, centred contact point; open the angle too much on a dropping ball and the racket loses its grip.

Volley. This is where the Power Foam really shows up. The ball comes off fast even on no-swing blocks, which is handy for stealing time from your opponent, but it demands a soft touch when you want to drop it short.

Wall exits and defence. The weak point. With a head-heavy, fixed-weight build, arriving late to a ball hugging the glass costs you. It demands early preparation and good legwork.

Lob. Comes out deep with little effort, though fine-tuning the height still comes down to your technique rather than the racket.

Which level of player is this racket built for?

It's aimed at advanced players, and the fixed 365g weight confirms it. There's no lighter option in the lineup, so you'll need solid muscle and consolidated technique to handle that mass through a full match.

The player who gets the most out of it:

1. Net-rushers looking to close out points with bandeja and vibora.
2. Anyone who'd rather have fast ball exit on the volley than pinpoint precision.
3. Players who value in-hand feedback over outright comfort.
4. Backhand-side players, where the head-heavy weight adds punch on the cross-court smash.

As a doubles pairing, it works well alongside a partner running a more controlled racket with a wider sweet spot, who can sustain the rally while this one pushes the pace.

What this padel racket won't give you

The sweet spot isn't as generous as the 465cm² hitting surface might suggest. The teardrop shape concentrates the optimal zone slightly above the geometric centre, and shots toward the tip lose both pace and feel.

It's also not the right call if you're carrying elbow or shoulder niggles. The 365g weight combined with a head-heavy balance builds up inertia over a match, and there's no lighter version within this edition.

And being a limited run, neither availability nor pricing follows the logic of the rest of the Speed lineup.

Verdict: when does the Head Speed Motion LTD make sense?

The racket delivers on its promise: an all-round teardrop that speeds up your game, with above-average ball exit and touch that keeps you informed. The Auxetic-and-Power-Foam version has been described as a well-balanced all-rounder within Head's Speed range, and that matches exactly what you feel on court.

It makes sense if you're an advanced player who attacks from the net and wants a racket with a story behind it. It doesn't if you need to drop weight, if your game leans on deep defence, or if you're chasing maximum forgiveness on off-centre hits.

Honestly, it's a strong technical base wrapped in a commemorative edition: you're buying real performance, and the story of how padel arrived in Spain along with it.