Varlion
Bourne Swedish Padel Open 2022
A limited-run teardrop that hits like a diamond but lets you off the hook on mishits — built around a Tour event and tuned for attackers who haven't fully committed to a pure power frame.
Highlights
✓ Teardrop face with medium-high balance — power-leaning without the punishing sweet spot of a true diamond
✓ Hypersoft core sits between Varlion's Winter and Summer compounds — softer touch than most attacking frames at this level
✓ Summum construction adds a 14.5 cm handle and 76-hole drilling pattern, widening the sweet spot for two-handed backhands and off-centre hits
Details and Technologies
| Shape | teardrop |
| Balance | high |
| Level | professional |
| Style | power |
| Core | Hypersoft foam (medium hardness W/S) |
| Face | carbon fiber 12K, plain weave 3K carbon, fiberglass |
Who is this racket for?
✓ Ideal for
Left-side players who finish points overhead but want a softer ball-pocket than a stiff EVA diamond gives them
Advanced players with two-handed backhands — the extended grip and Summum hitting zone reward the longer swing
✗ Not recommended for
Beginners and right-side defensive players — the high balance and teardrop shape demand consistent timing that club players won't have
Marketed as professional level, and the high balance plus power orientation back that up — you need at least three years of consistent technique before this racket pays off.
Review
The Bourne Swedish Padel Open 2022 is a limited-edition colourway of Varlion's Bourne Summum Prisma, produced for the WPT Swedish Padel Open. The Bourne shape itself is a 2018 hybrid — Varlion fused the Cañon diamond and the Avant teardrop, so what you get is a teardrop face that leans harder toward power than most teardrops dare. The Summum designation means it's the full-spec build: longer handle, wider hitting zone, aerodynamic bridge.
Technical analysis
The core is Hypersoft foam at medium hardness — Varlion's middle ground between their Winter (softer) and Summer (firmer) compounds. It's wrapped in a layered face: 12K carbon fibre, a 3K plain-weave carbon, then a thin fibreglass layer, all bonded with Varlion's VAR-FLEX epoxy. The Rhombus Carbon Fabric weave on the core faces adds flex back into what would otherwise be a stiff sandwich — it softens the response slightly without sacrificing carbon's direct energy transfer. The frame is where this racket earns its identity. The Prisma Frame uses a prism-shaped cross-section that wind-tunnel-tested at roughly 10% less air drag than Varlion's Hexagon frame, so the racket swings faster than its medium-high balance suggests on paper. The Diffuser Wings bridge channels airflow through the throat — Varlion claims a 27% airflow gain over the previous bridge design — and on smashes you can feel the head cutting through the swing rather than dragging. Summum's 76-hole graduated drilling pattern widens the sweet spot, and Handlesafety routes the wrist cord through both walls of the grip instead of a single central hole, which locks the grip in better under heavy swings.
On court
On overheads this is a power frame, no argument — the high balance loads the head and the Prisma profile lets you accelerate late without dragging. Bandejas and viboras benefit from the Slice texture, which uses curved lines (mirrored for left- and right-handers) to grip the ball more aggressively than a flat face. What surprises is the dwell time: the Hypersoft core gives the ball a fraction longer on the strings than a standard EVA build, so flat drives don't fire off uncontrollably the way they can off a true diamond. The trade-off shows up on defence. The 345–360 g weight range is moderate, but the head-heavy balance means quick reaction volleys feel slower than on a low-balance frame, and right-side resets from the back wall demand more wrist work than they should. The 14.5 cm handle is a clear win for two-handed backhands — there's room for both hands without crowding — but a one-handed grip player will find the extra length sits oddly in the palm.
Verdict
The Bourne Swedish Padel Open 2022 suits the left-side attacker who wants the finishing power of a diamond without giving up all the forgiveness of a teardrop — the Hypersoft core and widened sweet spot let you survive mishits a true diamond would punish. The limitation is on the defensive side: right-side players and anyone resetting from the back of the court will feel the head-heavy balance working against them. As a limited edition it's also a collector item, so availability and price are part of the buying decision.
Gallery
FAQ
How does the Bourne Swedish Padel Open 2022 compare to the standard Bourne Summum Prisma?
Mechanically they're the same racket — same Prisma Frame, same Summum construction, same Hypersoft core. The Swedish Padel Open 2022 is a limited-edition colourway produced for the WPT event in Sweden, so the difference is cosmetic and collectible rather than performance-based. If you find the standard Bourne Summum Prisma at a lower price, you're getting the same playing experience.
Should I choose the Bourne Swedish Padel Open 2022 or a pure diamond like the Varlion Cañon?
Go diamond if you're a confirmed left-side attacker with consistent technique and you finish points almost exclusively overhead. Pick the Bourne if you attack from the left but still play rallies from mid-court and want a wider sweet spot for off-centre hits — the teardrop face is more forgiving on the bandejas and viboras you hit when you can't smash.
Is this racket safe for players with elbow problems?
It's a higher-risk profile: high balance, 12K carbon face, teardrop-leaning-to-power shape. The Hypersoft core and Rhombus Carbon Fabric weave do soften the response compared to a hard-EVA diamond, but if you have active lateral epicondylitis or a history of elbow injury, a round frame with a low balance and fibreglass face is the safer choice.
What does the Summum technology actually mean on court?
Summum bundles four upgrades: a 14.5 cm grip (vs the usual 12.5 cm), a hitting zone extended by about 1 cm, a 76-hole graduated drilling pattern, and the Diffuser Wings bridge. In practice this means more room for two-handed backhands, a wider sweet spot when you mishit, and faster swing acceleration through the air.
Can a strong intermediate player use this racket?
It's labelled professional and the high balance backs that up, but a strong intermediate who plays primarily on the left side and has solid overhead technique can get value from it — the Hypersoft core and widened Summum sweet spot make it more forgiving than the spec sheet implies. If you're still developing consistency from the back of the court, wait until your timing catches up.