Padel Racket Review - Adidas Metalbone Carbon CTRL 3.5 2026

What the reviewers say

Reviewers agree on what kind of racket this is and disagree on how soft it actually feels.

Dani 13 puts it at the firm end of the adidas range: "Of the adidas rackets that use this Soft Performance rubber, this one and the Metalbone Carbon are the hardest." He scores the stiffness around 7.5 to 8 out of 10 and notes you get less trampoline at fast rallies than a standard Metalbone gives you.

Padelful reads it the other way, calling the touch medium soft with easy ball exit, and is blunt about the ceiling: "Once I ask for outright punch, it runs out of gears sooner than stiffer, more attack-minded rackets."

Stefan at Padel-Point tested it alongside the rest of the 2026 Metalbone line and pointed at the weight as the power source: "This one is heavier than the Metalbone and the Metalbone HRD+, around 365 grams, and because of the weight you generate power easily, but you still have a lot of control from the round shape."

PadelStar scores control 9 and power 7, and lands on the same limit: "The power is limited next to rackets built for pure attack, so it is not the best choice if your game runs on constant heavy smashing." Racket Central sums the model up in a line: it is "a round shaped model with a softer and more forgiving response than the more expensive Metalbone Control, mainly because it uses 6K carbon instead of 16K."

The one real disagreement is the sweet spot. Retail copy and Padelreference call it generous and tolerant, rating tolerance 8 out of 10. Dani 13, who played it, found the opposite: centred and not especially large, easy to miss, with a clear drop in response when you do. Trust the on-court read when you are deciding.

Our take: Christoph's summary

This is a control frame that does not feel soft, and that combination is the interesting part. The 365g and the long grip give a committed swing something real to push against, and the stiffness Dani 13 measures fits that: the racket rewards a full arm swing, not a flick of the wrist. Anyone who plays to finish should know the payoff arrives as ball weight and placement rather than free speed off the face. The centred sweet spot punishes a rushed swing harder than the marketing suggests.

Defense is where the round head earns its keep. Blocks come back predictably, the Soft Performance core takes the sting out of a ball you reach late, and off the back wall the rebound is easy to read. Defensive lobs travel deep without a big gesture. What you do not get is much margin on a ball struck well outside the middle, so awkward defending still asks for clean racket work.

Offense is capable, with a ceiling. On a full swing the ball leaves the face quickly and the extended grip gives real leverage overhead, which is why Dani 13 calls this the most offensive of adidas's round options. But the sweet spot sits in the middle of the face, not up top, so the smash leans on your technique and on the racket's weight rather than on a head heavy push. Players who close points with pace find that limit fast.

The net is the strongest zone. Volleys go where you aim them and the frame does not twist away when you block hard pace, which is the Octagonal Structure doing its job. The bandeja repeats easily, helped by the low balance point keeping preparation short. Viboras are easier to direct than to hit hard, and the Spin Blade Decal relief adds grip without generating spin on its own.

How it compares

Against the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.5 2026, the step up buys a 16K aluminised carbon face and the adjustable weight and balance system, so you can tune it yourself. It is also firmer, less forgiving and a lot more expensive. Take the 16K if you want to set the balance yourself. Take this one if you would rather have the cleaner, more comfortable response straight out of the bag.

Against last year's Adidas Metalbone Carbon CTRL 3.4 2025, there is no playing reason to pay the 2026 premium. The construction is the same and the changes are paint and a new wrist cord. If you can still find the 3.4 discounted, buy that.