Padel Racket First look - Cork Premium Control III 2026

Cork says the frame is 100% carbon (Full Carbon Flex) and that it keeps its behaviour in both winter and summer. Inside sits the new Bio Soft Foam, which Cork describes as an environmentally friendly foam for comfort and rebound. The Cork BioShield, an interlaced cork layer, is Cork's answer to vibration: the brand claims fewer vibrations and more stability on every shot. The face is a rough-finish 3K carbon, meant to grip the ball for spin. Cork also fits a new replaceable, waterproof string for the wrist cord.

Cork's own ratings put manoeuvrability at 97% and the sweet spot at 95%, with control at 80% and power at 76%. Those are brand figures, not measurements.

The first hands-on coverage comes from Padel Smash, a retailer. Its video and written review describe a racket for a game "built on placement, defence, resets, lobs, volleys and controlled attacks", and call the response smooth and forgiving in long rallies. The same review says this is not the racket for players who chase maximum power. As a retailer review it is one early opinion, not a consensus.

Against the Premium Power III, its sibling in the same line, the Control III is the calmer option on paper: lower balance and a softer, more forgiving setup, where the Power III aims at more attacking output. Players who want Cork's control idea at a higher level can look at the Supreme Control IV, which Cork positions for advanced players who want more stability. Neither Cork nor the retailers we checked list what changed from the Premium Control II, so we do not compare the two generations here.