PadelGuru analysis
Verdict
The Adidas Metalbone Ctrl 2026 offers more comfort than precision. It’s a round racket with a medium-soft feel, and the ball comes off the face very easily. That’s also why it gets hard to keep in check once the rally speeds up. The Ctrl name is a little misleading: this racket is at its best sending the ball through the court without punishing your arm, not placing it to the millimetre.
We recommend it for advanced players with sound technique who want an elbow-friendly racket that still gives them ball speed from mid-court. If your game depends on quick reflexes at the net, it will take some getting used to.
- Best for
- Advanced players with good technique who want an elbow-friendly racket with easy ball exit.
- Not for
- Players who battle at a very high pace at the net, or who need a racket that holds the ball back when they hit hard.
Strengths
- Medium-soft feel that's kind to the elbow
- Comfortable defence off the back glass at low-to-medium pace
- Bandeja and vibora with real speed at medium-to-fast pace
- Good leverage on the smash for a round racket
- 3D textured face is more pronounced than on the previous version
Weaknesses
- The ball flies long when the pace picks up
- Slow in reflex exchanges at the net, especially with the weights fitted
- Very little new compared with the previous version
01 Baseline: defending with a short swing
From the back of the court, defending at low or medium pace takes little effort. The sweet spot is well centred, and the ball exit lets you get the ball out of the back glass without a long backswing.
Against fast balls, though, if you hit back hard, the face is so reactive that the ball travels further than you meant it to. For defending, it also works better without the weights of the Weight & Balance system: it’s lighter that way and moves more freely.
02 Volley: rewards preparation over reflexes
At the net, it isn’t one of the quickest. The head is slow to arrive in reflex exchanges and when you change direction. Out of the box it weighs between 345 and 372 g, and the weights add roughly 12 g more. With them fitted, the sluggishness is even more noticeable.
When you get there in time and accelerate through the volley with a clean strike, the ball leaves the face very fast and the shot turns into an attacking one. It works better on balls that give you time to set up the stroke than in fast hands battles at the net.
03 Bandeja and smash: more bite than it looks
From mid-court, it attacks more than its feel would suggest. On the bandeja and vibora at medium-to-fast pace it helps you add ball speed, with sensations similar to the Siux Electra ST2. In very fast attacking play, however, the ball springs off the face so much that it goes high or out unless your stroke is precise.
On the smash, the design gives you a hand. The 270 mm head-heavy balance and the 13 cm handle create good leverage, so the ball picks up speed without straining your arm. It isn’t a pure hitter’s racket, but for a round control racket it smashes with more intent than you’d expect.
04 Medium-soft feel, lively ball
Comfort is one of its strongest selling points. The Carbon Alum 16K face over an EVA Soft Performance core gives a medium-soft feel that cushions impact without making the racket feel dead.
05 Versus last year: tweaks, not a revolution
There aren’t many changes. The 3D textured finish on the faces is slightly more pronounced, which we see as an improvement. The wrist cord is now a rope type with a sliding knot. On court, it plays almost exactly like last year’s model.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Metalbone Ctrl good for players with elbow problems?
- Yes, and that's one of the main reasons to pick it. The medium-soft response softens every hit, so you can go on the attack without overloading your arm.
- Should I play the Metalbone Ctrl with the weights fitted?
- It depends on what you're after. Taking them out makes it lighter, so it moves and defends better. Fitting them adds mass, but it becomes slower at the net.
- Is the Metalbone Ctrl hard to control?
- It asks for technique more than strength. At medium pace it's easy to manage, but swing hard at fast balls and it quickly gets away from you.
- Is the Metalbone Ctrl 2026 worth it over the previous version?
- On court the two are almost identical, so if you can still find last year's model, it's a very sensible alternative. The 2026 only brings a slightly more pronounced texture and the new cord.