The adidas Metalbone Carbon Ctrl 2026 has the same published specs as the Metalbone Carbon Ctrl 3.3 from 2024. Every field matches, from the 6K carbon face to the 360 to 375 g weight window. That is worth saying first, because it changes how you should shop for it.
Three model years, one spec sheet
Adidas lists this line as Metalbone Carbon Ctrl 3.3 for 2024, 3.4 for 2025 and now Metalbone Carbon Ctrl 2026. Compare the published specs side by side. You find the same round shape and the same EVA Soft Performance core. The same 6K carbon face, the same 38 mm frame, the same weight range, the same even balance label. Nothing measured has changed.
What does that mean for you? The older 3.4 is the same racket under another label. If you like the sound of this one, compare the two on padell.io before you decide which to buy. And if a shop tells you the 2026 version plays differently, no published spec supports that claim.
Round, even, 360 to 375 g: the control recipe adidas keeps reissuing
The shape is round, the balance is even, and a retailer lists the balance point at 260 mm. All three pull the racket toward control. On paper, that means a racket built for placement over pace. You direct the rally. The racket follows your intentions rather than adding its own ideas.
Adidas calls the level Professional and a retailer lists the player profile as Control. Both labels fit the numbers. This is not a racket that wins points for you. It puts the ball where you aim and asks you to do the rest.
EVA Soft Performance under 6K carbon: why comfort reads High and power reads Low
The core is EVA Soft Performance, a soft foam, and the face is 6K carbon. Soft foam absorbs impact and gives a longer contact time. That is why the comfort meter reads High and why your elbow and wrist get an easier ride than with a hard core.
The same softness explains the Low power reading. Soft foam returns less energy on a full swing. Add the round shape, which also favours control over pace, and you get a racket where smash speed comes from your technique, not from the materials. Adidas says the octagonal frame structure reduces torsion. More precise shots, says the brand. The product page also claims a solid, responsive feel with enhanced stability. Treat those as brand claims, not measurements.
Two court tests, two different sweet spots
There are no full written reviews yet, but three video reviews have covered this racket, and two of them played it on court. They disagree on the most interesting point.
Dani 13 tested it on court and calls it demanding. Solid control, less rebound than other adidas models. But a sweet spot that asks for good technique. Padel Reviews, also a court test, found the opposite. A very large sweet spot, comfortable slow shots, extra speed on smashes. But heavier than expected and short on maneuverability. Nmscontrolpadel, speaking from the specs without a court test, says the round shape actually reduces the sweet spot and that off-center hits get punished. The spec-based meter here reads sweet spot High. So the honest summary is this: the design suggests a forgiving racket, but on court your mileage may vary with your level.
Heavy for a round racket: what the maneuverability meter warns about
The weight window is 360 to 375 g. That is heavy for a round control racket, and the maneuverability meter reads Low partly because of it. In practice: fast exchanges at the net and late defensive flicks cost more wrist than they would in a lighter frame.
What can you do about it? Aim for the bottom of the range, near 360 g, when you pick your racket. And if quick handling matters more to you than stability, the lighter adidas Metalbone Ctrl 2026, at 345 to 360 g, is the listed sibling to look at. Note its comfort meter reads Low, so you give up softness for that lighter swing.
Metalbone Carbon Ctrl, Adipower Carbon CTRL 3.4 or Cross IT Carbon CTRL: the near-twins from the same brand
Adidas sells two other rackets with the same meters as this one. The Adipower Carbon CTRL 3.4 shares every published spec except the face: 3K carbon instead of 6K. The Cross IT Carbon CTRL 3.4 matches on everything published, 6K face included. On paper, the differences between these three are smaller than their names suggest.
So the real decision is not which control adidas, but whether you want this recipe at all. If yes, the older Metalbone Carbon Ctrl 3.4 is the same racket too. If you want more punch, look at the diamond Metalbone Carbon 2026 instead.
