Adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026

About the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026

By Padel.fyi Team. Based on the external reviews linked below; we have not personally tested this racket.

The Adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026 combines a round shape with a reactive response and adjustable weights. It can help produce depth with a compact swing, but “CTRL” is not a guarantee of effortless control at high speed. Our two reviewed sources disagree substantially about how easily it moves.

Evidence reviewed October 21, 2026. This is Padel.fyi’s synthesis of external reviews, not our own hands-on test. We preserve the disagreement because it matters more to a buyer than a falsely unanimous verdict.

Specifications and weight setup

Specification	Manufacturer information
Exact model	Metalbone CTRL 2026, EAN 8435739405819
Base weight	345–360 g
Removable weights	Up to 11.2 g additional adjustment
Shape / balance	Round / even
Thickness	38 mm
Face / core	Carbon Aluminized 16K / EVA Soft Performance
Texture	Spin Blade Decal

Source: Adidas’s All For Padel listing. The database’s 352.5 g is a base-range midpoint, not a playing-weight measurement. Dani 13 describes medium-soft feel. His setup discussion gives roughly 26.1 cm without screws and up to 26.9 cm with weights at the head. Those sample configurations do not replace the official even-balance classification.

Dani rounds the added screw mass to about 12 g; we use the official 11.2 g specification. Otro Nivel’s spoken suggestion that the 345–360 g range includes weights conflicts with the official base-plus-adjustment format and is not adopted here.

Performance evidence

Defense: easy depth, less restraint at speed

Dani 13, from 4:13, finds a useful centered sweet spot and rebound at moderate pace. His faster-defense assessment is less positive: added weight slows preparation, and the rebound can send firm shots too far. He prefers the racket without screws in this area.

Otro Nivel’s opening playtest finds the CTRL light-feeling, forgiving and easy to maneuver. We cannot prove that setup alone explains the difference: technique, preferences and conditions also differ. A demo using your intended configuration is especially valuable here.

Volleys: the clearest disagreement

Dani’s volley section likes blocks and compact placement but struggles with quick direction changes and attacking control. Otro Nivel, from 4:55, enjoys quick handling and forgiving contact. Calling the racket simply “easy at the net” would conceal a material limitation in the evidence.

Overheads: useful assistance for a round racket

Dani, from 11:22, likes the overhead response, particularly assistance on kick-style smashes; he gets less help when compressing the face hard on flat smashes. Otro Nivel’s overhead test also likes the response, while describing power as useful rather than massive. Their personal comparisons do not establish a market-wide power ranking.

Who should choose something else?

If you want a dry response that remains restrained when you accelerate, compare a firmer racket. If rapid net exchanges are your priority, test the CTRL before buying with all weights installed. A round shape and soft foam do not cancel the effect of forward weight or rebound.

Should I move the weights to the head?

Otro Nivel’s experiment improves his smash experience but changes timing. Dani prefers less weight for defense and volleys. Neither result is a universal prescription. Test one configuration at a time across defense, blocks and overheads; an attacking gain may have a handling cost.

Is the 2026 version very different from the previous CTRL?

Dani’s closing comparison identifies texture and the updated wrist strap as the main changes he notices. His test sample has the old strap, which he discloses at the start; the retail listing describes the revised strap. The evidence does not establish a major performance upgrade.

Is CTRL easier than the standard Metalbone?

Otro Nivel finds it easier, with a larger contact area and less demanding timing. That relative advantage does not make it effortless for everyone: Dani’s experience with weighted configurations is a useful counterpoint. Choose based on your reaction speed and preferred rebound, not only the model label.

Alternatives

• Metalbone 2026: compare it for a more explicitly attacking diamond profile, accepting a smaller contact area and more demanding preparation in Otro Nivel’s comparison.
• Bullpadel Neuron 02 2026: compare a firmer, lower-balance control profile if you prefer a restrained response. This is not a shared head-to-head test.

Buying the correct CTRL

Confirm Metalbone CTRL 2026, EAN 8435739405819, on the official listing. Current retailer price and stock are unverified. Metalbone Carbon CTRL and earlier CTRL generations are separate products; no in-stock offer is implied here.

Sources, scores and limitations

• Dani 13: Metalbone CTRL 2026, April 6, 2026. PadelProShop supplied the test racket; a discount code is promoted. He tried multiple screw configurations.
• Otro Nivel / JustPadel: Metalbone range, January 2, 2026. Retailer collaboration and discount code. We exclude standard Metalbone and HRD sections from CTRL claims.

Scores marked as editorial are Padel.fyi interpretations of the individual source reviews, not reviewer-issued numbers. Where a reviewer supplies category ratings, we label and preserve them. Each review is scored only where its playing observations support a category. The overall page rating averages the scored reviews; each category averages only reviews that assess that category. “Not scored” means missing evidence, not poor performance. No comfort, spin or durability rating is inferred. See our review methodology for the scoring limits.

Product image: manufacturer imagery from the official product listing. Image copyright remains with its owner.