Table of contents
- What does the Metalbone CTRL 3.5 stand for?
- The face: medium hard, surprisingly powerful
- The sweet spot: large and forgiving
- Weight and balance
- The weights: from control to attack
- Who is this racket for?
- Our scores
- Our final verdict
1. What does the Metalbone CTRL 3.5 stand for?
The name says CTRL, but don't let that fool you. This is not a soft, tame control racket that you only use to push balls back. The Metalbone CTRL 3.5 is the control version within the Metalbone line, and at Adidas that means something different than at most brands.
Where the regular Metalbone is a pure attacking weapon, the CTRL gives you more grip on the ball without sacrificing power. That sounds like marketing, but we tested it on court ourselves and it's true.
2. The face: medium hard, surprisingly powerful
This is where the difference lies. The face of the Metalbone CTRL 3.5 is medium hard, and that is exactly the sweet spot between two worlds.
A rock-hard face gives you maximum power, but demands perfect technique and mercilessly punishes every mistimed ball. A soft face is comfortable and forgiving, but you have to put in much more yourself to really drive through. You can read more about this in our blog on hard versus soft padel racket.
Medium hard means: you feel the ball, you have control on your volley and your bandeja, but as soon as you swing out there is seriously a lot of power in it. That surprises almost everyone. You expect a control racket and you get a weapon on top.
You notice this most clearly on the smash. The ball comes off the face hard and low, while in the rally before you had the feeling that you had everything under control.
3. The sweet spot: large and forgiving
This is perhaps the strongest point of this racket. The sweet spot is very large, and that is also the only category where we give the full score.
That is due to the round face shape. With a round racket, the sweet spot sits in the middle of the face, exactly where you intuitively expect it. With a teardrop or diamond it sits higher, which gives more power but leaves you less room for error.
What does that mean in practice? Balls you don't quite hit perfectly still come through well. You lose little speed and you don't feel any annoying vibration in your wrist. That makes a huge difference in a long match, because your mistakes are punished less.
That is why forgiveness also scores high with us. You don't need perfect technique to make this racket work. The only reason it isn't a full score: the face remains medium hard, so a truly soft racket still feels slightly milder on your worst day.
For players coming from a softer racket, this is often the moment the penny drops. You get the power of an attacking racket, but without having to hit every ball in the middle of the face.
4. Weight and balance
Adidas states a weight for the Metalbone CTRL 3.5 of 345 to 360 grams. The rackets we have had in our hands were around 355 grams, which is pleasantly light for a racket in this segment.
With the name Metalbone you expect something leaden, but you pick this one up and immediately think you can get through a whole match with it. Adidas works with a margin per racket, so we weigh our rackets and can advise you if you are specifically looking for a lighter or heavier one. If you are looking for something lighter, take a look at our selection of light padel rackets.
The balance is balanced, in other words evenly distributed between handle and head. So this is not a head-heavy racket. That is exactly why it is so easy to handle at the net. You get the face into position lightning fast, your volleys are more precise and you aren't bothered by heavy transitions.
That is why manoeuvrability scores high with us. In the fourth set you still feel that your arm is keeping up, and for a racket in this segment that is anything but a given.
What you give up compared to a truly head-heavy attacking racket: slightly less power on your smash.
5. The weights: from control to attack
And then the nicest detail of this racket.
The Metalbone CTRL 3.5 comes with the Weight and Balance System: movable weights with which you can add up to 11.2 grams extra. By default they sit at the bottom, which keeps the balance low and makes the racket manoeuvrable.
But you can move them. If you put the weights at the top of the face, the balance shifts to the head and the character of the racket changes. This lets you generate more power.
This is no gimmick. You effectively have two rackets in one:
- Weights at the bottom: control, manoeuvrability, strong at the net
- Weights at the top: power, heavier smash, more attacking play
Our advice: start with the standard set-up and play with it for a few weeks. If you notice that you want to play more aggressively or that your smash lacks a little punch, move them to the top.
6. Who is this racket for?
Suitable for:
- Advanced players who want control without sacrificing power
- Net players who need fast hands
- Players coming from a soft racket who want to progress
- Anyone who wants a light, manoeuvrable racket with a large sweet spot
Less suitable for:
- Beginners, this racket demands fairly stable technique
- Players looking for a truly soft, maximally forgiving face
- Those who want a head-heavy racket by default for maximum smash power.
Still torn between power and control? Then read our blog buying a padel racket: power vs control.
7. Our scores
After a number of sessions on court, we arrive at the following assessment.
| Category | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Power | ★★★★☆ 4,5 | Medium hard face that gives much more punch than you would expect from a CTRL. |
| Control | ★★★★☆ 4,5 | You feel exactly where the ball is. Bandeja and volley can be placed precisely without having to hold back. |
| Sweet spot | ★★★★★ 5,0 | Very large and central in the round face. This is the strongest point of the racket. |
| Forgiveness | ★★★★☆ 4,5 | The large sweet spot does most of the work here. |
| Manoeuvrability | ★★★★☆ 4,5 | Around 355 grams and an even balance. At the net you get the face into position lightning fast. |
Overall score: ★★★★☆ 4.5 / 5
Frequently asked questions
Is the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.5 hard or soft?
Medium hard. You feel the ball and have control on your volley and bandeja, but when you swing out there is a lot of power in it.
How much does the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.5 weigh?
Adidas states 345 to 360 grams. The rackets we had in our hands were around 355 grams. With the Weight and Balance System you can add up to 11.2 grams.
Is the Metalbone CTRL 3.5 suitable for beginners?
Less so. This racket demands fairly stable technique. It mainly suits advanced players who want control without sacrificing power, and players coming from a soft racket who want to progress.
Does the Metalbone CTRL 3.5 have enough power?
Yes, more than you would expect from a CTRL: we give it 4.5 out of 5 for power. Compared to a truly head-heavy attacking racket, you give up a little on your smash.
What do the movable weights do?
By default they sit at the bottom: the racket is then manoeuvrable and strong at the net. If you put them at the top of the face, the balance shifts to the head and you get more power and a heavier smash.
8. Our final verdict
The Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.5 is one of the most complete rackets we have had in our hands this season. A large sweet spot with lots of power, control with a face that is firm enough to hit through, and all that at a pleasant 355 grams with an even balance.
The movable weights complete the package. You buy a racket that grows with how you want to play.
View the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.5 in our webshop
Or view our full Adidas collection.
