Adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026 Review

Best for advanced to PRO players focused on placement and control

Advanced to PRO players whose game is built on placement, defense, and directing the ball rather than overpowering it. It suits a player who wants to fine tune the racket's weight and balance between sessions, and who values a generous, centered sweet spot over the sharpest possible finish on the smash. Players chasing maximum raw power, or those who prefer a diamond shape built purely for attack, are better served by the Metalbone or Metalbone Carbon CTRL's diamond siblings elsewhere in adidas's range.

Specifications

Shape: Round
Weight: 345–360 g
Touch: Medium
Balance: 260 mm
Core: Soft Performance EVA
Faces: Carbon Aluminized 16K
Frame: Carbon
Level: PRO

Overview of the adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026

The adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026 is the control focused flagship of adidas's Metalbone family, built as a round, low balanced counterpart to the diamond shaped, head heavy Metalbone models elsewhere in the range. It shares the family's carbon tubular octagonal frame but pairs it with 16K aluminized carbon faces. The result is Adidas's most complete round racket: a PRO level frame built for precision and directional control rather than raw pace.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Genuinely adjustable weight and balance through the Weight and Balance System, not a fixed configuration.
Generous, centered sweet spot that holds up well on off centre contact.
Reliable, low effort defense from the baseline.
Strong, controlled overhead game on the bandeja and víbora.

Cons

Raw power on the smash falls behind the diamond shaped Metalbone models.
Net play needs a moment to accelerate rather than delivering instant pace.
Getting the most from the Weight and Balance System takes deliberate setup, not a plug and play adjustment.
Priced above the Metalbone Carbon CTRL for a control profile a less expensive frame partly covers.

Technologies & Materials

Octagonal Structure — a carbon tubular construction with an octagonal cross section that reduces torsion on off centre contact;
Faces — 16K aluminized carbon, a heavier, more rigid weave than the 6K carbon used lower in the Metalbone range;
Core — EVA Soft Performance;
Weight and Balance System — allows up to 11.2 grams to be added or removed from the frame to adjust total weight and balance;
Power Groove — a rail reinforcement that adds rigidity along the frame;
Extra Power Grip — lengthens the handle to add inertia;
Spin Blade Decal — a textured finish on the faces for spin;
Smart Holes Curve — adidas's spin oriented hole pattern;
Metalbone Protector Tape — guards the rim against impact wear.

What Makes the adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026 Special

The Weight and Balance System is the defining feature: up to 11.2 grams can be added or removed to shift the racket's total weight and balance point, letting a player tune the frame toward more pace or more control without changing rackets. Combined with 16K aluminized carbon faces, a heavier weave than the 6K carbon used on the cheaper Metalbone Carbon CTRL, the frame keeps a genuinely adjustable, precision oriented identity that few round rackets in this price range offer.

Gallery

How it Feels on the Court

Defense

Defense is where this racket is most at home. The round shape and centered sweet spot give an easy, low effort ball exit on blocks and defensive lobs, and off centre contact stays playable rather than losing pace sharply. This is a racket built to hold up under pressure at the baseline more than to end the point outright.

Net Play

Volleys are solid and controlled rather than explosive. The frame accelerates well once a player commits to the shot, and directional control holds up through fast exchanges.

Important

The response can feel slightly less immediate than a diamond racket's on the very first touches.

Bandeja & Víbora

Overhead shots are a genuine strength. The bandeja and víbora both come off with real depth and a workable bite on the slice, favouring consistent placement over maximum aggression.

Advice

A player looking to construct the point through the overhead rather than end it outright gets the most from this racket here.

Smash

The smash is capable rather than explosive: the even balance and centered weight distribution favour direction over raw pace, so the finish relies more on placement than on outright power.

Maneuverability

Despite the frame's weight, transitions at the net and quick reflex volleys stay fast, helped by the even balance spreading mass more toward the centre of the racket than a head heavy diamond shape would.

Forgiveness

The sweet spot is generous and well centered, one of the more forgiving in adidas's Metalbone range. Off centre contact costs some precision but rarely falls apart, consistent with the round shape's wider, more centered hitting area.

Comfort

Vibration damping is solid for a stiff, aluminized carbon frame.

Note

The EVA Soft Performance core absorbs a meaningful share of the impact, and the racket avoids the harsher feedback of the family's diamond, higher carbon grade siblings.

adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026 — video reviews

Conclusion

The adidas Metalbone CTRL 2026 is the round, low balance, control focused flagship of the Metalbone range, built around 16K aluminized carbon faces and a genuinely adjustable Weight and Balance System. It excels in defense, on the overhead game, and on off centre contact, trading some raw smash power and instant net pace for a wider, more forgiving margin. It suits an advanced to PRO player who wants to shape points with precision and is willing to fine tune the racket's setup, more than a player chasing the sharpest possible finish.