Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 Padel Racket vs Babolat Technical Viper 2025 Padel Racket — Padel Rackets Comparison UK 2026

Two quite different rackets serving different players — though the price gap no longer does the arguing. The Metalbone CTRL 3.4 at £158 is a tour-grade weapon — diamond shape, high balance, EVA Hard Performance core, 18K carbon fibre, 360-375g. The Babolat Air Viper Woman at £123 is a more accessible women-specific design.

The honest read:

• The Metalbone CTRL is unforgiving on off-centre hits — that's the trade-off for its surgical precision. Hard EVA combined with 18K carbon means every contact gets transmitted to your arm.
• High balance plus diamond shape is brutal in long sessions if your fitness or technique isn't there.
• The Air Viper Woman trades raw power for manageability — easier to swing, more forgiving, friendlier to developing players.
• The £35 gap is modest now, so this is a skill decision, not a budget one.
• 18K carbon on the Metalbone is genuinely premium and durable.

If you're an advanced player who can use what the Metalbone CTRL offers — competing seriously, finishing points, with developed technique — it earns its tag, and it's more attainable than it's ever been. For everyone else, including most intermediate women players, the Air Viper Woman is the sensible buy. Cheaper kit you can actually use beats tour kit you can't honour, whatever the gap on the price tags.