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Buy the Metalbone CTRL only if you're playing tournament-level padel; at the same money the Viper Air is the more forgiving pick for everyone else.
Premium tour weapon against an attacking mid-tier — and now, unusually, the same money: £158 versus £160.
The Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 is the racket pros actually play with: 360-375g diamond, high balance, EVA Hard Performance core, 18K carbon fibre face, Smart Holes tech. Surgical at high speeds, brutal on off-centre hits.
The Babolat Viper Air sits in the upper-intermediate attacking bracket — a lighter, more swingable take on Babolat's aggressive Viper line.
The spec gap is real — 18K carbon and Smart Holes are tour-level kit, and with the prices level you're no longer paying a premium for them. But the old value logic is dead too: you can't pick the Viper Air to save money any more. The question is purely whether you can use what the Metalbone offers. Unless you're consistently winning matches and finishing points off the back glass, it will punish you more than help you; the Viper Air gives you 70-80% of the attacking capability with far more forgiveness on mishits.
Don't buy the Metalbone CTRL as an aspirational purchase. It rewards good technique and exposes weaknesses. For most players the Viper Air is still the smarter buy — for playability reasons now, not price.
Hand-written editorial — not auto-generated. By Gary, RacketRise.
| Product | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Padel Rackets | Padel Rackets |
| Sport | Padel | Padel |
| Skill Level | Advanced | Intermediate |
| Weight | 360-375g | 355-370g |
| Shape | Diamond | Diamond |
| Balance | High | Medium |
| Core | EVA Hard Performance | — |
| Surface | 18K Carbon fibre | Carbon fibre |
| Thickness | 38mm | 38mm |
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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The main differences are: Weight: Adidas Metalbone has 360-375g vs 355-370g. Balance: Adidas Metalbone has High vs Medium. Surface: Adidas Metalbone has 18K Carbon fibre vs Carbon fibre. Overall, the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 Padel Racket is best for advanced players while the Babolat Viper Air Padel Racket suits intermediate players.
Neither is specifically designed for beginners — the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 Padel Racket suits advanced players and the Babolat Viper Air Padel Racket suits intermediate players. Beginners may find both challenging.
The Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 Padel Racket and Babolat Viper Air Padel Racket are similarly priced (£158 vs £160), so value depends on which suits your playing style better rather than budget.