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Buy the Metalbone CTRL only if you're playing tournament-level padel; otherwise the Viper Air is more forgiving and half the price.
Premium tour weapon against an attacking mid-tier — a clear value question.
The Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 at £270-330 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 at £160 sits in the upper-intermediate attacking bracket. The Viper Air is 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. But unless you're consistently winning matches and finishing points off the back glass, the Metalbone will punish you more than help you. The Viper Air gives you 70-80% of the attacking capability with much more forgiveness on mishits.
Don't buy the Metalbone CTRL as an aspirational purchase. It rewards good technique and exposes weaknesses. The Viper Air is the smarter buy for most.
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 (£270-330) costs more than the Babolat Viper Air Padel Racket (£160). Whether the premium is worth it depends on your skill level — if you are advanced players, the extra investment in the Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 Padel Racket can pay off.