November 19, 2021

Adidas Adipower CTRL 3.0 Review

Specification

Year: 2021
Brand: Adidas
Weight: 360-375 g
Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Shape: Round
Balance: Medium
Hardness: Medium-Hard
Type: Control

First Impressions

To begin with, we can see why this is the most popular racket in the entire Adidas collection. With great looks, details and packed with cool tech carried over from last years model, it's no surprise that Alex Ruiz has chosen this as his racket of choice.

So since this racket is basically the same as last years model, you might be asking yourself what's different then?

As the name suggests, this is a racket for those who desire control and a medium balance combined with a larger sweet spot in the middle of the face.

It weighs between 360-375g and it's core consists of a EVA High Memory composite which can be found across the other Adidas rackets. Carbon litters the face of the racket with a large weave pattern which we think looks epic! Now this isn't your average carbon fibre, it has reinforced aluminium weaved into the Carbon which Adidas have called the Dual Exoskeleton Technology.

Adidas AdiPower CTRL Recension

This sort of technology can be found in some supercars 👀

AdiPower CTRL 3.0 is a racket for players of intermediate level and above who are looking for a racket with good control and good attacking qualities.

First impression

As with previous versions, the AdiPower CTRL is a great looking racket. The orange and black colour scheme is quite understated but the orange accents make it a bit more dramatic. The rough surface on the face makes it easier to generate spin on the ball.

We weighed the racket in the lab (a.k.a the kitchen), to make this as realistic as possible we added two over-grips which brought it in at about 368.

How is the Adidas AdiPower CTRL 3.0 whilst defending?

We have played a lot with the previous versions of the AdiPower CTRL. This version is unchanged from last year’s model, so it was a familiar experience.

AdiPower CTRL is a stiff and solid racket with a distinct feel when making contact with the ball. As mentioned earlier, theface is composed of aluminium-reinforced carbon fibre, and the core is also quite hard. However, the racket absorbs vibrations surprisingly well, so it doesn’t seem uncomfortable to use.

The round face and medium balance make this racket easy to manoeuvre, so we can still perform comfortably under pressure. The Hard Memory EVA core provides excellent absorption resulting in great control, which in turn allows for good ball placement. A huge positive is that you can really get the power behind the ball when on the offensive and is great when doing a “bajadas the pared”.

Adidas AdiPower CTRL 3.0 in the attack

The AdiPower CTRL provides both power and control when on the offensive or up at the net. With excellent feedback from the racket, volleys carry serious speed. As well as performing well in deep volleys, bandeaus and Viboras, it also performs well in shorter placements. Due to a slightly higher balance and a core with good recoil, it performs excellently in the overhead game.

In terms of smashes, AdiPower CTRL provides excellent results despite its control-oriented design. In the case of topspin smashes, we have good assistance from the rough structure on the face, as we have enough weight to get flat smashes back home on our half of the court.

Overall impression

AdiPower CTRL has been around for a few years, and we understand why Adidas does not make any changes to it. All aspects of this game work well with this model. In our opinion, a well-balanced top racket. The AdiPower CTRL is a good choice for players who prefer to control the game without sacrificing too much power.

Could this be the latest racket to join the all time greats along with the ML10? Maybe. Maybe not, but we think it deserves a spot in the top 10 Padel rackets.

For a racket with a similar feel that is softer and easier to handle, we recommend the Adidas Metalbone CTRL. For an even easier racket to play, try the Adidas AdiPower CTRL Lite.