Stiff face with a soft core: great control and manoeuvrability, better for them than the HRD.
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“I'd say carbon control is perfect; it has a stiff surface but a soft core, which helps with control, and the maneuverability is really good!”
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50% positive16 reviewsView price on Amazon
In shortPlayers mostly praise it for control, with a firm, stable feel and good manoeuvrability. Some find it a little short on power or too dead on blocks, and a few say it feels demanding. A couple of earlier owners found the 2026 firmer than past versions.
Showing 1 review mentioning fast at the net Show all
Stiff face with a soft core: great control and manoeuvrability, better for them than the HRD.
“I'd say carbon control is perfect; it has a stiff surface but a soft core, which helps with control, and the maneuverability is really good!”
Of the 16 reviews with a clear verdict, 50% are positive, 38% mixed and 13% negative. The praise mentioned most is good control. The most common complaint is demanding.
The praise reviewers mention most: good control (6 reviews), arm-friendly (1 review) and fast at the net (1 review). For example: Feels great and snappier than the 3.4, with a smaller sweet spot; the long handle still allows powerful overheads.
The complaints reviewers mention most: demanding (2 reviews). For example: After four months improving fast with the Metalbone Carbon CTRL 2026, finds it too dead: blocks die off the face and every shot is less powerful than expected.
#4 in Best Padel Rackets for Control 2026, ranked by real player reviews.
16 are quotes from discussions on Reddit, each linked to the original post. Player reviews are checked for spam before they appear, and only they count toward the star rating; quotes never do.