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In shortPlayers praise its ball speed and smash power, but it is demanding. Several struggled with control, placement and a shrunken sweet spot, and its high balance felt heavy or hard on the elbow. Better for natural hitters than anyone seeking forgiveness.
Also mentioned: firm2
Showing 2 reviews mentioning great on smashes Show all
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Just got the new Metalbone HRD+ for left-side play and it feels great for hard smashes; the movable weights let them tune it.
“For left sided, I Just got the Adidas Metalbone HRD+ and it feels great. I got the new one, but last years played exactly the same in my opinion.”
A left-side player who now hates their Metalbone HRD+ 26: the trampoline sends their volleys to the glass, though the smashes are good.
“I so hate this racket now because of the trampoline effect all my volleys go to the glass.”
Of the 10 reviews with a clear verdict, 40% are positive, 20% mixed and 40% negative. The praise mentioned most is easy power. The most common complaint is demanding.
The praise reviewers mention most: easy power (2 reviews), great on smashes (2 reviews) and good control (1 review). For example: An owner of both the 2025 and 2026 Metalbone HRD says it is one of the best rackets they have tried for ball speed, though its high balance can cause elbow pain for some.
The complaints reviewers mention most: demanding (3 reviews), head-heavy (2 reviews) and small sweet spot (1 review). For example: Tried it and couldn't control their power or ball placement.
10 are quotes from discussions on Reddit, Other and YouTube, 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.