Adidas has more padel rackets in our catalogue than any other brand we stock — and if you've scrolled the Adidas 2026 page and come away more confused than when you started, that's fair. Metalbone, Arrow Hit, Cross It, RX, Match, Drive Light — the names don't tell you much on their own, and a few of them look suspiciously similar in spec.

So here's the honest breakdown: four real families, who each one is actually built for, and which specific rackets in each are worth your money right now. No "best ever" — just what the frame does and who it's wrong for.

Metalbone — Ale Galán's line, built for power

Metalbone is adidas' flagship attacking racket, developed with world No.1 Ale Galán, and every version in the line shares the same DNA: diamond shape, head-heavy balance, maximum power at the cost of some forgiveness. If you're still building consistency, this is not your first racket — the sweet spot is smaller and mishits sting more than on a round frame.

Within the line, the four we stock split by how much control you're willing to trade for pace:

Metalbone Pro EDT 2026 (1,600 AED) is the limited-edition top of the range — same diamond/head-heavy formula, built to the spec Galán actually competes with. This is the one to buy if you're already advanced and want the closest thing to his frame, not a starter Metalbone.

Ale Galán Metalbone 3.5 (1,110 AED) is the standard advanced-level version — full diamond power, more accessible price than the Pro EDT.

Metalbone HRD+ 3.5 (1,270 AED) uses a different, denser layup than the standard 3.5 for players who want the Metalbone shape but a firmer, more solid-feeling hit — worth comparing side by side if you've played both, since the difference is in feel more than in numbers.

Metalbone Carbon 3.5 (790 AED) is the value entry point into the line — same diamond shape and attacking intent, built with a simpler carbon layup to hit a lower price. If you want to try the Metalbone character before committing to the Pro-level price tags, start here.

If you love the Metalbone name but actually want more control than a diamond shape gives you, Metalbone Control 2026 (1,250 AED) swaps to a round shape and even balance while keeping the Metalbone branding — it's a genuinely different racket under the same name, so don't buy it expecting diamond-shape power.

Arrow Hit — Ari Sánchez's line, power with more forgiveness

Arrow Hit is adidas' second attacking family, associated with Ari Sánchez, and it sits a notch below Metalbone in raw aggression but a notch above it in how forgiving the frame is on off-center hits. If Metalbone felt like too much racket, this is where to look next.

Arrow Hit Pro EDT 2026 (1,700 AED) is the limited-edition advanced version built with Sánchez — diamond shape, even balance rather than pure head-heavy, which is what makes it feel more controllable than a Metalbone at a similar level.

Arrow Hit (1,120 AED) is the standard club-level diamond racket in the line — accessible power without the Pro EDT price.

Arrow Hit Control (1,340 AED) breaks from the diamond shape entirely — round frame, even balance, built for players who want the Arrow Hit name but placement over pace. Worth knowing before you buy on name alone: "Arrow Hit" doesn't always mean diamond shape in this line, same trap as Metalbone Control above.

Cross It — the line built around Marta Ortega

Cross It is adidas' round-shape, lighter-swing family, developed with Marta Ortega, and it's the line we point most women players and control-first players toward regardless of gender — round shape and lighter weights are about swing style, not who's allowed to buy them.

Cross It Light Pro EDT 2026 (1,340 AED) is the advanced-level limited edition — round shape, even balance, built for players who want touch and placement at pace rather than raw power.

Cross It Control 3.5 (980 AED) is the intermediate step below it — same round-shape control focus at a more accessible price.

Cross It Team Light 2026 (570 AED) is the budget entry into the line — lightweight, round, low balance, built for beginner-to-intermediate players who want a soft, easy-to-swing frame without stepping up to the Pro EDT price. This is one of our better-value picks under 600 AED full stop, not just within the Cross It line.

RX, Match & Drive Light — the true beginner tier

Below all three signature lines, adidas has a genuinely separate entry tier, all round-shape, all light, all priced under 400 AED. These aren't scaled-down versions of Metalbone or Arrow Hit — they're built specifically for players in their first season who need a big sweet spot and a light swing weight more than they need power.

RX Series 3.5 (385 AED) and RX Series Light 3.5 (385 AED) are near-identical beginner round rackets — the Light version drops to a head-light balance and is the one we'd point first-timers with less arm strength toward.

Match Light 3.5 (320 AED) is the cheapest racket in the adidas range we carry — same beginner-friendly round shape and even balance, positioned as a genuine first racket rather than a downgrade.

One honest flag: Drive Light 3.5 is currently out of stock on our end — it sits in the same beginner tier as RX and Match Light, but until it's back, RX Series Light is the closer substitute if that's the one you were looking at.

The honest cons

Adidas' naming is genuinely confusing, and it's not just you. "Metalbone" and "Arrow Hit" each cover both diamond-shape power frames and round-shape control frames under the same name — the Control and non-Control versions are meaningfully different rackets, not just softer editions of the same shape. If you're buying on brand recognition alone, check the shape and balance in the spec block before you check out, not after.

The Pro EDT and signature-branded frames (Metalbone Pro EDT, Arrow Hit Pro EDT, Cross It Light Pro EDT) all sit at the top of their line's price band — they're worth it if you're advanced and want the closest match to what the pros play, but they're not where most intermediate players should start. The Carbon, standard 3.5, and Control versions in each line get you 80% of the character for meaningfully less money.

Quick picks by player

First racket, tight budget: Match Light 3.5 or RX Series Light 3.5. Recreational player who wants forgiveness with some pop: Cross It Team Light or Metalbone Carbon 3.5. Competitive player who wants control over raw power: Arrow Hit Control or Cross It Control 3.5. Advanced player chasing maximum attack: Ale Galán Metalbone 3.5 or Metalbone HRD+ 3.5, and if budget allows, the Pro EDT versions of either Metalbone or Arrow Hit.

Still not sure which frame in the range fits your level and swing? Message us your level and how you play on WhatsApp — we'll tell you straight, including when the honest answer is "don't buy the flagship yet."

Play it Bueno.