Adidas Cross IT Light 3.4 2025

Technologies

Pros

• ✓At 345-360g with the frame's Dynamic Air Flow, this padel racket meets the ball early — cross-court bandejas and blocked volleys at mid-court come off with barely any shoulder effort The round shape's wide sweet spot forgives off-centre contact, a real relief on rushed wall exits when you're scrambling for time The medium-density Soft Energy EVA core holds the ball on the strings a touch longer, so deep lobs and defensive lobs come off without needing a full-arm whip The rough face, shaped by the Spin Blade Mold, really bites on cross-court víboras and cut drop shots — the spin shows up as a dead bounce, not just a feeling

Cons

• ✗It won't close out points on power alone: on the smash por 3 and flat smash you need to hunt for angle and spin, because the ball won't fly off on its own At 345-360g and with a round shape, there's not enough mass to block a powerful smash at the net; you have to make up for it with body positioning and a firm wrist The medium-firm feel of the 24K carbon demands a clean strike: with short technique or a tired arm, low volleys come back feeling dry The rough surface polishes down with court time, and grip on topspin shots fades before the frame shows any real signs of wear

The Adidas Cross IT Light 3.4 2025 is the lightened-up version of the Cross It: 345-360g, a rough 24K carbon face, Soft Energy EVA core, 38mm frame and round shape. It's Marta Ortega's racket, and its DNA is control, with swing speed as the headline selling point.

Going lighter on the Cross It: what you gain, what you give up

The Light keeps the standard model's key ingredients — face, mould and frame system — dialled down to a lower weight. It's not a different racket; it's the same game plan with less inertia behind it.

The payoff shows up when you string two volleys together, because the racket gets into position for the shot sooner and lets you adjust the hitting plane's height at the last moment.

The trade-off is mass. When blocking a powerful smash, you need to compensate with body positioning, because the racket alone won't hold the ball back.

Rough 24K carbon over Soft Energy EVA: how the Light 3.4 plays

The 24K carbon weave gives a firm, stable face with a more defined than elastic response. Underneath, the medium-density Soft Energy EVA cushions just enough to stop the ball spitting straight back out.

That combination is behind this padel racket's ball exit: it shows up without needing a full-arm whip, which matters when you're defending below the waist and need the lob to land deep.

The finish is rough, and the Spin Blade Mold pushes in the same direction. The ball grips on sliced and topspin shots, and it's most noticeable on the cross-court víbora and the sliced dejada, where the bounce dies early.

Dynamic Air Flow and 11 Thirteen: why the 38mm frame doesn't cost you

The 38mm profile is the maximum allowed by regulation, but here the thickness matters less than how it's engineered. Dynamic Air Flow cuts the frame's air resistance, and that translates into a faster swing on high preparations: bandeja and víbora come out with less physical cost.

The 11 Thirteen hole system adds stiffness and durability to the package. On court it reads as consistency: the frame doesn't shudder on shots near the tip, and the sweet spot stays wide, exactly what you want from a round shape.

The Extra Power Grip rounds things off with a grip that holds up through long matches without turning slick on wristy shots.

Adidas Cross IT Light 3.4 2025 specs

Who is the Adidas Cross IT Light 3.4 built for?

It's built for advanced and competitive players with a technical game who rate maneuverability and precision above raw pace. At 345-360g, with a round shape and wide sweet spot, it's easy to move around — but it demands clean contact to get real depth from the back of the court.

It's not a beginner's racket, whether by technical demand or overall approach, though its forgiveness on off-centre hits makes it friendlier than most competition rackets.

Shot by shot: where it shines and where it falls short

• **Bandeja:** its best shot. The fast swing lets you hit out in front of your body and produce a long bandeja even when you're rushed.
• **Víbora:** the rough surface bites well and the sidespin comes off clean, ideal for changing the rhythm of the point without taking risks.
• **Smash por 3:** delivers on angle and kick, but the flat smash to finish points in one shot isn't its strong suit.
• **Wall exit:** the wide sweet spot bails you out on balls tight to the glass that you catch off-centre.
• **Volley:** very solid direction and blocking; the finishing volley needs your body behind it.
• **Defence:** the lob comes out with height and depth without straining the arm.

Who this racket suits — and who it doesn't

It fits the net player who builds the point: a long bandeja, víbora to break the rhythm, and a smash that hunts angles instead of raw power. It works well paired with a partner who takes on the power-hitter role, because this Adidas option isn't built to close out points on kilos alone.

If you're coming from a heavy diamond-shaped racket and your smash por 3 is your go-to winner, you'll feel the power deficit. If your issue is arriving late to the bandeja or losing precision in the third set, the gain in swing speed more than makes up for the missing grams.

The natural comparison is the Adidas Cross It 3.4 — same family, same concept, but with more mass behind the ball in the non-lightened version.