Adidas Metalbone Team Light 2026

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The tubular Octagonal Structure cuts down on frame twist off-centre, and you'll feel the difference most on bandejas and smashes, shots where the frame usually wants to flex on you. The Soft Performance EVA core soaks up impact vibration, which makes it easier to control the ball off the back wall without losing feel. At 345-360g, it's noticeably more maneuverable at net than the standard Metalbone builds, giving you quicker reaction speed on volleys. The Spin Blade Gritt texture on the face adds extra bite for generating spin on globos and viboras without sacrificing directional accuracy.

Cons

• ✗The control-oriented fibreglass face gives up some punch on the smash by 3 compared to the brand's carbon-faced variants. The round shape delivers a generous sweet spot, but it trades away the power concentration at the tip that Metalbone's diamond-shaped models offer on attack. The soft core means you need to strike the ball closer to your body on defence; players used to power rackets will notice they have to anticipate the shot earlier.

The Adidas Metalbone Team Light 2026 is the lightweight version of the Team lineup, built for players who want to keep Metalbone's control DNA without carrying the extra weight of the brand's standard variants.

Octagonal Structure and Soft Performance EVA: what's under the hood of the Team Light

The frame pairs a tubular profile with the Octagonal Structure, a polyhedral design that spreads impact energy across the whole frame and reduces twist when the ball catches you off-centre. That same polyhedral philosophy shows up again at the heart of the racket with the Low Poly Design, which is there to keep the racket stable at contact and stop it from opening up on faster swings.

Inside, you've got a Soft Performance EVA core, a medium-soft density rubber that leans into vibration absorption rather than chasing pure pop: the feel at impact is soft and controlled, never harsh or explosive. The face is fibreglass, a more flexible material than carbon that favours touch and ball exit over raw power. On top of that face, the Spin Blade Gritt texture adds a rough-grain grip that helps you close the racket angle for spin instead of just chasing flat pace.

Rounding out the build is Power Extra Grip, an extended handle that gives you more leverage on offensive shots from the back of the court, plus Smart Holes Curve, a strategic perforation pattern in the upper part of the frame that widens the perceived sweet spot on shots that land slightly off-centre.

How the Metalbone Team Light plays on court

The reduced weight — 345 to 360 grams — is the headline feature of this Light version: it lets you react faster at net and recover position quicker after a stretched shot than you would with the heavier, more head-heavy standard Metalbone builds. On defence, the Soft Performance EVA core helps you work the ball off the back wall with a controlled stroke, without the impact feeling harsh on your arm deep into long matches.

At net, the combination of contained weight and round shape adds up to more placed volleys than aggressive ones: the racket responds well to blocks and soft touches, but it doesn't bring the extra pop that carbon-faced, higher-balance rackets offer for putting volleys away above the net.

Where this racket's control identity shows up most is on the smash by 3: with a fibreglass face, it doesn't hit with the same authority as a power racket built with high-gauge carbon. It makes up for it with the Spin Blade Gritt surface, which lets you play the smash with cut spin instead of chasing pure speed — a handy option when your opponent covers the back of the court well.

Tech specs

Who is the Metalbone Team Light 2026 built for?

This is a racket for advanced players who put control and maneuverability ahead of raw power. Its round shape and soft core only get demanding when you're pushing a fast rally tempo, not when you're looking to close out points with one big power shot.

It performs best in the hands of players who build the point from the back of the court, with solid ball exit off the wall and well-placed volleys, and who'd rather arrive at net fresh thanks to the lighter weight. It's not the best fit for pure attacking players looking to close out points with a heavy smash by 3 — for that, Metalbone itself offers carbon-faced, higher-balance variants built for power.

Verdict

The Metalbone Team Light 2026 delivers on its promise: a lighter, easier-to-handle Metalbone that doesn't lose the line's control foundation. Its biggest strength is the contained weight paired with the Soft Performance EVA core, which makes it comfortable through long matches and suits players who prioritise defence and point construction. Its biggest drawback is a lack of punch in pure attack compared to the brand's carbon-faced variants. Recommended for advanced, defensive-minded, point-building players who value control over power.