Adidas Neuvortx Black/lima

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The Soft Performance EVA core and round shape combine to build a genuinely huge sweet spot: the ball still comes off with depth on off-centre volleys and on defensive lobs struck close to the frame The sandy surface texture paired with Spin Blade grips the ball nicely on a cut bandeja or a vibora, letting you close the angle without having to whip the arm through faster At 360-375 grams with a medium balance it swings into position quickly for block volleys and feet-directed returns, without the drag you get from a head-heavy racket The soft EVA cushions the impact on long wall-exit shots and cuts down the vibration reaching the elbow, which players stacking three or four matches a week will appreciate Structural Reinforcement keeps the face consistent through impact and avoids the overly flexible, 'plate-like' feel that soft-core round rackets can suffer from

Cons

• ✗Power is on a leash: on a smash by 3 or a flat kill shot, you have to supply the arm speed yourself, because this racket won't add extra yards on its own The fibreglass face transmits less feedback than carbon, and fine-tuning a soft drop shot from the net takes more calibration to get the touch right Advanced players hunting for outright winners from the back will hit the ceiling of the soft core and medium balance fairly quickly On an accelerated vibora the spin bites fine, but ball speed still trails behind a harder-EVA racket

Round shape, 360-375 grams, fibreglass face and Soft Performance EVA core: the adidas Neuvortx Black/Lima doesn't hide what it's built for. This is a control-first padel racket with Spin Blade, Smart Holes Lineal and Structural Reinforcement, aimed squarely at the intermediate player who wants the ball to land where the arm points, not where the material decides.

Fibreglass over soft EVA: where all that forgiveness comes from

Fibreglass flexes more than carbon on impact. That deformation gives back part of the energy with its own natural push and extends the feel of contact — exactly what a player who isn't yet generating full power from the legs and trunk rotation needs.

Underneath sits Soft Performance EVA, a soft core that compresses quickly and forgives off-centre hits. Face and core together explain why this padel racket produces such an easy ball exit even when your timing isn't spot on.

The trade-off is well known and worth stating plainly: limited power. The energy a soft core absorbs doesn't come back to the ball in full, and you feel that on a flat smash.

Spin Blade, Smart Holes Lineal and Structural Reinforcement: what each piece does

• **Spin Blade**: works on surface grip so the ball rolls across the face before leaving it. Combined with the sandy finish, it's what holds the cut spin on a bandeja and the lift on a lobbed globo.
• **Smart Holes Lineal**: the linear hole layout governs how stiffness is distributed across the face, so the response doesn't shift abruptly between the centre and the upper hitting zone.
• **Structural Reinforcement**: this structural support holds the whole face together on impact and stops a fibreglass-over-soft-EVA build from feeling too loose when you accelerate through the ball.

adidas Neuvortx Black/Lima: full spec sheet

How does the Neuvortx Black/Lima play, shot by shot?

Bandeja and vibora. This is where it lives. The medium balance lets you get up to the ball with the racket well positioned, and the sandy surface bites just enough to cut the ball and kill it dead off the side glass. The vibora comes out with spin, if not the sharp crack of a stiffer racket.

Smash. This is where the ceiling shows up. The kick smash and the flat smash by 3 depend almost entirely on your own arm speed; the racket assists rather than multiplies. Players who already smash well will keep smashing well, but they won't find any free yards here.

Defence and wall exits. Ball exit is remarkably easy. On tight defensive lobs, with the racket barely reaching and contact happening well off-centre, this adidas model still returns depth where a stiffer racket would send the ball into the net.

Volley. Solid blocking and sharp placement. The wide sweet spot lets you volley with a fixed wrist and place the ball at your opponents' feet without the shot getting away from you.

What level is the adidas Neuvortx Black/Lima built for?

It's built for the intermediate player who values placement over raw power. At 360-375 grams, with medium balance and a soft core, it delivers a very wide sweet spot and generous ball exit that make up for inconsistent contact. Advanced, power-hitting players will find a power ceiling on the smash.

As a doubles partner it works well alongside someone who's happy to finish the point: you build it with deep bandejas and lobs, your partner closes it out. In an all-control pairing, points will run long and the pair that makes fewer errors wins.

Black/Lima, Black/Orange and Cooper: same family, three balances

The Neuvortx range keeps the same Soft Performance EVA core and the same fibreglass face throughout, varying only the balance across finishes:

The practical read: if you want even more maneuverability at the net, the Black/Orange drops the balance lower; if you want a bit more heft on the smash, the Cooper raises it. The Black/Lima sits right in the middle, weight centred for stable, consistent contact.

Where it comes up short: the ceiling of a soft round racket

There are two spots where this racket falls short. The first is finishing points from the back: if your game plan relies on power, the fibreglass-plus-soft-EVA combo will demand more physical effort than another racket would ask of you.

The second is fine touch feedback. Fibreglass filters out some of the information you get on contact, and cut drop shots from the net take extra matches to dial in.

Verdict: a racket for consolidating your game, not forcing it

The adidas Neuvortx Black/Lima does exactly what it promises: it forgives, produces easy ball exit, and lets you play. The wide sweet spot and comfortable feel on impact make it a sensible buy for intermediates looking to cut unforced errors and hold up through long rallies without punishing the elbow.

It's not the racket for you if your game revolves around the smash by 3, or if you're already generating plenty of power on your own — there, the soft core works against you. Within the same range, the adidas Neuvortx Cooper and its medium-high balance is the logical step up when you want to keep the same feel but with more weight in the head.