Expert review: New Adidas Metalbone paddles deliver elite power geared toward high-level play
Last Edited
Apr 22 2025
Category
Gear
Adidas has officially released its updated line of Metalbone paddles, which include four options that incorporate distinct core materials and weighting systems that impact how the paddles perform.
We'll get into how each option plays below, but we predict two of the paddles -- the Metalbone LP S and Metalbone LP Team -- will be very popular because they are able to generate a level of power that puts them ahead of anything else on the market right now.
As such, they have vaulted to the top of our list of the best power paddles available.
Note: All of the new Metalbone paddles currently have UPA-A interim certification but are not USA Pickleball approved. Adidas says they are waiting to hear back from USAP regarding approval. UPA-A will require full certification starting Sept. 1 and these paddles have not yet received full certification.
All four of the new Metalbone paddles are designed using a "monocoque" construction method that wraps the entire core into one seamless molded exterior, comparable to an egg shell. They all come in adidas' ATTK shape, which is an elongated shape that offers increased reach and power and places the sweet spot slightly above the center of the paddle.
Read next: Adidas becoming more involved in pickleball industry
They also feature a hitting surface that is enhanced with a rough texture that adidas calls "Spin Blade Max" and each has a 5.5-inch handle with an "Extra Power Grip" that places more mass toward the top of the grip for more power.
Adidas touts the durability of the new Metalbone paddles, and on first impression these things feel (and look) like they're made with high-quality materials.
They are reinforced with carbon fiber from the bottom of the handle to the sides of the paddle, which enhances stability, and while these paddles don't have a traditional edge guard, they do have an added protective layer on the sides and top so scrapes and bumps don't damage the paddle.
All four Metalbone paddles feature a "polyhedral design" from the handle to the hitting surface, which adidas says provides greater rigidity and power. I like that adidas is leading the charge in coming up with creative ways to connect the hitting surface to the handle. Past paddle designs from most companies have simply extended the face material into the handle, even though the bottom quarter of the paddle is essentially useless space and adds unnecessary weight.
Adidas is also leading the way in allowing players to customize the weight and balance of their paddle without having to mess around with lead tape. The bolting system that three of the paddles have is a much more convenient way to experiment with adding or subtracting weight, which we'll get into more below.
Two of the paddles -- the Metalbone LP and the Metalbone 4 14.5 -- feature a low-density honeycomb core, giving them a traditional plush feel that players will be familiar with coming from most other paddles.
The other two -- the Metalbone LP S and the Metalbone LP Team -- have a Gen 4 EVA foam core that is extremely powerful and will be appealing to higher-level players who are able to harness that power in a controllable way.
We tested each of these paddles for several hours in all areas of the court -- from the baseline to the kitchen -- and break down how each paddle performs below.
Let's cook!
Adidas Metalbone LP S
Best suited for players who: Want maximum power for big serves and third-shot drives, great pop in hands battles and elite putaway power. I didn't ask adidas what the S in the name stands for, but in my mind it stands for speed. This paddle is geared toward a high-level player who can adjust to those top-tier power levels and harness this paddle's potential in a controlled way. In the hands of an inexperienced player, this would be a difficult paddle to control. The weighting system offers customizable options at the bottom corners of the paddle face and along the top edge. With all of the weight slots filled, this model weighs 8.7 ounces. With none filled, it comes in at 8.0 ounces.
Adidas Metalbone LP Team
Best suited for players who: Want great power for serves, third-shot drives and putaways, but more maneuverability for reflex volleys and flicks out of the air. This paddle does not feature the weighting system and comes stock at 8.0 ounces. It feels more whippy in the hand while still generating good power. This is the paddle of choice for adidas pro Mari Humberg.
Adidas Metalbone 4 14.5
Best suited for players who: Prefer a slightly softer feeling paddle but still want good pop and maneuverability at the kitchen line. This paddle features the weighting system at the throat of the paddle just above the handle. With no weights it comes in at 8.0 ounces, and 8.6 ounces with all the weights added. I left one weight in on each side and then added some weighted tape to the top corners to give this paddle a little more power for serves, drives and putaways. If you're a player who doesn't need the extra power and wants to prioritize hand speed and control, this is a good option. For those reasons, it makes sense that it is the paddle of choice for adidas pro Rafa Hewitt, who has had good results on the PPA Tour since switching to this paddle in early 2025.
Adidas Metalbone LP
Best suited for players who: Want a plush feel with good power on full shots -- serves, third-shot drives and putaways. As the thicker version of the honeycomb core options, this is the softest feeling paddle in the new Metalbone line. It has customizable weights at the bottom corners and along the top edge. With all of the weights added, this paddle is 9.0 ounces, and with none added it is 8.2 ounces. I added all 4 weights in the bottom corners and 2 weights at the top -- I felt like that was the best setup to unlock the most power while still keeping it at a manageable weight.
At the kitchen
Metalbone LP S: This paddle -- like the LP Team -- offers great pop in hands battles, but I felt like it was a little easier to control softer shots. It felt to me like the added weight in this version gave me a little more dwell time, which allowed me to control my dinks and flicks more.
Metalbone LP Team: Maneuverability and pop are the key benefits of this paddle at the kitchen. It took a little more adjusting to get dinks and blocks dialed with this model because without the added weight the ball seemed to jump off the face more. I ultimately added weighted tape along the throat and bottom corners and that gave it a more stable feel.
Metalbone 4 14.5: Not as much pop as the LP S and LP Team models, but the thinner profile allowed me to get into good position in hands battles and also helped me get more whip on flicks out of the air and speed ups off the bounce. I ultimately added weighted tape to the sides and a little bit on the top corners to give this paddle more putaway power.
Metalbone LP: As the softest feeling paddle of the bunch, this paddle is most effective in the hands of a player who wants to move dinks around and prefers to reset when things get sped up as opposed to counter punching. It has a bit more plowthrough than the 14.5mm version, so putaway power on full swings was not an issue.
In transition
Metalbone LP S: Because this paddle is so powerful, it will take more of an adjustment period on resets in the transition zone. But for players who are willing to put in the time to make that adjustment, this paddle's other benefits are worth it.
Metalbone LP Team: It's a similar story to the LP S in this area of the court. The good news is this paddle felt pretty consistent in how it reacted on contact, so once I got a feel for how fast the ball was coming off, I was able to get my resets dialed in more.
Metalbone 4 14.5: I thought this was the best performing paddle in the transition zone. It has a nice crisp feel but also is easy to take pace off of an opponent's aggressive shot.
Metalbone LP: This paddle also does a nice job absorbing pace from an aggressive shot, but almost too much at times. I had to give resets more of a push to get them back over, whereas with the LP S and LP Team I simply had to put the paddle in front of the ball and let it do the work.
At the baseline
Metalbone LP S: This paddle offers the most power of anything on the market on serves and third-shot drives. If that's your game, this is a great option. I ended up taking weights out of the top of the paddle because it was TOO powerful. With no weight at the top it was still very powerful but more controllable. But because of the 100% EVA foam core, the ball comes off the face differently than a traditional paddle. At first I was missing a lot of drives into the net because it was coming off at a lower angle than I was used to. But once I started giving myself more margin above the net, drives became more consistent and very difficult for opponents to handle. All of the new Metalbone paddles get above average spin, so even with the added power I was able to keep balls in. Drops also felt comfortable and consistent once I adjusted to the power level.
Metalbone LP Team: It plays very similar to the LP S in this area, with slightly less power simply because I had it weighted lighter. I also felt like it didn't have quite as much dwell time, and had a little less spin as a result.
Metalbone 4 14.5: This paddle is more about how much you can get the ball to dip over the net rather than raw power. It still has good power, but on aggressive roll third-shot drops and third-shot drives I was able to get a lot of movement on the ball. That's also evident if you watch Hewitt play on the PPA Tour. He uses spin very aggressively and this paddle helps him achieve that.
Metalbone LP: This paddle is all about consistency from the baseline. Both third-shot drops and third-shot drives were high-percentage and didn't require much of an adjustment period.
Wrapping up
All four of the new Metalbone options from adidas are an upgrade from the original Metalbone that launched more than a year ago. They get significantly more spin and I like that adidas made several options that offer distinct playing characteristics. I think it's clear that the Metalbone LP S and the Metalbone LP Team are the most advanced paddles that adidas has ever offered. I expect high-level players to gravitate toward those models because of the power potential, while the 14.5 and the standard LP models offer an easy adjustment for players coming from other honeycomb core paddles.
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