Adidas Cross It Ctrl 2024

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The EVA High Memory core delivers a crisp, deformation-free response: the ball leaves exactly where you're aiming on blocked volleys and bandejas cut tight to the back glass, with zero trampoline effect. The round shape and medium balance keep weight away from the head, so the racket arrives on time in scrambling defensive situations and fast doble pared exchanges. The Dynamic Air Flow channel through the core cuts wind resistance, and you feel it in swing speed on flat smashes and chained viboras. The gritty texture of the Spin Blade Mould face bites into the ball on pinchadas and cut lobs, keeping it glued to the floor instead of bouncing clean off the court. The round face spreads a wide, central sweet spot that forgives off-centre contact on finishing volleys without the face twisting.

Cons

• ✗Ball exit is short with the High Memory rubber: try to send a deep defensive lob from the baseline without committing your whole body, and it dies mid-court instead of pushing your opponents back. At 360-375g, this rigid a racket punishes elbow and shoulder over long matches — without solid stroke technique, fatigue shows up before unforced errors do. On the smash por 3, don't expect the head-heavy kick of a diamond-shaped frame: the bite depends almost entirely on your own contact, not on the racket doing favours. 'Advanced level' isn't just marketing copy here — scrambling off the back glass, this racket won't gift you extra metres, and mistimed shots get punished instantly.

The Adidas Cross It Ctrl 2024 targets advanced players with consolidated technique who want more performance without yet moving to a pure competition racket. Its round shape concentrates the sweet spot in the center of the face, increasing tolerance and favouring control. The medium balance keeps a balanced behaviour between baseline shots and volleys. Its 360-375g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

Adidas Cross It Ctrl 2024 review: round shape, 38mm and the firmest rubber in the range

The Adidas Cross It Ctrl 2024 pairs a Carbon Aluminized 15K face with an EVA High Memory core, a 38mm frame and round shape, all in a 360-375g package. It grew out of the collaboration with Marta Ortega, though her name doesn't appear in the official model title.

Within the Cross It family, this is the control-oriented read: a padel racket built for players who build the point rather than muscle through it, sitting apart from the Attack and Power variants in the same line.

What do the Carbon Aluminized 15K face and High Memory rubber actually do?

The 15K aluminized carbon face brings surface stiffness: on contact, the hitting plane barely gives. That kills the trampoline effect and turns the racket into a board that sends the ball back exactly on the line you gave it.

Underneath sits the EVA High Memory core, the firmest rubber in the brand's catalogue. It snaps back into shape instantly after impact, which translates into a dry, crisp feel with no lag between contact and ball exit. The trade-off is obvious: you supply the power yourself.

The 38mm frame rounds things off with a compact profile that resists torsional flex. Add the Extra Power Grip around the handle and the Dynamic Air Flow channel through the core — which trims air resistance mid-swing — and the racket swings faster than its stiffness would suggest.

Adidas Cross It Ctrl 2024: full spec sheet

Shot by shot: where this racket shines and where it costs you

Volley and block. This is its home turf. The stiff face and hard rubber cancel out any parasitic bounce: the ball comes off short, dry and lands at your opponent's feet. Blocking a heavy smash doesn't knock the face off-line.

Bandeja and vibora. The medium balance and the light swing feel from the Dynamic Air Flow let you get under the ball with your wrist still cocked. The bandeja comes out flat and controlled; the vibora leans entirely on your own acceleration, since there's no head-heavy mass doing the work for you.

Smash. Hit a flat smash cleanly and the response is direct and predictable. For the remate por 3 with kick, you'll miss having weight up in the head — this racket only gives back what you put in, not a gram more.

Defence and getting off the back glass. Maneuverability helps you react late, but ball exit stays contained. A defensive lob from the back needs full-body commitment; arm it alone and it dies mid-court.

Does the Spin Blade Mould actually generate spin?

Yes. The mould stamps a sandpaper-like rough texture onto the face, and that texture grips the ball for the split-second of contact. On pinchadas and cut lobs the effect is noticeable: the ball skids lower and dies faster, making it tougher for opponents to read at the net.

That grip has a natural ally in the racket's overall stiffness. With a rubber that doesn't sink under impact, contact stays more tangential and the cut comes out cleaner than on a softer racket with the same face.

Who is this Adidas racket actually built for?

The profile here is narrow, and it's worth being upfront about it:

1. **Advanced-level players**, with settled stroke technique and the ability to generate their own arm speed.
2. **Constructive players**: chiquitas, long paredes, changes of pace and finishing by placement rather than raw power.
3. **Players who favour the revés side**, where blocking and containment bandejas matter more than the winning smash.
4. **A complementary pairing**: it works well alongside a partner running a power-profile racket who takes on finishing from the drive side.

Anyone hoping the racket does the hitting for them should look elsewhere. There's no help here — just precision.

Verdict: block-game control in exchange for arm effort

The Adidas Cross It Ctrl 2024 does exactly what its name promises. The Carbon Aluminized 15K face, EVA High Memory core and 38mm frame combine into a stiff package that offers one of the cleanest, most directional responses you'll find in a round shape.

The flip side is just as clear: contained ball exit, real physical demand over long matches, and zero margin for a mishit. If your game runs on blocking, cutting the ball and patience, this racket gives back every centimetre you ask of it. If you need it to help finish the point, it isn't your model.