Adidas Cross IT Team Light 2025

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The Soft Performance EVA core swallows the ball on impact and pings it back out with real depth: on defensive lobs off the back glass you reach the baseline without having to whip your arm through it The round shape and low balance concentrate a huge sweet spot dead centre on the face, so off-centre balls in reflex volleys still come back with usable direction Dynamic Air Flow cuts down air resistance and, at 355-365 g, this padel racket whips through the air fast at net: blocks, counter-volleys and grip changes all happen without a beat of hesitation The sandy finish with the Spin Blade Decal texture bites the ball just enough that a cut bandeja stays low and sliced dropshots die on landing The fibreglass face filters out vibration on blocks and touch shots, a real plus if you're coming off a stiffer racket and carrying elbow or wrist niggles

Cons

• ✗The flat smash comes up short: with a low balance and soft EVA there's no mass behind the hit, so the ball bounces up high and sits up nicely for your opponents On fast balls hit at the body the racket flexes and direction gets a bit loose; when the point speeds up, the response goes mushy The 11 Thirteen hole system helps with stability, but a player who already hits hard will feel the power ceiling and end up forcing the arm to compensate This 2025 model is already being discontinued in a lot of shops, with the 2026 version circulating as its direct successor, so stock is patchy

The Adidas Cross IT Team Light 2025 suits intermediate players who already have a technical base and want to progress without jumping to a too-demanding paddle. Its round shape concentrates the sweet spot in the center of the face, increasing tolerance and favouring control. With a low balance, it gains maneuverability and quick response at the net. Its 355-365g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

Adidas Cross IT Team Light 2025 review: the lightweight round racket that plays from the back

The Adidas Cross IT Team Light 2025 weighs in at 355-365 g, pairs a fibreglass face with a Soft Performance EVA core, and wraps it all in a 38 mm frame with a round, low-balance shape. It's a control-oriented padel racket built for intermediate players, carrying three in-house technologies: Dynamic Air Flow, Power Extra Grip and Spin Blade Decal.

This isn't a racket chasing the winning smash. It's a racket built to keep the ball coming back.

Who is the Adidas Cross IT Team Light 2025 actually for?

It's aimed at intermediate players who build points from the back court, defend a lot, and need a racket that gives them ball exit without demanding pinpoint swing acceleration. The player who gets the most out of it is the one who rates comfort, defence and soft feel above raw power.

If your game is about crashing the net and finishing with a vibora, this padel racket will leave you wanting. That's not an opinion, it's baked into the build.

Fibreglass + Soft EVA: why the ball exits so easily

This combo drives everything else about the racket. Fibreglass is a flexible weave that deforms on contact instead of snapping the ball back sharply; the Soft Performance EVA, a low-density foam, stretches that contact time out even further.

On court, that translates into a very generous ball exit. The racket does part of the work for you: on a defensive lob off the back glass you don't need to accelerate your arm to reach the baseline, just guide the swing and let the EVA do the pushing.

That same trait is exactly what caps the power ceiling. Soft foam absorbs energy instead of firing it straight back, so a flat smash comes off noticeably slower than it would off a firmer EVA. That's not a flaw in the build, it's the direct trade-off for the comfort.

The 38 mm frame rounds out the picture. A frame of that depth adds structural consistency without bulking the racket up, and at 355-365 g the whole package still moves quickly.

Dynamic Air Flow and 11 Thirteen: the two details you actually feel

Dynamic Air Flow cuts air resistance through the swing path so the racket accelerates faster through contact. On a racket that's already light, the real-world payoff is extra sharpness at net: reflex counter-volleys and low blocks come out without any lag in preparation.

The 11 Thirteen hole system adds stability on impact, which keeps off-centre hits from losing too much direction.

And the Spin Blade Decal adds texture on top of an already sandy surface. It won't turn this into a spin machine, but it does help a cut bandeja grip and stay low, and lets sliced dropshots sit dead near the net.

How it performs shot by shot

Defence and back-wall exits. This is where it shines. The sweet spot is wide and sits right in the centre thanks to the low balance, so rushed balls off the glass still come back with depth even on a less-than-clean hit.

Volleys. Comfortable and very easy to handle. The lack of stiffness costs it some punch on aggressive blocks, but for directing the ball at your opponents' feet it's more than enough.

Bandeja. Strong. The lighter weight lets you get under the ball with time to spare, and the sandy finish bites nicely on the cut.

Vibora and finishing smashes. This is where it falls short. With no head weight and soft foam, the flat smash bounces up high and hands the opponent a counter-attack chance. It's the honest ceiling of this racket.

Fast balls at the body. The face flexes and direction gets a bit unreliable when the point speeds up.

Who should actually buy this Adidas racket?

Straight answer: intermediate players with a defensive game, who spend more time at the back than at net and who rate low vibration above outright power. It's also a smart pick for anyone nursing elbow or wrist issues who needs to cut impact load without settling for a characterless racket.

As a doubles pairing, it works well alongside a partner running a power, head-heavy racket: one of you holds the point and gets everything back, the other closes it out.

Verdict: where it fits and where it doesn't

The Cross IT Team Light 2025 delivers exactly what its spec sheet promises. It's a round, light, soft control racket, and every design choice points the same direction: maximum forgiveness, minimum strain on the arm.

What you won't get is pop. If your issue is balls falling short when you're trying to finish points, this model won't fix that.

One practical note before buying: the 2025 lineup is already being discontinued across a lot of retailers, with the 2026 version now circulating as its direct successor. If you find it at a good price, it's a smart buy; if you'd be paying launch price, compare it against the new season first.