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Last Updated: July 2026
Here’s the honest take: adidas doesn’t need pickleball. They’re one of the most powerful sports brands on earth. But they chose to build a premium pickleball paddle anyway — and the ADIPOWER PRO Edition ATTK 16mm lands at $189, roughly $100 less than what JOOLA and CRBN charge for comparable raw carbon paddles. Either they’re buying market share with a below-cost offering, or this paddle is actually worth it. After logging time with it on indoor and outdoor courts, the answer is: both. It’s priced to win converts, and it does.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Pickleball Central. If you purchase through our links, FORWRD earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to products we’d recommend regardless.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $189.00 |
| Weight | 8.0 oz avg (7.8–8.2 oz range) / 227g |
| Face | Raw Carbon Fiber |
| Core | PB Honeycomb LD + TriFoam, 16mm |
| Paddle Length | 16.5″ elongated |
| Handle | 5.5″ / 4.25″ grip (Medium) |
| Certifications | USAP, UPA-A approved |
| Best For | 3.5–4.5 players wanting a power/control balance at a value price |
| Skip If | You need a widebody shape or prefer a below-4″ grip |
Pros:
- Genuinely competitive $189 price vs $280–$300 alternatives with similar specs
- TriFoam core adds plush, forgiving feel that standard PP honeycomb doesn’t give you
- Raw carbon fiber face delivers real grit and spin — not a marketing claim
- Elongated 16.5″ build gives extra reach without sacrificing too much sweet spot
- USAP-approved — legal for tournament play at every level
Cons:
- Elongated shape has a steeper learning curve — first few sessions may feel off if you’re switching from widebody
- Medium grip (4.25″) runs slightly larger than some players prefer for wristed play
- The “ATTK” branding oversimplifies it — this isn’t a one-dimensional power paddle
Check Price at Pickleball Central →
Why This Paddle Exists — and Why the Price Makes Sense
adidas has been making court sport equipment for decades. Their tennis racquets, soccer cleats, and running shoes are engineered with actual material science teams behind them. When they entered pickleball, they didn’t slap their logo on a sourced Chinese paddle and call it a day. The ADIPOWER PRO line was purpose-built — different core construction, different face treatment, different weight distribution than generic carbon paddles that flood the market.
The ATTK designation means Attack, and there are two ATTK versions: the 14mm (maximum pop, minimum dwell time) and this 16mm (balanced power with better touch). The 16mm is the one most players should actually buy. The 14mm is for aggressive 4.5+ players who already know exactly what they want. For everyone else — the 3.5 player moving up, the 4.0 who wants to hit harder without losing the kitchen, the intermediate who’s been on a fiberglass paddle too long — the 16mm ATTK is the one.
At $189, it competes against paddles priced $90–$110 higher. That gap matters more than people admit. A JOOLA Perseus Pro V Ben Johns 16mm ($299.95) is unquestionably a great paddle — Ben Johns is the best player in the world and helped design it. But if you’re not a tournament regular who can feel 4% differences in dwell time, the adidas gives you 90% of the experience at 63% of the price.
The TriFoam Core — What It Actually Does
Most carbon fiber paddles use a standard polypropylene honeycomb core. PP honeycomb is good. It’s the industry standard because it’s reliable and predictable. But it can feel stiff at off-center hits — balls hit toward the edge or near the handle can feel jarring.
adidas adds TriFoam layers within their PB Honeycomb LD core — essentially foam inserts that wrap or border the honeycomb structure. This doesn’t make the paddle dramatically softer. Instead, it smooths out the inconsistency between center and edge hits. Sweet spot shots still pop. But a dink you catch slightly off-center doesn’t punish you as hard. That’s the TriFoam effect: more consistent feel across the whole face, not just the center 3″ of the paddle.
After extended use, what stands out about the 16mm TriFoam core is dwell time on soft shots. Roll dinks — where you’re putting gentle topspin on a ball just over the net — feel controllable. The ball stays on the face a half-millisecond longer, which translates to better direction control when you need it. On serves, the paddle has clear pop. Hard drives jump off the face. The TriFoam adds the nuance that lets the same paddle do both jobs.
Raw Carbon Fiber Face: Real Spin or Marketing?
Every premium paddle claims “raw carbon fiber face” now. The difference between genuine raw carbon and a lightly-textured painted carbon face is measurable — raw CF has an exposed weave that grabs the ball at contact and generates spin. It’s also rougher, which means it degrades faster if you’re hitting with topspin constantly.
The adidas ADIPOWER PRO face is real raw carbon — visible weave texture, legitimate grip on the ball. On serve, you can load topspin that dips on the bounce. Cross-court dinks with roll spin will drop shorter than your opponent expects. The grit is there. It’s not the most aggressive raw carbon texture on the market (that goes to some of the thermoformed paddles), but it’s meaningfully grippier than an older fiberglass or graphite face paddle.
Performance Breakdown
Power & Speed
The elongated 16.5″ shape adds swing weight at the top of the paddle. Physics. That extra inch of paddle length turns faster rotational speed into more ball speed on drives and attacks. Hard groundstrokes hit with good technique leave the face noticeably quicker than on a standard-length 16″ widebody. This is real — it’s not placebo. Serves land deeper with less swing effort. Third-shot attacks from the transition zone carry more pace through the air.
That said, this isn’t a “smash everything” paddle. The 16mm core thickness tames the raw power somewhat — by design. If you want maximum pop above all else, the ATTK 14mm version would serve you better. The 16mm ATTK is a balanced tool, not a missile launcher.
Control & Dinking
At the kitchen, the 16mm TriFoam core earns its place. Dinks feel plush — you have to dial in your touch but once you do, balls drop where you want them. The catch: elongated paddles demand better form on dinks. Shots at the very bottom of the face (close to the throat) lose energy fast. You need to be contacting the ball in the middle-to-upper paddle face consistently. Sloppy contact gets punished more than on a widebody.
Cross-court roll dinks are a genuine strength. With a slightly closed face and a soft brush stroke, the ball will dip right at the end — a shot that pulls opponents off-balance and sets up attacks. After adjusting to the elongated shape, counters at the kitchen feel quick and instinctive.
Soft Hands & Resets
This is where the TriFoam construction pays dividends. When you’re in a hard-ball situation at the kitchen and need to reset — absorbing a fast attack and dropping it soft — the ATTK 16mm is more forgiving than you’d expect from an “attack” paddle. The foam layers absorb energy on impact. Hard balls can be slowed and dropped short at the kitchen without fighting the paddle’s natural pop too much.
It’s not a pure control paddle by any measure. But for a paddle marketed as attack-oriented, the reset capability is a genuine positive surprise.
adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm vs. JOOLA Perseus Pro V Ben Johns 16mm ($299.95)
The JOOLA Perseus Pro V Ben Johns 16mm is JOOLA’s flagship paddle — the one the best player in the world uses at tournaments. It’s also $110 more expensive.
Where JOOLA wins: the Perseus Pro V has higher raw spin ceiling (more aggressive surface texture), a more optimized sweet spot shape from Ben’s input, and marginally better consistency across hundreds of hours of play. The JOOLA is also thermoformed, which FORWRD-constructed paddles haven’t replicated.
Where adidas competes: for a player below 4.5 level, the performance gap between the two is real but not game-changing. The TriFoam core’s plush feel is different from JOOLA’s crisper response — some players will genuinely prefer the adidas. At $110 less, it’s the smarter trial paddle for someone who isn’t sure if they want to commit to premium carbon fiber.
Verdict: JOOLA wins on ceiling. adidas wins on value. If you’re above 4.5 playing tournaments, get the JOOLA. If you’re building toward that level, the adidas is the better investment right now.
adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm vs. CRBN 1 TruFoam Genesis ($279.99)
The CRBN 1 TruFoam Genesis is CRBN’s control-focused carbon paddle at $279.99. Interestingly, both paddles use foam-enhanced cores — CRBN uses TruFoam, adidas uses TriFoam — but they produce different feels.
CRBN’s TruFoam is positioned around maximum control and feel at the kitchen. The adidas TriFoam prioritizes balanced power/feel. On drives, the adidas is noticeably more aggressive. On kitchen play, the CRBN is more consistent for reset-heavy players.
Shape difference matters too: the CRBN 1 is a widebody design vs. the adidas elongated. Widebody players who want foam core technology should strongly consider the CRBN Genesis. Elongated players who want foam core tech save $90 by choosing adidas.
Verdict: Different players. CRBN for widebody control enthusiasts. adidas for elongated power-blend players who want foam core feel at a better price.
Who Should Buy the adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm
Buy this paddle if:
- You’re a 3.5–4.5 player wanting premium carbon fiber construction without a $280+ price tag
- You want an elongated paddle with real touch — not just a power missile
- You’ve been on a graphite or fiberglass paddle and want to feel what raw carbon actually does
- You trust 75+ years of adidas sports engineering and want that reflected in your gear
Look elsewhere if:
- You play with a widebody shape and aren’t willing to go through the adjustment period
- You need a grip smaller than 4.25″ — the adidas Medium runs slightly large
- You’re a 4.5+ tournament player who needs the absolute highest ceiling — the JOOLA Perseus or CRBN Genesis would serve you better
Pricing & Availability
The adidas ADIPOWER PRO Edition ATTK 16mm is priced at $189.00 at Pickleball Central — currently in stock. For context, this sits $90–$110 below most premium carbon fiber elongated paddles from specialty pickleball brands. At $189, it’s one of the better-value entries in the premium paddle segment.
Shop adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm at Pickleball Central →
Complete Your Setup
Now that you’ve got the paddle sorted — where are you putting it?
The FORWRD Court Ranger V2 ($195) fits up to 4 paddles in its modular sleeve system, has a 16″ laptop compartment, YKK AquaGuard zippers, and was designed with feedback from 500+ real players. It’s the bag you buy once and stop thinking about.
FAQ: adidas ADIPOWER PRO Edition ATTK 16mm
Is the adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm good for beginners?
The ATTK 16mm is best for intermediate players (3.5+) who have some court time. Beginners can use it but won’t get the most from the raw carbon face or elongated reach until they’ve built consistent contact mechanics. Starting players are better served by a more forgiving widebody first.
What’s the difference between the ATTK 14mm and ATTK 16mm?
The 14mm version is more explosive — faster pop, higher ball speed, better for aggressive attackers above 4.5. The 16mm version is balanced — the thicker core adds touch and dwell time for dinking and resets, making it more versatile. Most players between 3.5 and 4.5 should choose the 16mm.
Is the adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK approved for USAPA tournament play?
Yes. Both the 14mm and 16mm ATTK versions carry USAP and UPA-A approvals. You’re legal at any sanctioned tournament with this paddle.
How does the adidas ADIPOWER compare to JOOLA paddles at the same price?
At $189, the ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm is priced below JOOLA’s premium Perseus line (which starts at $299). The adidas TriFoam core gives a different feel than JOOLA’s construction — more plush, less crisp. For players not yet at competitive tournament level, the adidas is a very strong alternative at a better price.
Does adidas make a widebody pickleball paddle?
The ADIPOWER PRO line includes both ATTK (attack, elongated) and CTRL (control, widebody-oriented) models, as well as 14mm and 16mm thickness options across both. The CTRL line targets control players who prefer a different shape emphasis.
What grip size is the adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm?
The grip circumference is 4.25″ (Medium). This is on the larger end of medium — if you wear a size M-L glove, it’ll feel comfortable. If you prefer a smaller grip for wrist snap shots, you may want to build up a grip instead of going with a different paddle.
Final Verdict
The adidas ADIPOWER PRO Edition ATTK 16mm is a properly good paddle at a price that makes the premium carbon fiber market more accessible. The TriFoam core is a genuine differentiator — it adds feel and consistency that standard PP honeycomb can’t match. The raw carbon face is real, the elongated shape is well-balanced, and the USAP certification means you can take it to any tournament.
It won’t replace a JOOLA Perseus Pro V or CRBN Genesis for the most advanced players. But for anyone building toward that level — or who simply wants a high-quality tool without the premium brand tax — the adidas ADIPOWER PRO at $189 is one of the smarter buys in pickleball right now.
Get the adidas ADIPOWER PRO ATTK 16mm at Pickleball Central →
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