Reviews by Dan

On my visit to Beijing last month with STIGA, we visited the Chinese National Team Training centre. All the players from the National A and B squad including Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Zhang Jike, Xu Xin, Ding Ning etc were all training with this ball. I only saw one ball break throughout the whole 2 hour training session. I was surprised and managed to try out these balls could feel the quality of the ball. I still think plastic balls have a fair way to go to feel similar to the celluloid ball however this DHS 2* was reasonable. I have given it 5 stars as I think it's one of the best out of the plastic balls I have tried.

in this video review I used the Donic Waldner Senso Carbon blade and @Tom used the Donic Ovtcharov blade.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the DHS Gold Arc 3. I felt a lot of similarities with this rubber and Tenergy in terms of it's look and feel. I don't think it shares the same speed as Tenergy however it's balance between spin and speed is remarkable and similar.

Below is a video review myself and Tom did in 2013. I used the Butterfly Timo Boll ALC blade and Tom used the Butterfly Timo Boll ZLC.

i use these shoes everyday in my coaching. I find the grip really impressive and they have an excellent look to them. I have not tested the shoes enough in tournaments however I have found no problems to them so far during practice matches and training. I hope STIGA will release more variations of colours in the future.

For me, I find the most important elements to shoes is having them light weight and with good grip. These shoes have both of that and I will continue to use them during my coaching.

One of my first video reviews on youtube and it's still one of my favourite. In this review I used the Timo Boll ALC and Tom used the Timo Boll ZLC.

Below is a video of my review of the STIGA Airoc Soft Rubber. I used the STIGA Emerald blade and @Tom used the STIGA Hybrid Wood blade in the review.

In my video review below, I used the andro Treiber K blade and @Tom used the Treiber Z blade.

Below is a video of my review of the STIGA Airoc Soft Rubber. I used the STIGA Emerald blade and @Tom used the STIGA Hybrid Wood blade in the review.

My review of the andro Rasant Power Grip. I used the andro Treiber K blade and @Tom used the andro Treiber G blade in the review.

- Not just designed for spin, a lot of speed could be produced.
- The sound had a nice Speed glue effect
- Medium to low throw
- Excellent for backhand punch shots and blocking
- Lots of spin on service, flicks and open ups
- Lacked some control due to its speed, preferably for advanced players with good level of technique
- Being in good position was important when using this rubber
- Ideal for offensive players
- Strong surface and grips the ball well, even when the ball is low

I reviewe STIGA's latest ITTF Approved Plastic ball with @Tom. In this review we look at a variety of characteristics of the new ball in comparison to the celluloid ball, how it performs and more.

- The STIGA poly ball has a seam and weighs 2.8g
- The ball seemed very durable and did not break throughout

I reviewed the Butterfly Zhang Jike Super ZLC blade with @Tom. In the review we both used Butterfly's Tenergy 05 rubbers. The review looks at the blade characteristics, various techniques and a range of shots used in today's modern game of table tennis and also which types of players this blade is most suited to.

I had the fantastic opportunity to review STIGA's latest blade the Carbonado 145 with Fan Zhendong. The video looks at various techniques and a range of shots used in today's modern game of table tennis and also which types of players this carbon blade could well be suited to.

I personally prefer this blade the 145 to the 190 as my game play is more all round and I need a bit more safety and arc in my shots.

I had the fantastic opportunity to review STIGA's latest blade the Carbonado 190 built with Textreme Carbon with Xu Xin. The video looks at various techniques and a range of shots used in today's modern game of table tennis and also which types of players this carbon blade could well be suited to.

This rubber is used by many around the world! It is ideal because it lasts a very long time and has a tremendous balance between speed, spin and control. I find I am able to generate great speed when needed but also able to maintain control in the serves and shot game.

Away from the table you can get great arc on the ball, and even when out of postiion you can use the rubbers built in spring sponge to propel the ball over the table. I sometimes find blocking slightly difficult if the ball has been hit hard, due to the rubbers hardness. Overall an excellent rubber!

@Dan used the Timo Boll Spirit blade and @Tom used the Stiga Hybrid Wood NCT blade in the review which looked at the Butterfly Tenergy 80 FX rubber's on both sides of their blades. The review looks at various techniques and a range of shots used in today's modern game of table tennis and also which types of players this rubber is suited to. Thanks to Butterfly, Daniel Ives, Tom Maynard, and Kingfisher Table Tennis Club in the making of this review. You can buy Butterfly's Tenergy 80 FX Rubber on the Butterfly website here.

@Dan and @Tom both used the Infinity VPS blade in this review using the Stiga Calibra Tour Medium rubbers. The review looks at various techniques and a range of shots used in today's modern game of table tennis. We found this blade to be similar with Stiga's hardwood series of blades including the Ebenholz and Maplewood blades. Video review below: