Latest reviews

First of all I would like to thanks TTD member hils4ever and XIOM for giving me the opportunity to test the new XIOM Jung Youngsik Ice Cream AZX blade.

Unboxing
The Ice Cream AZX comes in a beautiful purple, orange and silver presentation box which has a trapezoid shape to simulate an ice cream. On top of the box the symbol of Jung Youngsik is shaped like and arrow. It looks good and the details are held simple and clean. My first impressions when grabbing the blade I could feel the finish was smooth and the quality is in the high end of the scale. I wish though that the edges of the wings were sanded down a bit instead of having a sharp edge. The design of Ice Cream blade is very appealing as well. The color scheme from the presentation box is to find on the handle of the blade where the black color is used as background, the purple color on the Zephylium Carbon side (ZLC) and orange color on the Arylate Carbon side. On the blade faces there is some marketing text and JYS signature is on the ALC side of the blade. Near the wings the Xiom has printed an A and a Z to distinguish the sides of the blade. The logos on the handle looks great and are made metal. It is getting more common that the companies are letting go of the plastic lens which has been used for decades. In the bottom of the handle the a logo saying Ice Cream, XIOM and JTTAA. It has a bit of 3D effect when looking at it from an angle. I don’t know if it’s for checking genuity of the blade, but if not, it is a nice detail.











The sample I got is FL and has these specs:
Composition: Koto-ALC-Limba-Kiri-Limba-ZLC-Koto
Weight: 85g
Thickness: 5.7mm
Handle size: 100x23x33mm Width at narrow flared section is 25mm
Head size: 157x150mm















I wanted to do a frequency test, but forgot to do it before gluing the rubbers on. I will add it later.

Comparing the handle with a Viscaria the Ice Cream seems to be a bit smaller than Vis, but not as small as some newer DHS blades.

Test setup will be 2 times Xiom Omega 7 Pro max on each side ending up a total weight at 183g which isn’t that bad considering having two max rubbers glued on blade. Review is based on 5 training sessions of approx. 2 hours each.



Drive
When hitting the ball I could immediate feel the blade and the combination with Omega 7 Pro was fast. The balance of the blade is towards the center which I like more than head heavy setups. Hitting with the A side the vibration is similar to other ALC blades which is a bit numb, but still you have the slight feeling of the ball. I try to twiddle the racket and play with the Z side. Here there was a noticeable difference! Playing with the Z side the vibrations was a lot and it felt more soft than when playing with the A side. The sweet spot of the blade is large making it very consistent to play with.

Loop
When looping with the A side the impression of power and using the high gear of the O7P the full potential of the Ice Cream blade was pretty obvious. I had to adjust a bit coming from with a chinese rubber with flatterer trajectory, but when the adjustments were made it was easy to land the balls on the table. The A side has a medium-high arc and medium throw and the dwell was very good even with a 47.5deg rubber. The O7P is making a nice click sound like the good speed glue era. My impression of the Z side when looping was that is was a bit slower and the dwell was greater than playing the A side. The throw of the Z side is low-medium and the arc of the ball was medium. Engaging the ZLC layer I could the extra dwell compared to the ALC, but this is without compromising the balance of the blade.

Block
The passive game with the Ice Cream blade together with O7M it excels good control and consistency from the large sweet spot. In terms of sides I prefer blocking with the Z side in BH and A side in FH. Still when punching a bit or being active on the incoming balls you still have the feeling of having good control.

Short/Flick
In the short game you need to have a good touch to be able to keep the 2nd ball short due to bouncy rubbers and the outer koto. The O7P are not so sensitive to incoming spin as e.g. T05 which is good if you struggle with spin when receiving the ball. Flicking with Z side in BH is preferable for me, The dwell from the blade using the low gear of the O7P making the easy to flick. You still need to be active on the ball. Flicking with the A side in FH you only need to use a short stroke because the catapult effect from the rubber and the hard koto. Again here if you have a good technique it is easy to flick with less effort.

Conclusion
The Xiom Jung Youngsik Ice Cream AZX is a high end signature blade which comes at a price of 159.90 EUR which is pretty similar to other composite blades from Butterfly. The blade is really nice and the durability is good. I like the overall design of the whole package, but for my personal preference the blade is a bit too fast. I would rate it on par with the Viscaria in terms of speed and maybe a little faster. The blade is definitely for experienced players that like to play from close to mid distance from the table. It is a looping blade which is great in the blocking game. Flicks using the ZLC side is noticeably one of the strong attributes of the blade. If you are the type of player that builds you game with some of the aspects above I would recommend this blade to this person.

Joola introduced the Rhyzm early in the year 2012. The one I’ve tested was a MAX version in red. The rubber did not have any stamps stating ESN or Tensor. The Rhyzm has a hardness on 48 deg Shore C which is equivalent to approx. 36 deg Shore A. That is similar hardness to the Spring Sponge of T05. The top sheet has a bit of glossiness, but not like tacky rubbers. For testing I used the Aruna OFF blade and 40+ balls.





Drive
The Joola Rhyzm initially felt good. It has a nice catapult and the overall feel of the rubber was above average and firm. The control was very good and the arc was medium to high. The rubber does feel soft which could be due to the pimple structure although the sponge is reasonable hard.


Loop
When looping I could feel the Rhyzm had a good dwell time. The trajectory was similar high to T05’s and it had a very nice click sound. The combination with Hinoki outer and the Rhyzm was really good and I could easily control loops from both wings without too many errors. A feature I like was BH loop over the table.


Block
In the blocking gamewith the Rhyzm it is easy to control loops both spinny and fast ones. I felt it was very controllable and the stability was very good due to the “soft” feel the rubber had.


Flicks/Short play
The Rhyzm is a very good rubber for BH flicks. Here the softness of the rubber really came in hand helping to get grip in the ball without too much effort. Short play was also a nice with the Rhyzm. On lower load shoots the rubber became more firm which made it easy to control the balls in short play.


Conclusion
Joola has developed a nice all round rubber with the Rhyzm. It play good in most aspects of the game. What I personal like about the rubber was control it had.
You can get the Rhyzm for a reasonable price and it is a good rubber for both FH and BH.


I would recommend the rubber to the player who favors control in his/her game and who likes to stay close to the table. Power loops from mid distance is also one of its attributes. This can be done with good control without over hitting the ball.

​Unboxing
It has been a while since I have played with a Joola blade. When I was a cadet/boy player I was using Joola and Donic equipment which at that time were decent brands and I would love to hit with an old Jörg Rosskopf OFF blade. The Joola Aruna OFF blade comes in a standard Joola box which is quite boring, but when looking at the Aruna OFF the color is referenced to the flag of Nigeria which is green and white. There are two black lines in the middle to break the color scheme and to tell the blade means business. On the front side of the handle there is a black plastic lens and in bottom there is a metal lens. There is also a JTTAA stamp in the bottom. The Hinoki outer plies have good grains and the finish is top class with rounded edges at the wings. The handle is very smooth as blades from Butterfly. I would say this blade has better finish than some of the high end blades and the quality is very good!

Composition: 7 ply (Hinoki, Koto, Carbon, Kiri Core, Carbon, Koko, Hinoki)
Handle: Flared
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 5.8mm
Weight: 84g
Type: Carbon OFF rated by manufacture

Test setup: FH Joola Rhyzm 2.0mm and BH Stiga Genesis M 2.1mm. Total weight 184g.

Drive
When driving with the Aruna OFF I could immediately feel that this blade was very controllable on both sides. The setup has a very good center balance with these rubbers and the feeling is more towards an all wood blade than a carbon blade.The speed is decent and is comparable to some of the Innerforce series.

Even faster than the normal ZLC and Viscaria! But having that said the blade also had an amount of feel and dwell that you normally don't experience when blades are that fast. I think this might be due to the outer limba layer combined with the SZLC. The Super Zylon-Carbon layer adds lightness, stiffness and flexibility to the blade. Another thing that was noticeable was the large sweet spot.

Loop
When looping with the Aruna OFF I could really feel this setup was a spin machine. This is the second time I have made a review on a blade with Hinoki outer plies. Here I could really get the grip that I wanted with medium effort. Struggled a bit with the Stiga Genesis M due to the lower throw, which I was not used to, but having that said the spin was great with both rubbers. I felt that I could create more spin with the Joola Rhyzm rubber and the power from the carbon was quite obvious when looping.

Block
In the passive game the Aruna OFF also delivers control! I was very stable and consistent due to the large sweet spot which the carbon gives. Still if I was a bit active on the ball I felt that I couldn’t miss the table. Directing the ball was easily done without having the feeling you were losing control even with huge incoming loops.

Flick/short game
The aspect of this part of the game the Aruna OFF is shining. Due to the outer Hinoki and the overall softness of the blade it was not difficult to flick the ball or keep the ball low and short when playing over the table. You always feel the ball and do not have the impression that the ball is jumping away from you.

Conclusion
Joola has made a signature blade for Aruna Quadri which accommodate his needsi. The retail price is 79.90 Euro (in Europe) and 95.03 USD (in US) which is a decent price for a signature blade. For that price you get very good quality and I have heard the blades from Joola should be very durable.

I would recommend the blade to players who focus on an offensive game with spin and control in focus.The blade fits well away from the table as in close. Also the player that favors the stability and consistency in their blocking and attacking game. The blade is good value and if you like Hinoki as outer due to Hinokis attributes then you would not go wrong in town choosing this blade.

Hi TTD members.
I just received the new Yasaka Alnade blade. My initial thoughts is that the blade has a nice finish and looks great! Comparing the pitch of the blade vs. M.Maze ALC and Viscaria the blade has a higher pitch and feels stiffer than the blades from Butterfly.


I will make a review as soon is have tried the blade.

[EDIT] Updated with review!

























The Yasaka Alnade is a signature blade of Liang Jingkun and it should be similar to the Viscaria. My initial thoughts about the Alnade blade by bouncing the ball I could hear the pitch is higher than my Viscaria. The design is very nice and the finish is high quality. Edges is nicely sanded of the one I have received and it comes in a nice presentation box.

Composition: Koto-PA Carbon-?-?-?-PA Carbon-Koto
Handle: Flared
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 5.8mm
Weight: 91g

Test setup: DHS Hurricane NEO 2.1mm and Butterfly Tenergy 05 2.1mm

Drive
When driving with the Alnade I could initial feel that the blade was fast. The sweet spot is huge and this was obvious with the consistency no matter where I hit the ball on the racket.
Setup felt a bit head heavy, but this was due to I was too lazy to remove the old layer of glue before putting it on the blade.

Loop
Looping with the Yasaka Alnade I could feel the full potential of the blade. I did not have to add too much power before over hitting the ball pass the table. The feeling of the blade is better than the Viscaria. It is not that numb as the Viscaria. The trajectory was medium on both wings and the blade is very consistent. It feels like the blade has a bit more flex than my Viscaria and that could be the reason I needed to adjust not hitting pass the table.

Block
In the blocking game the Alnade is showing its force. Control, feel and stability is the words to describe about how the Alnade performs. Due to the large sweet spot it has massive control even though you try to punch ball. This is one awesome feature it has.

Flick/short game
With the Alnade it was nice flicking on both sides. Without a huge effort I could get good grip with the ball. With that said I struggled a bit in the short game aspect. I had problems keeping the balls low to the net. Could be me being tired or my technique .
Funny enough the GZLC has a soft touch although the blade is fast.

Conclusion
Yasaka has made a fantastic competitor to Butterfly’s Viscaria FL. The retail price is notable lower than the Viscaria and quality wise the Alnade is up in the same league as
Butterfly. The Alnade blade is definitely not for beginners or for players that want to develop their technique.

I would recommend the blade to players who rely on their passive game and plays close to mid from the table. Also the player that is a hitter more than a looper and/or emphasizes the to go behind the table to make powerful loops away from the table.

Unboxing
The Mizutani Jun SZLC blade comes in a beautiful presentation box in the same colors as his signature blade. The color scheme of the handle has change to a more modern design compared to the old blade. The colors are still red and black but for distinguishing between the ZLC and the SZLC, Butterfly have added a yellow stripe on both sides of the handle for the SZLC and white for the ZLC. The logo has change to red and white showing his initials and on the other side of the handle there is indication that this blade is the SZLC.
On the back of the handle on the newer versions there is a new green holographic sticker is placed for verifying counterfeit versions.
The quality and finish is superb as always when you buy a Butterfly blade and it looks like a has a fine layer of sealing from the factory.
















Composition: Limba-SZLC-Limba-Ayous-Limba-SZLC-Limba
Handle: Flared
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 5.8mm
Weight: 94g

Test setup: FH DHS H3 Neo 2.10mm and BH Tenergy 05 2.1mm

Drive
When driving with the MJ ZLC I could immediately feel that this blade was fast. Even faster than the normal ZLC and Viscaria! But having that said the blade also had an amount of feel and dwell that you normally don't experience when blades are that fast. I think this might be due to the outer limba layer combined with the SZLC. The Super Zylon-Carbon layer adds lightness, stiffness and flexibility to the blade. Another thing that was noticeable was the large sweet spot.

Loop
When looping with the MJ SZLC I had just adjust my power due to the speed of the blade. After a while I could hit the ball on the table. The balance between spin and speed was more to the speed side. When finding myself with the blade I could make some super powerful loops.The arcs with H3 was low to medium and with the T05 it is more medium. The balance of the blade was to the middle even though playing with heavy rubbers.

Block
In the passive game here this blade really shines! I could really feel that the blade gave a lot of control, stability and consistency due to the large sweet spot and the composition of Limba and SZLC. Still if I was a bit active on the ball the blade still felt controllable. Directing the ball where you wanted was spot on even on powerful incoming loops.

Flick/short game
As I mentioned earlier in the review the MJ SZLC has a lot of dwell which is due to the outer Limba. On service receive I was able to make some quality receives, but you should have a good touch due to the blade is very fast. Flicks is also made with good touch concentrating the brushing more than adding force to the ball.

Conclusion
Butterfly has made another signature blade for Jun Mizutani. The price is very high at 349.90 Euro (in Europe) and 373.99 USD (in US). So is it worth buying the SZLC?The SZLC is faster and stiffer than the normal ZLC. Also the design is just flawless. If you are looking for those features then, yes! But IMO the ZLC is an overall better blade due to it is more forgiving to playing with and of course the price tag!

I would recommend the blade to players who focus on an offensive game with spin and speed and plays mid and away from the table. Also the player that favors the stability and consistency in their blocking and attacking game. If your money is unlimited and you are looking for features the SZLC provides, then this blade is for you!

Unboxing
The TA ZLC comes in a beautiful presentation box in the colors of the Portuguese flag. The handle of the blade has the same color scheme and on the front side of the blade Tiagos name and the coat of arms of Portugal which is containing five blue shields forming a cross and seven golden castles. On the blade it is shown in black.
On the back of the handle the new green holographic sticker is placed.
The quality and finish is superb as always when you buy a Butterfly blade and it looks like a has a fine layer of sealing from the factory.

















Composition: Limba-Limba-ZLC-Ayous-ZLC-Limba-Limba
Handle: Flared
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 5.8mm
Weight: 88g


Test setup: FH DHS H3 Neo 2.15mm and BH Tenergy 05 2.1mm





Drive
When driving with the TA ZLC I didn't expect that the blade had the amount of feel and the control it had. The Zylon-Carbon layer adds lightness, stiffness and flexibility to the blade. Another thing that was noticeable was the large sweet spot.


Loop
Looping with the TA ZLC was a dream! This blade is a pure spin machine and the dwell was good even with the H3. The arcs with H3 was low to medium and with the T05 it is more medium. The balance of the blade was to the middle even though playing with heavy rubbers. The blade gives a lot of flex and an enormous dwell which is obvious in the loop to loop game. This also noticeable in Dan’s review.


Block
In the passive game I could really feel that the blade gave a lot of control, stability and consistency due to the large sweet spot and the composition of Limba and ZLC. Still if I was a bit active on the ball the blade still felt controllable. If you are a bit tense you will still hit the ball on the table.


Flick/short game
As I mentioned earlier in the review the TA ZLC has a lot of dwell which is one of the pro’s in this part of the game. On service receive I was able to put quality balls on the table. Flicks are made with ease and the ball just feels like it stays forever until you have unleashed a spinny banana flick. This was one of the fun parts playing with the blade.


Conclusion
Butterfly has made a signature blade for Tiago Apolonia. The price is high at 189.90 Euro (in Europe) or 259.99 USD (in US) compared to the Innerforce ZLC 189.90 Euro (in Europe) and 236.99 USD (in US). In Europe is price is the same but in the US there a 20 USD difference. So is it worth buying the TA ZLC? The thickness of the blade is 5.6mm and the IF ZLC 5.7mm. The TA is more flexible and feels just a nodge faster. Also the design is just flawless. If you are looking for those features then, yes!


I would recommend the blade to players who focus on an allround game with spin and speed and plays close to mid from the table. Also the player that favors the short and over the table attacking game. Then this looping machine is what you are looking for.

Being used to play with blades with Limba as outer I was curious about what i would be like to try a blade with hinoki as outer.


My initial thoughts about the new Garaydia ZLC blade is by looking at the blade you immediately see the natural looks of wood handle and the reddish logo sticker Butterfly have moved towards instead having a plastic lense. On the back side of the handle the green holographic sticker is placed. The quality is spot on as always from Butterfly. Every corner or edge its smooth finish. One thing I noticed was that the handle was made out of two piece of wood which make separation line down the middle. IMO it is on the con side.


Composition: Hinoki-ZLC-Balsa-ZLC-Hinoki
Handle: Flared
Head size: 157x150mm
Thickness: 7.1mm
Weight: 88g


Test setup: Butterfly HighSpeed 2.1mm and Stiga Airoc Astro M 2.1mm















Drive
When driving with the GZLC I could immediately feel that the blade was fast. Also when hitting the ball the sound of the blade gives a high frequency pitch which also indicates a fast blade. The blade has a solid feel but funny enough the blade still feels soft due to Hinoki and Zylon fiber. I quickly found out that the Astro was my preferred option for my FH and the Bryce HighSpeed for my BH.


Loop
Looping with the GZLC was interesting. Due to the blade already is fast I had to focus more on the brushing on the ball. The trajectory was low to medium with the Stiga Astro in FH and must say that in loop to loop situations is where the blade is good. Also flat hitting with this blade was great although I'm not use to doing that. The sweet spot of the blade is large and the stability is really good


Block
In the passive is one of the strong areas for this blade. Due to the large sweet spot and the composition of Hinoki and ZLC the blade has a massive control even though you try to punch ball back on loops or loop drives. This is really impressive for a fast blade.


Flick/short game
Funny enough the GZLC has a soft touch although the blade is fast. This is helped by the Hinoki outer which makes the short one of the forces of the blade. Also banana flicks was really nic to make with the Bryce HighSpeed in BH and the GZLC the ball could really dig in and the spin would come back with interest.


Conclusion
Butterfly has gone back to their Japanese roots to create this beauty of a blade with Japanese Hinoki on outer and their trademark composite material the Zylon-Carbon composition. The price is high at 189.90 Euro or 236.99 USD but this is due to the ZLC and the Butterfly branding. Is it worth it? If you are a huge fan of the Hinoki feel and at the same time need controlled speed then, yes.
I would recommend the blade to players who rely on their passive game and plays close to mid from the table. Also the player that is a hitter more than a looper and/or emphasizes the short game and flicks in their game.

Butterfly introduced the new Bryce Highspeed (BHS) late last year with their new Micro Layer technology. The new rubber should come up for a test. For testing I used the Butterfly Garaydia ZLC blade and 40+ balls. The BHS is with 2.1mm sponge.


Unpacking
The new packing just looks amazing with the color and design. You are not in doubt when buying a Butterfly product you get an quality item. One could argue if the new logo looks great, but I am beginning to like it more.





Drive
The Bryce HighSpeed has a special feeling compared to the Tenergy series. It feels kind of soft without really being soft and it may be due to the new top sheet. I tried the rubber in FH initially, but I didn't like the soft feel so I quickly switched it to my BH where it felt more comfortable. The BHS and GZLC is a fast setup and which makes driving the ball effortless.


Loop
When looping I could feel the BHS has a good dwell time due to the 35 degrees sponge and the Micro Layer top sheet. Initially I had to adjust my shots because of the medium-low throw angle the rubber had. The control is reasonably good for a fast rubber with Butterfly's High Tension technology.


Block
In the blocking game the BHS really showed its potential. I felt it was very controllable and the stability was very good which made I could direct the shots where I wanted. Also another I noticed was that the BHS was less sensitive for incoming spin compared the Tenergy series.


Flicks/Short play
The BHS is a very good rubber for BH flicks. Here the good dwell came in hand helping to get grip in the ball. Short play was also easy you could keep the ball close to the net. Also spinny serves could be received short because of the rubber was less sensitive to spin.


Conclusion
Butterfly has developed a new rubber with the new Micro Layer combined with their High Tension technology, stating that the rubber has more grip and spin? Compared to the Bryce Speed maybe yes, but not the in comparison to the Tenergy series. The feel is a notch softer and that may be due to the softer 35 degree sponge and Micro Layer top sheet.



I would recommend the rubber to the player who stays close to the table and likes to play the fast driving and block game. Also the player that likes to do BH flicks and has a strong short game.

What is OSP...?
I had to find out who this manufacture was, so I decided to get a blade and chose the new OSP Virtuoso CRWi UNI OFF which is pretty similar in composition as my main blade the DHS W968 2nd edition.

I have heard so many good things about their blades which comes in high handcrafted custom quality.
I must say that the rumors were true when I received the blade.
IMO the quality is higher than brands like Butterfly! So smooth on the edges and and you can actually feel and smell is has been made hand.
This blade is a beauty and I am really looking forward to see how it performs - hopefully as it looks!

My custom OSP Virtuoso CRWi UNI OFF specs, according to the data card which is incl., are:
Head size small 157x150
weight 87.3g
thickness 5.63mm
FL handle Custom Master shaped
Balance center/head











In depth analysis of the OSP Virtuoso CRWi UNI OFF.

After reading a lot of positive things about OSP and their popular model Virtuoso it made me curious what's the fuzz was about. Until end of 2015 OSP haven't had any commercial blades with carbon and when they announced their new carbon blades I knew, I had to get one!

I had to find out who this manufacture was, so I decided to get a blade and chose the new OSP Virtuoso CRWi UNI OFF which is pretty similar in composition as my main blade the DHS W968

Unboxing:
When I opened the box which the blade arrived in I could smell the varnish OSP use as sealing. It was like being in a carpenter's workshop and by the looks and smoothness of the edges of the blade one could easy tell the blade was handcrafted. The quality of the Virtuoso CRWi is so high some would say it is better than even Butterfly blades!

I received my blade according to the specs I wanted and from the data card the spec are
Head size small 157x150
Weight 87.3g
Thickness 5.63mm
Handle FL Custom Master shaped
Balance center/head

Composition: Limba-Limba-Carbon UNI-Ayous-Carbon UNI-Limba-Limba (not confirmed)

The box includes the Virtuoso CRWi UNI OFF blade, the specification and greeting card from OSP and a beautiful ruler for measuring net height and rubber thickness.








Drive
When driving with this blade I could immediately feel the the high amount of control even with hard rubbers like H3 FH and T05 BH. Compared to both IF ALC and my DHS W968 this blade had more feel which made it easy to direct the ball where you want it.

Loop
In the opening game you could really feel the ease to make open ups due to the dwell that the limba outer ply helps create. Controllable slow spinny loops is done with less effort on both sides with a medium arc. You can really feel the ball dig into the bat. When looping from mid distance I could feel the carbon layer being kind of activated and adding extra speed to the loops. To compared the speed to other blades it would be similar to the IF ALC, but maybe a bit less speed. For my personal preference the speed was lagging a notch. The blade plays like if you loop slowly the blade acts like an ALL+ blade and with higher load it acts like an OFF blade.



Short play
In this part of the game the control just made the it easy to receive slow and relative fast incoming services short with good quality. This means low receives and with good amount of spin if you are able to snap the ball.

Flicks
Banana flicks it just amazing with this blade! Again the dwell and amount of control is just evident going over the table and grab the ball like the ball is sticking to your rubber.

Conclusion
The esthetic of the OSP Virtuoso CRWi UNI OFF is just amazing and I can not pinpoint anything negative about the blade or the quality. I personally would have chosen a faster blade if I was to use it as my main blade. Perhaps the Ultimate or Martin would be have been a better choice for me. I would recommend this blade to players who plays close to the table and like to take the first advantage by opening with spinny loops or flicking over the table. Also the player that likes to keep the table with controllable blocks. If you would get a carbon blade with an all wood feel this is a really good alternative!

The Xushaofa 3* is a very good ball for the buck. I haven't broken one until now there I would say it is very durable. The only remark I would say is that the ball reminds me if playing with a jumbo ball.

I didn't like the ball that much. When it is new it is ok. Good speed and roundness is like nittaku, but when the ball hits a guard surface it gets marks very easy which is very noticeable when playing. It takes some time to get used to the sound of the ball. The cost doesn't reflect the balls durability!

Best poly made!
Good surface which makes it like getting grip as the cell ball. Speed is almost like the cell ball and I would say it is very recommendable for tournaments!

EJ season has started!
After seeing how Yuya Oshima have performed lately I got curious of what was so special about his setup? I did some investigation and found his blade, the Mizuno Fortius FT (Fine Touch), for a reasonable price.


Unboxing the blade:
The Fortius FT comes in a nice presentable box from Mizuno with a lot of Japanese wording which I do not understand. With the Fortius FT you get high quality for the money. Looks like Mizuno does comprise with anything. The blade just looks stunning with the selected colors lens and the beautiful logo in the end of the handle. The sample I got weighs 93g which were the lightest they had.

















Composition is: Limba-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Limba


For testing I decided to pair up the blade with the new GF series of rubbers from Mizuno the T48 on FH and T45 on BH both max. The numbers indicates the hardness of the rubbers. Andro 2* Polyballs were used for the test.











The following impressions is after one training training session.


Counter drive: When counter driving I had to adjust as I kept hitting the ball into the net. After some minutes the balls were hitting the other side of the table again. One thing I noticed from the Fortius blade was the amount of feel and control it had. When going back to an all wood blade I always get reminded of how the feel is.


Loop: Here I got amazed how this setup was performing. The GF rubbers creates this awesome click sound when looping like in the good old days before the SGB. The trajectory was in between medium/low with the T48 in FH and I would say it was medium with the T45 in BH. The outer limba the its job right giving a very good dwell time so you can generate spin in the ball. Sweet spot were very good for an all wood blade.


Block: In this aspect of the game the Fortius FT is very balanced between feel control and speed. Block is a child's play with the setup without any comprises.


Short play: Is very easy with this setup. I even thought the GF rubbers were insensitive for incoming spin compared to Tenergy rubbers which made the receiving game easier.


Flicks: With the limba top ply and the rubber combination getting grip in to the ball did not feel too difficult even on heavy backspin serves. Big thumbs up!


Mid distance: Here the Fortius FT is very balanced playing balls in low/medium arc. Trajectory was very decent, but it lacks in terms of speed compared to my W968 or Viscaria.


Conclusion: The Mizuno Fortius FT is a blade in the -OFF/OFF range. I will recommend this blade to players who plays close to mid distance from the table. It is minded for a close to the table looping game where spin and speed is very balanced. The blade has a medium feel and is relative stiff. It does not have a lot of vibration and have a lot of dwell. Compared to similar blades like the Stiga Clipper this blades have different thickness of plies and it does feel different from the Clipper. The Fortius FT is a heavy blade but balanced well even heavy rubbers. I would say this blade is a great value for the buck.

I have played with the XSF +40 for several weeks now and the ball is easy to change to from the cell ball. The quality of the balls are quite consistent, but there may be some balls that are oval. One thing I've noticed about the XSF seamless ball was that it was slower than many if the other balls. Also an edge ball from the blade can easily break the ball. It happened a couple of times for me. Overall the XSF ball is one of the best of the poly balls in terms of durability and roundness for the buck, but it's speed kills the thrill of the game.

Hi guys

In the last couple of weeks I have been trying out the 190, but since I had to play team matches I had to stay with the 145 for a period. Now the season is finish I could train and test the 190.

My initial impression of the blade is the finish and quality of the Carbonado 190 is the same as the 145. The blue and black handle is just awesome! I must say that Stiga has hit the spot regarding the design of the Carbonado series. Again with the black metal top emblem and blue and white Stiga emblem in the end of handle, it just completes the Carbonado 190. If should point out a down side of the blade it would be the sharp edges on the wings of the blade.
Hitting with a ball without rubbers on I could hear the pitch was higher than my 145 which often indicates that the blades is faster than the blade you are comparing. Let's put some rubbers and test this beast!

Setup details: Weight 89g, Rubbers H3 Prov NEO boosted and Tenergy 64
Test ball: Celluloid

Counter drive: The first couple of hits with the ball I could easily notice the flatter trajectory the 190 has, because I was hitting the ball into the net. After playing some minutes and adjustments I was hitting the table again. Another noticeable feature was the "feel" which were less than the 145.

Loop: Ball after ball I was hitting the ball into the net with my FH. Now I was experiencing the flatter trajectory! After sending the first balls into the net I got a hang of the Carbonado 190. Looping with this blade with H3 in forehand the arc was very flat which can be an advanges on open ups. The blade is very consistent due to the large sweetspot which the TeXtreme carbon layer gives, but I did notice that the sweetspot was more vertical compared to the 145. Looping with the Tenergy on BH side I had the feeling I could "hold" the bold more than 145 with the T05 on BH. I am used to play with T64 in BH so I like this combination more. With the flatter trajectory of the blade and low arc from the T64 looping over table is amazing. I think the spin are quite alike with the 145 and 190, but in terms of speed the 190 feels a notch faster.

Block: Like the 145, the 190 is a blocking machine! There is a lot control with this blade and with the low trajectory you can often with success punch the ball back from the BH side.

Short play: Here the Carbonado 190 shines! In returning short it is easy to keep the ball close to the net also when you are coming in late to the table to receive short. Very controllable without having the feeling the ball is bouncing away from you.

Mid distance: As the 145, I did not need to add a lot of power when playing from mid distance. Even with the low arc I did not feel it was difficult to hit the table. Furthermore I did do any larger adjustments from the 145 to be able to play loop to loop.

Conclusion: The Carbonado 190 is a blade in the range of OFF. No more or no less. I will recommend this blade for fast close to the table game play,to 3rd ball attackers and mid distance players. The blade is minded for an all-round/offensive game play where you want to kill the ball at the 3rd ball. It is, as 145, very balanced between spin and speed where it is pointing more to the speed side. Stiga has found something in these Carbonado blades. The blades are special due its new fiber technology giving the blade a characteristic feel, which is positive. IMO I would say the 190 would be the rival of Viscaria FL.

Coming from my current setup W997 with H3 PROV NEO and T64 I decided to keep my H3 NEO on FH and try T05 on the BH side. The following impressions are after 8 hours of training during this week.

Counter drive: When counter driving I had to adjust a bit coming from my previous setup where the trajectory of the ball were lower. After some minutes the balls were hitting the table again. One thing I noticed from the 145 Carbonado blade was the feedback was greater than the W997 and Viscaria FL. This is a big “like” for me.

Loop: I did not need any larger adjustments when looping with the Carbonado 145 from the FH. Here I noticed the blade had a tremendous dwell allowing one to “hold” the ball to create deadly spinny loops even though the blade is fast. The consistency was high due to the large sweet spot which the Textreme carbon gives. BH with T05 is a great combination where ball has a medium arc. When trying to brush the ball as much as I could the spin phenomenal which gave my partner difficulties blocking the ball. I did not put a lot of effort into the strokes but the spin was great. Blade flexes a bit more than the W997.

Block: In this aspect of the game the Carbonado 145 is very balanced between control and speed. Due to the Textreme carbon giving the blade a large sweet spot and absorbs the energy from the ball I did not feel at any points that my blocks were out of control.

Short play: Is very easy with the 145. With the setup I used the ball did not bounce of the rubbers even T05 it was easy the keep the ball low to the net.

Flicks: Again due to the limba top ply and the rubber combination getting grip in to the ball did not feel too difficult even on heavy backspin serves.

Mid distance: Here the Carbonado 145 is very balanced playing balls in low/medium arc without putting a lot of effort in creating power. Again the sweet spot helps on the consistency getting balls on the table.

Conclusion: The Carbonado 145 is a blade in the range of OFF. I will recommend this blade to players who plays close to mid distance from the table. It is minded for an all-round game where spin and speed is very balanced. The blade is special due its new fiber technology giving the blade a characteristic feel which is positive. Also the blade is stiff due to the Textreme layers, but still it has a lot of dwell. In a comparison of Viscaria FL this blade is a tad slower, has more dwell and a whole lot more feel when playing. I have decided to switch to the Carbonado 145 as my main blade.

Stiga Infinity VPS V, Rasant Turbo, Vega Japan

Hey guys

Here is a review of the Stiga Infinity VPS V I was allow to testfor a few weeks by my local TT dealer in Denmark. Thanks BTEX.DK!

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The blade was paired up with the new Andro Rasant Turbo on FH and Xiom Vega Japan on BH.
The quality of the blade is very nice and this sample has a weight on 88g and total with rubbers 187g. There was not a separation line in the outer veneer as you may find in e.g. Rosewood and Ebenholz blades.

The Infinity VPS V has a lovely crispy sound when playing and generating speed was not a problem. It has medium vibration which gives a player good feeling with the ball.
When making topspin from both wings I had the feeling the blade had a lot of dwell even with the hard Rasant Turbo. It seemed easy to hit the balls on the table and I was surprised the amount of control the Infinity VPS had. Short game I did not have the feeling that the ball was jumping of the racket and of cause it is depending on rubbers as well. Blocking was extremely easy and if you want to power block - this could be done with a lot of control and with good placement.

I would recommend this blade to close to the table offensive game

Hi guys. I will shortly return with a review on this blade about how it plays. Before I can do this I am preparing some rubbers to out on the blade. Here is some pictures you guys can enjoy My initial thoughts about the blade is that the finish is quite smooth and the quality is top class. The sample I received of Hurricane Long 3 weighs 86g which is 4-5g less than the commercial DHS 506. The thickness is 6.48mm which is a composition of limba/ayous/red dye ayous/ayous/red dye ayous/ayous/limba. I am curious about how much difference in the playing characteristics there is going to be due to the weight difference. It is not indicated anywhere on the blade or box that the HL3 has the same High Pressure Ballonet technology that the DHS 506 has, but looking at both blades they seem similar.



I have decided to put a couple of layers of coating on both sides of the blade to prevent the top limba layer to splinter when removing the rubbers.



Then I glued some rubbers on the blade Hurricane National Blue Sponge 2.15mm 40deg in FH Tenergy 64 in BH. Here is the final result.




Review:
This are my thoughts after playing 3 sessions with my new racket Total weight with rubbers 180g spot on!

Drive
When driving with the Hurricane Long 3 the blade felt very solid, but still with a little amount of vibration. The feel is very good even with hard rubbers and I had the impression that I was in control of the ball all the time

Loop
With the Limba as top ply of the blade it was easy topspin from both wings, because of the dwell time, giving the ball a low trajectory. The power of the blade was surprisingly high and I did not expect that at all. Very controllable even when you are trying to hit hard.

Push
Easy peacy and you force a deadly deep push against you opponent with out doing a large movement forward.

Service/Return
With the combination of the rubbers and blade service/return is easy to perform.
With the hurricane in FH spinny serves with out the ball bouncing to much of the blade.m which is a composition of limba/ayous/red dye ayous/ayous/red dye ayous/ayous/limba. I am curious about how much difference in the playing characteristics there is going to be due to the weight difference. It is not indicated anywhere on the blade or box that the HL3 has the same High Pressure Ballonet technology that the DHS 506 has, but looking at both blades they seem similar.

Good for close to mid distance attackers that like a solid controllable all wood blade.

Unboxing the blade was like Christmas eve and I could wait to have a look at the DHS W968. The quality of the blade is top class and the size of the is similar to the Hurricane Long 3. Also to notice the wings is a bit wide compared to the HL3. It is a large head looping blade with a ALC composite layer close to core.