Latest reviews

I use this on my backhand on my Donic Ovtcharov Senso V1, i found out that it is very comfortable to use it as backhand. It has a lot of spin and great power to return the ball.
Speed
8.2
Spin
9
Durability
7.8
Control
7.8
Pros
  • Great spin
  • Short game
  • Low Price
Cons
  • Need to boost
  • Good technique
I am reviewing the DHS Neo Skyline III rubber boosted with Falco Tempo, usually 2 layers for me. I have played this rubber before without boosting but in my opinion this rubber is designed to be used with booster and the the way it plays boosted and unboosted is completely different. All the ratings I have given regarding speed, spin etc is for boosted version with good technique for chinese rubbers.

General characteristics:

This is a hard and heavy rubber. Actually all the tacky Chinese DHS rubbers have these characteristics. On a fairly standard sized racquet head (for example on my Butterfly Liu Shiwen FL blade) the weight is around 48-50 grams with booster included. Boosting makes the rubber softer, I don't have an instrument for measuring hardness but to me DHS Neo Skyline III still feels a touch harder than Tenergy rubber after 2 layers of Falco Tempo boost. In general with power shots you really have to generate your own power unlike Jap/Euro rubbers like Tenergy in which even brush loops have plenty of spin, speed and power.

FH: I only use this rubber on the FH side. The amount of spin, speed and power is amazing and it feels to me every couple of months when I have improved a little bit I can actually produce more stable shots with slightly more spin, speed and power. This rubber doesn't really bottom out and for me playing quality choppers this can be quite important since I am able to generate more topspin when required against heavy backspin chops. However, you need good stable technique and shots in which you are off balance or not in position is harder to adjust compared with something like Tenergy. The rubber is tacky and has a low throw for me (even boosted) and is very good for short or long push receives as the ball is less likely to pop up. Serves also contain noticeably more spin due to the high tackiness. I have tried provincial, national, blue sponge versions as well but they are incredibly pricey from my point of view and since I am boosting anyway for me there isn't such a significant difference although I do like the national blue sponge versions but then who wouldn't :)

Disadvantages: need to boost every 2-3 months and also adjustment in technique especially if you are really used to Jap/Euro rubbers like Tenergy.
Speed
7.8
Spin
9
Durability
9.4
Control
7.8
Pros
  • High dwell
  • Good feedback
  • OSP Handmade
Cons
  • A little soft
  • Price?
I use this blade for penhold (I played penhold first before learning shakehand but I still play both styles) and I got the OSP Virtuoso + (chinese penhold handle) back in 2013. Mine came in at 84 grams (as I requested) which I suspect most penhold players would find a little heavy but that's how I like it. With OSP handmade blades you can actually request different head sizes and handle types and even handle orientation for a small additional cost. I just got a standard one and didn't ask for any changes. I am not totally sure what composition is each layer but I am confident that it's a 5 ply wood with limba as outer layers. By the way I would say I am slightly weaker penhold style nowadays (I play more with shakehand now), maybe around 1800 USATT.

General characteristics:

This blade has impressive dwell and feedback for all shots. You can really feel the shot whether you are doing standard drives/loops/blocks and even I feel it has good control when mucking around and doing some lobbing as a penhold player. Before I got the Virtuoso + I played with YEO Ma Lin and DHS Hao 1 and this blade is definitely an upgrade in terms of power and speed. It also has immaculate control for the short receive game which I feel is really important in a penholder's game.

FH: This is obviously vital for a penholder's game and I get the impression with an OSP penhold handle the handle orientation is naturally FH orientated as in the angle of the handle is not perfectly in centre with the rest of the blade. For me drives/loops/counters/blocks have excellent power and feel and dwell time is plenty whether you like hitting off the bounce or take a step back and loop from mid distance. The only small issue I have is that I feel perhaps the a slightly harder out ply would work better for me so in fact I have been thinking about getting a OSP V'King blade which I believe is identical except that it uses koto as outer ply instead of limba. I don't really play many topspin rallies way off the table but to me the trajectory is mid-low so you have to adjust further away from the table.

BH: I use both penhold traditional backhand, particularly those which comes fast into the middle of my body and RPB for looping top and backspin mid-far distance. Traditional backhand block feels really good with this blade, it has a very solid feeling when blocking and there is plenty of control and the blade feels like it borrows the opponent's power very well on blocks. I would say I have a pretty good RPB for an intermediate player and I can generate a surprising amount of power with my wrist even for loop kills with RPB. I have to say though that the orientation of the racquet handle (OSP penhold style) is not advantageous for RPB in my opinion, blades such as DHS Hurricane Hao II are in fact better in this one respect. I would also prefer a more stiff, direct feeling for RPB blocks/punches (see above for the V'King blade). RPB loops are very good though due to the softer, high dwell time.

I generally wouldn't ever rate 5/5 or 10/10 when reviewing any equipment since I simply believe there is always room for improvement for the "perfect" blade. The TTD reviews only allows whole numbers on rating, but I would rate this blade generally more like 4.5/5, I believe only the outer ply could be a little more stiff (either koto or slightly thicker?) and it would be near perfect for me. This is a battle hardened weapon for me, the blade has plenty of "scars" and of course like any wooden blade you will get scratches and small chips off edges but the durability is pretty amazing as much as I can tell.
Speed
7.8
Control
7.5
Hardness
6.5
Durability
8.1
  • Like
Reactions: Bezo
Pros
  • Powerful
  • Solid Feel
  • Comfortable
Cons
  • Price
  • Maybe too hard
  • Close to table
Extremely powerful, it gives you a very solid and commanding feeling when powerlooping and finishing a point. Close to the table, especially when flicking, it is noticeably less controllable. But overall, great feel, and a very high-quality blade.
Speed
9.4
Control
7
Hardness
7.9
Durability
9
Pros
  • Close/mid table
  • Good control
  • Develop strokes
Cons
  • Smallish handle
  • Far distance
  • Light weight
General characteristics:

I got my Butterfly Liu Shiwen FL from Megaspin back in 2012. It came in at 87 grams which for me is a little lighter than I would like as I prefer something around 90-92 grams but I understand that weight range is not really available for this blade. I played penhold first with rpb (and I still do play both styles) and this blade was my second shakehand blade after I started practicing shakehand style. Initially I didn't play much with this blade but in 2015 I have been promoted to A reserves grade in my local TT league (I estimate this to be roughly 2000 USATT) and I have been using this blade exclusively in the past one year. By the way this is a 5 ply wood + 2 plies of ZL fibre which is placed on either side of the core layer (identical structural composition to the Butterfly Innerforce ZLF blade and the newer Butterfly Ai Pro Innerforce ZLF blade)

It is good for close/mid table strokes such as drives/loops, excellent for short and long pushes and has excellent speed/control ratio. There is excellent dwell comparable to classics such as YEO blade and there is good vibration as feedback so you know when you have mastered a stroke. In other words this is excellent for the intermediate players who are developing and consolidating their strokes.

FH: drives/loops/counter-hits/counter-loops close to the table is impressive with this blade. The control and spin possible is excellent and whilst it's far from being the most powerful blade, with the right rubbers you can generate enough power for loop drives/loop kills. I use boosted commercial DHS Skyline III rubber and I love the fact that I can feel the power I am generating and how it's transferred onto the ball. As noted in the cons above, this blade does drop in power substantially when you are at far distance so if you are at a level where you are playing a lot of topspin rallies from far distance or if this is simply your preferred distance to play then this blade may not work for you.

BH: blocks/punches/drives/loops are once again very good close to the table. I am particularly impressed with the stability of the blocks even against strong topspin from the opponent. It does feel to me that big BH topspins are quite difficult with this blade but then again I rely more on my FH and for me on the BH I hardly ever find myself at far distance. Short and long pushes against serves are very precise and you can feel exactly where the ball is going.

Some notable pros who are/who have played with this blade: Liu Shiwen herself! Before you buy this blade I recommend you see how the "owner" of this blade plays herself. Of course few players can match her technique but still it gives a good idea of the advantages of this blade with a close to the table style.

I have also noticed that male pro players such as Korea's Lee Sangsu and Portugal's Tiago Apolonia have used this blade
Speed
7
Control
7.5
Hardness
6
Durability
8
Pros
  • Getting better
Cons
  • Breaks easily
  • Expensive
  • SLOW
The Stiga Optimum 40+ is not a really bad ball now, or at least not as bad as when it first came out! The first 4-5 batches (of 72 balls) were absolute rubbish, you could break the ball by blocking, and most of the boxes had like 3-4 really good balls (out of 72 balls!!)

Nowadays they are getting better and better and some of the balls even lasts for two weeks before they break! The speed, or the lack of it, is not easy to adjust to, but okay when you're used to it. The spin ain't that bad, but it's definitively harder to spin good..

Unfortunatly this is the ball we use in ALL the tournaments in Norway, from nationals to hobby, this is the ball. And now as i've got used to it, I kinda like it, but the ball is really bad compared to some of the other plastic balls out there, and not to mention the good old cell balls ;)
Roundness
4.3
Hardness
5.9
Speed
4.1
Durability
3
Cons
  • Less spin
The spin is what troubles me, my game depends on spin so I was really dissapointed with this ball, but overall it is quite durable but nothing special.
Roundness
6.3
Hardness
6.4
Speed
4.9
Durability
5.8
Pros
  • Control
  • For beginners
This blade is really good for beginners who dont want a premade bat. It is really easy to control and if you hit the ball hard it is not that slow.
Speed
6.8
Control
8.9
Hardness
6
Durability
7.7
Pros
  • Control
  • Feeling
I use this rubber on my backhand and it fits my game very well. Mostly I loop third ball. It has a lot of spin and also very controlable in a short game.
Speed
7.9
Spin
8.8
Durability
8
Control
7.9
Pros
  • Good Speed
  • Well controlled
  • Durable
Already tried different types of blades for years as a passive attacker (Butterfly: Gergely, Sardius, TBS, ALC, W7; Stiga: CR Clipper, Energy Wood, Graphite, Infinity; Donic, Joola, and more. All I can say is, Tibhar Inferno gives the perfect speed, touch, control, durability, and price.
Speed
8.5
Control
6
Hardness
9
Durability
9
Pros
  • Control
  • Control
  • Beauty
Cons
  • Very slow
  • A bit flexible
  • A bit soft
I must say i wasnt impressed by this blade.
I had it for 2 weeks. Played about 10 hours with it. Curl P-1R and Rakza 9 were the rubbers.
It was the most controlable blade i ever played with. Close, Mid, far from table, i could always returns the balls.
The problem was with offensive strokes. FH drives, LP hits, wasnt much impressive. Coming from Joo Se Hyuk as defensive setup, i think it was a huge downgrade to my game as defender.
Sure, the beauty of the handle it something to consider, also the sound and vibration that it makes :p
But still, a bit slow/soft/flexible for modern defensive game/my liking
Speed
5.5
Control
9.5
Hardness
5
Durability
9
Pros
  • Soft/not mushy
  • Fast
  • Very Spinny
Cons
  • Crumbles
  • Bouncy
  • Durability
I was skeptical about trying Nittaku rubbers. Despite owning a whole bunch of Nittaku blades i still had nightmares with Refoma and Midship SC. And as a fanboy of Rakza line i didnt thought that there would be similar rubbers to my like. I was wrong.

It has 42 degrees. Either sponge and topsheet are very soft. It is thin, small pips and very spaced.
Easily damaged.
It has awesome spin potential, but due softness, might not be good on FH rallies.
It has a high throw.
Not linear, a bit bouncier than rakza when block and pushing.
Does serves well. OK~ish
A good BH rubber or an outstanding intermediate FH rubber.
Huge sound! Reminded me a bit of LT Sound :)
I dont think it ever bottomed out with me and im not a small guy, 1.83 105kg
--
The setup i used was Nittaku Acoustic Carbon, Fastarc G-1 FH, Fastarc S-1 BH.
I must say im not prepared to perform with the blade at its full potential.
The best setup i found so far to play mid distance exchanges, counters and loops. But as i my game still close to table, i find difficult to control sometimes and adjust the distance.
Despite all of that "dear diary..." , the setup is very good! As i tend to use BH still middle of the table, i really require a spinny controled rubber to my game. S-1 fits it. I can easily open any underspin, not mattering how heavy it is. The change between spin and speed is very easy also, 3rd/5th ball are my main weapons. I cant safely vary spin that much tho. I got the feeling sometimes that if i flatten my hits i will miss, or spin it more will get the ball too high. I prefer Rakza 7 at these moments.

Worth a try, you wont be disappointed ;)
Speed
9.4
Spin
9
Durability
8.5
Control
9
Pros
  • Fast
  • Nice Block
  • Awesome Counters
Cons
  • Control
  • Unpredictable
  • Weight
2 months ago i decided to train with SPs. At first i bought 729 802-40, Stiga Clippa and Adidas Blaze Speed. 729 and Stiga were way too spinny for a full SP play to my like. I sticked with Adidas and then after, in need of more speed, i bought Rakza PO.

The firsts session were a disaster. As it has the same sponge as Rakza 7 soft it is bullet fast. I must make the right contact and stroke to be sucessful or will end just blocking.
The Pips are thinner and more spaced than 802-40 and Clippa, horizontaly aligned.
I think it is as heavy as rakza 7 soft.
It has some deceptiveness. On spinny balls block, if you dont make the wrist movement and just hit the pips, the ball with be dead or even with some back spin, it just oddly floats.
I can get a good amount of spin on serves, just enough so oponnent doesnt easily attack.

The setup im using with this SP is : Nittaku Tenor, Rakza 7 FH, Rakza PO BH.
Although being a fast setup, it is very controlable, even with Rakza PO. It is just a positioning matter. You must get the ball off the bounce or in its higher moment you will end in the net.
Rakza PO really shines on counter attacks. I just love to push so the oponnent loops with a high arc, yummy!
DO NOT TRY TO CHOP. This SP is very bouncy when you put some energy into. It is not linear, it does is a ~tensor~ short pips.

Feel free to PM if you want to ask anything else.
Speed
9.2
Spin
6
Durability
10
Control
7.5
Pros
  • Very durable
  • Awesome Control
  • High speed
Cons
  • needs to breakin
  • very hard
  • must engg sponge
I gotta be honest, the first time i tried this rubber i did not like it at all. I bought a pair and sold after 2 sessions. Back then, ive just used Rakza 7, they are a lot different to generate spin and speed.

-48 degrees i think
-Hard, compact sponge with an elastic top sheet.
-DOES NEED TO BREAK IN. About 10-15 hours of play, after that, the topsheet becomes much softer and it plays much easier, in a very pleasant way.
-Medium/high throw
-You must engage the sponge to generate as much spin as rakza 7/t05.
-Outstanding control in all departments. Block, serve, receive, drive, flick, loop, counterloop....the best tensor rubber in this department i found so far.
-Huge speed but also with low gear. Slow shots are slow, fast shots are fast. A very linear rubber. You get as much speed as your stroke has.

I think the best setups i found so far for this rubber are 7plies or carbon blades. I tried on Rosewood V, Acoustic, Acoustic Carbon, 7p2a, Ludeack, Xiom Extreme S, TB ALC(courtesy of a friend) and Viscaria. The best results were with Acoustic Carbon, 7p2a, Xiom Extreme S, TB ALC and Viscaria.
It doest lasts alot. Most of members from both clubs i go, uses Xiom Omega IV ASIA or Europe, i see most of them change rubbers after 6-8months.

Be patient with this rubber and you will be rewarded :)
Speed
9.3
Spin
9
Durability
9.9
Control
9.5
Pros
  • Good for pet cat
Cons
  • Oval
  • bad bounce
Literally the worst practise "ball" I have ever used. How the manufacturer even thinks they are saleable surprises me. They are all very egg shaped and the bounce is completely unreliable. The good news is your pet cat will like them. Do not buy even if you just want them for multi ball work go with the Donic 40+ training ball instead.
Roundness
1.9
Hardness
4.4
Speed
4.9
Durability
3.8
Pros
  • most like cell
  • fast
  • small
Cons
  • price
  • dusty when new
I prefer to play with this ball over any other plastic ball, and I have tried all known types of plastic ball, and have played almost exclusively with plastic balls since April of 2014. I have had a bunch of these good Nittaku balls last for long periods of heavy play. They are smaller than other 40+ balls. They are also the lightest 40+ (weigh an average of 2.67 grams compared to 2.80 for Chinese seamed balls and 2.76 for XSF). They have slightly smaller diameter measured with calipers. Seam is very very small and only can be seen if you shine light through them. They are dusty out of the box. In my opinion, these balls provide the best overall playing experience and without any doubt are the most like celluloid. I have been using them more than any other ball since June of this year. They are expensive (but less than Butterfly G40+). For a long time they were back ordered everywhere but that is not a problem now.

Everybody at my club, from Jimmy Butler, Niraj Oak, Viktor Subonj and Darko Rap (all current or former US team members) to ordinary guys like me would rather play with these balls than any other if playing properties are the only criteria.

I hope these are the ones that will become the standard for competition.
Roundness
10
Hardness
10
Speed
10
Durability
7.3
Pros
  • excellent feel
  • has gears
  • good control
I have been wanting to get a Nexy blade for a long time now but recently a local distributor started bringing them in. Finally! I decided to get the Oscar since I have never owned an ALC blade. I glued a Xiom Sigma 2 Pro for my fh from my Xiom Vega Pro blade and a new DHS H3-50 soft for my bh.

I have been playing it for a week and here are my impressions.

Quality/finish (10/10)
The blade is very high quality.The hinoki surface is smooth. The handle is well sanded. There were no ALC fibers sticking out. Personally, I do not really like the color and design of the handle but this is just my preference. I had to sand the part of the head where my hand rests because it is quite sharp. I do mind this because I like to sand it to my personal taste anyway. The handle is also quite chunky. I have a medium-small hand and the blade can feel a bit chunky for my hand but after playing it for a bit, I have gotten used to it already.

Feel (10/10)
The blade is very well balanced. Even with the 2 rubbers, I don't find the whole setup to be head heavy. The hinoki top ply is thick and soft. With the same sheet of S2P on the Vega Pro, the rubber feels hard, I can barely feel any compression. Also, S2P gives a buzzy, electrocution type of vibration with VP. On the Oscar, the same sheet feels soft, kind of like a degree or two softer. Although the feel is soft, but it give a sharp feeling. It is very odd (but good). I can almost tell where the ball is hitting on the face of the blade. This is very good for control. On weak shots, it feels soft and subdued, but with more powerful shots, the blade feels crisp and direct. I thoroughly enjoy how it feels.

Speed (high end of OFF?)
The Oscar is a fast blade and the S2P makes it even faster. But it is still very possible to do slower more controlled shots. It is possible to push short, it is possible to serve short, it is possible to do a high arcing, slow, spinny loops off a chop, but all the while I can sense that there is a hungry wolf waiting to attack. Once I get past a certain power threshold, the blade turns into a different animal. The speed category goes up a notch. We all know Xiom Axelo is a fast blade and the top end of the Oscar is close behind. The thing that sets them apart is that the trajectory of the Axelo is very flat and the Oscar is arcing. Loop drives are piercing and smashes are direct.

Spin capability (very high)
I am not an TT equipment expert nor an expert in physics, all I am doing is recording my observation. I never bought in to the idea that the blade can have an effect on spin until now. I am comparing the exact same sheet of S2P on VG and Oscar. Serving backspin with the Oscar, I can stop the ball from going off the table more consistently vs VP. My coach, who never had problems with my serve was pushing the ball in to the net a number of times. In doing actual game scenario such as I would serve backspin, he would push long, I loop back, and he block; he would on a number of times block the ball high and long. I can't recall this has every happened before. He even commented that my spin is very strong. I don't understand how different a blade design would affect spin but my theory is that that top ply is soft therefore grabbing the ball for a micro-second longer thus imparting more spin. I really don't know. My theory could be wrong but the results are observable.

Block (very stable and accurate)My previous benchmark for a good blocking blade is Xiom Axelo. With that blade I feel like I am blocking with a wall. But the speed off the block is faster or fastest. With the Oscar, I can get vary the speed a bit more and I can also control the direction better.

Conclusion
This is an excellent blade - very high quality and very good playing characteristics. If I am forced to find fault it would be the color of the handle and the design of the lens - I am just not liking it. This is a blade I would keep and play with until it breaks. If anybody plans to buy the Oscar, I would suggest go with slower rubbers. The S2P can be quite a handful.

Hope my review is helpful.
Speed
8.9
Control
8.9
Hardness
4.4
Durability
8.9
Pros
  • Good value
  • Control
  • Great design
Cons
  • Speed from mid
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.


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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.


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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.
Speed
8
Control
9
Hardness
7
Durability
9
For G40+ in Balls
Pros
  • bounce height
  • bounce consisten
  • round
Cons
  • no obvious flaw
OK, here are my impressions of the G40+, specifically in reference to Nittaku Premium 40+ Japan (NP40+) and also XSF. I played with it for two hours today on Tibhar Smash 28 tables.

G40+ bounces about the same height as an XSF ball, which is a little higher than NP40+ (and a lot higher than Chinese seamed balls). Personally I like this, but if you are used to NP40+, you will need to keep this in mind.

It is hard to see the seam in a G40+ unless you shine light through it, which is also true of NP40+ (and very different from Chinese seamed balls). However, the seam in a G40+ is quite a bit bigger than a NP40+ (the amount the two halves overlap). Butterfly says that even though they have a seam, the inner diameter does not increase where the seam is. Nittaku Premium has a very very small seam.

Another really obvious difference I can see right away with two new unused balls right out of the box is that the surface of the G40+ ball is a lot smoother than either NP40+ or XSF. It is instantly discernible when you take two balls and rub them together. The sound of two NP40+ (or XSF) is greater than G40+ and you can feel more vibration.

As everyone mentions, G40+ has weird sound (like old seamless prototypes or Ipong practice balls), but after about 5 minutes you stop noticing or caring. Once you realize the ball bounces normally and not like a broken ball, the sound stops mattering.

The good news is that this is a perfectly decent ball and my partner and I had fun playing with it today. Also, new balls right out of the box will not put any dust residue on your rubber!! (Very different from NP40+).

Some people may consider the next thing bad news; it does not really play all that much like an NP40+, it is not really like a XSF either, and it is definitely not like a Chinese seamed ball (thank goodness). The G40+ is unique, which means that there is even more variability in the playing properties of plastic balls, and this is really a fourth class of ball. All in all it is closest to XSF (but seems faster on most shots) I think but still has unique properties. That is the bad part. We are living in an era now with a lot more difference in ball properties than we ever had in the celluloid era. (I have seen ITTF officials try to downplay this, but it is obvious).

Dan's review mentioned that the ball flies very straight in the air. I agree, in fact it is one of the things that seems to me to be different from either NP40+ or XSF. Perhaps this has something to do with the unusually smooth surface of the G40+? I also had the impression it flies fast through the air. Is this really the case or an illusion of some type? Hard to say but that's how it seemed. If you are wondering why surface texture affects ball flight, bear in mind that (as with golf balls) a rougher texture could creates a thin turbulent boundary layer of air that clings to the ball's surface. This allows the smoothly flowing air to follow the ball's surface a little farther around the back side of the ball, thereby decreasing the size of the wake. Table tennis balls are a lot lighter, so it may be that smaller changes in surface texture are sufficient to affect blight through the air -- see http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...es-in-golf-ba/).

I felt like the ball had more spin after the bounce on the table, and that it jumped less off the table as a result of spin. This could also be due to smooth surface. My guess is that it is heavier than NP40+ (I will weigh precisely next week) but also a lot harder than a XSF, so it will seem lighter when you play with it. At times it felt somewhat intermediate between XSF and NP40+ but when you flat hit the ball or blocked with authority, the ball seemed to move super fast.

My suspicion is that the very smooth surface of the ball is part of the reason it plays differently. But it is not everything. The G40+ also played a bit differently from a very well worn NP40+.

A couple of really good players on the next table (Jimmy Butler and Niraj Oak) hit with one briefly, the first impression they had was not altogether positive, but they didn't give it more than about 5 minutes. I very much value the opinion of very good players, they just see and feel things more accurately.

I am not sure if people will like G40+ better or worse than NP40+ or XSF. To be honest, I am not entirely sure myself how I feel about it.

The one thing I am sure of is that it is certainly as legitimate an effort to make a decent plastic ball as either XSF or NP40+. There were no grossly bad bounces (I am very accustomed to 40+ balls, have used them exclusively for 18 months). Didn't break one in two hours.

I will write more after I have played with it some more, and also after other people in my club at various levels have had a change to try it out. But if you held a gun to my head and say rank order the balls, I would say NP40+ > XSF = G40+ >>>>>>>> any Chinese seamed ball.


Edit added. Second two hour session this evening, this time on Butterfly tables. Nothing really struck me as different except I think I like the ball better this time. After this second session, from purely playing characteristics, I think I prefer it slightly to XSF. The linear ball flight is still an impression I have.

Anyway, I am perfectly happy with it. I enjoy using it. And my impression is that the ball is pretty durable. Time will tell on that.

Another thing I should mention is that I now have information on weight. A sample of 6 balls had an average of 2.76 grams, which meets 2016 standards. That turns out to be exactly the same as XSF and significantly more than Nittaku Premium. Don't let anyone tell you that the G40+ is a light ball, if it were any heavier it would be illegal after January 1 of this coming year. It also has a bounce height identical to XSF. So that is why those two play somewhat similarly. However, ball flight of the G40+ reminds me more of Nittaku Premium, and I think the G40+ retains more spin after it bounces on the table.
Roundness
10
Hardness
9
Speed
10
Durability
7.8
Pros
  • Durability
  • Roundness
Cons
  • No spin
Coach had us train with this ball, well, every brushing stroke I did stop on the net. I think that happened cause my rubber couldn't grip with this ball. It's like the ball had powder on it, like all new balls. But other new balls you can spin. When during the topspin the ball did push into the sponge then the ball had some spin. I will try edit again after more use.
Roundness
8.9
Hardness
8.3
Speed
7.7
Durability
8.7
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