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This blade has great speed and control and i would recommend it to any modern attacking player.It is cheaper in comparison to toher blades but the quality is very good for its price

We are using these currently for our training and they are pretty durable.Furthermore by performing the strokes i realised that their quality is high.

The rubbers are pretty good because you can generate great speed and spin.The durability is also good but could be better.One of the drawbacks is low control

I got my first Double Day Valiant ALC Loop King Pro St from a friend who wanted to distribute the blade in the US and wanted me to review it. He said that DoubleDay was once a Butterfly OEM but is no longer one. I usually dislike ALC blades and was hesitant to try this one. On the other hand, I have always felt ALC blades go well with Tenergy 05 and was willing to give this a shot given the unique outer ply for an ALC blade.


My first impressions were that I liked the blade but found it too head heavy. At this time, I hadn't made using grip tape with my blades a religion as it is now. My favorite sequence with the blade is on this video between 3:59 and 4:20. That sequence will probably make me use the blade with Tenergy 05 again at some point.


So I gave up on the blade for a while because of the head heaviness and thin handle and went back to my slower but easy to control Yasaka Extras (I also tried my Samsonov Force Pros as I was still trying to decide between Tenergy 05 and MX-S). Tenergy 05 lost to MX-S when I realized that my countering approach close to the table was easier with MX-S and that I could figure out the MX-S trajectories over time. I returned to the Loop King after I realized that I needed more pace away from the table and the Yasaka Extra was too slow when I backed up. I knew I would have control issues but decided to spend the rest of the year working them out. Grip tape added 3-4g to the handle and helped with the head heaviness and thin handle.

I've used the Loop King with MX-S for a month now and enjoy it - have had good results playing with it. The blade may not be a state of the art ALC blade depending on your tastes - it seems to be a 3 +2 ply if you consider the ALC weave a single ply. Most Butterfly ALC blades are 5+2ply. I think that makes the Loop King a bit flexier and woody feeling than the Butterfly ALCs. Right up my alley.

Where the loop king really shines is when I loop drive - it has that ALC grab that reduces vibrations and gives a dwelly feeling when you loop hard. For me, since I prefer the feeling of Anegre to Koto (with Limba, it is more of a toss up), I prefer the feeling of the Loop King to the Timo Boll ALC in the short game. I compared my blade with T05 to that of a friend using a TBS with T05 and we agreed that the TBS was slightly faster, but that the Loop King was better for looping. I wouldn't have it any other way as for me, when I need the ALC kick is when I am at mid distance, and this is what the Loop King gives me. I no longer feel as lost when I step back from the table and anyone who sees the above video at the 4:17 second or so mark will see why.

Here is a recent video where I use the Loop King with MX-S. I get much better as the video goes on and should probably edit it to make the blade look invincible.


The Loop King is almost exclusively sold at

http://www.ping-pong.tw/index.php

If you place an order outside of Taiwan, they will not charge you immediately but will send you a quote which you have to accept within 5 days. They will likely label the blade as a gift if it helps with your import situation and will send it by registered mail (these are not critical things in the US). I bought a backup recently. The packaging of the blade is exquisite for those that care about such things (I will upload a picture if requested) and the weight is listed on the beautiful box among other things. I requested a weight of 89g like my first and they sent me one at 88g. Sandpaper that I personally do not need came with the blade as well.

At the price (well under $100 all in), this is as good as it gets. Double Day also has an ALC Koto 3+2 ply blade it calls the Winner. Not my cup of tea, but it is cheaper than the Loop King and might be someone else's. I'm gonna keep trying to be the Loop King.

Butterfly G40+ Plastic Ball Review

The butterfly g40+ uses a unique type of plastic never used before in three star table tennis balls. This ball is completely celluloid-free. The ball weighs the same as other plastic balls, 2.8 grams however the way it performs is surprisingly different. Which you can see in the review below with myself and Tom Maynard. We performed a variety of tests to see the characteristics of this ball shaped up the first being a simple bounce test. When comparing the bounce between the two balls, the Butterfly G40+ bounced higher, and for a longer time than the original plastic ball. You can watch the review below:


Speed

As soon as we started playing we could immediately notice that the g40+ travels quicker than other plastic balls we have used in the past. It felt like you didn't need to hit the ball that hard to get a good amount of speed. The ball came through very quick and direct, here are some examples showing this.
There was no surprise that playing away from the table felt very comfortable and required less effort than we were used to due to the enhanced speed and clean contact.

Light

The ball gives the impression and feeling that it is lighter than other plastic balls as we found it flew off the end of the table because we were not used to fact that the g40+ did not dip as much. This was very noticeable during counter topspins. I really had to adjust my angle to bring the ball down onto the table. Once adjusted I had no real difficulties in keeping control but it did take a bit of getting used to. I sometimes find with plastic balls they feel heavy on the contact, the G40+ felt the complete opposite.

Spin

When playing against backspin, the ball had similar feel to other plastic balls we have used in terms of how much spin we could produce and couldn't tell much of a difference.

Conclusion

The Butterfly G40+ definitely feels different to other plastic balls we have tried. The new ball is very responsive and propels off the rubber very quickly. It seemed to come through more directly and dipped less in comparison to traditional plastic balls and as seen through the bounce test the ball actually bounces higher as well.

Unique to this g40+ is the construction, whereby the seam is the same thickness as the two halves on the inside and outside of the ball designed to create a very round, high bouncing stable ball. This was definitely evident whilst playing as you get great consistency in terms of bounce and speed. The durability of the ball seems high as during the time of reviewing them no balls broke.

The ball will be available to buy towards the end of October.

Photos

Hi all, here is my review with Paul Drinkhall looking at his Offensive blade in his line of new products with Tibhar.

The blade is 5 ply and has a nice feel with a cool looking, modern blue design. The offensive blade weighs 88 grams. We both used the Tibhar Evolution MX-P rubbers on both sides of our blades.


Speed:

When reviewing the all round blade we then tried the Offensive Classic. From changing to the Offensive Classic Paul started to get more speed from his shots and there was definitely more of a direct nature to this blade than the all round. He still maintained mixing speed and spin was with ease however now with more zip and again a more direct trajectory.

Spin

As seen in the review Paul still produced a huge amount of spin something I really struggled to adapt to due to the shear velocity he could produce. This was very evident when playing against backspin, this spin helped set up Paul very well for the fifth ball attack.

Flicks

Drinkhall has one of the fastest flicks in the game with electrifying speed. Paul noted how easy it was to flick with the offensive blade.
Another attribute to Paul's armoury is his counter topspin, which again is even more effective with the offensive blade. The Drinkhall offensive classic I would recommend for the player who has a well developed game and wants a bit more of a kick to their shots then an all round blade like the all round classic gives you.

Conclusion from the review

The allround blade is very good for maximum control, and ideal for a player who wants to develop solid strokes due to the added dwell time. However, if you are looking for something with a bit more power the offensive blade would be of a better choice as it had a more direct, harder feel and is slightly faster than the all round due to it’s harder ply's.

All in all both wood blades have excellent control and are ideal for beginners and intermediate players looking to develop their game. For wood blade lovers, the offensive.

Photos

Basically Garaydia T5000 is a replacement of the Schlager Carbon. Probably because Schlager no longer is active/sponsored by Butterfly.

So this blade should feel exactly like Schlager Carbon.

This blade is a 3+2 blade. Known for its fast speed with decent control.

I suggest you search for Butterfly Schlager Carbon review to know what this blade feels like

On first inspection the Tibhar Drinkhall all round blade comes with a really nice, fresh design with a red handle. The blade is 5 ply and aimed at developing and intermediate level players.

The all round blade is built with a combination of ayous and limba wood to provide soft feeling and control.

The blade weighs 84 grams.

I was joined alongside Paul Drinkhall using the Tibhar Evolution MX-P rubbers on both sides of the blade.


Forehands

We both found a huge benefit to the all round blade was the tremendous amount of dwell time and control it allows for. Paul executed topspin shots effortlessly.

Blocking and control

Due to Paul’s ferocious power, I had difficulty blocking at times but I definitely found the all round helped me with controlling his speed due to the blades good flex and soft feel.

Speed

This blade isn't as fast as offensive and carbon blades we have reviewed before this doesn't mean however that I wouldn't recommend it to players trying to develop their strokes or players who aren't as interested in high end speed, as it would be very good for them. The combination of limba wood plys used in the all round classic provides great control and gives you more time to impart high amounts of spin on the ball.

Spin

The all round provided lots of control, against backspin this was very evident when playing topspin strokes. This helped produce a lot of spin due to the blades feeling and control.

Conclusion

The allround blade is very good for maximum control, and ideal for a player who wants to develop solid strokes due to the added dwell time. However, if you are looking for something with a bit more power the offensive blade would be of a better choice as it had a more direct, harder feel and is slightly faster than the all round due to it’s harder ply's.

All in all the wood blade has excellent control and is ideal for beginners and intermediate players looking to develop their game.

Using H3 neo on it, fl version. What I have felt is that the blade is very good for close to table,solid touch and perfect feedback, one needs to be precise though as it has less dwell. It has minimal vibrations,which I liked.
Mid and long, one has to apply more power, may be because of my rubber, which needs to be boosted, i think.
The design of the blade is upto the mark, walnut hard outer plies, and handle is very comfortable, unlike Dhs blades, which have short handles.
The con of this blade is less dwell time. It has all the power, but when you need to get the ball more on blade, this blade lacks I think, still working with this blade. Will update as I get acquainted with this blade more and more!!
Note: I have normal commercial version. Wt:92 grms.

I have used this blade for a number of years now, since the speed glue ban was introduced in fact! There are several reasons I love this blade, its very fast but with a great feeling when the ball contacts. Its an all wood blade so has great control compared to other blades of a similar speed with carbon. It has a comfortable and great feeling handle and a smart design.

If your looking for a very quick blade with great control and balance this is for you!

Stiga Airoc Astro M
Sponge hardness: Max
Weight: Approximately 66-68 grams uncut
Hardness: around 45 degrees
Speed: OFF+



I tested the Astro M on a verity of blades including Stiga Rosewood V, Yinhe T-1 as a representative of using a very fast carbon blade, an ITC XF for a controlled composite fiberglass layered blade and the Stiga Clipper wood.

The Astro M has a reactive and springy feel when pressed hard. On first bounce the rubber has a high rebound on the ball. The sponge pores are very small and lightweight. The topsheet feels grippy, more so than the original Airoc M version.

The Astro M speed is similar to very fast euro rubbers and is evn bouncier than any other 45 degree tensor rubber. It is slower than the Evolution MX-P though. The rubber has good spring when hitting the ball on drives and smashes.

The M performs superbly on service and receives. They are both insensitive to incoming spin which I liked about the rubbers in this area of play. When receiving using drop shots or flicks, there is high control.

When playing topspins the M version had good amounts of spin but not as much as the soft version of the Astro rubber. The Astro M however does produce more spin than the Airoc M. The Astro M has a low to medium arc when doing loops and the Astro S has a medium to high arch doing the same stroke.

Overall, I would prefer the Astro S version. It is a very good and complete all around rubber which offers good spin and excellent attacking in all strokes. The Astro M is better in smashing and driving away from the table but the Astro S has better spin. The 2 rubbers pair well with both all wood and with composite blades. The Astro S is very versatile and plays good with any carbon blade with off or off+ speeds. The Astro M can be a smashing and driving monster when paired with an off+ carbon blade especially if you are far from the table.

Stiga Airoc Astro S
Sponge Version: Max
Weight: Approximately 62-64 grams uncut
Hardness: around 45 degrees
Speed: OFF



I received the soft version of the Airoc Astro a few weeks ago testing on a variety of blades. I predominately used the STIGA Rosewood V blade and tested on other blades including the Yinhe T-1 as a fast composite blade and an ITC XF for a controlled carbon blade. I also tried the Airoc Astro S on a STIGA Clipper Wood. The rubbers were glued using a water-based glue. I used a polyball and a celluloid ball when testing the rubbers.

The Airoc Astro Series was released this year as players wanted more spin on the poly ball, this rubber is an advancement to last years Airoc rubber. The older sample of the Astro rubber has a calibra topsheet with Airoc sponge, this was very good however STIGA decided not to use this as the Astro series according to them had increased in quality. This rubber is simply the same as the Airoc topsheet however with a new, reformulated sponge.

The sponge of the S has a reactive and springy feel when pressed hard. Initially the first bounce seems to have a high rebound. The sponge has small pores and the topsheet feels grippy.

The speed of the astro S feels slightly faster than the Airoc series. I can feel more of a spring effect with the s version on drives and smashes. The Soft is harder than other STIGA rubbers such as the STIGA Sound rubbers. The S speed is faster than the Evolution EL-P.

On serves and receives the rubber performed superbly producing lots of spin. Both rubbers are insensitive to incoming spin which me like this rubber in this area of play. When receiving using shots such as flicks or drop shots there is high control.

When playing spinny loops, I found the S to be spinnier than the M version. The improved sponge certainly helps in this area. Comparing the astro S and the M the S was spinnier the ball grabs into the sponge more. I think if you placed a euro or Chinese rubber on the Astro topsheet, you would have one complete spinny and fast rubber. The Astro M has a low to medium arc when doing loops and the Astro S has a medium to high arch doing the same stroke.

Overall,the Astro S version is a very good and complete all around rubber which offers good spin and excellent attacking in all strokes. The rubber pairs well with both all wood and with composite blades. The Astro S is very versatile and plays good with any carbon blade with off or off+ speeds.

I was excited to try these balls because butterfly were claiming that the ball was going to be the answer we've been waiting for. The ball is an improvement on most others however it is very mild. They do seem to be more consistently round but they are quite light and floaty and don't feel quality to play with.

A decent attempt but I think I still prefer the xushoafa and nittaku balls.

Hi guys,
I've been using this blade for about 2-3 weeks and here is my reviews of this blade.

Performance
For me, this blade is suitable for offensive players who play from close to mid distance. The amount of dwell time is just fantastic for topspin rally. This blade also good for a touch play. I found it is quiet easy to push the ball short to the net. Blocking is just awesome because you don't need put too much efforts to block the ball. Flicking also really easy to do. Due the good amount of dwell time of this blade, I can easily flick a heavy backspin ball.

Appearance
This blade has a simple and elegant appearance. It was made from a really good quality wood. The finishing is looking so well-made. The handle is very comfortable and give me a smooth feeling in my hand.

I have been using it for 2 months. Acuda blue p2 on fh, airoc astro m on bh. Speed is enough to finish the point from both close and mid distance. Away from the table, spin to spin rallies are easy.
Its not too stiff and not too much flexible. Feeling is what I want. Blocks are easy due to its feeling.
I play topspin very much and carbonado is suitable for topspins and also for shots.

I've decided to leave my favorite blade Tibhar Samsonov Alpha and try out a blade with more power and speed, without trading in too much control and feeling. A lot of research brought me to the Nittaku Latika, which looked like an affordable step-up at €55,-. And indeed, despite the decent price, I received a high-quality blade with a comfortable and well-sized FL handle.

The biggest issue I foresaw was that the Latika is a rather heavy blade at around 90 grams. I was surprised to see how easily I was able to adjust to this. The only difficulties that still arise are when I need to use my wrist a lot, like when flicking or serving.
Overall I'd characterize this blade as a well-balanced OFF blade. There is still a bit of vibration in there, giving a it the bit of feeling that I was looking for. The speed is as you would expect for an OFF blade.

I recently switched my BH rubber from Vega Pro to Vega Europe with the aim of gaining more control. This worked out well: I can now cope more easily with incoming topspins, both by blocking and counter-attacking. Had to adjust my short play though as it is quite bouncy.

My club currently uses these for competitions. Unlike other plastic balls they have a solid feel and they're very durable; they easily last hours of playing.

andro Ligna F.R OFF Blade Review

Hi all, heres my review on andro’s new blade in the Ligna series, the Ligna Off FR. The FR stands for Fiber Reinforced.

Specifications

Blade: andro Ligna FR
Weight: 90 grams
Plies: 7
Materials: Kiri, Carbon, Spruce, Core, Spruce, Carbon, Kiri
Hardness: Medium/hard Stiff
Test Rubbers: andro Grip (Forehand), andro Powergrip (Backhand)
Speed: OFF


The blade comprises of 7 plys, kiri being the outer ply, carbon being the second and Spruce being the third. An unusual characteristic about this blade is the fact that it uses Spruce wood. The particular Spruce used in this blade has been sourced from a bispoke Italian violin manufacturer to ensure that the wood is of the highest quality. The Spruce adds to the blades control and feeling especially when used in the inner plys like it is in this blade. The handle is extremely comfortable and sits very well when you hold it. you can really sense the craftsmanship that has gone into this blade throughout the whole design, including a really nice finish to both the handle and the outer kiri layer. The blade weighs 90 grams.

Forehand topspin

When using my forehand topspin the feeling and dwell time I got from the Ligna blade was very impressive. I could really feel the ball sink into the surface of the blade giving me great accuracy and perception in my shots.

Combination shots

The large dwell time helped, particularly, when playing close to the table and from mid distance giving me maximum control, producing a medium throw. I could get a fair amount of power in my shots when I wanted to, but found I had to put in quite a lot of effort to get maximum speed.

Spin

When playing shots that require heavy spin this blade really shone as the generous sweetspot meant I could produce high levels of spin. This also helped with creating shorter arcs on shots so the ball wasn't flying off the end of the table when playing topspins.

Flicks4

I felt I could generate a lot of power on flicks but found myself using more guided shots when playing short balls to create point winning opportunities.
Away from the table

Away from the table

When away from the table the ball really sinks into the blade meaning you get lots of control and dwell which produces a naturally high throw. This does however mean the ball stays on the bat a split second longer so the ball doesn't reach the other side of the table as quickly as other harder carbon blades.

Conclusion

The Ligna FR blade certainly comes packed with outstanding feeling and control. The control being similar to that of an OFF- blade but with the speed of a regular offensive blade. It isn't as quick as some off+ blades but it more than makes up for it in the control department. This attribute in the ligna off fr is substantial. it's large sweetspot, due to it's finely tuned composition, results in shots that are highly consistent in terms of both pace and ball placement.
The blade works well for intermediate to advanced players who want lots of control in their game. the carbon layers mean when you need to get good power behind attacking shots you can, and the blade produces enough speed to hit outright winners.

Pictures from the review

andro Ligna FR Off composition



Weight

Looping

This rubber is supposed to play like a boosted Hurricane/Skyline rubber. From my experience, its sponge is softer and more elastic than of a commercial Hurricane 3, but still harder than of a heavily boosted one. It is very difficult to create topspin with this rubber: you have to literally squeeze it out of the hard sponge. To loop a mere flat ball off the block with decent speed and spin you need to have a nearly horizontal swing over the top of the ball with a plenty of racket speed. To powerloop, you need to close the bat even more and swing with all your body, including wrist. However, if you do things right, the result will exceed all expectations. The rubber is impossible to bottom out, the harder you swing, the faster and spinnier the ball goes out. Counterlooping is "easy", almost like looping a flat ball. Looping backspin hard is delightful if you can create enough racket speed.

Blocking

Tackiness slows down the incoming ball considerably, so the rubber gives you great control in this aspect.

Durability

From my experience, durability of this rubber is quite bad. I have used 4 sheets, 2 black and 2 red ones within 8 months, and I have to say that after 1-1.5 months the rubber becomes unplayable. The topsheet becomes slippery at some spots, as the result, the ball drops from the racket unexpectedly. After two months tackiness wears off and the rubber becomes faster. Depending on the season, I play 10-16 hours per week, sometimes I do multiball and play with robot. You may think that it is OK for a rubber last that short under such playing schedule, but Vega Europe that I used before on my BH was literally immortal. So I'm migrating from Vega China to something more practical...

Weight

The rubber is heavy and heavier that its "true" Chinese counterparts.

Conclusion

If you like to swing hard on your forehand to end the point as soon as possible with a lightning fast powerloop -- this rubber is pretty good. Otherwise, you probably need something softer.