Reviews

[NextLevel]

I am going to review four blades here soon. I use straight handles so they will be the:

1) Double Day Loop King Pro ALC ST
2) Tibhar Stratus Powerwood ST
3) Butterfly Innerforce ZLC ST
4) Xiom Vega Pro ST

I might review the Xiom VEga Tour, though any attempt I have made toreview that blade has left me puzzled.
Given
I usually hate formal reviews, let me know if there are any questions you would like answered.

 

[Der_Echte]

Our club owner as a Xiom dealer has a Pro he offers. I think that is fast model.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Cornel]

A sweet spot and handle size and comfort comparison would be really cool. I would also like to know how ”solid” these blades feel(how much vibration).

 

[NextLevel]

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/equipment/blades/11346-valiant-pro-alc-loop-king

First review posted - the backup blade I ordered from Taiwan arrived.

 

[Der_Echte]

NL is an international Pimp Player industry insider.

 

[NextLevel]

NL is an international Pimp Player industry insider.

I need more tension fairies for this to be true... HUHUHUHUH....

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I need more tension fairies for this to be true... HUHUHUHUH....

Well, I think that your belief in the tension fairy has got you places. She is pretty hot and would probably be able to help any 2000+ player get to be recognized as in international Pimp Player, industry insider.

If you missed it, here is the tension fairy, caught on film for the first time:

If she looks anything like this:

View attachment 8258

Then I would kind of like to meet her.

Said to be living on the topsheet of NextLevel's MX-S, at least that is what Pnachtwey has alleged.

Edit: it didn't show properly so here is the tension fairy without needing a link:

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Oh, and by the way, nice review. Good job. For a blade that is under $100.00, the Loop King is pretty darn nice.

 

[NextLevel]

Well, I think that your belief in the tension fairy has got you places. She is pretty hot and would probably be able to help any 2000+ player get to be recognized as in international Pimp Player, industry insider.

If you missed it, here is the tension fairy, caught on film for the first time:



Said to be living on the topsheet of NextLevel's MX-S, at least that is what Pnachtwey has alleged.

With fairies like that on my rubbers, I will be the man! But I need more fairies fo sho!

 

[NextLevel]

I have a lot of promised reviewing to do but I hate to review blades I haven't played with competitively or for at least a week of significant play. I reviewed the NEXY OLAM today.

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/equipment/blades/11824-olam

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I have a lot of promised reviewing to do but I hate to review blades I haven't played with competitively or for at least a week of significant play. I reviewed the NEXY OLAM today.

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/equipment/blades/11824-olam

That is a great review NextLevel. And I do think you have what a hard outer ply can do. I think that touch of brushing deep for bang impact makes the harder outer ply so useful to so many top level players. But your technique really does need to be precise enough to control the depth of brush contact at a high level.

When I was using the V'King it took a while to get used to because that is a HARD outer ply. Way harder than the Koto on my TB ZLF. But once I adjusted to the blade--that took me about two weeks for that blade to feel like an extension of my hand--I found I could get amazing power and spin with it.

Then why did I change to the Virtuoso Plus???? I really just love the feel of Limba. You could say I am addicted to that. The V'King has a lot of feeling, is pretty fast, but once I got used to it, I had solid control with it. But the wood feel of Koto is not as warm as the feel of Limba and I missed that and wanted it.

So, for me, I just love the feeling of Limba. But a harder outer ply does really have its benefits if you have the technique to uncover those benefits.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

 

[NextLevel]

Then why did I change to the Virtuoso Plus???? I really just love the feel of Limba. You could say I am addicted to that. The V'King has a lot of feeling, is pretty fast, but once I got used to it, I had solid control with it. But the wood feel of Koto is not as warm as the feel of Limba and I missed that and wanted it.

So, for me, I just love the feeling of Limba. But a harder outer ply does really have its benefits if you have the technique to uncover those benefits.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

I think that's the bottom line - feel. I don't think I would be able to use this with anything other than a high spin rubber. And I don't know whether I am fully comfortable with the contact depth. But it is good to be able to at least see this and think about how I should approach koto outers if I ever try them again.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I think that's the bottom line - feel. I don't think I would be able to use this with anything other than a high spin rubber. And I don't know whether I am fully comfortable with the contact depth. But it is good to be able to at least see this and think about how I should approach koto outers if I ever try them again.

Yeah. I also really like the degree of angle I can get on my shots with the softer, slower V+. I was playing with SmashFan Thursday (his knee is finally 95% good from that injury on Labor Day Weekend doubles), and he was impressed by the angles I was getting.

I wish I had that guys BH. But he said he noticed my BH got a lot better. I have been working on the CRANK. [emoji41].

It needs more work. I notice I can loop most long, heavy backspin much better than I used to be able to. But I want the kind of control of spin and pace I have with my FH opening. On FH I can make the opening slow, fast, high, low, and I can spin pretty heavy regardless of which I choose. With the BH I don't feel like I have the control to get full range of choices. Plus, I love the way that suspended animation BH pull shot looks, how the ball seems to stay on the racket so long and the racket outpaces and pulls the ball but then the ball accelerates. It actually is beautiful to watch that happen.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

 

[NextLevel]

Yeah. I also really like the degree of angle I can get on my shots with the softer, slower V+. I was playing with SmashFan Thursday (his knee is finally 95% good from that injury on Labor Day Weekend doubles), and he was impressed by the angles I was getting.

I wish I had that guys BH. But he said he noticed my BH got a lot better. I have been working on the CRANK. [emoji41].

It needs more work. I notice I can loop most long, heavy backspin much better than I used to be able to. But I want the kind of control of spin and pace I have with my FH opening. On FH I can make the opening slow, fast, high, low, and I can spin pretty heavy regardless of which I choose. With the BH I don't feel like I have the control to get full range of choices. Plus, I love the way that suspended animation BH pull shot looks, how the ball seems to stay on the racket so long and the racket outpaces and pulls the ball but then the ball accelerates. It actually is beautiful to watch that happen.


Sent from the Oracle of Delphi by the Pythia

You probably started too fast. I tell people all the time that it is best to start slow. It's not because you will end up there but because the range is required to build touch and timing.

 

[NextLevel]

Say hi to Smashfan, BTW. I have been developing some BH enhancements for people like him.

 

[Machine_Head]

NextLevel, just read your review on the Olam and I am intrigued by the hard feel of that blade. I am quite used to softer feel blades (limba and hinoki) and from what I understand from your review, you need to impact the ball deeper into the blade to extract its performance potential. But won't hitting deeper also means you get a faster shot? Is it still possible to execute a slow, spinny loop from a backspin serve or chop?

Thanks.

PS - When are you going to review the Vega Pro?

 

[Tinykin]

I have a lot of promised reviewing to do but I hate to review blades I haven't played with competitively or for at least a week of significant play. I reviewed the NEXY OLAM today.

http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/equipment/blades/11824-olam

Nice review as always.
Ever thought of doing an 'as it happens video'. That is, show us your first time with the setup and your immediate comments. then do a write up a few days later after you've had some time together. It'd be interesting to see if any of your immediate thoughts had changed.

 

[NextLevel]

NextLevel, just read your review on the Olam and I am intrigued by the hard feel of that blade. I am quite used to softer feel blades (limba and hinoki) and from what I understand from your review, you need to impact the ball deeper into the blade to extract its performance potential. But won't hitting deeper also means you get a faster shot? Is it still possible to execute a slow, spinny loop from a backspin serve or chop?

Thanks.

PS - When are you going to review the Vega Pro?

Slow spinny loop is about the rubber. Yes, you can do slow spinny loop easily. It is the contact for fast loop that is exciting.