Hello everyone! 🙋♂️
This is Andrea, and I’m excited to share my journey with the
NOVA Carbon blade in this thread. As a mid-level player, I hope my experience can give some inspiration or resonance to players who are using or want to use this blade, which is why I wrote this article.🥰
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To save everyone’s time, I will write my four combinations at the beginning, and you can see the reasons for my combinations later.
1.
NOVA Carbon and
Gear Hyper 38° * 2
2. NOVA Carbon and
New Target National* 2
3. NOVA Carbon and New Target National( Boost)* 2
4. NOVA Carbon and New Target National( FH/ Boost) and
Taiji Plus 2023(BH) 👉 Final choose
When our designers introduced the
NOVA Carbon blade, I was immediately drawn to it. The design concept behind it focuses on explosive power which hit my spot exactly. So on the day it was launched, I asked our designer for one.😎
Gear Hyper on each side, a Balanced Combination🙌
Initially, I paired the NOVA Carbon with
Gear Hyper38° rubbers on both sides. After gluing them on, I couldn’t wait to test it with the ball machine. I have to admit, this was a nearly foolproof combination. Whether for European or Chinese-style players, this setup felt incredibly reliable.
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It provided a good balance of spin, power, and speed. When countering my opponent’s looping, I was able to generate great explosiveness. Every shot gave me confidence, and the blade's high power made me feel more dominant in my exchanges.
Facing Challenges, Finding the Best Combination🤔
However, when I took this racket to play against my friend, a key player on a Chinese university team, I quickly realized that there was an issue. While the setup was balanced, I found it difficult to produce the heavy-spin, fast forehand loops needed to break through his defense. As a player with a Chinese-style approach, I rely more on aggressive, forward-moving loops rather than high-arc ones, which made it tough to penetrate his solid defense.
After some reflection, I decided to switch to
New Target National on the forehand and had my friend test it as well. The result was clear: using New Target National on the forehand with the NOVA Carbon gave us a lower, faster speed, and more spin. It also enhanced the explosiveness of my counterattacks when reacting to his loops.
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Upgrading the Backhand
At his strong suggestion, I switched my backhand to New Target National as well. Many high-level Chinese players prefer this rubber on both sides because it allows them to produce faster, harder, and spinnier shots, provided their basic skills are solid enough to control it.
When I saw my friend using this setup, every shot seemed to be a spinning bullet, and the low, heavy spin allowed my forward loops to be significantly improved. But when it was my turn to use it, I realized a problem: my basic skills weren’t as strong as his, so my consistency dropped, and I lost a lot of unnecessary points.
SANWEI New Target National💥( It should be noted that as SANWEI brand, we don't advocate boosting, and can't provide quality assurance for product damage caused by boosting. )
To address this, we decided to boost both sides of the New Target National rubbers. We used Sanwei water glue, applying it twice, followed by Sea Moon oil twice, and then finished with another layer of Sanwei water glue.
After boosting, I immediately tested the setup and was pleasantly surprised. The blade’s explosive power was amplified even further, and the low throw angle that had been causing net balls disappeared. The throw angle became taller and the sponge becomes elastic. After practicing with the ball machine, I adapted to the changes and realized that this setup was the best fit for me.
Weight Considerations: A Necessary Adjustment
Over time, however, I noticed that this setup was a bit too heavy for me. The NOVA Carbon is not designed to be a lightweight blade, and with the added weight of the Sanwei Water Glue and Sea Moon boost, my racket ended up weighing around 192g. While the setup delivered tremendous power, the weight became a challenge.
After some careful consideration, I decided to sacrifice a bit of the backhand power to achieve a lighter combination. I switched my backhand rubber to Taiji Plus 2023, a lightweight rubber from Sanwei that is soft yet provides good spin due to its half-sticky top sheet. After switching to
Taiji Plus 2023, the racket weight dropped to 186.7g, which was much more manageable for me. This lighter setup helped me win more matches and proved to be the perfect balance for my game. I now consider this setup to be my main racket.
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Conclusion: Finding My Ideal Setup
In the end, the
NOVA Carbon paired with boosted
New Target National rubbers, and now with
Taiji Plus 2023 on the backhand, has become my ideal setup. The combination of explosive power, precise control, and manageable weight has made a huge difference in my performance.
I hope my experience could be the combination for you. It’s especially suited for players like me who play with a Chinese-style approach and are striving to balance power, spin, and consistency.
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