I have a very similar feel to
@raziel_cr findings above.
My thoughts on the Stiga Inspira after geeking out over it for a year. It really has a slightly odd but very interesting character that is worth highlighting.
If you are familiar with TTGearLab's way of measuring blades, my own analysis is that the Inspira probably sits around 2.1 in Ep and 1.5 in Ec. This is exactly what gives the blade its funny nature. It has a relatively high base speed, but it doesn't kick away uncontrollably when you really gear up. For those of us who like to loop and swing hard, this gives an extremely controlled feeling. You dare to put power into your shots because you know the ball will land on the table.
Because of this, a hybrid or a Chinese tacky rubber like Battle 2 Provincial or H3N marries incredibly well with this blade for tactical looping. It is truly an awesome forehand blade. Since it's an outer carbon blade with a crisp surface, I've noticed that if you pair it with a rock-hard boosted Chinese rubber (like my B2P 40-degree), you really have to hit past a certain stiffness threshold. If you only brush the ball thinly on extreme angles, the ball can almost slip. But the second you hit through the sponge and engage that carbon layer, the dwell time is magical.
On the backhand side, where you usually want a bit more direct speed, the blade can feel slightly weaker, but it remains very safe and controlled. My current setup is B2P 40 on the FH and Fastarc G-1 Max on the BH, and I think it harmonizes really well with the blade. The G-1 can feel a tiny bit fast in low gear, but it works. My playstyle is mostly mid-distance but with a lot of active backhand blocks close to the table, and the blade provides great security there.
Another thing that stands out is the massive sweetspot, thanks to the outer hybrid carbon layer. It is quite insensitive to incoming spin in the short game, which is nice. You get fairly little spin when you are passive, but once you pass that specific power threshold in your swing, the spin wakes up massively. In some cases, it feels like it produces more spin on the forehand than an inner carbon blade.
If we compare it to the Nittaku Acoustic Carbon Inner, the ACI has a smooth, linear spin increase the more effort you put in. So the ACI gives more spin at low impact than the Inspira. But when you really step on the gas and hit a powerful FH or BH loop, the Inspira catches up completely and they generate basically the same amount of top-end spin.
Is anyone else playing with the Inspira and recognizing this threshold effect?
