The Pro's Equipment - Discussion!

[Yurifi]

well … I did shoot Star Contender in Ljubljana, and did some sniffing around the blades …

Dima, that blade isn’t inner, its normal ALC, at least it looks like that.
Hugo, still uses HAL. from a very reliable source I learned that the rubbers he is using are still Xiom C57.5/C52.5, but sponge is purple to make them look like Joola. if that’s true or not, I don’t know …
Khanak was testing some different blades but all with FZD handle, as he prefers a bit fatter handle.
Yunsuke Uda uses completely custom made blade with G-Fless handle.
Freitas was actually using Freitas ALC and Satoshi Aida was actually using his Masamune.

 

[andzejgolot]

well … I did shoot Star Contender in Ljubljana, and did some sniffing around the blades …

Dima, that blade isn’t inner, its normal ALC, at least it looks like that.
Hugo, still uses HAL. from a very reliable source I learned that the rubbers he is using are still Xiom C57.5/C52.5, but sponge is purple to make them look like Joola. if that’s true or not, I don’t know …
Khanak was testing some different blades but all with FZD handle, as he prefers a bit fatter handle.
Yunsuke Uda uses completely custom made blade with G-Fless handle.
Freitas was actually using Freitas ALC and Satoshi Aida was actually using his Masamune.

Its not Hal its SAL
My Sal weights 98 grams its like Golden SAL on butterfly terminology
Sal weights more because it owns lost type of wood as ayous core and the Hal's weight is around 85-92 grams that's why Hugo has very powerful game
- heavy blade
- super athletic body
- Big IQ
Dima as the Vladimir Samsonov friend change blade on different area that's why ovtcharov alc plays like viscaria with different gears and throw

 

[TT Lover]

What is the blade and FH + BH rubber of Yang Xiaoxin.

Thank you sir.

 

[JackJohnson]

He also switched to Hybrid MK Pro on his BH. And now he’s finally using his own signature blade from Tibhar. Quite a big switch from the custom blade and K3 Pro both sides. I guess Tibhar allows him to use H3 similar to how other companies let JWJ, AJH, CDS, etc. use H3.

I think OJS is the first player from Tibhar that can have one of the rubbers a different brand. I know he was using a butterfly blade temporarily so maybe Tibhar is not that strict with rubbers.

When it comes to Butterfly only the CNT can keep the H3. I have never seen a non-CNT player being allowed to have one of the rubbers a different brand. They usually go all in on Butterfly.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I think OJS is the first player from Tibhar that can have one of the rubbers a different brand. I know he was using a butterfly blade temporarily so maybe Tibhar is not that strict with rubbers.

When it comes to Butterfly only the CNT can keep the H3. I have never seen a non-CNT player being allowed to have one of the rubbers a different brand. They usually go all in on Butterfly.

Is it that non-CNT are not allowed or that they don't want H3 anyways?

 

[zeio]

well … I did shoot Star Contender in Ljubljana, and did some sniffing around the blades …

Dima, that blade isn’t inner, its normal ALC, at least it looks like that.
Hugo, still uses HAL. from a very reliable source I learned that the rubbers he is using are still Xiom C57.5/C52.5, but sponge is purple to make them look like Joola. if that’s true or not, I don’t know …
Khanak was testing some different blades but all with FZD handle, as he prefers a bit fatter handle.
Yunsuke Uda uses completely custom made blade with G-Fless handle.
Freitas was actually using Freitas ALC and Satoshi Aida was actually using his Masamune.

🙃

2026/1/14
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/calderano-signs-with-joola-139.38480/post-559980

Integrity.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/calderano-signs-with-joola-139.38480/post-559896

Look, Joola has a history of mismanagement when it was a German company. Now that the brand became a US company in 2019, evidence suggests they want to put their house in order, and focused on pickleball first while putting table tennis on the back burner and leaving the Chinese business alone until the end of the contract period. But in order to do so, they have to come clean first.

2026/2/28
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/calderano-signs-with-joola-139.38480/post-566369

In case I didn't make myself clear the last time, this is not an official collaborative thread with Joola. Matt, who is not at liberty to divulge information and is bound by commercial interests, is more than welcome to piggyback off of it but don't expect hospitality, especially on long-standing controversial topics.

 

[Grahf]

well … I did shoot Star Contender in Ljubljana, and did some sniffing around the blades …

Dima, that blade isn’t inner, its normal ALC, at least it looks like that.
Hugo, still uses HAL. from a very reliable source I learned that the rubbers he is using are still Xiom C57.5/C52.5, but sponge is purple to make them look like Joola. if that’s true or not, I don’t know …
Khanak was testing some different blades but all with FZD handle, as he prefers a bit fatter handle.
Yunsuke Uda uses completely custom made blade with G-Fless handle.
Freitas was actually using Freitas ALC and Satoshi Aida was actually using his Masamune.

I knew it, I don't have evidence but Hugo strokes and playstyle (trust in himself) Is really getting like on his golden run, another one of pros using blades with different handles? (the rubbers one is new for me but funny too lmao)

And I really respect Freitas with the endless grind on his own gear till this day (great blade btw)

 

[Grahf]

🙃

2026/1/14
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/calderano-signs-with-joola-139.38480/post-559980

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/calderano-signs-with-joola-139.38480/post-559896

2026/2/28
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/calderano-signs-with-joola-139.38480/post-566369

Zeio I could not said this before, but I really appreciate your insides on equipment and the tieba information and I agree on most of your takes as well, please continue to share your knowledge with us in the future.

 

[JackJohnson]

Is it that non-CNT are not allowed or that they don't want H3 anyways?

I’m not sure but so far haven’t seen one non CNT player have one rubber different from Butterfly.

 

[zeio]

Zeio I could not said this before, but I really appreciate your insides on equipment and the tieba information and I agree on most of your takes as well, please continue to share your knowledge with us in the future.

Thank you.

I don't know. This could be my last "Olympic cycle" on English-speaking TT forums. That thought sprung up in my mind while writing one of the recent posts, to be specific.

I don't want to hijack this thread so will keep this short without links and quotes, but after going through what was effectively political persecution, and with that mod admitting his acquaintance with the Joola representative later on, which was a clear conflict of interest, I think I would have a better time "going back to China". LOL

Don't get me started on being hurled at with one-liners and calls for my "banishment" by members with no history of engaging in extended and meaningful exchanges. Some of them are also long-time MyTT members and it's pretty slow and quiet there (been a great place to meditate since the 2024 hack, which I gave a helping hand to clean up after the 2015 malware), so why they've decided to spend time poking at people here is beyond me.

 

[Chang]

Since the colors can sometimes be deceiving, I will ask for your view. Do you think that is Cybershape Clipper?

 

[kapahoo]

View attachment 42848

Since the colors can sometimes be deceiving, I will ask for your view. Do you think that is Cybershape Clipper?

Definitely

 

[Tiz]

Mattias Karlsson switched to Stiga

Mattias Karlsson - Lär känna spelaren | STIGA Sports

Vi på STIGA Sports samarbetar med den svenske pingisspelaren Mattias Karlsson. Få reda på mer om Mattias, vad han spelar med och hans höjdpunkter i karriären.

www.stigasports.com

 

[Peter93]

What is the blade and FH + BH rubber of Yang Xiaoxin.

Thank you sir.

Gewo Codexx EF 54, Yinhe Qing Pro (0.5). I know it's 0.5 because during a match with Zauresh Akasheva, Akasheva asked her if there was any sponge because she couldn't see it, and Yang was standing close enough to the table mic you could hear her say 0.5. She said in a comment on instagram that her sponges are Japanese.

Kawakami's paddle. I didn't realize he was also using G-FLESS.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[The0rigina1]

well … I did shoot Star Contender in Ljubljana, and did some sniffing around the blades …

Dima, that blade isn’t inner, its normal ALC, at least it looks like that.
Hugo, still uses HAL. from a very reliable source I learned that the rubbers he is using are still Xiom C57.5/C52.5, but sponge is purple to make them look like Joola. if that’s true or not, I don’t know …
Khanak was testing some different blades but all with FZD handle, as he prefers a bit fatter handle.
Yunsuke Uda uses completely custom made blade with G-Fless handle.
Freitas was actually using Freitas ALC and Satoshi Aida was actually using his Masamune.

There's no way hugo is using the hal. Compare how he plays this year and last year, so many unforced errors.

 

[Yurifi]

I think it’s even SAL, not HAL. 😉
unforced errors could be due to rubbers, if they are actually Joola’s.

 

[zeio]

There's no way hugo is using the hal. Compare how he plays this year and last year, so many unforced errors.

We know he tried various blades starting from WTT F Hong Kong 2025 but his performance had already dipped before CODE VI was spotted. His results don't matter. What matters is what he really uses. Correlation does not imply causation.

Player Name	Association	Event	Category	Men's Singles	Women's Singles	Men's Doubles	Women's Doubles	Mixed Doubles
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Star Contender São José dos Campos 2026	SEN	Champion				Finalist
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	United States Smash 2026	SEN	Round Of 16				SemiFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2026 Presented by I Feel Slovenia	SEN	Finalist				QuarterFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Chongqing 2026 Presented by AITO	SEN	QuarterFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	Singapore Smash 2026 Presented by Resorts World Sentosa	SEN	Round Of 16				Champion
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Star Contender Doha 2026	SEN	SemiFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Doha 2026	SEN	Round Of 32
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025	SEN	Round Of 16				Groups
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Frankfurt 2025	SEN	Round Of 16
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Montpellier 2025	SEN	Round Of 32
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	China Smash 2025 Presented by Beijing Shijingshan Culture & Tourism Group	SEN	QuarterFinal				SemiFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Macao 2025 Presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group	SEN	Finalist
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	Europe Smash - Sweden 2025	SEN	QuarterFinal				QuarterFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Star Contender Foz do Iguaasu 2025	SEN	Champion				QuarterFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Contender Buenos Aires 2025	SEN	Champion				Champion
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Star Contender Ljubljana 2025 Presented by I Feel Slovenia	SEN	Champion				Finalist
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Incheon 2025	SEN	QuarterFinal
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Star Contender Chennai 2025 Presented by IndianOil	SEN	Round Of 16
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 Presented by AITO	SEN	Round Of 32
CALDERANO Hugo	BRAZIL	Singapore Smash 2025	SEN	Round Of 16				Round Of 16

 

[xeNTric]

Dima, that blade isn’t inner, its normal ALC, at least it looks like that.

Right now Ovtcharov is playing Moregaard and is not using his commercial blade. Happy hunting 😅

EDIT: it is still inner-structured.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Right now Ovtcharov is playing Moregaard and is not using his commercial blade. Happy hunting 😅

EDIT: it is still inner-structured.

View attachment 42868

Is that not the TBALC handle? Custom blade with TBALC handle?

 

[BlopChock]

Can't speak to the blade, but you're right that it appears to be the TB ALC handle.