Personally, if I was you, I would stay away from Balsa unless you want to flat hit and are not so interested in so interested in putting heavy spin on the ball.
As far as the Stratus Power Wood, it is funny, based on your wanting something a little more controllable than the popular ALC blades, I was getting ready to suggest some all wood blades but had to pop in and teach a class right after my last post.
NextLevel says his Stratus Power Wood is decently fast. So the speed of his is probably faster than the Shiwen and Fukahara blades. If you got one between 88-92 grams it would be on the faster side. If you got one that was lighter it would be a little slower. It would definitely save a lot of money and be pretty equivalent to the Shiwen and Fukahara blades in terms of speed and control. But I doubt it would feel as soft. The top ply is the same. But Zylon is a soft plastic and wood just doesn't feel as soft as that material. But I would prefer a Stratus Power Wood. It would be just as good and a lot less expensive.
The Stratus Power Wood would have a softer top ply than the TB ZLF. But under the top ply the TB ZLF is softer. The TB ZLF is a great blade. But the reason I stopped using mine is that I missed the big wood feeling of a Limba top ply. And TB ZLF is not noticeably slower than the TB ZLF. It is a little slower. It has more feeling. It is softer. It has a touch more control. But it is not enough slower to make much difference.
Other all wood suggestions:
Similar speed to TB ALC (Off):
1) Stiga Clipper
2) Xiom Extreme S
3) NextLevel's Power Wood ([emoji2] at least that is what I've heard)
Both are 7 ply, Limba top ply, good feeling and near the speed of the TB ZLF. With all blades there is really a range of speeds.
Similar speed to Shiwen and Fukahara:
1) a slightly lighter Stratus Power Wood
2) Xiom Offensive S
I had not tried the Offensive S until recently. A coach I am friends with and who has coached me the Xiom Extreme S, and every time I try it I think about getting one. It is similar speed to my OSP Virtuoso Plus. But a bit harder, stiffer and crisper. But it has an amazing feel. I had not tried the Xiom Offensive S until Thursday. It is very much like a 5 ply version of the same blade. It has that great feel and crispness. And it is a hair slower than the 7 ply Extreme S.
Any of those blades would be my recommendations if you want slower than ALC but close.
You really can't go wrong with a Stratus Power Wood.
And whenever you order blades, I would think about specifying weight. I would much rather specify the weight than have the weight of the blade you get be a mystery. Most good sellers will weigh blades for you and let you select the blade weight you want from their stock.
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