OSP Virtuoso + Blade Photos

Hello Everyone!

After reading UpsideDownCarl's (and others') posts about OSP blades, I decided the Virtuoso + would be a good fit for me. I love my Michael Maze's handle, size, and most of the playing characteristics, but I really fell (back) in love with the all-wood feel of my mid-2000s Korbel after coming back from nearly a decade off from serious play. I wanted a blade with that all wood feel, but also wanted to buy something I would be proud of (i.e., handmade, excellent reputation, etc) and something that would leave little room for EJ-thirsting for a better all-wood blade. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet (but I will by Thursday), but I can say the aesthetics, ergonomics, and build-quality are pretty great.

UpSideDownCarl said:

I am glad it arrived. I am looking forward to hearing how you like it.

Click to expand...

Me too! I messaged Laszlo with the email address you provided and he gave me updates within 15 minutes (I think it was 7am here and 4pm there). I know you'd be proud - this one weighs in at a whopping 90.4 grams. Thanks again for the help!

EmRatThich said:

Here is my guess:
- 1st session: it's amazing! wonderful feeling! I can spin all the shots. I will be the champion
- 10th session: it's very good. But lacks some power I think.
- 20th session: where is my feeling. My ball goes mostly outside of the table.
- 40th session: I can't win my opponents anymore.
- 41th session: EJ-Virus comeback (just kidding)

Click to expand...

If I am able to get 41 sessions out of it before the EJ-virus hits, I feel like I'll be doing really well .

I did get a chance to hit with it a tiny bit, but only with a person who has very little understanding of basic strokes (they were just being kind and giving me an opportunity to try it out a little) - tomorrow I will play with someone with a much higher skill level. My initial observation is that it has fantastic feeling and I like the ergonomics of the handle far more than my Korbel (and only slightly more than the Maze). I felt great about the speed with Xiom Vega Pro on my forehand, but we'll see if that holds up, according to EmRatThich's guess...

Scorpnox said:

Im so jealous
Let us know how you felt with it after your first session !

Click to expand...

Nothing to be jealous of - you could pick up your own too! I think the Viscaria is great too, so it probably wouldn't add too much to your experience outside of feel (and perhaps the joy of owning a handmade blade).

Carl05 said:

Love how they look, sadly i don't have anyone around that own a OSP to give it a try...
Enjoy it, this blades look great.

Click to expand...

I didn't either, but I had to make the choice to either lust after one, or spend the money and see for myself. So far, I'm quite happy with it!

Alright - the blade/paddle has had its first real session. In short, I really enjoy using it and the overall experience it provides.

I find the handle to be extremely comfortable and the finish to provide excellent grip even when sweaty. With Xiom Vega Pro on my FH, I feel completely confident in my short and long pushes and great about slow spinny loops. Full powered loops provide excellent speed and spin, although I had a few more ball than I would have liked go too long over the table - I think this was me just getting used to it, as my rate of long-balls declined over the session. FH blocks felt fantastic and provided just the right amount of feel/vibration and helped maintain an adequate amount of ball speed from my opponent's top spin shots. I really enjoy the sensation/feeling of the ball's impact and it enhances the experience for me over carbon blades that have quite a bit less vibration (I hesitate to call it that, since vibration has negative connotations and it's really useful haptic feedback). BH hits with Rakza 7 were great as well - I felt very confident with pushes and blocks, and could really tell that any long-balls were really due to lazy BH-loop form. Once I focused on getting more spin out of my BH strokes, the balls started landing right where I expected. The control and feeling were phenomenal, which is something that I value highly in the overall experience of playing table tennis. Overall, nothing to complain about! I look forward to my next session.

Smash or be smashed! said:

And here it is... a little 87.4 g beauty. As handsome and well-made as they come

View attachment 16152

Click to expand...

You'll have to update us on this thread with how it plays! I REALLY like mine.