Help! I need a new blade!

Sam Burke · Feb 4, 2019

Hi all,
I'm happy to make this my first post here.

I need a new blade. I've played with the same one for 8 years now, and it is falling apart.

I tried my friends Butterfly Innerforce ZLC the other night, and it felt great. I like the feedback it gives to the hand, and it was fast but still controllable.

My current blade is a vsg 4000, an old butterfly blade with carbon and a hollow handle (which also has carbon in it). It is rated OFF-
I play offensively.

My question is: does anyone have an idea of a blade I could buy that may be similar to the innerforce zlc, but at a fraction of the cost? I'm on a budget!!

Yinhe/Galaxy seem to have affordable blades, but it is so hard to know what to get when there are so many options in the world.

Please help a fellow table tennis player out!

mart1nandersson · Feb 4, 2019

There's a recent thread discussing clones of popular blades:
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/showthread.php?16304-Clone-Blades

laistrogian · Feb 4, 2019

DHS has a similar blade but it’s ALC not ZLC but it’s still good

It’s pg 5 i believe

Mimobrok · Feb 4, 2019

The Yinhe equivalent of Innerforce ZLC is Yinhe M202. You can get one from aliexpress or princett.

Sam Burke · Feb 4, 2019

Thank you for your replies, much appreciated!

eduardo1995filipe · Feb 5, 2019

I think the Venus 04 is the closest clone to Innerforce ZLC, but it's expensive so maybe not worth it

729B2 · Feb 5, 2019

Yinhe Pro feeling 70 AUD and still have it , what part of aus you in?

Lightzy · Feb 5, 2019

How about DHS H301?
It's not ZLC/ZLF because those are quite expensive materials relatively speaking. But you get a great feeling with the H301 also.

But hey you only live once. Get a Liu Shiwen ZLF for however much it costs and enjoy your TT life until u plot

Mimobrok · Feb 5, 2019

Pro feeling is alc, not zlc
DHS301 is also alc, not zlc

Lightzy · Feb 5, 2019

Mimobrok said:
Pro feeling is alc, not zlc
DHS301 is also alc, not zlc

If you read my post I already wrote that, so I'm not sure why it was important for you to repeat it. But it is a remarkable blade with remarkable feeling and is not as expensive as top end blades while playing at the same level more or less.

I also mentioned that the reason it's difficult to find cheap ZLC blades is because it's an expensive material.

Also the blade you suggested (202) is not ZLC or ZLF at all, it's something called "PLC" though you failed to mention that. Just bizzare reasoning.

Mimobrok · Feb 5, 2019

Lightzy said:
If you read my post I already wrote that, so I'm not sure why it was important for you to repeat it. But it is a remarkable blade with remarkable feeling and is not as expensive as top end blades while playing at the same level more or less.

I also mentioned that the reason it's difficult to find cheap ZLC blades is because it's an expensive material.

Also the blade you suggested (202) is not ZLC or ZLF at all, it's something called "PLC" though you failed to mention that. Just bizzare reasoning.

My bad. I failed to see the fact that you already mentioned that it is not zlc. I was looking at the pro feeling recommendation and I thought it has to be noted.

PLC is poor man's zlc if I recall correctly, though I have no firsthand experience with it.

Loopadoop · Feb 5, 2019

Yinhe T11

around $20 at AliExpress

729B2 · Feb 5, 2019

yeah indeed but its very hard to find a good cheap ZLC blade i used to use a Innforce ZLF and ZLC and Liu shiwen ZLF( 3 of them) W968 prov Yinhe t11 maybe a good option

dominus7 · Feb 5, 2019

Mimobrok said:
Pro feeling is alc, not zlc
DHS301 is also alc, not zlc

Are both same plies?

Enviado desde mi Moto G (4) mediante Tapatalk

Lightzy · Feb 5, 2019

Actually the DHS301 is probably not a good suggestion, nor is the yinhe one.

Koto outer plys play so different to limba outer plys that that difference alone overshadows most other differences between blades, and the butterfly innerforce blades are limba outer ply.

So I go back to... just get what you like. You only live once.

ttdad · Feb 6, 2019

Did you look into Gambler Fire Dragon series?

shakepender · Feb 6, 2019

Yasaka Malin carbon is probably similar.

mart1nandersson · Feb 6, 2019

Lightzy said:
How about DHS H301?
It's not ZLC/ZLF because those are quite expensive materials relatively speaking

Just out of curiosity: is this really the case? The Butterfly ZLC / ALC Innerforce blades are not priced that much differently (20€ difference where I live which is like a 10% difference).

Lightzy · Feb 7, 2019

mart1nandersson said:
Just out of curiosity: is this really the case? The Butterfly ZLC / ALC Innerforce blades are not priced that much differently (20€ difference where I live which is like a 10% difference).

Yes those are more expensive materials. You can ask the custom blade maker community here.
Butterfly ZL blades are significantly more expensive than any of their other blades, which you can easily see on their website, but with their insane prices I think material costs may not be such an issue and it may be more "NEW! SHINY! ZLC! BUY!" pricing. Even though it's not that new, but eh.

But it's difficult to find such blades for cheap, if even at all possible.

Der_Echte · Feb 7, 2019

Yup. Like LZ sez, ZLC is not cheap.

Good Luck.

However, there are many, many many great blades in the Basic Offensive to Controlled Offensive class.

We could spend all day talking about them, it isn't worth going there.

Whenever you try a different blade after using the same blade a long time, of course it will feel different and you can do things more easily than the old blade. So, the new blade feels great, you get it, and in a few weeks to a few months, you are depressed you cannot do everything you want with it.

New equipment is like that.

If you are a topspinner, get something that makes looping slow/medium easier. If you are a hitter, get a solid/stiff blade (usually the faster ones, but not always)

Every maker makes many of this class. There are so many, if you have enough friends, you might be trying out too many than you can process information.

Take your time and good luck.

Help! I need a new blade!

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