Timo Boll ALC and Harimoto innerforce ALC feeling

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Hey all,

I currently come from a timo boll ALC blade and tried to switch to xiom icecream azxi, however the feeling from this blade didnt suit me. Therefore i started looking for another blade that would be able to give me more control with my backhand but not lose me too much power on my forehand (i like my current arc and dont want it lower).
Now via advice on another post i made regarding my xiom blade someone brought the harimoto to my attention and i started looking some reviews about it. The reviews i found did make me quite interested in the blade, but there is one thing i would like to hear from you guys who have experience with both blades. I want to know if they feel similair or if the feeling when looping the ball differs a lot.
Would love to hear your findings.
 
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Hi Martijn,

I don't have the Harimoto, but I have recently received a Nexy Pro ALC which should have the same composition and can compare it with the Timo Boll Spirit (which is the same as the ALC).

If the Nexy is representative, I would guess the Harimoto would be slightly softer, less sharp impact but higher density (more solid), and less stiff than the Boll.

While it will feel more substantial than the Boll, overall speed is notcieably slower. Less bouncy on low impact, and high-impact speed drops off earlier due to the flex.

I would say arc is depedent on spin/speed, so it will be higher.

You will loose some power on forehand smashes, but IMO, if you get the chance to smash all out, just about any blade is fast "enough".

Cheers.
 

NDH

says Spin to win!
I switched from the Harimoto to the TB ALC..... This is what I found.

Harimoto is much softer and “duller” on blocks - The wood takes all of the vibration and it’s a nice soft feeling.

On fast topspin attacks, there isn’t a huge amount in it to be honest. The TB ALC feels a little more crisp, and I find it more dynamic on both wings. The Harimoto is heavier (as it has an oversized head), but still offers a very good attacking game.

The top end speed isn’t massively different, but the edge goes to TB ALC.

If you are only concerned with the feeling when looping, you won’t really notice a huge amount of difference.
 
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Hey Martin,

I was having same issues with backhand control with TB ALC and Rakza 7. Since I didnt want to sacrifice my FH feeling of TB ALC, I decided to switch to a slower rubber (Yinhe Mercury 2) on my backhand and that did the trick for me. Changing a blade is a bigger and more expensive decision than changing rubber. You should try changing the rubber on your BH to a slower rubber.

Also, I tried innerforce ALC blade and the feeling is a lot different from TB ALC. If you are used to a crispier feeling of TB ALC, you will probably not like the woody feeling of any innerforce blades such as Harimoto.
 
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