All wood balde which one?

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Hi to everyone I'm back on the forum for some time of absence.
Yesterday I played table tennis after an entire year of inactivity due to covid. It was a simple friendly tournament to get back to playing. Obviously, the result after a year of inactivity was disappointing, many forced errors and in general I could not control the racket I was comfortable with before. I played with a zhang jike alc with Omega v tour and tibhar elp. So I was thinking of changing the blade and keeping the same rubbers.

I was thinking of getting a wooden blade to have more control and to gradually regain the touch that I have lost in this idle time. When I was training three times a week I could control this setup (even before I played with a hexer powergrip on the forehand rather than an omega v tour) but now that I still won't have the chance to train so frequently I think it is convenient to downgrade in terms of speed.In the past I have played with an stiga infinity but unfortunately I don't own it anymore.
I remember that at the time I used it simultaneously with a viscaria to see what the differences were.
I particularly liked the feeling and I remember that the amount of spin it was able to impart to the ball was incredible.I do remember, however, that it was slightly slow in some shots. I also used another blade previously the innerforce alc. The innerforce is slower than the zhang jike alc I'm using at the moment but I don't really like the feeling. IF ALC has too much dweel time and this does not allow me to play short and compact strokes, in general you have to make a bigger movement for each shot and on slow shot I find it too soft. So I was looking for a wooden blade that was similar in features to the Stiga infinity but slightly faster.

I've done some research, what about OSP Virtuoso+, butterfly korbel (made in japan), TSP Swat, rosewood v ? Are these good candidates for what I am looking for?
 
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Have a look at https://ttgearlab.com/, the articles where he compares 5ply blades and the one about the Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition (and other 7ply blades) . Both articles will give you an idea about the speed and feeling of a large amount of all wood blades. Very helpful. Apart from that: Korbel is always a good choice.
 
says MIA
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I highly recommend the OSP Virtuoso + or the Korbel Japan as a step back from ALC Outer. The Xiom Offensive S also comes to mind. If you wanted to stay with carbon, the Apolonia ZLC or IF ZLC.

The Stiga Infinity VPS and Rosewood V are actually considered to be fast but are quite stiff, even compared to your ZJK ALC.
 
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I highly recommend the OSP Virtuoso + or the Korbel Japan as a step back from ALC Outer. The Xiom Offensive S also comes to mind. If you wanted to stay with carbon, the Apolonia ZLC or IF ZLC.

The Stiga Infinity VPS and Rosewood V are actually considered to be fast but are quite stiff, even compared to your ZJK ALC.

I prefer to go without carbon or composite.
What are the differences between virtuoso+ and korbel japan? I read that they pretty similar to each other

 
says MIA
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I prefer to go without carbon or composite.
What are the differences between virtuoso+ and korbel japan? I read that they pretty similar to each other

Both great blades, and they are very similar indeed. Same composition for instance.

The Korbel Japan is a little bit thicker/stiff (5.9mm) than the Virtuoso + (5.8mm) which is a bit more flexible.

With the Virtuoso, you can choose your headsize, whereas the Korbel is a little larger than standard (158 x 152 mm) so a little bit stiffer with less head speed.

Finally, the Korbel's FL handle is a bit thinner (100 x 24 mm) than the OSP (100 x 25 mm).

OSP has amazing craftsmanship.

 

Ray

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Ray

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As thomas.pong wrote, they are similar in composition. However, Virtuoso+ is of better quality overall. It's not that Korbel JP is not very well built, on the contrary, but Virtuoso+ is simply outstanding.

You can select Virtuoso+ with S, M or L headsize and specify desired weight, both without extra costs. ​A complimentary bottle of OSP Flex glue will be included by OSP with any order until the end of March.

Just to mention that FL handle on Korbel JP I had was too thin and not comfortable for me. But this is a matter of personal preference.

I would suggest you to read this thread, too:
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/fo...epth-comparision-of-OSP-Virtuoso-and-Virtuoso
 
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During Covid quarantine I bought me a Xiom Offensive S and tried it briefly(Thors,O4euro) in a garage with a limited space. I must say I like it , although I need to play in a club to know for sure. Meanwhile I am trying to resist the strong urge to buy me a Virtuoso+.....
Can someone make a short comparison between these two blades and convince me that Virtuoso+ has a quality that Offensive S does not have?
 
says MIA
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it would be interesting to know the opinion of those who have tried the blades mentioned above.
There are not much information about tsp swat.
it would be interesting to also have a comparison between these blades
I own/have tried all three (otherwise I wouldn't comment on them). The TSP/Victas Swat is a very good blade too, very balanced and stable, thin for a 7-ply so it feels more like a 5-ply, and it's a great value. No wonder it's been the best selling blade in Japan for the past 6+ years.

If you want the best blade out of the ones you listed, and the one that will probably most suit your needs in terms of speed and quality (and with the handle most similar to your ZJK ALC), I'd say get the Virtuoso +. 2nd Korbel Japan, 2nd/3rd Xiom Offensive S, 3rd TSP Swat.

 
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says MIA
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During Covid quarantine I bought me a Xiom Offensive S and tried it briefly(Thors,O4euro) in a garage with a limited space. I must say I like it , although I need to play in a club to know for sure. Meanwhile I am trying to resist the strong urge to buy me a Virtuoso+.....
Can someone make a short comparison between these two blades and convince me that Virtuoso+ has a quality that Offensive S does not have?
They are very similar, same with the Korbel Japan, same comp, same ballpark thickness (5.8-6.0mm), very classic "can't go wrong" 5-ply all-wood OFF- to OFF blades that have that rather optimal medium point between flexibility and stiffness.

The Xiom Offensive S is a great value and one of the best price/performance blades on the market (along with the TSP Swat, the Korbel EU...).

The Virtuoso + is also a great value in that its quality, feel and performance are exceptional. It is more of a luxury than a necessity, but what a luxury it is!

PS: I personally have a slight preference for the regular Virtuoso, a tad thinner/slower/less punch (5.7mm) but more flexible.

 
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If a Clipper is suggested, I would recomend the Sanwei Fextra, very similar, but cheaper to try it out.
 
says Footwork footwork footwork
Korbel is really nice,anyone can play with it.
You can't go wrong with a Clipper if you're coming from an inner alc blade.
Nittaku acoustic is also really good.

I can agree here. Acoustic and Clipper are both nice options. Of those two, I’d choose acoustic for feel. From mentioned above- I know the OSP Virtuoso is often compared to the Acoustic so I think they would perform similarly- but with a customization aspect to it (which is pretty damn sweet).
 
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I'd say stick with your current blade, you should get back into playing form in a few weeks. If you HAVE to get a wood blade I have the Korbel and Xiom Offensive S; both are great can't beat the Xiom for $34 from TT11.


my thumbs-up here is for sticking with the original blade. Because of muscle memory it will be a short time that the old feel will return. Changing back to wood will simply confuse the issue.

 
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