Joola Xylo 5 & 7 Blades Review

Joola Xylo 5

Weight: 89 grams
Blade Head: 151mm x 157mm
Thickness: 6.9mm
Plies: 5 (Hinoki- Ayous – Kiri core – Ayous - Hinoki)
Hardness: Medium Stiff
Speed: Off to Off+

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There are a few 5 ply all wood blades in the market and Xylo 5 is one of them. This high-quality blade is made in China. The handle seems to be semi-smooth and very comfortable to the hand. It actually fits my hand better compared to squarish handles. The construction consists of a smooth hinoki top ply which is kiln-dried or burnt and the core is very thick at least 4mm thick. The handle is one of the most comfortable handles in the market I have tried. This is a bit more expensive compared to regular 5-ply all-wood blades but its performance makes up for it.

The Xylo 5 is very fast for a 5-ply blade. I’ve had very fast blades that are 5-ply all wood all my life and Xylo 5 can be considered on one of the top offensive 5-ply blades. I tested this blade for 2 days straight for a few hours each day and at first minutes of playing with it, I can feel it is very fast. I bounced the ball in against a bare blade and played with it using Rhyzer 48 and 50 rubbers plus a tacky Chinese rubber. To compare the speed with known 5-ply all wood blades in the market I would rate the speed of the Xylo 5 slightly higher than SPW blade or the Korbel blade. I have used the other 2 extensively in the past for comparisons and testing and I can say the Xylo 5 is slightly faster in terms of speed. The Xylo 5 doesn’t feel as stiff as those ebony or rosewood top ply blades but the speed is more or less equal or higher. The Xylo 5 can be as fast as a 7-ply blade. In fact, the Xylo 5 sometimes is faster than its 7-ply counterpart, the Xylo 7 and the Xylo 5 is also thicker. Despite being a medium stiff blade, short pushes or drop shots are not a problem since this blade still has a good amount of control.

Game wise, I like the performance of the Xylo 5 since it is not as stiff as a carbon blade, it can make your loops easier to perform being a blade that is not as stiff as other 5 ply blades but at the same time does not lack the speed for power shots. Let us just say that it offers some flex to let you do topspins easily. I have observed medium to medium low arc when looping against backspin or blocked topspin. The ball clears the net with about 1-2 inches clearance. It may not have the flex of off- or all-around type limba blades but still looping with the Xylo 5 is still on an excellent level. With the Chinese rubber as a forehand rubber or the Rhyzer 50, the blade is still very good at mid-distance level. Far distance from the table, it kinda begins losing power but I think this can be resolved by using a faster rubber like Dynaryz ACC. The thing with the game today is that we have a bigger and slower ball but then the rubbers we have now today are much better at spin and speed that even on an offensive all wood blade, it is still possible to attack far from the table. For professional level players maybe, they would need a composite blade for extra kicks but then again there have been pro-players that have used 5 ply all-wood blades far from the table and still perform powerful shots. Non-pro players who wanted a very fast 5 ply all wood blade but need a good amount of control can rely on the Xylo 5 to deliver the performance players need in their game. This is a 5 ply all wood blade that acts like a 7 ply blade. I would NOT recommend this to beginners as there are several all-around blades from Joola that can easily fit their needs.



Joola Xylo 7

Weight: 90 grams
Blade Head: 151mm x 157mm
Thickness: 6.6mm
Plies: 7 (Limba- Ayous – Ayous - Ayous core – Ayous – Ayous - Limba)
Hardness: Medium
Speed: Off to Off+

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Limba 7-ply all wood blades have existed for several decades now. The combination of Limba outer plies with inner layers of Ayous wood is a proven blade construction across the years. The limba and ayous combination blades have won world championships. I am a 7-ply all wood blade promoter. I have said this over and over again, a 7-ply all wood blade is and should be fast enough for most average level players provided that the rubbers are fast enough and appropriate for the user. Enter the Joola Xylo 7 which is the newest 7-ply all wood blade from this famous US brand, formerly a European brand. The Xylo 7 may have similar construction with blades in the market but it ends there. The Xylo 7 offers characteristics that make it stand out from other usual similar blades. Both the Xylo 7 and and Xylo 5 have been meticulously constructed to be comfortable when being gripped and the wing part on each side of the handle are slightly sanded making the grip a little much better and won’t need sanding. The handle is smooth and just right for the hand.

The Xylo 7 is thick, though as not as thick as the Xylo 5, giving it enough rigidity, speed and some amount of flex due to the softer ayous inner layers. I was bouncing the ball on the bare blade and compared it to the ball height and bounce of the PD 437 Purple Dragon which I also own. The Xylo 7 seem to offer a slightly higher bounce than the Purple Dragon blade and seems to have a higher pitch when the ball was bouncing on the bare blade. For added info, the Purple Dragon is also a 7-ply all wood blade that has a similar construction with the Xylo 7. Once again, I used the Rhyzer 48 and Rhzyer 50 plus a Chinese rubber for the test. It is quite fast and gives a lot of extra kick when when driving and doing counter top spins away from the table. The Rhyzer 50 felt right as a forehand rubber away from the table and I did not feel a significant reduction of speed and power on my shots about 10ft away from the table.

I tested various long and short strokes with the Xylo 7. I did thorough tests especially on the short strokes because I was concerned about the control. With a Chinese rubber, all drop shots and short pushes were never a problem but with faster ESN rubbers, some adjustment has to be made due to the bounciness of the blade and rubbers combined. For an experienced intermediate level player, this is not hard. I made adjustments by contacting the ball much earlier and also loosen my grip with the handle and after that it was fine. With the Chinese rubber this was much easier due to the tackiness and less bounciness. For loops, using both Rhyzers, I did not open my racket angle much anymore against underspin. I would say when I loop using the said rubbers with the Xylo 7, I only use an angle of 30 to 40 degrees the most. Mostly the arc against looping is medium to medium high. The Xylo 7’s feel is a mix of hard and soft feeling beautifully combined in order to produce the best control while giving the player the speed and power he or she needs.

This is a good blade for me to keep in my collection of 7 ply blades. It is a blade for advanced players that should never be underestimated due to being an all-wood blade. This one is a blade to watch out for.
 
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Is the 5-ply really 6.9mm thick? Must be 5.9mm, no? Quite a unique construction for an all wood 5-ply with hinoki as outer...

The core itself is already 4 or 4.2mm thick. Joola listed it as 7mm. I actually measured it a few times since it was thicker than Xylo7.
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Reactions: MK73
Thanks for the review. I have been looking for this but didnt see anywhere. Blades tested with FL or ST handle ?

The blades in the picture are the actual FL blades I used in the test. I have a good photographer friend who takes the pics and he also plays tt.

 
Yogi : How is the feedback of this Xylos (ball feeling, vibration)?

I have better ball feedback with the Xylo 7 the Xylo 5 seem almost stiff. Both blades have enough feel wen spinning or looping but Xylo 7 for seem to have a better feel

 
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Totally off-topic, but I've noticed you've mentioned your liking for Rhyzer 48 several times recently and I was wondering if you've tested Rhyzer Pro 45 at all and, if so, what you think of it.

Rhyzer 45 is too soft for on both fh and BH for me.

 

bit off topic again, is Rhyzer 45 softer or harder then EL-S ?
cause I love EL-S, but find it a tiny bit too slow

very interesting to see the 5 ply being thicker than the 7

Rhyzer 45 feels softer due to the combination of sponge and medium soft top

 
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