For me the Long 5 is just a blade that suits my game best. No theory needed. I loop on both wings and I love Chinese tacky rubbers on forehand which work perfectly with this blade. I also like the handle a lot and the woody yet very stable feel of it. After four years playing with 5plys I had the impression that they were not stable enough for the 40+ plastic ball area. Most of my opponents play with carbon blades and I had the feeling that I was overpowered too easily. So I looked for a carbon blade which was moderately fast and maintained 5ply characteristics (mostly flex, ability to spin), yet felt more stable when coping with powerful shots. I tried Darker 7P-2A Carbon, Hurricane 301, Viscaria, Nexy Eucrasia and Long 5. Long 5 and Eucrasia I liked best, Long 5 a bit more. So it became my blade.
Btw, I am not a big Ma Long fan and so it does feel a bit strange that I play with his blade. On the other hand, who cares...