My Fan Zhendong ALC blade has arrived

The comparison between the two rackets is really not relevant and misleading, as Viscaria had 84 grams when new and now 88 grams, mainly moisture. My firts impressions with Viscaria were bad, as I felt it numb, empty and powerless ( with my poor technique). Feed-back had some vibration, but not enough to give confidence. If it weren't FZD ALC, I would have probably bought a new Viscaria.

Well the new setup is direct, fast, precise and punchy. Feeling is very crispy, sharp and full of information. The racquet is vivid and solid without being stiff. It's like my Viscaria on steroids. General behavior is the same, but everything is tuned up. It has all the attributes that I like in (my!) Viscaria, without it's cons.

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Your Viscaria must be from latest batches, this year or last year?

h-vu said:

some people said sealing feels different than unseal blade so i guess don't seal it 🤷*♂️

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Why ?? You might prefer the sealed feel 🤣

But really, if one applies a very thin layer or two of sealant (with a cloth) I do not believe it will change the feel.
Of course if you apply multiple coats of polyurethane with a spray can then it will likely make a difference

piligrim said:

Your Viscaria must be from latest batches, this year or last year?

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Not sure about the year, 2021 or 2020. What I know for sure is that it was from the U Series.
Before Viscaria I had a Timo Boll ALC, same U series, didn't like it either.

The handle and balance of FZD ALC is slightly different. Feed-back/vibration is also a big thing, but what sets apart these two blades is dwell time. My forehand improved slightly while my back-hand somewhat got worse. Well no surprise here.

Higher dwell time and speed also means more problems with block, especially with spiny loops and serves.
I could block topspins all day with Viscaria with a more open racket in mini-drive fashion. FZD ALC requires precise angle, as the balls spit off the table easily. In match situation it highly rewards good forearm technique.

Bottom line: FZD ALC is a high quality blade with great character.

Pro2ac said:

Not sure about the year, 2021 or 2020. What I know for sure is that it was from the U Series.

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U its 2020. for some reason Viscaria from last 2 years much worse then from previous years

piligrim said:

U its 2020. for some reason Viscaria from last 2 years much worse then from previous years

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can't agree more, I have W code, which is 2022, much worse than my old T code, and my friend S code. They made some small improvement in the feeling, but overall worse than previous generation.