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M202
- Thread starter AndySmith
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4 out of 5 rating for M202
I picked up one of these from http://www.ttequipment.co.uk. I've seen these kicking around on some Chinese sites previously and was interested, so having a local supplier seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. It's part of Yinhe's Mars range of blades, and they all look interesting if I'm honest. The key material is PLC, which looks to be a type of polyethylene woven with carbon, producing a cheaper alternative to ZLC. I think we’ll be seeing more of this kind of material from other brands, if we aren't already.
Physicals
My M202 is 5.9mm in total thickness, 86g weight, FL handle. My guess as to the composition would be:
Dyed Limba - Ayous - PLC - Ayous - PLC - Ayous - Dyed Limba
The quality of the construction is very good, although I had to sand the edges of wings down a bit because they were a little sharp. The handle is a bit on the small side - it's wide enough but a bit thin. Not as thin as some Nittaku blades, but thinner than the chunky handles you get with european blades.
In Play
During a basic topspin drive warm-up, the speed felt solidly in the middle of OFF-. It's a tick faster than a Waldner Senso Carbon, slightly slower than a Viscaria/Boll ALC/Vega Pro, similar to an Innerforce ALC or LSW.
When you start to loop and you apply more force, the speed increases quite a lot and there is a fair amount of flex available. In this sense, it reminds me of the non-linear looping experience you get with something like a BTY Mizutani Jun ZLC, but with a lower average speed across the board. A mini-MJ perhaps. Because of this, it allows a great range of variable looping strokes from slightly further away from the table without getting too hot to handle. It's not as deadly as the MJ, and it doesn't have the overall power needed if you attack from absolutely miles away.
Short game is very good. The low-gear speed is useful when considering service and receive.
The feel is pretty typical for limba - certainly not as sharp or direct as a typical Viscaria for example. It didn't feel as solid either (although not horribly hollow at all - just a little distant), and I wasn't as confident with blocking initially. The sweet spot is pretty wide, and although the feedback is somewhat vague there's still enough to let you know what's going on.
Overall
This is a great inner composite looping blade for the money. It's well made (from a sample of one, obviously), has enough speed to get the job done without being overwhelming for an average standard player like myself. It's definitely aimed at players who focus on loop attack though - I tend to play close-in these days so it feels initially a touch too flexy/non-linear for my style. Although I have had some excellent wins with it at the end of my league season, so I'm giving it some serious thought (and I’ve put in a special order with Dean at http://www.ttequipment.co.uk for an M201 – I really like the potential of this range). There's a lot to like about it (especially considering the price) - if you are looking for a cheaper, slightly tamer alternative to a BTY MJ/IF-ZLC then this should be on your list IMO.
I picked up one of these from http://www.ttequipment.co.uk. I've seen these kicking around on some Chinese sites previously and was interested, so having a local supplier seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. It's part of Yinhe's Mars range of blades, and they all look interesting if I'm honest. The key material is PLC, which looks to be a type of polyethylene woven with carbon, producing a cheaper alternative to ZLC. I think we’ll be seeing more of this kind of material from other brands, if we aren't already.
Physicals
My M202 is 5.9mm in total thickness, 86g weight, FL handle. My guess as to the composition would be:
Dyed Limba - Ayous - PLC - Ayous - PLC - Ayous - Dyed Limba
The quality of the construction is very good, although I had to sand the edges of wings down a bit because they were a little sharp. The handle is a bit on the small side - it's wide enough but a bit thin. Not as thin as some Nittaku blades, but thinner than the chunky handles you get with european blades.
In Play
During a basic topspin drive warm-up, the speed felt solidly in the middle of OFF-. It's a tick faster than a Waldner Senso Carbon, slightly slower than a Viscaria/Boll ALC/Vega Pro, similar to an Innerforce ALC or LSW.
When you start to loop and you apply more force, the speed increases quite a lot and there is a fair amount of flex available. In this sense, it reminds me of the non-linear looping experience you get with something like a BTY Mizutani Jun ZLC, but with a lower average speed across the board. A mini-MJ perhaps. Because of this, it allows a great range of variable looping strokes from slightly further away from the table without getting too hot to handle. It's not as deadly as the MJ, and it doesn't have the overall power needed if you attack from absolutely miles away.
Short game is very good. The low-gear speed is useful when considering service and receive.
The feel is pretty typical for limba - certainly not as sharp or direct as a typical Viscaria for example. It didn't feel as solid either (although not horribly hollow at all - just a little distant), and I wasn't as confident with blocking initially. The sweet spot is pretty wide, and although the feedback is somewhat vague there's still enough to let you know what's going on.
Overall
This is a great inner composite looping blade for the money. It's well made (from a sample of one, obviously), has enough speed to get the job done without being overwhelming for an average standard player like myself. It's definitely aimed at players who focus on loop attack though - I tend to play close-in these days so it feels initially a touch too flexy/non-linear for my style. Although I have had some excellent wins with it at the end of my league season, so I'm giving it some serious thought (and I’ve put in a special order with Dean at http://www.ttequipment.co.uk for an M201 – I really like the potential of this range). There's a lot to like about it (especially considering the price) - if you are looking for a cheaper, slightly tamer alternative to a BTY MJ/IF-ZLC then this should be on your list IMO.
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