Calderano Signs with Joola (#139)

ZQH šŸ˜‡ I’m a die hard for that blade, and now that I’m much more involved on the product side I’ve finished the blade design and rebrand to bring it back next year 😁 finally.

The ARY-x for me personally doesn’t have enough bite, you have to play a more physical game and the blade helps shape the trajectory. The ZQH I think the ball carries more so it’s easier to play out of position or to adjust half shots etc which is usually where I’m at playing with hand speed
How does the ZQH 90 compare to the ZQH 45, I tried 45Āŗ and honestly it felt crap, one of the worst blades I've tried if im honest. I haven't tried 90Āŗ, but I am content currently with FZD ALC. Just asking for curiosity sake
 
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How does the ZQH 90 compare to the ZQH 45, I tried 45Āŗ and honestly it felt crap, one of the worst blades I've tried if im honest. I haven't tried 90Āŗ, but I am content currently with FZD ALC. Just asking for curiosity sake
45 has a cult following out there, but that one won’t be coming back. For me the 90 is much better, I think the super alc fiber as an outer just matches better with koto on the top layer imo
 
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ZQH šŸ˜‡ I’m a die hard for that blade, and now that I’m much more involved on the product side I’ve finished the blade design and rebrand to bring it back next year 😁 finally.

The ARY-x for me personally doesn’t have enough bite, you have to play a more physical game and the blade helps shape the trajectory. The ZQH I think the ball carries more so it’s easier to play out of position or to adjust half shots etc which is usually where I’m at playing with hand speed

Maybe a bit too late to ask this since you say the blade design is already finished, but does it have the really long plate/lens/whatever on the handle?

Maybe there’s a good reason for brands to put these things on their blade handles, but I’d just like to chime in to say I find them rather annoying and pointless. It must also raise the manufacturing cost (although I’m not sure how much).

Are brands just copying each other, or feel like they need to put these on their blades for the product to seem premium? Is there any actual evidence it helps the blade sell more? Speaking just for myself, it makes me less likely to want a blade if I know the handle is going to be uncomfortable/annoying. I considered buying an ARY-x when it came out (given availability of some heavier ones) but knowing I would be annoyed by the super long handle lens broke the tie in favor of spending my money elsewhere.

Could Joola consider making their blades with smaller, less obstructive handle decorations (or ideally, none at all)? You can still have a "premium" blade blade with minimal/no decorations on the handle.

And I know some people are going to want to say you can just turn the handle to have the decoration in your palm -- yes, I already do that, and it's better than having it under my fingers, but it's still worse and more annoying than having none at all. I've never heard anyone say they actually like these things, and plenty of people who dislike them. They just seem so utterly pointless.
 
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Maybe a bit too late to ask this since you say the blade design is already finished, but does it have the really long plate/lens/whatever on the handle?

Maybe there’s a good reason for brands to put these things on their blade handles, but I’d just like to chime in to say I find them rather annoying and pointless. It must also raise the manufacturing cost (although I’m not sure how much).

Are brands just copying each other, or feel like they need to put these on their blades for the product to seem premium? Is there any actual evidence it helps the blade sell more? Speaking just for myself, it makes me less likely to want a blade if I know the handle is going to be uncomfortable/annoying. I considered buying an ARY-x when it came out (given availability of some heavier ones) but knowing I would be annoyed by the super long handle lens broke the tie in favor of spending my money elsewhere.

Could Joola consider making their blades with smaller, less obstructive handle decorations (or ideally, none at all)? You can still have a "premium" blade blade with minimal/no decorations on the handle.

And I know some people are going to want to say you can just turn the handle to have the decoration in your palm -- yes, I already do that, and it's better than having it under my fingers, but it's still worse and more annoying than having none at all. I've never heard anyone say they actually like these things, and plenty of people who dislike them. They just seem so utterly pointless.
It will have the same lens style yes. I think brands have mostly done it because once the rubber is on the blade there’s not much to identify the blade apart from the handle colours, and many of them start to look the same.

It’s not something I could really change without all of the global team having a consensus.

It’s not that common to see people publicly complain about them, though I have known a couple of players who found them uncomfortable. Personally it’s never cause me any issues.
 
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I don't mind the softer name plates that are embedded in the handle. At worst it might take a tiny bit of sanding to make it feel smooth in the hand.

The aluminium nameplates can definitely be annoying though when they're large. The smaller ones near the bottom of the handle like on most of the modern Butterfly blades sit below where I grip the handle anyway.
 
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Concerning lenses in handles, I understand why manufacturers would want them, and normally they are not too much of an issue, but occasionally they can be really annoying - I'll have to have a look through my old blades and see if I can find an example.

The smaller, the better for me. On my custom blades, I'll either have no lens or one of the really small SDC wooden badges.
 
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Concerning lenses in handles, I understand why manufacturers would want them, and normally they are not too much of an issue, but occasionally they can be really annoying - I'll have to have a look through my old blades and see if I can find an example.

The smaller, the better for me. On my custom blades, I'll either have no lens or one of the really small SDC wooden badges.
Do you mean the metal ones that are kind of embossed/engraved rather than smooth?
 
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Do you mean the metal ones that are kind of embossed/engraved rather than smooth?
More to do with the placement and how flush it sits with the handle, but I suppose an embossed lens/tag could be worse.

One that I remember being a real issue for me was a Nexy Arche I tested, which had a plastic 'jewel' that sat proud of the handle.
 
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