Can anyone recommend a modern alternative to Timo Boll Spark blade?

[ridderz65]

Hi guys, I've been looking at the Timo boll spark and Korbel blades. I know the Korbel is still in production. But can anyone tell me of any recently released (in the last couple of years) that are similar to both of these blades? Thanks

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

The Timo Boll ZLF is sort of similar to the Spark. A little different. Spark has Arylate with no carbon. ZLF has Zylon but no carbon. The Zylon isn't quite as soft and it is faster. The ZLF will feel a little harder than the Spark and a little faster. But they do feel quite similar.

The Petr Korbel and the Primorac Off- feel very similar. The construction is the same wood plies but the Korbel has a thicker core and is faster. But, since they make it still, it is not as important as knowing that the TB ZLF feels pretty similar to the TB Spark.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

 

[ridderz65]

The Timo Boll ZLF is sort of similar to the Spark. A little different. Spark has Arylate with no carbon. ZLF has Zylon but no carbon. The Zylon isn't quite as soft and it is faster. The ZLF will feel a little harder than the Spark and a little faster. But they do feel quite similar.

The Petr Korbel and the Primorac Off- feel very similar. The construction is the same wood plies but the Korbel has a thicker core and is faster. But, since they make it still, it is not as important as knowing that the TB ZLF feels pretty similar to the TB Spark.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

Thanks Carl. Great information. Thank you.
I'm looking for a controlled offensive blade. For use with either pimples, or a thinner sponged inverted on the BH. I now have the Timo Boll ZLF to consider. I was also looking at all of the Innerforce Layer blades. I'm not sure if there are any other butterfly blades you'd suggest? I want to see if there are any Tibhar or Victas blades that are good for what I want too. Do you have any suggestions from those brands?

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Have you tried the InnerForce Layer blades. Because I was actually about to ask if you had. The IFL ZLF might be great.

One thing you should know is, they feel weird till you get used to them. The ones without carbon are very soft. And when you make a softer swing, they are not so fast. But when you swing hard enough to get the ZLF or AL ply to kick in they have some extra power that kicks in.

I would see if you can find a friend who has any of those blades to see how it feels before you jump at paying all that money for them.

The blades that have Arylate or Zylon without carbon all have a unique, soft feeling. And I am not sure there is anything from any of the other companies that actually compares with that. But almost every company has an all wood blade with a soft top ply like Limba that would feel good to you.

But in thinking of this, something popped into my mind. Have you ever tried an all Hinoki blade that isn't too fast? That might really work well for you.

Try to research the Darker 7P-2A blade. That blade is amazing and may be perfect for what you are looking for. But a solid player like you could probably use pretty much any blade you want.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

 

[Vrael]

there is also ai fukuhara blade from butterfly. Ai Fukuhara is using pimples on bh side, so I assume it is blade made for that. It is a little thicker than liu shiwen (which has the same construction as Innerforce ZLF, which is no longer produced), but it has the same composits.
I am not pimples player, but I have ej'ed with blades for whole year and after trying Jun Mizutani ZLC, Innerforce ZLC,ZLF, Liu Shiwen, Carbonado, Spark, Spirit, Joola Rossi Emotion, OSP Virtuoso+ I can finally say I have ended my ej trip with nittaku hinoblaze (my last blade that I used for long time was Kiso Hinoki V)

 

[NextLevel]

Innerforce Layer are not a good as Innerforce blades if the rumblings I hear have merit. I bought my Innerforce blades used and love them.

 

[ridderz65]

Have you tried the InnerForce Layer blades. Because I was actually about to ask if you had. The IFL ZLF might be great.

One thing you should know is, they feel weird till you get used to them. The ones without carbon are very soft. And when you make a softer swing, they are not so fast. But when you swing hard enough to get the ZLF or AL ply to kick in they have some extra power that kicks in.

I would see if you can find a friend who has any of those blades to see how it feels before you jump at paying all that money for them.

The blades that have Arylate or Zylon without carbon all have a unique, soft feeling. And I am not sure there is anything from any of the other companies that actually compares with that. But almost every company has an all wood blade with a soft top ply like Limba that would feel good to you.

But in thinking of this, something popped into my mind. Have you ever tried an all Hinoki blade that isn't too fast? That might really work well for you.

Try to research the Darker 7P-2A blade. That blade is amazing and may be perfect for what you are looking for. But a solid player like you could probably use pretty much any blade you want.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

I will give the innerforce blades a try!

I'm obviously using the Joo se hyuk blade at the moment. But im wanting a second set up where i dont use pimples, just a thinner inverted rubber on the BH. I suppose blade wise I want to try and get something that is actually classed as offensive, but feels similar to the Joo blade? If that's even possible?
I know the Joo blade is more of an offensive defensive blade. But for a second set up i'd like to have a blade that is classed as offensive. Don't want something that feels too dissimilar to the Joo blade.

Maybe a Timo Boll ZLF? Or an Innerforce ZLC? I just dont know what offensive blades would have a similar feel to the Joo blade?

 

[ridderz65]

Perhaps I should try a double inverted on a Joo blade...

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I hit with a Joo blade a few years ago. I can't fully remember what it felt like. But it had decent feeling and great control and it felt fine with inverted rubber: the person whose blade it was, was trying it for the extra control. It was not slow. It was a fine speed.

So that would be worth a try. But any of the InnerForce blades might be fun to try. They are great blades.

Too many blades to choose from though. I also love the TB ZLF but it will feel different and harder, crisper than all the others.

The reason I stopped using my TB ZLF is that, even though it feels close to wood, I wanted that big wood feel. And I don't personally like how most of Butterfly's current all wood blades feel.

Their old Klampar-H and Jonyer-H were awesome blades. It is really too bad they don't make those any more. I am glad I still have my Klampar-H. But, I kind of love what I am using now. For me, my Virtuoso Plus is magically perfect. Does it make me play better? No. But it makes me happy to have such good feeling in my hand when I play. And there is no blade I play any better with. So, for me, I have my magic weapon.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

 

[Inkognito]

Agree on the most ZLF blades from Butterfly, but when you said pimples I just went towards going for the thicker and maybe a bit more stabil blades. Clipper has been used by some of the pimple players, Korbel SK7 also a good contender and if you want anything with a bit more flex, then again ZLF or thinner and softer all wood 5 ply blades. Alot of the pros and semi-pros switched from Korbel to once again ZLF because of the need for a bit more speed due to the polyball (Apolonia and Liu Shiwen as some examples).

I'm quite new as SP player (2 months) but I use a Photino, a thick ZLF blade but it doesn't go under "controlled off blades". Managed to adjust pretty well from an inverted FH. If it helps, I am an upper end class 2 player in Sweden. May help regarding how fast you can adjust to new equipment but on the other side, I don't know anything about you and your table tennis

Good luck
Inkognito

 

[ridderz65]

I hit with a Joo blade a few years ago. I can't fully remember what it felt like. But it had decent feeling and great control and it felt fine with inverted rubber: the person whose blade it was, was trying it for the extra control. It was not slow. It was a fine speed.

So that would be worth a try. But any of the InnerForce blades might be fun to try. They are great blades.

Too many blades to choose from though. I also love the TB ZLF but it will feel different and harder, crisper than all the others.

The reason I stopped using my TB ZLF is that, even though it feels close to wood, I wanted that big wood feel. And I don't personally like how most of Butterfly's current all wood blades feel.

Their old Klampar-H and Jonyer-H were awesome blades. It is really too bad they don't make those any more. I am glad I still have my Klampar-H. But, I kind of love what I am using now. For me, my Virtuoso Plus is magically perfect. Does it make me play better? No. But it makes me happy to have such good feeling in my hand when I play. And there is no blade I play any better with. So, for me, I have my magic weapon.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

Thanks Carl So I guess my final questions are if I want to use one of these blades for pimples in the end after I have tried the double inverted, which would work? Which of the innerforce blades would be most like the Joo in terms of feel? Do you mean the innerforce or the innerforce layer? Or could the TB ZLF work if I wanted to change back to pimples?

Could any of the blades Inkognito suggested work with the pimples?

I'm just wanting to buy an offensive class blade to try the double inverted, but would also work OK if I went back to my long pimples.

I was looking at victas blades, and noticed the fire fall and quartet series of blades. I think that the Quartet blades would be too quick, however I think any of the Fire fall series could work? And may be just as hard and stiff as the Joo but giving me extra power?

 

[ridderz65]

I was also wondering, rather than opening a new thread, if you could tell me which is the best Skyline to go for in terms of the most spin? I see there is your regular TG2 and TG3 but then there are different blue sponged versions and all sorts of variations. Which is the one to go for in terms of most spin? I presume its a pretty controlled rubber and not as sensitive to spin as other chinese rubbers? I'd like to give a chinese rubber a try as I never have and i've been using Evolution MX-S so i'm hoping it might not need too much adjustment in play to be able to use the Skyline. I'd rather go for the Skyline over the Hurricane as it seems a little overrated.