DHS W968 review

[Wrighty67]

I think they are for different playstyles. If you seek to attack everything as soon as possible and you live from your own strength then W968 is better suited. If you have more of a passive, blocking, countering style on top of the table then Viscaria would be better. Of course you can use both blades for everything but their focus is a bit different.

In my view the Viscaria is a harder blade to control and offers much quicker and sharper response than the W968 - so harder for a beginner to use.

 

[dingyibvs]

In my view the Viscaria is a harder blade to control and offers much quicker and sharper response than the W968 - so harder for a beginner to use.

It should be a lot softer than the Vis, but if that's the main reason to use it then it probably makes more sense to just get an all wood blade.

 

[Zwill]

I agree Viscaria has a sharper feeling, and it is stiffer too. But a stiffer blade is more predictable.

I don't think one or the other is better for any play level, they just suit a little different playstyle.

It's another question if it's worth to buy any of them for beginner or intermediate players? Probably not.

 

[thomas.pong]

In my view the Viscaria is a harder blade to control and offers much quicker and sharper response than the W968 - so harder for a beginner to use.

I completely agree.

I would also never recommend either of them to a beginner, they're both fast OFF blades, even if not the fastest blades ever.

In France, people would call them a "fusée" meaning a rocket because of their speed.

Kids and adult beginners in France (and I want to say in Europe) start with an ALL+ 5-ply all-wood blade and just upgrade rubbers as they go along and most of them never change blade again, some even when they reach National level. The technique and the spin the kids generate just by having a large group lesson once or twice a week is much better on average than what I see the kids do here in the US who get 1-on-1 coaching a couple times a week...

 

[thomas.pong]

I agree Viscaria has a sharper feeling, and it is stiffer too. But a stiffer blade is more predictable.

I don't think one or the other is better for any play level, they just suit a little different playstyle.

It's another question if it's worth to buy any of them for beginner or intermediate players? Probably not.

Predictable yes, but if you start with a fast, stiff and bouncy blade, changes are you will have an extremely hard time developing a good touch and feel which are not only necessary for the short game and serve returns but for everything else.

 

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Nice blade

 

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Menurut saya, Viscaria adalah blade yang lebih sulit untuk dikendalikan dan menawarkan respons yang jauh lebih cepat dan lebih tajam daripada W968 - jadi lebih sulit untuk digunakan oleh pemula.

Read the reviews they said it was balanced.

and in me many use VIS compared to W968

 

[Vamireh]

Which dhs hurricane 3 neo is best for Provincial team W968 - Letters? Rubber is needed for FH. I choose from the provincial versions of dhs hurricane 3 neo. Blue or orange sponge? And what hardness given that the booster will not be used?

 

[TensorBackhand]

Which dhs hurricane 3 neo is best for Provincial team W968 - Letters? Rubber is needed for FH. I choose from the provincial versions of dhs hurricane 3 neo. Blue or orange sponge? And what hardness given that the booster will not be used?

Without booster, Hurricane 3 will be quite slow. So I think you should be sure about your own skill and power.

I think orange sponge is a bit snappier and faster. Blue sponge has slightly more dwell time and control.

Without booster, maybe 39 hardness would be best.

 

[thomas.pong]

Which dhs hurricane 3 neo is best for Provincial team W968 - Letters? Rubber is needed for FH. I choose from the provincial versions of dhs hurricane 3 neo. Blue or orange sponge? And what hardness given that the booster will not be used?

I would start with Neo Provincial Orange 39 boosted with 3 layers of Haifu.

Blue is harder to use.

 

[thomas.pong]

Welp, tracking says my W968 finally arrived in LA and is going through customs!

I'll hopefully get to try it in a couple of days.

 

[ttarc]

I would start with Neo Provincial Orange 39 boosted with 3 layers of Haifu.

Blue is harder to use.

Depending on where one buys the Nittaku H3Neo NR-8701 could be cheaper...

 

[dingyibvs]

Welp, tracking says my W968 finally arrived in LA and is going through customs!

I'll hopefully get to try it in a couple of days.

Nice! Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Mine I think is finally actually on a plane. Last time it only took 2 days between waiting for the plane to getting on one, this time it took a whole week. That's fine though, as I'll be getting a couple sheets of used D09C in 1.9mm and max a few days before to try it out on the BH side. It'll be interesting to see how the 968 works with the rubbers I have. I think I'll try out the T05FX and the D09C primarily.

 

[Zwill]

Well I tried my Rakza Z EH on FH. I have to say I find the Dingtian to be more fun to use. But Rakza Z works so well with the Joola Flash ball and it's less bouncy in touch play. I'm torn now since it's so fun to use the Dingtian with this blade, but Rakza Z will probably give me more wins. I also kinda noticed how the G-1 sponge is so very similar to the Rakza Z EH, of course, the Rakza is harder and heavier but otherwise, they look identical.

 

[thomas.pong]

My W968 National just arrived today. I'm going to glue Z2 and T05 FX on it to start, and will try regular Rakza Z or a boosted Chinese rubber on it on the FH depending on how Z2 feels. I'll also see if I want something harder on the BH like G-1 but I think 05 FX should be just fine.

 

[dingyibvs]

My W968 National just arrived today. I'm going to glue Z2 and T05 FX on it to start, and will try regular Rakza Z or a boosted Chinese rubber on it on the FH depending on how Z2 feels. I'll also see if I want something harder on the BH like G-1 but I think 05 FX should be just fine.

Mine's now going through customs as well, so I should get it early-mid next week. I'm gonna do a thorough sealing on it first though, so it'll probably be later next week when I play with it. I'm really loving the D09C's I just got for my BH, it's gonna be hard to see the T05FX supplanting it. But then again, I've improved my technique quite a bit, so maybe I'll have a different perspective on the T05FX now.

 

[Wrighty67]

Hi W968 team - I thought I would circle back having played with mine for a month now and clocked some hours.

Long story short, I found myself reaching for my Viscaria and Lin G blades that I still have sitting in my office, and immediately felt drawn to play with them again - maybe it's the handle, maybe the balance but whatever it was I knew I needed to revisit them.

I have now played a couple of sessions, including 3h practice last night with my Lin G and using identical BH rubber (05FX) and slightly different but same family on FH (A boosted sheet of D05 vs T05 on my W968)

The bottom line is I find myself playing better and feeling more comfortable with the Lin G (and my Viscaria) than the W968 - this may be due to the fact that I am more used to these blades but instinct tells me they are better suited to my game due to the slightly less head heavy balance and the more direct and crisp nature they offer. I find them more balanced between BH & FH and there is no doubt that the handles on both offer a better feeling to me than even the larger W968 handle on my blade.

There's no doubt that the W968 moves further in the outer carbon direction than the standard Long 5, but it still remains (at least to me) a FH focused blade and one with a softer feel to it, albeit I don't feel I have more control using it because I am not sure quite what it is going to do in the same way as with my outer blades. I generate more penetration in my shots without losing spin when I play with the outer blades in comparison to the W968.

The jury is still out but if anyone is looking for a nearly new provincial W968 then I may be open to offers soon!

 

[dingyibvs]

Hi W968 team - I thought I would circle back having played with mine for a month now and clocked some hours.

Long story short, I found myself reaching for my Viscaria and Lin G blades that I still have sitting in my office, and immediately felt drawn to play with them again - maybe it's the handle, maybe the balance but whatever it was I knew I needed to revisit them.

I have now played a couple of sessions, including 3h practice last night with my Lin G and using identical BH rubber (05FX) and slightly different but same family on FH (A boosted sheet of D05 vs T05 on my W968)

The bottom line is I find myself playing better and feeling more comfortable with the Lin G (and my Viscaria) than the W968 - this may be due to the fact that I am more used to these blades but instinct tells me they are better suited to my game due to the slightly less head heavy balance and the more direct and crisp nature they offer. I find them more balanced between BH & FH and there is no doubt that the handles on both offer a better feeling to me than even the larger W968 handle on my blade.

There's no doubt that the W968 moves further in the outer carbon direction than the standard Long 5, but it still remains (at least to me) a FH focused blade and one with a softer feel to it, albeit I don't feel I have more control using it because I am not sure quite what it is going to do in the same way as with my outer blades. I generate more penetration in my shots without losing spin when I play with the outer blades in comparison to the W968.

The jury is still out but if anyone is looking for a nearly new provincial W968 then I may be open to offers soon!

I mentioned in a previous post in this thread that I think your journey with the HL5/968 will be one that most people who try it take. Its softness is only useful with the softest of shots, like double-bounce pushes, and its power is only accessible with the hardest loops, which is particularly hard to access on the BH side. If the vast majority of your play is somewhere in between, and in watching videos of you play I think that's the case, then I think most other blades will be more suitable.

Incidentally, this is the reason I cited for going with the national 968 rather than the provincial. The provincial is priced similarly to higher end Butterfly blades, and is IMO more likely to be purchased by those who are seeking the best version of the HL5 for their own game. I think 99% of the people will find that it is not suited for their game, so I think there will be plenty on the second hand market. The national version is exorbitantly priced and is more likely to be purchased by someone like me, a hardcore ML fan who'll play with his blade no matter what , or a collector type.

In that vein, what's the weight/thickness of your 968? Mine should arrive by Wednesday, and if I actually find it suitable for my game I might be in the market for a provincial version as a backup! It'd be a bit silly since that'd be the 6th HL5 variant I own, but what the hell, how different is 6 from 5, right?

 

[Wrighty67]

I mentioned in a previous post in this thread that I think your journey with the HL5/968 will be one that most people who try it take. Its softness is only useful with the softest of shots, like double-bounce pushes, and its power is only accessible with the hardest loops, which is particularly hard to access on the BH side. If the vast majority of your play is somewhere in between, and in watching videos of you play I think that's the case, then I think most other blades will be more suitable.

Incidentally, this is the reason I cited for going with the national 968 rather than the provincial. The provincial is priced similarly to higher end Butterfly blades, and is IMO more likely to be purchased by those who are seeking the best version of the HL5 for their own game. I think 99% of the people will find that it is not suited for their game, so I think there will be plenty on the second hand market. The national version is exorbitantly priced and is more likely to be purchased by someone like me, a hardcore ML fan who'll play with his blade no matter what , or a collector type.

In that vein, what's the weight/thickness of your 968? Mine should arrive by Wednesday, and if I actually find it suitable for my game I might be in the market for a provincial version as a backup! It'd be a bit silly since that'd be the 6th HL5 variant I own, but what the hell, how different is 6 from 5, right?

I am sure you are correct in your summary...

Mine is a 2019 large handle that was purchased new a month back - weight is 91g and thickness is 6.02.

Keep in touch! (You can never own too many blades..)

 

[thomas.pong]

Well I tried my W968 National last night and I immediately fell in love with it, which is a relief considering the price. It appears as if my search for the holy grail is over, though I will still test blades here and there for fun, I don't anticipate changing anytime soon or ever. I will also purchase a second one as a backup and to try other FH rubbers on it like H3 and Young Shine Dingtian boosted, though I'm very satisfied with Z2 on it at the moment and will keep T05 FX on the BH for sure.

Ok now on to the nitty gritty, I really wished for something along the lines of an Innerforce ZLC that is to say a flexible crisp yet controllable carbon blade, but with a more organic feel rather than the mechanic/metallic one I get from Butterfly carbon blades, and with that, if I could get all the things i could wish for, an amazing feel on both wings including in the short game, an a more confortable handle that allows me to hold the blade easily as a continuation of my hand and easily switch between FH and BH. Well, for me, it's got it all, and I couldn't be more satisfied.

I was surprised by how much feel it has, the first 5-10 minutes I thought I was holding a nice 5-ply all-wood blade on the thinner side but crisp, then I started going through the gears with relative ease and I couldn't believe how many gears it offers. And the handle is neither thick nor thin but instead had a very nice curve with the wings on the higher side, kinda like Stiga blades. i normally have to send and smooth the wings on all my blades but it won't be necessary here.

It was really easy to adjust to from my IF ZLC, went straight into some matches and it felt very comfortable, more than I was ever accustomed to. I was excited to receive it after 2 weeks, then I looked at it when it arrived and told myself, hey it's just a blade, then I tried it and felt like "holy shit" this thing is good and I kept looking down at it like how!? All that to say that I think it lives up to the "myth".