DHS W968 review

[TensorBackhand]

That is a hard no. W968 cannot be HL5x, that is a different structure (it would have a different number), also the X version of the DHS blades are for players who lack hitting power. The X versions are not intended for pros. Don't misunderstand they are very good too, but the thicker core is compensation for using lower-quality wood.

I am fully convinced that blades with ayous core have to have very little and few pores to be good quality.
Michael, if you want to get a good cheap blade you can either go to a store which has dozens of blades, and you can inspect them with your own eyes, or ask a blade maker to select you a very dense ayous core. I think with ayous it is fairly easy to select since it's visible. In a store you can select for example a Fang Bo carbon that has very few and little pores and that can be a really good find. You can use this with BTY IF blades, or Stiga blades since they mostly also use ayous core.

I don't know what to look for in kiri core, but what I know from the hundreds (if not thousands) of Golden Viscarias I saw being sold on wechat is that I never ever saw a Golden Viscaria below 90g, and most of them are more around 95g, while standard Viscarias can be had at 85g, and most of them are sub 90g, this is not a coincidence.
Electronics manufacturers also bin their components, and to take a super easy example if you look for a 1kOhm resistor with 1% tolerance you need to buy one with that spec, because you won't find any among the 5% tolerance parts.
With blades there is a bit of more variance, you can look for an ugly ducking top ply with a good core.

That being said DHS and other brands are not idiots, I think my W968 provincial has a not particularly pretty top limba ply, but has a really dense core so it did not become a HL5 or FB2 blade, it is still W968 provincial.

And also Chinese or Japanese or German etc blade makers are not stupid, if they see a good piece of trunk they know what will become of it.

Good information. Let me examine my FB2 to see its pores.

Since everybody in this thread is so excited about the w968, I actually ordered a Stuor Long 5 clone blade to compare with my friend's DHS HL5. My friend's blade is quite light, at 85g. Therefore for the comparison I asked for a 85g Stuor clone blade. Given what you said about the dense core, I wonder if I should've asked for a 90g.

BTW, my FB2 is 90g.

 

[Zwill]

Good information. Let me examine my FB2 to see its pores.

Since everybody in this thread is so excited about the w968, I actually ordered a Stuor Long 5 clone blade to compare with my friend's DHS HL5. My friend's blade is quite light, at 85g. Therefore for the comparison I asked for a 85g Stuor clone blade. Given what you said about the dense core, I wonder if I should've asked for a 90g.

BTW, my FB2 is 90g.

I wrote the weight about blades with kiri core like Viscarias since I don't know how to visually make a difference between kiri however, I think HL5 or Carbonado etc blades with a denser core at the same thickness should be heavier too.

 

[thomas.pong]

For me handle on this blade very uncomfortable. FZD handle much better

Are you talking about the W968 or HL5?

The FZD is way too thick for me.

 

[thomas.pong]

That is a hard no. W968 cannot be HL5x, that is a different structure (it would have a different number), also the X version of the DHS blades are for players who lack hitting power. The X versions are not intended for pros. Don't misunderstand they are very good too, but the thicker core is compensation for using lower-quality wood.

I am fully convinced that blades with ayous core have to have very little and few pores to be good quality.
Michael, if you want to get a good cheap blade you can either go to a store which has dozens of blades, and you can inspect them with your own eyes, or ask a blade maker to select you a very dense ayous core. I think with ayous it is fairly easy to select since it's visible. In a store you can select for example a Fang Bo carbon that has very few and little pores and that can be a really good find. You can use this with BTY IF blades, or Stiga blades since they mostly also use ayous core.

I don't know what to look for in kiri core, but what I know from the hundreds (if not thousands) of Golden Viscarias I saw being sold on wechat is that I never ever saw a Golden Viscaria below 90g, and most of them are more around 95g, while standard Viscarias can be had at 85g, and most of them are sub 90g, this is not a coincidence.
Electronics manufacturers also bin their components, and to take a super easy example if you look for a 1kOhm resistor with 1% tolerance you need to buy one with that spec, because you won't find any among the 5% tolerance parts.
With blades there is a bit of more variance, you can look for an ugly ducking top ply with a good core.

That being said DHS and other brands are not idiots, I think my W968 provincial has a not particularly pretty top limba ply, but has a really dense core so it did not become a HL5 or FB2 blade, it is still W968 provincial.

And also Chinese or Japanese or German etc blade makers are not stupid, if they see a good piece of trunk they know what will become of it.

Well said.

PS: Both my Viscaria Goldens are 95g, I've yet to try the used one I bought 1st (the new one is for the collection). I have a feeling it'll still be too much carbon for me but I should give it a go soon, just can't get over the W968 right now.

 

[Zwill]

I kinda like what Gan is saying is about the same as what I have been preaching about W968.

 

[dingyibvs]

Good information. Let me examine my FB2 to see its pores.

Since everybody in this thread is so excited about the w968, I actually ordered a Stuor Long 5 clone blade to compare with my friend's DHS HL5. My friend's blade is quite light, at 85g. Therefore for the comparison I asked for a 85g Stuor clone blade. Given what you said about the dense core, I wonder if I should've asked for a 90g.

BTW, my FB2 is 90g.

I'm very excited about my blade, but my previous opinion that this isn't a blade for everyone still stands. You need to really put almost everything into every shot with good form for this blade to really shine, it does not reward half-assed shots. I'll give a couple examples.

I had a long, 3-hour training session with the robot yesterday. My MIL was visiting so we had to take her out for dinner and I couldn't go to the club, so I figured I'll just do a strenuous practice. There were two things I noticed. First, what I noticed last practice, which is that I had to actively flex my forearm in order to make a power loop, is not necessarily true. I focus my practice on the BH, but when my shoulder/upper back needs a break I practice some FH as well, but mostly to correct my form so that when I do start focusing on the FH I'd be cementing good form. I've been comparing my form with Ma Long's and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with mine. I finally figured it out yesterday. I was squatting and rotating my back, so my legs and back generate a lot of power, but I wasn't rotating my hip enough, so my glutes weren't contributing. Once I started doing that, I found that I no longer needed to actively flex my forearm to consistently land power loops.

My FH is already the most powerful by far at the clubs I frequent (ratings there top out at just below and just above 2000 respectively), but I had to add the power of another major muscle (or two) in order to consistently access the power of the 968.

At the end of the session, I did my usual 4 location rapid fast counter practice. I started out well, but by the end of each set my BH quality and consistency was degrading significantly. My shoulder/upper back was simply too tired. My FH shots OTOH were getting better as the exercise progresses as I get more into a groove, since I didn't practice much FH and I wasn't too tired to do that. Now, while the shots weren't nearly as bad as with the HL5, there was still a big difference. You can't just do a little flick and expect quality like you would with say Viscaria + T05FX. The balls served by the robot were fairly fast and very spinny, that would be all you needed with Vis/T05FX, but that's not the case with the 968. Here, the difference between the HL5 and the 968 is that even when I was not tired, quality and consistency was not good with the HL5. This is because at 90 balls/min, I simply don't have enough time to load up for each shot to access the power of the HL5, whereas with the 968 I can.

 

[piligrim]

Are you talking about the W968 or HL5?

The FZD is way too thick for me.

W968

 

[dingyibvs]

W968

I can see that, to me it's not appreciably thicker than the regular HL5 at the part where the hand holds, it just flares out a bit more at the end.

I watched a video of a popular equipment dealer chatting with his Chongqing city team friend. He said he was always puzzled by why the 968's handle is so thin, then he found out that a lot of players on the CNT like them because it allows for easier FH/BH transitions.

 

[thomas.pong]

I can see that, to me it's not appreciably thicker than the regular HL5 at the part where the hand holds, it just flares out a bit more at the end.

I watched a video of a popular equipment dealer chatting with his Chongqing city team friend. He said he was always puzzled by why the 968's handle is so thin, then he found out that a lot of players on the CNT like them because it allows for easier FH/BH transitions.

Yea, I've never felt my ability to transition what as good as when I play with the 968.

 

[SFF_lib]

I'm very excited about my blade, but my previous opinion that this isn't a blade for everyone still stands. You need to really put almost everything into every shot with good form for this blade to really shine, it does not reward half-assed shots. I'll give a couple examples.

I had a long, 3-hour training session with the robot yesterday. My MIL was visiting so we had to take her out for dinner and I couldn't go to the club, so I figured I'll just do a strenuous practice. There were two things I noticed. First, what I noticed last practice, which is that I had to actively flex my forearm in order to make a power loop, is not necessarily true. I focus my practice on the BH, but when my shoulder/upper back needs a break I practice some FH as well, but mostly to correct my form so that when I do start focusing on the FH I'd be cementing good form. I've been comparing my form with Ma Long's and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with mine. I finally figured it out yesterday. I was squatting and rotating my back, so my legs and back generate a lot of power, but I wasn't rotating my hip enough, so my glutes weren't contributing. Once I started doing that, I found that I no longer needed to actively flex my forearm to consistently land power loops.

My FH is already the most powerful by far at the clubs I frequent (ratings there top out at just below and just above 2000 respectively), but I had to add the power of another major muscle (or two) in order to consistently access the power of the 968.

At the end of the session, I did my usual 4 location rapid fast counter practice. I started out well, but by the end of each set my BH quality and consistency was degrading significantly. My shoulder/upper back was simply too tired. My FH shots OTOH were getting better as the exercise progresses as I get more into a groove, since I didn't practice much FH and I wasn't too tired to do that. Now, while the shots weren't nearly as bad as with the HL5, there was still a big difference. You can't just do a little flick and expect quality like you would with say Viscaria + T05FX. The balls served by the robot were fairly fast and very spinny, that would be all you needed with Vis/T05FX, but that's not the case with the 968. Here, the difference between the HL5 and the 968 is that even when I was not tired, quality and consistency was not good with the HL5. This is because at 90 balls/min, I simply don't have enough time to load up for each shot to access the power of the HL5, whereas with the 968 I can.

Concur. HL5 has a very muted feel. I dislike it.

 

[thomas.pong]

Concur. HL5 has a very muted feel. I dislike it.

Same!

 

[dingyibvs]

Concur. HL5 has a very muted feel. I dislike it.

Yeah, you have to hit it just right to get a good feel, and it's really hard to do that when the pace is high even in the practice setting let alone in matches.

 

[dingyibvs]

So I went to the club today, first session with the new blade. It was pretty packed so some guys wanted to play doubles, which I did since 2 of the players were above my level. No warm ups, we went straight into games. First match was terrible, my shots were going long all the time, my timing was slightly off, and it just generally didn't go well and we lost 3-1. By the second match I felt more comfortable and we ended up winning 3-0 the next 2 matches. From my past experiences I need at least a week to adjust to new equipment to the level of being able to play well with it right away, so that's not really surprising. It's only been 2 days after all. Most of my misses were on the FH side and the vast majority went long. My BH whether blocking or countering was immediately superior.

I then practiced for half an hour against a player much below my level. He's solid at blocking and BH counters so I did some FH loop practice and BH counter practice with him. My FH needed some time to adjust, but I finally started landing some FH loops with consistency, and the power is just overwhelming.

For BH counters it took no time at all. It was immediately better than the HL5. I've played with him before and he was shocked by the quality of my BH quick counters. To be honest, I was too. I always did way worse in practices with a partner vs practice with the robot, but that wasn't the case today.

Based on my experiences today, I think I actually need to practice my FH a bit more, at least for the next week or two, to ensure that I adjust to the new blade. After a few dozen practice balls I can achieve the same consistency in practice, so I know it's doable. I just need to start being able to do it from the start.

 

[Zwill]

So I've been trying around FH rubbers, Rakza Z EH, Tibhar K3, Donic C2, Pinyi Fengcui, etc etc
I am of the conclusion that backhand rubbers that have great sponge compression are not that suitable. Sure K3 is probably the greatest from the listed rubbers I mentioned but I feel that the sponge is porous so it compresses, but at the same time the blade is soft and flexible and together the two add up and it becomes way too soft and unbouncy. These rubbers I would pair with Super Viscaria type hard blades, like the Joola Zhou Qihao Super ALC and they work much better with that.

So I went back to my initial FH rubber the Young Shine Dingtian which has a non-pored DHS blue sponge-like sponge. (My first impression did not lie to me, I felt this combo has magic)
It is a hard sponge, it is unyielding, however, if I hit it with a big force it does eat the ball and it pings it out very-very fast too so this rubber is super elastic unlike porous sponged rubbers. Its unyielding nature is not a problem on this blade since the blade itself does what pored sponges do on a hard and stiff blade. The porous sponge compresses and gives a bit more contact time and rubber sheet stretch. With the Dingtian and H3 BS like sponges I feel like the sponge transmits the force to the blade so the blade can deform and flex and since the blade is more elastic it gives more kick and more stability. On very high impacts the sponge is also compressed somewhat and it uncompresses much faster and stronger than pored sponges so if you are a hard hitter you will feel this rubber gives more speed to you on high impact shots while porous sponges hold you back. So with the Dingtian rubber, the W968 is very crisp, very fast, and very spinny.

Initially, I had issues with keeping the ball low with the Dingtian rubber since it's so fast with W968, but now I get how it works, I need to make the racket angle more vertical (almost totally vertical) and pull downwards like that.
Also, this rubber is very spin insensitive, it is great for over-the-table countering. I think it is much better at it than D09c or anything for that matter. I am not joking that it is truly an amazing and easy to use rubber. It is so easy to use that you will do stuff you think is unnatural from past experience.
Safe open-up loops are a bit hard with it I have to say, but I think it is manageable. H3 BS, or other hybrid rubbers don't particularly excel at this either. But at the same time fast attack...... dayumn, this is a fast-attack monster with this blade. I am getting Tibhar K2 levels of fast attack possibility, if not even better. Fast attack is better than H3 BS and rating it this rubber K2 and H3BS on fast attack is not a joke.

Wait, I have more.
I only managed to get it without factory boost or glue layer so far. (I saw versions which had factory boost and glue on the sponge, but I can't get it) It is mandatory to boost it. But I will say this much about boosting, I used 2 normal layers of Falco Tempo Long in the middle of December. That was about 9 weeks ago. Since then I reglued the rubber 2 times, since initially I glues it to my Zhou Qihao S-ALC blade, then reglued it to my W968 blade, and took it off like a month ago and it was airing for a month and now I just glued it back and no performance change since December.
Sure FTL should last about 10-12 weeks, I am sure this will be fine even after. Also no bubbles, I don't even see any wear marks on the topsheet. Guys, okay I have maybe like 60-70 hours of use in this rubber, but no marks and I have been smashing the shit out of it with fast attacks.

Also regarding fast attacks. Just a few notes also it applies to over the table countering. I feel like if I totally loosen up and just loosely swing my arm for both type of attacks I get more power and stability than if I try to force more impact in the shot by more "muscle". I can't say this about most ESN rubbers, with Rakza Z EH I was better off forcing more muscle into the shot. This one I can do it super loosie-goosie and the more loose and more loose body and leg I have the better quality I achieve.

Damn I have so much things to write but these feel important.
I have a stupid habit of starting my swing from low, and with this rubber and actually, with some other Chinese rubbers this is not a good thing. I can and should just start my swing from waist height and it just works better. It's safer, I have more time, I have more options etc. It is important that during fast attack one must not try to close the racket angle on the ball. That will be either a net ball or just low quality. As I said it is an unnatural rubber to use and super easy at the same time.

Another thing that plugs in with not lowering your arm much, when one is a bit back from the table and in a counter loop rally the rubber is acting like your motion. If you imagine and pull your arm upwards the ball will be high and possibly too long, if you imagine you pull the ball but you move your arm forward to make a more aggressive arc the ball hit the table and will have a more flat and fast arc. So you don't need to correct it for characteristics of sponge compression or topsheet grip loss or topsheet catapult etc. Very analog to use, which is not very analog for us humans since we're conditioned to correcting the defects (characteristics) of ESN and Jap rubbers.

However I have been very satisfied with G-1 on the backhand. It is fairly light, spinny, good arc, very good speed, good control, durable, good in colder conditions. I don't have much fault with it to be honest. But it does have ESN characteristics that need constant adjusting to. From ESN probably I like it the most from all they have. But I have played in the past with Yasaka Hovering Dragon, which has a kinda similar material topsheet as the Dingtian. It's not sticky, but it just has a very similar plasticky feel. It was very insensitive to spin and I had very similar impression with it on BH. It is also about 3-4g lighter cut than G-1. So that is something I am going to look into.

 

[Vamireh]

So I've been trying around FH rubbers, Rakza Z EH, Tibhar K3, Donic C2, Pinyi Fengcui, etc etc

What can you say about Donic C2?

 

[thomas.pong]

So I've been trying around FH rubbers, Rakza Z EH, Tibhar K3, Donic C2, Pinyi Fengcui, etc etc
I am of the conclusion that backhand rubbers that have great sponge compression are not that suitable. Sure K3 is probably the greatest from the listed rubbers I mentioned but I feel that the sponge is porous so it compresses, but at the same time the blade is soft and flexible and together the two add up and it becomes way too soft and unbouncy. These rubbers I would pair with Super Viscaria type hard blades, like the Joola Zhou Qihao Super ALC and they work much better with that.

So I went back to my initial FH rubber the Young Shine Dingtian which has a non-pored DHS blue sponge-like sponge. (My first impression did not lie to me, I felt this combo has magic)
It is a hard sponge, it is unyielding, however, if I hit it with a big force it does eat the ball and it pings it out very-very fast too so this rubber is super elastic unlike porous sponged rubbers. Its unyielding nature is not a problem on this blade since the blade itself does what pored sponges do on a hard and stiff blade. The porous sponge compresses and gives a bit more contact time and rubber sheet stretch. With the Dingtian and H3 BS like sponges I feel like the sponge transmits the force to the blade so the blade can deform and flex and since the blade is more elastic it gives more kick and more stability. On very high impacts the sponge is also compressed somewhat and it uncompresses much faster and stronger than pored sponges so if you are a hard hitter you will feel this rubber gives more speed to you on high impact shots while porous sponges hold you back. So with the Dingtian rubber, the W968 is very crisp, very fast, and very spinny.

Initially, I had issues with keeping the ball low with the Dingtian rubber since it's so fast with W968, but now I get how it works, I need to make the racket angle more vertical (almost totally vertical) and pull downwards like that.
Also, this rubber is very spin insensitive, it is great for over-the-table countering. I think it is much better at it than D09c or anything for that matter. I am not joking that it is truly an amazing and easy to use rubber. It is so easy to use that you will do stuff you think is unnatural from past experience.
Safe open-up loops are a bit hard with it I have to say, but I think it is manageable. H3 BS, or other hybrid rubbers don't particularly excel at this either. But at the same time fast attack...... dayumn, this is a fast-attack monster with this blade. I am getting Tibhar K2 levels of fast attack possibility, if not even better. Fast attack is better than H3 BS and rating it this rubber K2 and H3BS on fast attack is not a joke.

Wait, I have more.
I only managed to get it without factory boost or glue layer so far. (I saw versions which had factory boost and glue on the sponge, but I can't get it) It is mandatory to boost it. But I will say this much about boosting, I used 2 normal layers of Falco Tempo Long in the middle of December. That was about 9 weeks ago. Since then I reglued the rubber 2 times, since initially I glues it to my Zhou Qihao S-ALC blade, then reglued it to my W968 blade, and took it off like a month ago and it was airing for a month and now I just glued it back and no performance change since December.
Sure FTL should last about 10-12 weeks, I am sure this will be fine even after. Also no bubbles, I don't even see any wear marks on the topsheet. Guys, okay I have maybe like 60-70 hours of use in this rubber, but no marks and I have been smashing the shit out of it with fast attacks.

Also regarding fast attacks. Just a few notes also it applies to over the table countering. I feel like if I totally loosen up and just loosely swing my arm for both type of attacks I get more power and stability than if I try to force more impact in the shot by more "muscle". I can't say this about most ESN rubbers, with Rakza Z EH I was better off forcing more muscle into the shot. This one I can do it super loosie-goosie and the more loose and more loose body and leg I have the better quality I achieve.

Damn I have so much things to write but these feel important.
I have a stupid habit of starting my swing from low, and with this rubber and actually, with some other Chinese rubbers this is not a good thing. I can and should just start my swing from waist height and it just works better. It's safer, I have more time, I have more options etc. It is important that during fast attack one must not try to close the racket angle on the ball. That will be either a net ball or just low quality. As I said it is an unnatural rubber to use and super easy at the same time.

Another thing that plugs in with not lowering your arm much, when one is a bit back from the table and in a counter loop rally the rubber is acting like your motion. If you imagine and pull your arm upwards the ball will be high and possibly too long, if you imagine you pull the ball but you move your arm forward to make a more aggressive arc the ball hit the table and will have a more flat and fast arc. So you don't need to correct it for characteristics of sponge compression or topsheet grip loss or topsheet catapult etc. Very analog to use, which is not very analog for us humans since we're conditioned to correcting the defects (characteristics) of ESN and Jap rubbers.

However I have been very satisfied with G-1 on the backhand. It is fairly light, spinny, good arc, very good speed, good control, durable, good in colder conditions. I don't have much fault with it to be honest. But it does have ESN characteristics that need constant adjusting to. From ESN probably I like it the most from all they have. But I have played in the past with Yasaka Hovering Dragon, which has a kinda similar material topsheet as the Dingtian. It's not sticky, but it just has a very similar plasticky feel. It was very insensitive to spin and I had very similar impression with it on BH. It is also about 3-4g lighter cut than G-1. So that is something I am going to look into.

I will definitely have to try Young Shine Dingtian BS, what you're saying about it echoes what a few very particular Chinese-rubber aficionados said about it on French forums.

What you're describing is also more or less what I'm feeling having made the switch from Hammond Z2 to H3 Prov on my W968 and how the blade is particularly well suited for hard Chinese rubbers and other harder not bouncy rubbers, not that Z2 didn't feel quite good on it. H3 feels a lot better on the W968 than on a Viscaria for me. I guess I'll have to try a blue sponge H3 too to see.

I can also see how G-1 would work great on the BH as it's not crazy catapulty and much more stable compared to other ESN rubbers. Might have to slap one on at some point.

 

[dingyibvs]

So I've been trying around FH rubbers, Rakza Z EH, Tibhar K3, Donic C2, Pinyi Fengcui, etc etc
I am of the conclusion that backhand rubbers that have great sponge compression are not that suitable. Sure K3 is probably the greatest from the listed rubbers I mentioned but I feel that the sponge is porous so it compresses, but at the same time the blade is soft and flexible and together the two add up and it becomes way too soft and unbouncy. These rubbers I would pair with Super Viscaria type hard blades, like the Joola Zhou Qihao Super ALC and they work much better with that.

So I went back to my initial FH rubber the Young Shine Dingtian which has a non-pored DHS blue sponge-like sponge. (My first impression did not lie to me, I felt this combo has magic)
It is a hard sponge, it is unyielding, however, if I hit it with a big force it does eat the ball and it pings it out very-very fast too so this rubber is super elastic unlike porous sponged rubbers. Its unyielding nature is not a problem on this blade since the blade itself does what pored sponges do on a hard and stiff blade. The porous sponge compresses and gives a bit more contact time and rubber sheet stretch. With the Dingtian and H3 BS like sponges I feel like the sponge transmits the force to the blade so the blade can deform and flex and since the blade is more elastic it gives more kick and more stability. On very high impacts the sponge is also compressed somewhat and it uncompresses much faster and stronger than pored sponges so if you are a hard hitter you will feel this rubber gives more speed to you on high impact shots while porous sponges hold you back. So with the Dingtian rubber, the W968 is very crisp, very fast, and very spinny.

Initially, I had issues with keeping the ball low with the Dingtian rubber since it's so fast with W968, but now I get how it works, I need to make the racket angle more vertical (almost totally vertical) and pull downwards like that.
Also, this rubber is very spin insensitive, it is great for over-the-table countering. I think it is much better at it than D09c or anything for that matter. I am not joking that it is truly an amazing and easy to use rubber. It is so easy to use that you will do stuff you think is unnatural from past experience.
Safe open-up loops are a bit hard with it I have to say, but I think it is manageable. H3 BS, or other hybrid rubbers don't particularly excel at this either. But at the same time fast attack...... dayumn, this is a fast-attack monster with this blade. I am getting Tibhar K2 levels of fast attack possibility, if not even better. Fast attack is better than H3 BS and rating it this rubber K2 and H3BS on fast attack is not a joke.

Wait, I have more.
I only managed to get it without factory boost or glue layer so far. (I saw versions which had factory boost and glue on the sponge, but I can't get it) It is mandatory to boost it. But I will say this much about boosting, I used 2 normal layers of Falco Tempo Long in the middle of December. That was about 9 weeks ago. Since then I reglued the rubber 2 times, since initially I glues it to my Zhou Qihao S-ALC blade, then reglued it to my W968 blade, and took it off like a month ago and it was airing for a month and now I just glued it back and no performance change since December.
Sure FTL should last about 10-12 weeks, I am sure this will be fine even after. Also no bubbles, I don't even see any wear marks on the topsheet. Guys, okay I have maybe like 60-70 hours of use in this rubber, but no marks and I have been smashing the shit out of it with fast attacks.

Also regarding fast attacks. Just a few notes also it applies to over the table countering. I feel like if I totally loosen up and just loosely swing my arm for both type of attacks I get more power and stability than if I try to force more impact in the shot by more "muscle". I can't say this about most ESN rubbers, with Rakza Z EH I was better off forcing more muscle into the shot. This one I can do it super loosie-goosie and the more loose and more loose body and leg I have the better quality I achieve.

Damn I have so much things to write but these feel important.
I have a stupid habit of starting my swing from low, and with this rubber and actually, with some other Chinese rubbers this is not a good thing. I can and should just start my swing from waist height and it just works better. It's safer, I have more time, I have more options etc. It is important that during fast attack one must not try to close the racket angle on the ball. That will be either a net ball or just low quality. As I said it is an unnatural rubber to use and super easy at the same time.

Another thing that plugs in with not lowering your arm much, when one is a bit back from the table and in a counter loop rally the rubber is acting like your motion. If you imagine and pull your arm upwards the ball will be high and possibly too long, if you imagine you pull the ball but you move your arm forward to make a more aggressive arc the ball hit the table and will have a more flat and fast arc. So you don't need to correct it for characteristics of sponge compression or topsheet grip loss or topsheet catapult etc. Very analog to use, which is not very analog for us humans since we're conditioned to correcting the defects (characteristics) of ESN and Jap rubbers.

However I have been very satisfied with G-1 on the backhand. It is fairly light, spinny, good arc, very good speed, good control, durable, good in colder conditions. I don't have much fault with it to be honest. But it does have ESN characteristics that need constant adjusting to. From ESN probably I like it the most from all they have. But I have played in the past with Yasaka Hovering Dragon, which has a kinda similar material topsheet as the Dingtian. It's not sticky, but it just has a very similar plasticky feel. It was very insensitive to spin and I had very similar impression with it on BH. It is also about 3-4g lighter cut than G-1. So that is something I am going to look into.

Have you tried the D09C on the BH side? Or is it a bit too heavy. Have you tried multiple sheets of the Dingtian rubber? I wonder how good the consistency is.

 

[superbackhand]

Have been playing with a W968 edition from 2022 for a while - I thought I should share some of my experience here.

I have owned and played with several versions of Long 5: old version with big size and thin handle, Long 5X, Long 3, 997, 968 brown/black handle and couple W968s from China, Taiwan and Europe.

The biggest difference from the previous versions is quite minimal. I enjoy using the Long 3 and the W968 from China because the flex is quite obvious, which fits my looping game based on placement and spin variations. The power from Long 5X and old version are similar, except they often go long when I am not 100% committed to the shots.

The unique about this blade is the confidence you'll get after the connection is clear: any ball can be hit with a lot of spin, thanks to the limba and H3.

The weakness is the BH side, which pretty much is improved with the newer versions of 968. My 2022 W968 plays beautifully on the BH, I would say 80% of the BH of Viscaria which is a big deal to me.

The core is the highest attribute of the W968: thick and the density is way better than the commercial version, which explains the "inviting to hit harder" feeling.

 

[Vamireh]

Martin Allegro uses dhs long 5 or w968. Does anyone know what rubbers he has on fh and bh ?

 

[SlowPower]

Hello together!
I am new to this forum as there are not many reviews in German forums to HL5/ w968 blades.
I got an 86g st Donic Ovtcharov No1 senso, which ist said to be a w968 or at least an improved hl5 (i cant tell as i only have this particular dhs made blade).
Normaly a play with viscaria type blades (xiom vega euro 82g and Viscaria 83g, also testet Tibhar cca unlimited) and in the past i tried harimoto alc, donic wsc and joola rossi emotion.

Compared to all these blades it is very slow on first glance, only a little faster than the WSC.
Fot me its very hard to get enough speed with my forehand and it has some kind of strange behavior. I think other people described this as well when they tell they unlocked the power of the blade. When the sponge of the joola golden tango ps is activated there is a nice clicking sound. When i hit a little harder there comes a plongish sound from the blade which sounds strange when you normally hear the cracking sound of vis like blades. When this sound comes the ball flies over the table because the blade angle isnt closed enough. It seems the blade needs an other angle when activated than the sponge. When i go for a hard shot to activate the blade and close it a little more it is even harder to activate it and the ball often goes into the net. There is a very small area to hit correct- either you hit perfectly or its a fault.
Problem is activating the sponge is very close to activating the blade, so its very unstable/ unconsistent/ unpredictable for me to play with.

On the other hand it has a very good feeling for short game, openings and placement when I stay at 80% power.
And my BH seems to be more stable than with my other blades as it has more arc and feeling. BH isnt powerfull enough to unlock the blades catapult, so no problem here. Even for smashes it is stable enough for my backhand.

So I will give it a few more tries and maybe i need another FH rubber? Any advice for the power unlock? Or will a harder/ less springy rubber help solving this problem? I have a H3 neo and friendship bloom power which i could try, but didnt want to change the whole bat at a time.