Dilemma between 968 and FZD ALC

[SFF_lib]

I glued up my friend's FZD ALC and compared it to my W968 tonight.

FZD ALC:
FH - TG2 blue sponge boosted
BH - D09C

W968 (2017 old version, lots of flex):
FH - H3 blue sponge boosted
BH - Provincial H3 37 soft

The FZD setup feels very balanced. Flicking and BH feel really easy. The 09C on BH is a canon. I just can't believe how easily I could land the ball and the speed was crazy fast. On the FH side, FZD has a really soft feel. FH power loop is stable but lacks the catapult effect even from mid distance. Consistency is good and it's easy to feel the impact.

The W968 gives me the familiar feeling. BH is consistent, stable and very spinny. I can keep it really short or flick it long.
The FH is a monster. I lift backspin to my training partner. The ball was so so spinny that it even skid on his new H8. Power loop was really hard to return.

I used to be a penholder. I used to play FH in all spots. That's why I picked W968. But FZD FH is the closet to W968 among all the Butterfly blades tbh. And FZD BH feels really good. It's easy to win points with BH. But I always enjoy those give-it-all FH shots like Xu Xin and Ma Lin.

It's a tough decision!! 🤔

 

[Attitude]

I switched from FZD ALC to vsea. Ofc one reason is the price tag lf bty and the company itself but the other reason is i can do nearly the same with both with some margin differences.
But to do so you need to tweak the techniques a bit. Bh with W968 uses a different technique. To put it simply you need more force and a slightly more open swing.

With FZD i could do the same with nearly my wrist only.

The same goes for fh but the other way around. If you want to get the same power you need to put more effort into the fh strokes as with the W968.
The reason behind that is probably, that the fh stroke itself hits harder and therefore can activate the capabilities of the blade easier than a bh stroke. With outer alc you reach its threshhold way easier but need more force for even more speed.

So it all comes down to what technique you want to go for. Personally if you already can hit everything with your fh and move fast enough i would stick with W968.


One sidenote: your experience is partially due to the other bh rubber used. If you would have used h3 on fzd alc you wouldnt see these two blades that close in my experience

 

[lodro]

your experience is partially due to the other bh rubber used.

indeed. I would suggest to switch both rubbers from one blade to the other, it's only a bit of glue.

 

[CallMeZaddy]

I would suggest trying the Nittaku Hina Hayata H2 or the Xiom TMXi Pro. For me, these blades gave me somewhat of a combined W968 FH and FZD ALC BH.

 

[SFF_lib]

I would suggest trying the Nittaku Hina Hayata H2 or the Xiom TMXi Pro. For me, these blades gave me somewhat of a combined W968 FH and FZD ALC BH.

Yeah I saw your review on H2. Thank you. I like the depth of details you’ve put in the review.

 

[zeio]

FZD ALC? Ditch it!

FZD: I choose Red-3-Star.

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[CallMeZaddy]

Another thing to consider - I'm personally becoming a fan of the oversized heads these days; just makes it a easier to block and actually hit the ball. One of the reasons why I'm starting to shift more towards innerfiber blades.

I used a very similar setup on the FZD ALC for a few months (DHS H3N BS national / D09C FH and D09C BH). For me, because the BH was so stable and automatic at times, I had trouble pivoting to FH just because the BH was so safe and I knew I could hit it. The W968, on the other hand, makes me look for opportunities to for that FH kill - the FH just feels so much better, especially when you whip it down the line.

 

[SFF_lib]

Another thing to consider - I'm personally becoming a fan of the oversized heads these days; just makes it a easier to block and actually hit the ball. One of the reasons why I'm starting to shift more towards innerfiber blades.

I used a very similar setup on the FZD ALC for a few months (DHS H3N BS national / D09C FH and D09C BH). For me, because the BH was so stable and automatic at times, I had trouble pivoting to FH just because the BH was so safe and I knew I could hit it. The W968, on the other hand, makes me look for opportunities to for that FH kill - the FH just feels so much better, especially when you whip it down the line.

That’s exactly how I felt. With 09C on FZD BH, I became lazy and just whacked with BH. It’s fast, consistent and easy. It’s a safer game that lacks energy and thrill tbh.

I agree that with W968, you must pivot and move more. But the satisfaction of FH kill is unparalleled by the safe BH game with FZD ALC.

 

[Wrighty67]

Yeah I saw your review on H2. Thank you. I like the depth of details you’ve put in the review.

I’ve got an H2 on order - currently using innerforce ALC so keen to see how they compare

 

[CallMeZaddy]

I’ve got an H2 on order - currently using innerforce ALC so keen to see how they compare

Awesome! Let me know your thoughts when you get it

 

[God-scrubplayer]

I would suggest trying the Nittaku Hina Hayata H2 or the Xiom TMXi Pro. For me, these blades gave me somewhat of a combined W968 FH and FZD ALC BH.

Don't get the tmxi pro. The FH side is a suspect, it doesn't grabs the ball and it "bounces" off. It's not comparable to w968