Harimoto Innerforce Super ALC

[NextLevel]

If I am not mistaken, regular Harimoto ALC uses Ayous core, while Super ALC has Kiri core? Correct me if my info is wrong, I heard it from a Japanese reviewer

I wonder what changes about the characteristics of the SALC if it has a Kiri Core. Wouldnt that be even more impactful (ayous vs kiri) than the difference between ALC and Super ALC?

I thought that was more a weight thing and to a lesser degree a feeling thing. Kiri is lighter so you can get lighter weights with heavier materials..

 

[doppelmoral]

got a good offer on a used harimoto super alc, so will try it out tonight. my blade weighs 89g, ~1380hz.
seems like most people here preferred the heavier versions of harimoto SALC, so I tried to get out around 90g
Will try it with h3n BS FH and glayzer BH and post my impressions later

 

[po-stit]

got a good offer on a used harimoto super alc, so will try it out tonight. my blade weighs 89g, ~1380hz.
seems like most people here preferred the heavier versions of harimoto SALC, so I tried to get out around 90g
Will try it with h3n BS FH and glayzer BH and post my impressions later

Amazing feeling but unfortunately i couldnt handle the power. Mine was 88gr. Can't wait for your impressions.

 

[doppelmoral]

So I tried the Harimoto SALC yesterday. Did about 45 mins of drills and then a total of 4 matches vs different players. Let me start by saying that I really like this blade. Again, mine is 89g, ~1380hz, FH h3n bs 39, BH glayzer05.

Most of my impressions will be compared with my trusted AJH TMXi Pro. So first of all the handle. It is comfortable and I really like it, but it is quite a bit smaller than the TMXi Pro. I still prefer TMXi Pro's handle but thats also because I played with that blade for so long now.

When I did a few bounce tests and also start warmup drives, you can feel Harimoto SALC is quite a bit harder than the TMXi Pro. It has less vibrations , and in terms of shot feeling its between TMXi Pro and FZD ALC, but leaning more towards TMXi Pro. Shot feeling of HSALC still very comfortable, it has limba and some vibrations so it feels nice. First topspins went out, which is due to the catapult of the blade. Easy to adjust though, took me just a few minutes. The catapult of the blade is really there and I guess its due to the super ALC. The blade gets quite fast when you loop, but its not uncontrollable at all, but definitely a switch up when you are used to very linear blades. TMXi Pro is like W968 so you get what youre putting into the shot, HSALC kicks more forward.

I must say that I was really happy with the spin generation of the HSALC. you have to dig into the blade a bit more, feels a bit empty if you dont engage the blade. if you do, the spin creation was very very nice and the arc was also really high. also the arc was very pleasant and the ball was very stable, dipping down near the end of the table. the catapult really helps here so I just had to focus on making good contact and good spin, and the blade pushed the ball forward.

blocking felt alot more aggressive than with my tmxi pro, HSALC blocks a bit like fzd alc. very sharp and fast, I made some errors because the ball gets released very fast on blocks. Thats not a bad thing though, once you adjust its easy to pressure the opponent with low and fast blocks. I would say HSALC is very stable and good for defense, great feeling when blocking and chopping too. however, one underrated skill on amateur level is to take speed out of the ball, instead of going faster and faster. that was a bit more difficult with the HSALC, cuz the catapult kicks the ball forward. taking speed out is easy with TMXi pro, even larger head of 160x152, it absorbs the ball and you can place it super well. with tmxi pro to make a sharp offensive block, you need to make an active stroke. with HSALC it will be fast no matter what

counter loops with HSALC were so good, I was winning alot of points from behind the table in topspin topspin rallies, the spin creation and arc were so good I just didnt miss.

so overall I am really happy with this blade. it is not too fast because I use slow rubbers (h3), it is extremely stable, it makes a high arc. this blade really has alot of flavor to me, good if I want to use a tmxi pro kind of blade with added catapult. overall tmxi pro feels more powerful though, and also more crisp when you go for it, it will flex more on powershots and creates a very powerful ball but u have to work alot more in comparison to HSALC. so the shot quality of tmxi pro is higher, HSALC seems just fine in terms of shot quality but the stabiliy is the amazing part here.

I would still recommend the regular harimoto alc for most club players especially if you use fast rubbers like dignics or ESN rubbers. but for intermediate players that use slowish chinese rubbers, this is a gem especially for those who feel like long v, tmxi pro, w968 etc. are too much work

 

[kindof99]

Harimoto alc and Harimoto super alc are basically two totally different blades to me. Hsalc feels much more solid at almost everything.

 

[ai_yo]

Will see how this plays. My main racket is Harimoto ALC 90g with D05 2.1 both sides. Really curious how my 85g Harimoto Super ALC plays with D09C 2.1 on FH and Glayzer 2.1 on BH. I decided to get Glayzer to have more control as I think the Super ALC layer will make up for the speed loss.

 

[Siming417]

So I tried the Harimoto SALC yesterday. Did about 45 mins of drills and then a total of 4 matches vs different players. Let me start by saying that I really like this blade. Again, mine is 89g, ~1380hz, FH h3n bs 39, BH glayzer05.

Most of my impressions will be compared with my trusted AJH TMXi Pro. So first of all the handle. It is comfortable and I really like it, but it is quite a bit smaller than the TMXi Pro. I still prefer TMXi Pro's handle but thats also because I played with that blade for so long now.

When I did a few bounce tests and also start warmup drives, you can feel Harimoto SALC is quite a bit harder than the TMXi Pro. It has less vibrations , and in terms of shot feeling its between TMXi Pro and FZD ALC, but leaning more towards TMXi Pro. Shot feeling of HSALC still very comfortable, it has limba and some vibrations so it feels nice. First topspins went out, which is due to the catapult of the blade. Easy to adjust though, took me just a few minutes. The catapult of the blade is really there and I guess its due to the super ALC. The blade gets quite fast when you loop, but its not uncontrollable at all, but definitely a switch up when you are used to very linear blades. TMXi Pro is like W968 so you get what youre putting into the shot, HSALC kicks more forward.

I must say that I was really happy with the spin generation of the HSALC. you have to dig into the blade a bit more, feels a bit empty if you dont engage the blade. if you do, the spin creation was very very nice and the arc was also really high. also the arc was very pleasant and the ball was very stable, dipping down near the end of the table. the catapult really helps here so I just had to focus on making good contact and good spin, and the blade pushed the ball forward.

blocking felt alot more aggressive than with my tmxi pro, HSALC blocks a bit like fzd alc. very sharp and fast, I made some errors because the ball gets released very fast on blocks. Thats not a bad thing though, once you adjust its easy to pressure the opponent with low and fast blocks. I would say HSALC is very stable and good for defense, great feeling when blocking and chopping too. however, one underrated skill on amateur level is to take speed out of the ball, instead of going faster and faster. that was a bit more difficult with the HSALC, cuz the catapult kicks the ball forward. taking speed out is easy with TMXi pro, even larger head of 160x152, it absorbs the ball and you can place it super well. with tmxi pro to make a sharp offensive block, you need to make an active stroke. with HSALC it will be fast no matter what

counter loops with HSALC were so good, I was winning alot of points from behind the table in topspin topspin rallies, the spin creation and arc were so good I just didnt miss.

so overall I am really happy with this blade. it is not too fast because I use slow rubbers (h3), it is extremely stable, it makes a high arc. this blade really has alot of flavor to me, good if I want to use a tmxi pro kind of blade with added catapult. overall tmxi pro feels more powerful though, and also more crisp when you go for it, it will flex more on powershots and creates a very powerful ball but u have to work alot more in comparison to HSALC. so the shot quality of tmxi pro is higher, HSALC seems just fine in terms of shot quality but the stabiliy is the amazing part here.

I would still recommend the regular harimoto alc for most club players especially if you use fast rubbers like dignics or ESN rubbers. but for intermediate players that use slowish chinese rubbers, this is a gem especially for those who feel like long v, tmxi pro, w968 etc. are too much work

Would you please explain the meaning of "the catapult of the blade"? I am studying English. Thank you.

 

[ai_yo]

Would you please explain the meaning of "the catapult of the blade"? I am studying English. Thank you.

这里的 “catapult of the blade” 指的是底板的“弹射感 / 弹弓效应”。也就是说，当你不发很大力时，底板本身会把球弹得更快、更远，球容易飞出台面。这种底板不太“线性”，力量一上去，球就被弹出去很多。Hope this helps.

 

[Siming417]

这里的 “catapult of the blade” 指的是底板的“弹射感 / 弹弓效应”。也就是说，当你不发很大力时，底板本身会把球弹得更快、更远，球容易飞出台面。这种底板不太“线性”，力量一上去，球就被弹出去很多。Hope this helps.

I got it. Thanks

 

[doppelmoral]

I tested this Harimoto SALC for a couple more sessions. Forehand is a few months old h3n bs 39degree, was previously boosted but is now 'dead'

There is one thing that makes HSALC really special for me. so if you are used to very linear blades, like hl5, w968, tmxi pro, atletico power and so on you already know that h3 is amazing as long as you boost. if you dont boost frequently, it is really difficult to make pace with dead h3+ linear blade and that can be a problem vs good players

with hsalc, you can use even dead h3 that lost its boost effect and you can make a powerful ball easily. the touch is great cuz its still limba, but as soon as you reach the salc layer the ball kicks forward even tho your h3 has no more juice left (I use 39 degree version which is easier to hit through). and to my surprise, my openups or loops in general all magically land on the white line, which is hard to deal for the opponent. the arc is quite high and safe too. of course with tmxi pro / w968 the overall quality will be higher but its harder to play and u need to be dilligent with boosting

I also tried 'dead' h3 on fzd alc and while its okay, hsalc actually provides more support for me. the ball lands deeper on the table which is annoying for the opponent in combination with h3's second bounce. and while fzd is quite soft, hsalc still provides more feeling because of the limba outer ply. I just like fzd more for bh and fh-bh transitions. I also put a vega x on the backhand of my hsalc, had g05 before which was a bit hard. Vega X feels like nothing special but safe and easy to play and easier to activate

so yeah, for anyone that uses w968 type of blades and cant be bothered to boost, hsalc is really great because it has enough support for h3n bs 39 degree even after the boost is gone.

 

[NextLevel]

I tested this Harimoto SALC for a couple more sessions. Forehand is a few months old h3n bs 39degree, was previously boosted but is now 'dead'

There is one thing that makes HSALC really special for me. so if you are used to very linear blades, like hl5, w968, tmxi pro, atletico power and so on you already know that h3 is amazing as long as you boost. if you dont boost frequently, it is really difficult to make pace with dead h3+ linear blade and that can be a problem vs good players

with hsalc, you can use even dead h3 that lost its boost effect and you can make a powerful ball easily. the touch is great cuz its still limba, but as soon as you reach the salc layer the ball kicks forward even tho your h3 has no more juice left (I use 39 degree version which is easier to hit through). and to my surprise, my openups or loops in general all magically land on the white line, which is hard to deal for the opponent. the arc is quite high and safe too. of course with tmxi pro / w968 the overall quality will be higher but its harder to play and u need to be dilligent with boosting

I also tried 'dead' h3 on fzd alc and while its okay, hsalc actually provides more support for me. the ball lands deeper on the table which is annoying for the opponent in combination with h3's second bounce. and while fzd is quite soft, hsalc still provides more feeling because of the limba outer ply. I just like fzd more for bh and fh-bh transitions. I also put a vega x on the backhand of my hsalc, had g05 before which was a bit hard. Vega X feels like nothing special but safe and easy to play and easier to activate

so yeah, for anyone that uses w968 type of blades and cant be bothered to boost, hsalc is really great because it has enough support for h3n bs 39 degree even after the boost is gone.

How heavy was yours?

 

[doppelmoral]

How heavy was yours?

89g, ~1380hz.

 

[NextLevel]

89g, ~1380hz.

Thanks. Seems innerforce blades have their performance more sensitive to weight in my experience.

 

[SFF_lib]

I tested this Harimoto SALC for a couple more sessions. Forehand is a few months old h3n bs 39degree, was previously boosted but is now 'dead'

There is one thing that makes HSALC really special for me. so if you are used to very linear blades, like hl5, w968, tmxi pro, atletico power and so on you already know that h3 is amazing as long as you boost. if you dont boost frequently, it is really difficult to make pace with dead h3+ linear blade and that can be a problem vs good players

with hsalc, you can use even dead h3 that lost its boost effect and you can make a powerful ball easily. the touch is great cuz its still limba, but as soon as you reach the salc layer the ball kicks forward even tho your h3 has no more juice left (I use 39 degree version which is easier to hit through). and to my surprise, my openups or loops in general all magically land on the white line, which is hard to deal for the opponent. the arc is quite high and safe too. of course with tmxi pro / w968 the overall quality will be higher but its harder to play and u need to be dilligent with boosting

I also tried 'dead' h3 on fzd alc and while its okay, hsalc actually provides more support for me. the ball lands deeper on the table which is annoying for the opponent in combination with h3's second bounce. and while fzd is quite soft, hsalc still provides more feeling because of the limba outer ply. I just like fzd more for bh and fh-bh transitions. I also put a vega x on the backhand of my hsalc, had g05 before which was a bit hard. Vega X feels like nothing special but safe and easy to play and easier to activate

so yeah, for anyone that uses w968 type of blades and cant be bothered to boost, hsalc is really great because it has enough support for h3n bs 39 degree even after the boost is gone.

I tried my friend's setup. It was surprisingly good. The tiny bit of vibration is just enough to feel it but not too much. The control is insane. That explains why my friend can return anything 😂

 

[po-stit]

Thanks. Seems innerforce blades have their performance more sensitive to weight in my experience.

What do you mean by that? In terms of speed or feeling?

 

[po-stit]

Bought one again. I couldn't resist it and it didn't make sense to not have one considering I love how the blade plays. The worst case scenario I'll have a blade for having fun in practice. I'm not planning on changing my main blade any time soon since I've been playing so well and feeling so comfortable with my Hugo HAL but maybe when the season ends ill start practicing with the HSALC again.

On the HAL I've been playing with D05(FH) and Hybrid MK (BH) and was considering going for the same setup since it's been so good to me, however I had a spare Hybrid MK PRO that I bought to test on my FH to replace the D05. Didn't enjoy that as the rubber didn't play like its sibling (Hybrid MK) on the HAL. Felt too mushy and the arc and dwell were really weird.
However on the HSALC im really surprised by how the combo behaves. For the short practice I had with it I can see myself playing with it on both sides. High levels of grip, decent arc but not overwhelming (like 09c) and the power is plenty considering the SALC and the rubber hardness. The somewhat hybrid nature of the rubber (not tacky but really high grip) allows me to play difficult balls like I could with the 09c, like underspin low balls and still be able to play in line with power and decent quality.

Really surprised by it and I recommend you guys to try it out. Its like I'm playing with a somewhat softer and "tacky" Dignics 05.

Next practice I'll probably glue an old D05 I have on the SALC and do a direct comparison between both of them. Of course I also need to try the normal Hybrid MK on the SALC.

Big downside I noticed is that with the same weight (88gr) for both blades the SALC setup comes almost 10gr heavier than my Hugo HAL and I can definitely feel it on my shoulder mainly on fast side exchanges.

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

great feedback and will look forward to hearing more about the different combos

we like the HAL...

BUT WE LOVE THE HSALC

(my main one is 88g as well, nice!)

 

[kevin.c]

Does anyone have an anatomical handle version of Harimoto SALC and can provide some feedback as compared to Flared and Straight versions? I've tried the FL and Straight handle and find them really small as compared to my Xiom TMXi Pro, does anatomical feel much different and better feel?

 

[TampaBayTableTennis]

My two HSALC blades are anatomic but I haven't tried the FL or ST. It seems beefier than the FL handle on regular Harimoto ALC but I've only tried that once or twice so I can't say for sure. Here are a few photos comparing it to FL handle on HAL/Viscaria and ST handle of Fextra. @kevin.c

 

[kevin.c]

My two HSALC blades are anatomic but I haven't tried the FL or ST. It seems beefier than the FL handle on regular Harimoto ALC but I've only tried that once or twice so I can't say for sure. Here are a few photos comparing it to FL handle on HAL/Viscaria and ST handle of Fextra. @kevin.c
View attachment 39989

View attachment 39988

View attachment 39987

Many thanks for the comparison, really appreciate it. I've always found butterfly handles too small and there are very limited blades with anatomical handle. From your photos, the anatomical handle does look much beefier, will definitely try to test out one.