Is Ovtcharov blade good? Comparisons and reviews

[Louisgenius]

I recently messaged xiao gan ge asking about performanice of Ovtcharov alc and he said it’s thick, heavy, hard, barely anyone plays with it. Is it really bad? i was about to get one. how does it compare to W968, viscaria.
thanks

 

[ThePongCommenter]

It is thick heavy and hard. Not super common at the amateur level but pretty popular choice with some pro and high level players.

 

[Louisgenius]

He said the core layer is super stiff and it takes a lot of power. It is pretty slow apparently. He also said it will feel more head heavy than the 150*160 W968

 

[ThePongCommenter]

It is head heavy definitely. I don't agree about it being slow though.

 

[NDH]

I recently messaged xiao gan ge asking about performanice of Ovtcharov alc

Apologies, but is this someone who is supposed to know a lot about blades?

The Ovtcharov ALC is a great blade in my experience.

The one thing I would never call it is "slow".

It's quicker than any inner carbon blade I've played with, and incredibly similar in speed to the likes of Viscaria/TB ALC.

It's noticeably faster than something like the Harimoto Innerfoce ALC.

It has a bigger head, so it'll be heavier, and if you use heavy rubbers, that will be amplified.

 

[Amayzde]

Its definitely not a bad blade. It all depends on your playing style. Its made for Dimas playing style. Powerful direct topspins from mid distance.

If you want to play a blocking game close to the table, then the Harimoto will suit you better.

If you dont necessarily want a blade for a specific playing style, then the regular IF ALC will be just fine.

 

[mamedium]

I have both FL and ST
comparing to 968:
it is not very good with H3 if that’s what you are asking. D09C or D05 is way better

Handle is on the thick side
The core is a bit stiff so flex isnt great

 

[WingTT]

There is some variation in the BTY Ovtcharov blade. Mine is definitely a bit too stiff for my liking and is definitely not slow but another that I have tried does not feel that stiff. YMMV.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Apologies, but is this someone who is supposed to know a lot about blades?

The Ovtcharov ALC is a great blade in my experience.

The one thing I would never call it is "slow".

It's quicker than any inner carbon blade I've played with, and incredibly similar in speed to the likes of Viscaria/TB ALC.

It's noticeably faster than something like the Harimoto Innerfoce ALC.

It has a bigger head, so it'll be heavier, and if you use heavy rubbers, that will be amplified.

I don't agree that the Ovtcharov is slow either but Gan is a former Chinese provincial player who has very trusted reviews on equipment. Equipment experiences can be very subjective and even high level players may not always feel the same way about the same blade or rubber.

 

[Louisgenius]

I’ve played with many inner and outer carbon blades before. currently play with H3 Neo National blue sponge 41 on forehand. I used to be a U17 Chinese Junior provincial team member. Wondering if Ovtcharov works well snd it’s comparison to w968 with h3?

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I used to be a U17 Chinese Junior provincial team member.

You recently estimated yourself as USATT 2300. Chinese provincial players at the U17 provincial levels would be far better than 2300. That wouldn't even be a good enough level in the US to win U17 at a regional level, in most regions. You also mentioned you are American but are only in China for school - why would a foreigner be a provincial team member?

 

[Topspinslinger]

I really like it, nice flared and st handle.
Besides that it feels good during every stroke.

I have one that is 84 grams (light) and it doesn't feel heavy at all. D09C as expensive as it is works nice on forehand.
Overall I like how stable it feels, a bit thicker blade makes every shot FEEL better.

I'd say the speed is slightly slower then regular ALC blades like viscaria or boll alc. But most importantly softer and stiffer, which increase spin and for me control.

 

[doppelmoral]

I use AJH Tmxi Pro and tested w968 twice recently. these blades are very similar.

ovtcharov I tested recently but only briefly (15 minutes). I cant say it was an extensive test so just sharing my impressions. ovtcharov alc was very different to w968. different feeling at impact and as described by others, less flex and stiff

ajh tmxi pro is a fantastic replacement for w968. or just get the real thing. butterfly has no equivalent for it

 

[mamedium]

You recently estimated yourself as USATT 2300. Chinese provincial players at the U17 provincial levels would be far better than 2300. That wouldn't even be a good enough level in the US to win U17 at a regional level, in most regions. You also mentioned you are American but are only in China for school - why would a foreigner be a provincial team member?

don’t you know the first rule of the internet: believe everyone

 

[Louisgenius]

You recently estimated yourself as USATT 2300. Chinese provincial players at the U17 provincial levels would be far better than 2300. That wouldn't even be a good enough level in the US to win U17 at a regional level, in most regions. You also mentioned you are American but are only in China for school - why would a foreigner be a provincial team member?

I said I used to be a member. I’m now in college attending Cornell majoring in medicine and biology. Also 2300 is an estimate, this is because my training partner/teammate china played a tournament here and got a rating 2400 ish. He’s slightly better than me so I’m prob around 2350 ish. Also, I grew up and played for GuangDong provincial team.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I said I used to be a member. I’m now in college attending Cornell majoring in medicine and biology. Also 2300 is an estimate, this is because my training partner/teammate china played a tournament here and got a rating 2400 ish. He’s slightly better than me so I’m prob around 2350 ish. Also, I grew up and played for GuangDong provincial team.

Not playing for the Cornell team?

You do realize if you are 2350 then most people here giving you advice probably couldn't even score 3 points in a game off of you? Why are you so determined to take equipment advice from these people instead of your former provincial teammates and coach who is a CNT player and whatever else, people who know your game and level much better?

 

[mamedium]

there’s a short (golden) way to be 2300…

 

[Louisgenius]

Not playing for the Cornell team?

You do realize if you are 2350 then most people here giving you advice probably couldn't even score 3 points in a game off of you? Why are you so determined to take equipment advice from these people instead of your former provincial teammates and coach who is a CNT player and whatever else, people who know your game and level much better?

They all use Viscarias or W968. I want to try something different. Also I do play for Cornell team for nctta, but it’s “unrated”. So I don’t have official rating

 

[ThePongCommenter]

They all use Viscarias or W968. I want to try something different. Also I do play for Cornell team for nctta, but it’s “unrated”. So I don’t have official rating

Nope. All NCTTA players receive an NCTTA rating. There is no such thing as "unrated" NCTTA events. So you cannot have played NCTTA for Cornell and not received a rating.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I’ve played with many inner and outer carbon blades before. currently play with H3 Neo National blue sponge 41 on forehand. I used to be a U17 Chinese Junior provincial team member. Wondering if Ovtcharov works well snd it’s comparison to w968 with h3?

I said I used to be a member. I’m now in college attending Cornell majoring in medicine and biology. Also 2300 is an estimate, this is because my training partner/teammate china played a tournament here and got a rating 2400 ish. He’s slightly better than me so I’m prob around 2350 ish. Also, I grew up and played for GuangDong provincial team.

They all use Viscarias or W968. I want to try something different. Also I do play for Cornell team for nctta, but it’s “unrated”. So I don’t have official rating

@Louisgenius

You are a former Chinese provincial team member but in November 2023 you were around 1900 USATT. That must be the lowest level Chinese provincial team player I've ever seen in my life and I know a lot of them. And incredibly, a year later you were 2350 USATT. Let me guess, you were out of practice from your Chinese provincial team days in 2023 and then got your level back in 2024?

What is your goal in lying so much and so consistently about your playing level? You do realize that it won't help you get useful recommendations if you are blatantly exaggerating your level and capability, right? Nor will it help you get better at table tennis.

You aren't a Chinese provincial team player. You don't have a CNT player head coach. You aren't 2350 USATT. You don't go to Cornell University or play for their NCTTA team. Cut the bullshit and stop wasting people's time.