Could you share a review on the atletico power pro? I always wanted to order that blade from prott, the handle its daaaamn beautiful!
Here is my review, but you should bear in mind :
I play with a penhold grip and have short pips on the forehand (Donic Baxster F1-A) and a rubber paddle (Tenergy 05). I'm comparing the YAPP (Yasaka Atletico Power Pro) with my previous blades, which are made of seven-layer wood (Clipper CR and Xiom Xtreme S).
My playing style is more oriented towards hitting than looping, but I use topspin with my backhand (Tenergy).
Prott announces this blade as the "Yasaka" version of the W968, but I cannot confirm this as I don't know anyone who plays with the W968. However, looking at pictures and details of it, it looks similar.
The blade is fast, even when playing with an SP OFF — consider that I play close to the table — but if you play at a medium-to-long distance from the table, you shouldn't have any problems. The sweet spot is much bigger than that of my previous blades. When you hit or loop with this blade, it's easy to generate power and spin. You can also hear a "clack" when you make contact with the right part of the blade. I need to adapt my game because this blade is more powerful than a 7-Layer Wood blade. I need to play a bit further away and my topspin swing should be shorter.
The throw angle is lower than with my old blades, and I have to lower my gravity center or the forehand will go out of the table, and the backhand blocking game (with pips) will go to the net.
The RPB with Tenergy is amazing; it's as if the rubber grabs the ball for a few milliseconds and the blade adds power to give a fast, spinning shot.
The feel is solid; for example, with the Clipper CR, I could feel the ball vibrating, which I didn't like. With the Xiom (a slightly thicker blade), there are fewer vibrations, and with YAPP, I feel even fewer.
I don't know how the blade would feel if you played with a DHS H3 or any other hard rubber, but I imagine you would need better technique and more body work to generate the same power and spin as with soft rubber.
Overall, I think it's a good blade, and considering the price and specifications (Yasaka W968), it's worth it.
I have bought from Prott twice with no problems; the products arrived within two weeks. From my point of view, I would say that the blades and Li-Ning products are legitimate.
