W968 vs Viscaria

[Louisgenius]

Hey guys,
my coach is suggesting that I switch to either a W968 National Xiang Peng player edition or a viscaria. I have tried the viscaria before and it felt pretty nice. My coach is letting me try his W968 this afternoon so I‘LL keep you guys updated on how it plays. Do you guys know the characteristics and differences between these two blades?
thanks

 

[burakins]

Basically, Carbon layers:

Visc is outer, W968 is inner

 

[Gaurgle]

Also Vis has Koto outer layer, w968 has Limba.
Koto = harder, more direct
Limba = softer, more dwell

 

[Silver Server]

Xiang Peng Hurricane acB is a Hurricane Long 5 with koto outer. So basically an inner Viscaria. The Vis may be easier to play if you lack the power for W968, so I hear.

 

[dingyibvs]

On brush loops you'll feel the ball leaving the racket much quicker with the Viscaria, thus requiring a bit more precision. On any shot hitting into the blade you'll feel the W968 having much higher throw angle, naturally creating an arc, while the Viscaria will be much quicker and more direct. On harder loops you'll feel the Ayous core of the W968 flex and kick much more than the Viscaria.

 

[ttarc]

Viscaria/FZD ALC Ep 2.02, Ec 1.92, Ec/Ep = 0.95 nearly neutral i.e. neither additional kick nor deeply holding the ball when hitting hard.
HL5 acB 3) seems to have the same composition as H301 or H301X so it either holds the ball deeper/longer (H301) or quite similar (H301X) as a Viscaria 1) 2)
This Xiang Peng personal W968 https://prott.vip/Product-Details.aspx?productcode=XP986 looks more like a standard HL5 (definitely limba outer ply instead of koto).

My BH likes the earlier kick from the outer carbon blades and higher base speed and my FH the ease of use when countering/counter looping from mid-distance. More spin and stability far from the table: HL5/W968. Might also have an edge close to the table if it's one of the older ones which hold the ball longer than current ones.
The slightly shorter contact time/less spin of these outer carbon blades can be mitigated with slightly softer sponges but this will reduce maximum speed and spin.

1) https://ttgearlab.com/2024/03/15/performance-indices-db-outer-fiber-blades/
2) https://ttgearlab.com/2024/03/15/performance-indices-db-inner-fiber-blades/
3) https://de.aliexpress.com/item/1005006781035120.html

 

[Robin0910]

So your coach is telling you to buy either a 100% professional 850$ blade or a still expensive Viscaria?!
As the commentator above me said the DHS Hurricane acB is similar to the H301 but the alc layer is blue alc, so it’s a tiny bit stiffer than that but still not as stiff as 301x. I have read some reviews of the acB and they said it’s similar to the Harimoto ALC but has a worse finish (qc). So the feeling between this and the Viscaria is very different not to mention the W968 Xiang Peng edition which is clearly just a slightly modified W968 which is almost the exact opposite of a Viscaria. So if you liked the viscaria just buy that or a fan zhendong/zhang Jike/ Lin Gaoyuan alc, etc. (essentially, they’re all the same).
Also, the acB is about as expensive on AliExpress as a Viscaria so I’d definitely recommend Viscaria considering the price point

 

[edcognito]

Hey guys,
my coach is suggesting that I switch to either a W968 National Xiang Peng player edition or a viscaria. I have tried the viscaria before and it felt pretty nice. My coach is letting me try his W968 this afternoon so I‘LL keep you guys updated on how it plays. Do you guys know the characteristics and differences between these two blades?
thanks

You can't just buy a national xiang peng player edition w968, not a real one anyway. Genuine one is extremely rare and only directly from CNT.

 

[CallMeZaddy]

You can't just buy a national xiang peng player edition w968, not a real one anyway. Genuine one is extremely rare and only directly from CNT.

You can if it’s on Prott. He sells real shit

 

[Louisgenius]

My coach is a CNT player and he can get those personal blades for the CNT. I just tried his racket tonight and it felt pretty dang good. The forehand was super stable, had a lot of ‘kick’ to it and was just hard for my opponent to block. I did find the blade to have a long and high arc though which caused some of my shots to go off the table.

 

[Jslick89]

Well, I’m a semi-professional. I’m 2300 USATT. My coach is a CNT player and he can get those personal blades for the CNT. I just tried his racket tonight and it felt pretty dang good. The forehand was super stable, had a lot of ‘kick’ to it and was just hard for my opponent to block. I did find the blade to have a long and high arc though which caused some of my shots to go off the table.

Where do you play?

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Well, I’m a semi-professional. I’m 2300 USATT. My coach is a CNT player and he can get those personal blades for the CNT. I just tried his racket tonight and it felt pretty dang good. The forehand was super stable, had a lot of ‘kick’ to it and was just hard for my opponent to block. I did find the blade to have a long and high arc though which caused some of my shots to go off the table.

I have a really hard time believing that a 2300 USATT player with a CNT member coach had to come to the internet forums to ask vague and open-ended questions to strangers about equipment when you could ask high level coaches and players at your club who know your game better and would know what is better suited to 2300 players. Especially when there are no active players in the US in the 2300 range with the name Louis, and none of the coaches in the US are current CNT members.

But of course I could be wrong.

Your coach couldn't help you with this request?

Hey guys,
I’m looking for a W968 National number or Q968 National. If you have one dm me.
thanks

 

[jk1980]

it really sounded like your coach just wanted to earn something by selling stuff to you.
I agree with ThePongCommenter that your additional info about your rating and the coach create more questions than it does answer. With the rating you claim to be you should of course be able to handle both blades quite comfortably.

If the coach was proper he should know what would fit your playstyle better, since Viscaria and W968 are not very similar it is odd to propose both.

 

[Silver Server]

Prophecy says if you’re 2200+ just get a Golden Viscaria.

 

[JJ Ng]

If you are indeed 2300, just stick with your current blade.

2300 will only happen in my dreams.

Honestly if I ever touch 2000, I am just going to retire! 2300 is very good!

 

[TareqPhoto]

I don't play professionally or even semi and without rankings or rating in my local place, but i play for fun, and i can tell that i prefer DHS blades over Butterfly ones especially Viscaria, Visc is a very popular blade, but i don't see it as a super special, in fact i started with Butterfly Jun Mizutani regular one, and although it was nice but i never liked it over my DHS Hao III which was my super blade in the past, later on i added Long 5X and i never look back, this blade is super speed, i don't use it because it requires me to kill myself to utilize it at best, so when i am in form and in mood i use it, if i just want fun i use something else but not Butterfly, i have a friend who is amazing with old Visc, he upgraded to Gold Visc or newer model Visc i think Super ZLC Viscaria and he never looked back too, even a friend i used to practice with in the past long time ago liked my Hao III over his Viscaria.

 

[Zwill]

Well, I’m a semi-professional. I’m 2300 USATT. My coach is a CNT player and he can get those personal blades for the CNT. I just tried his racket tonight and it felt pretty dang good. The forehand was super stable, had a lot of ‘kick’ to it and was just hard for my opponent to block. I did find the blade to have a long and high arc though which caused some of my shots to go off the table.

Get the one your coach can get. It's oddly specific that it's a Xiang Peng edition, but why not.
I'm not sure I wanna see his face on the bottom of my handle tho, maybe a Chen Xingtong or Shin Yubin edition for me 😏

 

[Louisgenius]

Get the one your coach can get. It's oddly specific that it's a Xiang Peng edition, but why not.
I'm not sure I wanna see his face on the bottom of my handle tho, maybe a Chen Xingtong or Shin Yubin edition for me 😏

Well, it’s the blade Xiang Peng used to use before he switched to the Acb. It has a red grand slam photo of ma long in the bottom. My coach have tried almost every blade. I was originally going to get a FZD ALC but he told me that it didn’t have as much kick as a viscaria. He‘s recommending me to play with a viscaria since I’m more used to outer blades.

 

[ThePongCommenter]

Well, it’s the blade Xiang Peng used to use before he switched to the Acb. It has a red grand slam photo of ma long in the bottom. My coach have tried almost every blade. I was originally going to get a FZD ALC but he told me that it didn’t have as much kick as a viscaria. He‘s recommending me to play with a viscaria since I’m more used to outer blades.

And an EJ CNT coach as well. Are you actually 2300 or did you make that part up? Lying about your skill level will only lead to worse equipment recommendations.

 

[Louisgenius]

And an EJ CNT coach as well. Are you actually 2300 or did you make that part up? Lying about your skill level will only lead to worse equipment recommendations.

I train in China pretty often and is only here for school. I’m able to train in ZhenDing National Training Center in China so I’m not bad(at least not a bad amateu). So, 2300 is my estimated rating. Also I’m kind of a EJ.