Whats is the difference Freitas ALC, Boll ALC, Vicaria?

[Christian Porthin]

What is the difference between: Timo Boll ALC, Freitas ALC and Vicaria blade?

Are there any big variations or are they quite the same? Can you say that one is better than the other or..?

 

[NDH]

Hi Christian,

It depends on your standard, but ultimately, there won't be a huge difference, and certainly I wouldn't say one of them is "better" than the other two.

There are plenty of review on the Viscaria and Timo Boll ALC on this forum, less so on the Freitas ALC.

But you could close your eyes, point to the screen, and whichever one you land on, will be the one you should buy

 

[Mikael Berglund]

I have not tried the Freitas ALC, but I have the Boll ALC and the Zhang Jike ALC (which is comparable to the Viscaria). The Timo Boll ALC has a stiffer outer ply and the Zhang Jike ALC is softer. The carbon is closer to the outer plies in the Timo Boll ALC. But two blades of the same model will feel different, especially if they weigh different.

 

[Ahmad Arnous]

Kenta matsudaira alc also very good butterfly alc blade

 

[SilentRain]

I can only compare TB ALC with Viscaria. Overall I felt that the Vis had SLIGHTLY more feel and stability while the TB ALC was slightly faster, stiffer and spinnier. Some notes to consider is that Viscaria has better rubber synergy as it works well with all rubbers including Chinese rubbers but TB felt weird if using Chinese rubbers and very very soft euro jap rubbers. I also noticed that when far away from the table, the TB ALC started to lose power and the user has to put much more effort just to get the ball over the net while the Viscaria did not have this problem, do note that this could be due to differences in the blade and not the model as 2 blades of the same model will play differently. But irregardless, both blades are good and you would do well with either one. If I must choose, I would choose the Vis purely for the extra feel which is quite significant, also the better rubber synergy helps if you decide to switch to different rubbers in the future for whatever reasons. You could also look into the new innerforce layer ALC, Ive read and heard some good things about it.

 

[Mikael Berglund]

The Innerforce ALC I've tried is very soft. Too soft for me, and not enough feedback. The carbon plies are deep down, as the name suggests.

 

[NextLevel]

Freitas ALC is almost definitely limba since he used the Michael Maze for a while. My guess it is a specialized take for Freitas on the Michael Maze and plays largely like a Michael Maze unless you have the world class touch to tell the difference.

 

[laistrogian]

Freitas ALC is almost definitely limba since he used the Michael Maze for a while. My guess it is a specialized take for Freitas on the Michael Maze and plays largely like a Michael Maze unless you have the world class touch to tell the difference.

Most probably it's just a re-branded Maze. It might be a bit different depending on the weight standard. Just like how Apolonia ZLC is basically a heavier Innerforce Layer ZLC

 

[jackass22]

Freitas alc is something between innerforce alc and boll alc.
Freitas alc isnt inner carbon /limba-alc.../, but the outer ply of limba is a little bit thicker. So you get better dwell time and control in comparison with boll alc. It is crispier than innerforce alc.

 

[U871247]

Hi Christian,

It depends on your standard, but ultimately, there won't be a huge difference, and certainly I wouldn't say one of them is "better" than the other two.

There are plenty of review on the Viscaria and Timo Boll ALC on this forum, less so on the Freitas ALC.

But you could close your eyes, point to the screen, and whichever one you land on, will be the one you should buy

If there are no difference then why do they have different wood composition? 🤔

 

[NDH]

If there are no difference then why do they have different wood composition? 🤔

Oooof, keeping me relevant 9 years down the line…. I appreciate it! 😅

I didn’t say there was no difference. I said there won’t be a huge difference.

The point I was making is that for 99.99999% of this forum, and players across the globe, it simply won’t matter, or, they’ll not be able to understand/feel the differences anyway.

Unless you have an extremely good player with lots of experience trying different equipment, testing blades/rubbers of the exact same weight etc….. any advice that says “X is different to Y” should be taken with a pinch of salt (meaning, you can listen to it, but don’t necessarily believe it unless you’ve tried it yourself).

So by all means ask questions like this to see what the general opinion may be, but my advice for nearly all players who ask will always be the same…..

Go for the blade/rubber you WANT to use (because of the design, the associated player or the new trend).

You’ll be much happier! 😊

 

[kapahoo]

Agree with NDH.
But since I’ve tried all three within the last year - the Freitas is a bit stiffer than the other two. Boll and Freitas a little head heavier than the Viscaria. If you like squarish ST handles, the Boll is really nice.
But again - listen to NDH, the adaption from one to any other is minimal.

 

[steve888]

Has anyone compared the FZD ALC and Frietas alc? I heard the FZD ALC is softer and has more control than the Viscaria. Thanks

 

[U871247]

Oooof, keeping me relevant 9 years down the line…. I appreciate it! 😅

I didn’t say there was no difference. I said there won’t be a huge difference.

The point I was making is that for 99.99999% of this forum, and players across the globe, it simply won’t matter, or, they’ll not be able to understand/feel the differences anyway.

Unless you have an extremely good player with lots of experience trying different equipment, testing blades/rubbers of the exact same weight etc….. any advice that says “X is different to Y” should be taken with a pinch of salt (meaning, you can listen to it, but don’t necessarily believe it unless you’ve tried it yourself).

So by all means ask questions like this to see what the general opinion may be, but my advice for nearly all players who ask will always be the same…..

Go for the blade/rubber you WANT to use (because of the design, the associated player or the new trend).

You’ll be much happier! 😊

I’m not a good player but I own both freitas and tb and right off the bat I noticed the difference specially when it comes to speed and control/feeling. I tend to like freitas better at my current level as it allows me to be more confident with my shots while with tb, I would need consistency in technique as my shots oftentimes goes long. Bit of adjustment that really makes me uncomfortable.

 

[NDH]

I’m not a good player but I own both freitas and tb and right off the bat I noticed the difference specially when it comes to speed and control/feeling. I tend to like freitas better at my current level as it allows me to be more confident with my shots while with tb, I would need consistency in technique as my shots oftentimes goes long. Bit of adjustment that really makes me uncomfortable.

"Good" player is relative on this forum - You might not think you are good, but perhaps you are better than most other people....

Or, you could be a beginner and a low level (both are fine!)

Table tennis is such a tough sport to review the equipment on - Everyone feels things slightly differently, and overall ability really matters.

If you are really not a good player, your review on the TB ALC, which is a very very very advanced blade is kinda pointless and doesn't really help anyone - In the sense that, you just aren't capable of using it.

It would be like me reviewing a Ferrari Formula 1 car and saying the steering was too sharp and the acceleration too fast...... as I crashed it into the wall 25 times.

But, it is always good to get opinions from different levels of player, so long as they are honest about their current level - It does actually help others to a degree.

It is worth noting that I could give you the same 2 blades again, and you may find them slightly different still - So it's always good to test them yourself!

 

[U871247]

"Good" player is relative on this forum - You might not think you are good, but perhaps you are better than most other people....

Or, you could be a beginner and a low level (both are fine!)

Table tennis is such a tough sport to review the equipment on - Everyone feels things slightly differently, and overall ability really matters.

If you are really not a good player, your review on the TB ALC, which is a very very very advanced blade is kinda pointless and doesn't really help anyone - In the sense that, you just aren't capable of using it.

It would be like me reviewing a Ferrari Formula 1 car and saying the steering was too sharp and the acceleration too fast...... as I crashed it into the wall 25 times.

But, it is always good to get opinions from different levels of player, so long as they are honest about their current level - It does actually help others to a degree.

It is worth noting that I could give you the same 2 blades again, and you may find them slightly different still - So it's always good to test them yourself!

I agree with you on this☺️