What's the worst blade you've ever used?

[turbozed]

Nah, the YSE does have a dead zone for sure. But I thought it was slightly faster than say the Yasaka Sweden. But it is splitting hairs. But I wouldn't use those blades today I think, I think there are better ways to get to the same destination that using those blades was intended to get you to.

Yeah I agree. I'm not an expert, but my pet theory is that thin, slow, flexy 5 ply blades (under 5.8mm) were good for the old ball but with the new ball, the slight increase in mass changed things to the extent that they are no longer appropriate. Because a lot of good players have fond memories of using a 5 ply with the old ball, they recommend it to new players without having used it with the new ball, and recommend using bouncier tensor rubbers to make up the speed difference, as if that were the only variable that needed to be accounted for. 6.0mm+ OFF- 5 plies or 7 plies (TSP, Offensive S, Fextra, etc.) seem like the better starting point, which @JJ Ng also seems to argue for above. Even a thinner and less stable version of the TSP may have issues as @Scarfed Garchomp mentions above.

It's also cheaper route since beginners can use cheaper Chinese rubbers and intro tensors for a while whereas the slow 5 plies need something like Rakza 7 or faster (and therefore more expensive) to compensate.

 

[NextLevel]

Yeah I agree. I'm not an expert, but my pet theory is that thin, slow, flexy 5 ply blades (under 5.8mm) were good for the old ball but with the new ball, the slight increase in mass changed things to the extent that they are no longer appropriate. Because a lot of good players have fond memories of using a 5 ply with the old ball, they recommend it to new players without having used it with the new ball, and recommend using bouncier tensor rubbers to make up the speed difference, as if that were the only variable that needed to be accounted for. 6.0mm+ OFF- 5 plies or 7 plies (TSP, Offensive S, Fextra, etc.) seem like the better starting point, which @JJ Ng also seems to argue for above. Even a thinner and less stable version of the TSP may have issues as @Scarfed Garchomp mentions above.

It's also cheaper route since beginners can use cheaper Chinese rubbers and intro tensors for a while whereas the slow 5 plies need something like Rakza 7 or faster (and therefore more expensive) to compensate.

Yes, as much as I love the Korbel, I think it is a bit outdated with the limba *and* the thickness, the Hadraw VK which was based on the Korbel Speed is a reasonable update, though a bit too thin, but the Koto outer ply is better for the ball rebound. I agree as you pointed out that 6.0mm should be the minimum for all wood with limba outer plies (like the SPW though the SPW design is crappy with the hollowed handle to make it lighter). If you use a thinner design, you need harder outer plies like the Hadraw VR, a blade that used to confuse me but whose design I understand much better now (doesn't excuse Butterfly's criminal pricing though). All in all, with all wood blades, ball rebound with the ABS seamed balls needs to be considered a bit more than the old ball demanded. Hurts the short game a little, but still of critical importance.

 

[DragonOwen]

For me, the worst thing I've tried is Zhang Jike Super ZLC. There's just no feeling, it's like playing with a shovel...

 

[Trevize84]

I played that YSE with 3 different rubbers for months. And Mercury 2 has felt fine on 3 different blades. So I don't think the 1 minute you spent using the YSE was telling you the whole story. The YSE sucks (at least for me)

Only downside of YSE for me is the small sweet spot and the fact the area outside the sweet spot is really bad compared to other blades. I found this useful for learning, but I hate that.

 

[bobpuls]

My ovn... Still have it...

 

[speaquinox]

Stiga cc7, ebony7, rosewood 7. Stiff and hard as hell. I never understood Stiga’s love for harder woods treated with hard coatings etc.

 

[yoass]

The only blade I really gave up on due to the weird feeling/vibrations was the Butterfly Innerforce Layer ALC.S. I'm not sure what it was, but the feedback I got from that blade was terrible. I was using a Stiga Infinity VPS and wanted to try a carbon blade. I chose the ALC.S because it had the same wood layers plus ALC.
Maybe it was the thinness of the blade which made it feel terrible?

That Innerforce Layer ALC.S is the one blade that disappointed me most, too. It felt like cardboard, and playing felt like waving a stack of paper in the general direction of the ball. Flimsy, erratic.

Some people do play well with it; but I wouldn't go near it again.

 

[ericd937]

Ma Lin Carbon was the second penhold blade I used. It has a soft feeling, pairs perfectly with DHS rubbers, great short game and nice control. Your negative experience might be due to rubber incompatibility?

That could be a good point. That may also be why Hurricane 3 didn't work for me. Lol. I tried using it on blades that feel good with Tenergy and Dignics. I tried using Hurricane 3 for a year; boosted, unboosted, commercial, provincial, different sponge colors and different hardnesses. I got worse and worse over the year. I gave up and went back European rubber.

 

[ericd937]

For me, the worst thing I've tried is Zhang Jike Super ZLC. There's just no feeling, it's like playing with a shovel...

That's exactly how I felt with the Ma Lin Carbon. Ive had a few blades like that over the years.

 

[Zwill]

For me I think it was a Novacell. I can't even remember but it was blue and Andro so I guess Novacell. The blade felt like I was playing with styrofoam.

But I tried a lot of shitty blades, Carbonado 145, Infinity, half a dozen of Viscaria/TBALC, recently a 95g Korbel. I feel bad for the guys who bought these copies since I know there are excellent ones among them.
While I hated all of those they don't come close to how much I hated the Novacell

 

[ericd937]

I've also had 3 copies of Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit. One of them was absolutely perfect. It was dynamic, not too hard, and flexy. Awesome blade. I ended up getting a crack in the center ply. I had it repaired and now it is super stiff. I do not like it. I tried several times over the years to get a good TBS as a back up. Both of the blades felt completely different than the first one. One was very bad and the other was so so. I sold them both. The very bad one was super stiff and hard.

 

[JJ Ng]

I've also had 3 copies of Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit. One of them was absolutely perfect. It was dynamic, not too hard, and flexy. Awesome blade. I ended up getting a crack in the center ply. I had it repaired and now it is super stiff. I do not like it. I tried several times over the years to get a good TBS as a back up. Both of the blades felt completely different than the first one. One was very bad and the other was so so. I sold them both. The very bad one was super stiff and hard.

I had a Viscaria and I did not like it. Maybe just a bad batch.

 

[ben1229]

I had a Viscaria and I did not like it. Maybe just a bad batch.

Why not ! Vis, you must play! Haha, just kidding,not all vis are good, you have to choose one in store.

 

[Der_Echte]

WORST blade I ever used waz a DHS LONG 5.

 

[TareqPhoto]

WORST blade I ever used waz a DHS LONG 5.

Why?

And what about DHS Long 5X instead?

 

[JJ Ng]

Why?

And what about DHS Long 5X instead?

I played with my friend's DHS Long 5 carbon. I also hated it. I don't know. Too much vibration. But yet I did not have enough feeling on the ball. Everyone's opinion is subjective. You need to try it to see if you like it or not. One friend still plays with his DHS Long 5 carbon because he got it for very cheap price in China. With his playing level, I don't think he cares. Another friend is selling his DHS Long 5 carbon.

 

[TareqPhoto]

I played with my friend's DHS Long 5 carbon. I also hated it. I don't know. Too much vibration. But yet I did not have enough feeling on the ball. Everyone's opinion is subjective. You need to try it to see if you like it or not. One friend still plays with his DHS Long 5 carbon because he got it for very cheap price in China. With his playing level, I don't think he cares. Another friend is selling his DHS Long 5 carbon.

That is normal in everything, i swear i was playing with one friend in the past around 2018-2019, he has original Viscaria, and that time i bought my DHS Hao III, he was selling his Viscaria and didn't find anyone to buy it, and he told me honestly that he liked my HH3 more than his Viscaria, sadly he wasn't around when i ordered my Long 5X, he might hate whole Butterfly maybe, while another people they love their Viscaria to death, so it is understandable.

For me i didn't find my Long 5X as bad really, it was better with Tenergy 80 but i hated that rubber, i replaced it to H3N Prov blue sponge and H3N standard 37degree and i feel like it is useless, Forehand is not bad but i can't have the nice control with it even compared to my replica of Long 5 [Stuor], so i decided to change rubbers again, it is the rubbers issue and not the blade really, because i was using Tenergy 05/05FX on my Hao III and i was like a super, but i changed the rubbers and it is a garbage now, definitely not the blade fault.

I think i will hate Long 5 compared to Long 5X, or i could love it, no one knows, i bought that Long 5 X back then because i saw an offer about it on TT11, now i saw this Long 5/5X again at even much better price than before, i feel like i want to buy it again at that offer, one will be for practice/trains, and the other is only for actual games, i might leave my current one with DHS rubbers for trains, while the new one if i buy i will go back to Tenergy 05s or maybe Dignics one side [FH].

 

[yoass]

The only blade I really gave up on due to the weird feeling/vibrations was the Butterfly Innerforce Layer ALC.S. I'm not sure what it was, but the feedback I got from that blade was terrible. I was using a Stiga Infinity VPS and wanted to try a carbon blade. I chose the ALC.S because it had the same wood layers plus ALC.
Maybe it was the thinness of the blade which made it feel terrible?

Yes, this. For some or other reason I took an interest in it, tried it - and found it abysmal. So flimsy, felt like hitting the ball with a (thin!) piece of cardboard - and no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

 

[Der_Echte]

For the ridiculous price and what the Long 5 is cracked out to be... (powerful win the world OFF) that Long 5 shook like an earthquake, was weak as a kitten on anything less than a 120% full body power shot, and had less feel than slimy octopus.

 

[TareqPhoto]

Yinhe N11 which i bought when i started after so many posts recommended it, i felt like even kids shouldn't use it, i even feel embarrassed to show it others to sell it, and second is Stiga Carbonado 190, the wood ply with carbon just disconnected slowly until it peeled off a lot, the last time i gave up and gave it to friends in the club they come for me and they said it is a flower, they just removed that outer wood ply with rubbers and now the blade is exposed in carbon ply, i never saw any bad quality like this before, and from Stiga known brand, shame, and i ignored it completely to ask for replacement or service on time, no need, i bought nicer better blades after it and it is gone for good or bad i don't care.