illumind's Blade Ratings/Reviews
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Here are illumind's ratings and reviews. These ratings are useful because illumind has his/her own standard and will rate and review the ping pong equipment accordingly, giving you accurate and useful ratings and reviews to aid you in your next online purchase.
Andro (1)
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Andro Wanokiwami AO OFF
Speed  |
10.0 |
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Control |
9.2 |
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Stiffness |
7.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.5 |
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Review of Andro Wanokiwami AO OFFIgnore comments from user anandkeshav. It is absolutely not as slow as that user indicated, and it's worth noting they have reviewed no other items so their opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. The blade is on the fast side of OFF-, or may be seen by some as OFF, depending on what you're comparing it to. It's speed is similar to the TSPW or Nittaku S-5, around '9' - I only rated it 10 in the stats so the overall rating rose from 8.7, which I believe is too slow. Throw angle and dwell make for a great looping blade, with a soft balsa feel and sound. Although it sounds like balsa with rubbers glued on and hitting balls, the middle ply is not balsa. It has a somewhat high pitch when bouncing ball directly onto the naked blade, which indicates it's relatively fast speed for a 5 ply wood. Has plenty of power available even at distance and loops backspin balls well. I agree with ttandi, the blade is finished very well, with a very comfortable handle and overall feel.
Aug 03, 2019 |
Butterfly (7)
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Butterfly Bastian Steger
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Speed |
7.8 |
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Control |
8.8 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
8.0 |
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Review of Butterfly Bastian StegerOwned it briefly after replacing my Primorac Off- back in late 2000's. From memory it played similar to my Primorac Off-, but I didn't like it quite as much. Can't remember why exactly, but it seemed like a slightly poorer version of the Primorac Off-.
Jun 28, 2019 |
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Butterfly Timo Boll ZLF
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Speed |
8.6 |
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Control |
9.0 |
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Stiffness |
3.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
8.7 |
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Review of Butterfly Timo Boll ZLFMine was 82g. Amazing blade for looping (dwell time), however I found the feeling quite muted compared to all wood blades I've used. Even some thin carbon/thin hinoki blades (like Joola Rossi Emotion) I found were less muted. I agree with Mindtrip about it potentially being non-linear with drives or close to table shots. It has stacks of dwell time, and I'd say too much with some some rubbers. Would be interested in trying the LS ZLF to compare, that looks like a better option if I was buying another 'ZLF' composite blade. As usual with BTY, it's overpriced, as one expects. I paid $100 off RRP and still felt it was moderately overpriced. Good blade if you're focusing purely on looping and happy to overlook it's querks. I sold mine not long after trying it - wasn't for me.
Jun 15, 2019 |
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Butterfly Primorac
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Speed |
7.7 |
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Control |
8.9 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
8.9 |
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Butterfly Tamca ULC
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Speed |
9.0 |
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Control |
10.0 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
8.5 |
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Review of Butterfly Tamca ULCWeight and balance is nice. It's quite light, as advertised. Would rate speed and *control* closer to '9'. Does everything it should, however isn't the most flexible blade for dwell time while looping. As others have said, hitting and blocking are ideal with this. In short, it's great if you like hard and stiff carbon blades
Sep 09, 2019 |
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Butterfly Chinese Tamca ULC
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Speed |
9.0 |
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Control |
10.0 |
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Stiffness |
7.0 |
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Hardness |
6.7 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.0 |
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Review of Butterfly Chinese Tamca ULCWeight and balance is nice. It's quite light, as advertised. Would rate speed and *control* closer to '9'. Does everything it should, however isn't the most flexible blade for dwell time while looping. As others have said, hitting and blocking are ideal with this. In short, it's great if you like hard and stiff carbon blades.
Sep 09, 2019 |
Donic (2)
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Donic Waldner Dotec Allround
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Speed |
8.1 |
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Control |
8.2 |
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Stiffness |
7.0 |
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Hardness |
3.7 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
8.0 |
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Review of Donic Waldner Dotec AllroundMakes a pronounced *tonk* sound when contacting the ball. No one I've met liked the sound, but it depends on your preference. I've never heard an all wood, carbon, ALC, ZLF, ZLC, or other composite blade that sounds this strange. Truly odd, and my guess is it's the combination of Balsa and 'Dotec Mesh' that creates it. Personally, I found it distracting so bought a Tibhar SPW instead, which I love. Only those who love balsa (and it's pro's and con's) or want to try something different need apply, IMO. Speed is definitely faster than say a Primorac Off- and slower than a Tibhar SPW, say between 7.9 and 8.5 speed. Just as speed is somewhat variable due to the balsa, so to is the control due to balsa's 'non-linear' effect. The rubbers applied to it also vary perceptions of speed and control. I tried softer and harder sponge rubbers on it but couldn't find anything that worked well for me, but again it's personal preference.The handle is cork, despite review by "lbuga68" above to the contrary. I'll add that it certainly doesn't look anything like "rubber" as suggested, although could in a strange way be said to feel like rubber as cork has a natural rubber-like elasticity to it. It IS cork though, without a doubt. Regardless of the blades many idiosyncrasies, it's not my cup of tea. It's strong points (IMO) are it's light weight (70g~) and forehand-friendly handle, while slightly opening the backhand up, for better or worse. For the record, the curved, fat, protruding (palm shaped) part of the blade should curve INTO the palm, not the other way around. If I was buying a Dotec style blade for the first time I'd get the Carbon version, which would hopefully change it's sound while adding a more consistent feel and playing characteristics than the 5 ply AR version. The 4 outer limba plies would probably assist with this. TTDB reviews appear to suggest the speed/spin characteristics are also more balanced with the carbon version.
Oct 31, 2015 |
Gewo (1)
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Gewo Velox Alpha Speedster
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Speed |
10.0 |
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Control |
9.4 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
6.7 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.5 |
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Review of Gewo Velox Alpha SpeedsterTested with Vega Europe and Vega Pro. Great blade if you want to avoid head heaviness, as it's a small head compared to standard. Speed is identical to Tibhar SPW, being 1470Hz~ (8.9) when bouncing a ball on the naked blade. Does feel different to the Stratus Power Wood, with a different sound. Didn't play with it long enough to determine whether it's much stiffer/harder than a limba/limba/ayous blade or not, but it's quite nice either way, and has a fairly standard wood attributes, without being noticeably hard or soft, stiff or flexible. I just prefer the sound and feel of my XIOM Offensive S and Tibhar Lebesson, so sticking with those.
Aug 31, 2019 |
JOOLA (2)
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JOOLA MC1
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Speed |
9.6 |
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Control |
9.0 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
6.7 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.2 |
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Review of JOOLA MC1Great if you like balsa feel and want something fast and light. Just as others have said! Wouldn't recommend for a beginner or someone starting out either.
Dec 21, 2015 |
Nittaku (3)
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Nittaku Acoustic
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Speed |
8.5 |
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Control |
9.2 |
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Stiffness |
3.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.2 |
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Review of Nittaku AcousticI paired with soft, medium/soft rubbers and it was terrible for looping backspin balls, took effort to get them over the net relative to my Tibhar SPW, JRE and other blades. Put medium hard rubbers on it, with high throw angle, and I'm sure you'll have a better experience than I did. In fact, I'm quite certain if medium to medium hard (with high throw) rubbers are glued on, then it would justify all the fan fair. Otherwise, see my ratings for the numbers.
Jul 21, 2019 |
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Nittaku S-Series S-5
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Speed |
8.9 |
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Control |
9.1 |
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Stiffness |
7.0 |
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Hardness |
3.7 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.4 |
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Review of Nittaku S-Series S-5Blade is 5 ply Spruce, 6.1mm. Mine is 88g. Handle is perfect for small/medium hands and very well finished. I believe it could be considered an OFF blade, or at least a fast OFF-. Speed is comparable to my Tibhar SPW. Blade is most enjoyable when playing any mid distance offensive strokes (eg looping), but also blocks well close to the table. Pushes and flicks work well enough, while flat hits aren't it's strongest suit. When hitting hard counter drives or loops the blade makes an incredibly nice cracking sound, which feels like driving an old Italian car (for those familiar with the feeling) at high RPM's, quite lovely really. Paired with new 'clicky' Tensor rubbers, one gets a simultaneously click-crack type sound, which I'm a fan of. Has quite a high amount of feeling, vibration and feedback, which is great if you're sick of lifeless blades, although may not be fully appreciated by those coming from harder carbon or some ZLF composite type blades.
Jul 28, 2019 |
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Nittaku Adelie
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Speed |
8.5 |
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Control |
9.6 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.5 |
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Review of Nittaku AdelieOne of the best 7 ply blades with limba outer (x2) and ayous inner (x5) available. Similar to many others in construction, but lighter and with arguably more control. Handle is very comfortable, and the same size as most Nittaku/Japanese blades. Putting price aside, it's a great blade, if one wants a well finished, comfortable, high control blade that generally works well with most modern rubbers. Likely work best with Chinese (&/or tacky) rubbers if looping is the focus though.
Jul 27, 2019 |
Tibhar (2)
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Tibhar Stratus Power Wood
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Speed |
9.0 |
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Control |
9.5 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.6 |
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Review of Tibhar Stratus Power WoodBlade is 6.2mm. 5ply Limba-Limba-Ayous-Limba-Limba apparently. Had one at 92g~ (fairly standard) and sold it - would rate it solid OFF. Loved it so bought another at 87g - making it a fraction slower. Speed is a touch faster than my previous Joola Rossi Emotion (thin carbon) and BTY TB ZLF but noticeably slower than Joola MC1 I've used. Somewhat like the Nittaku Tenor I've tried, but with better control, flex and sound IMO, also very slightly slower. I also prefer the speed, feel, sound and control of TSPW more than my old Primorac Off-, however it's way faster than that. Very versatile, great for looping, hitting, flicking or almost anything you like. Tried with 2x Vega Europe MAX (Total weight 178.5g) and loved it. I disagree with those saying it isn't head heavy, however I prefer lighter to medium weighted setups. It's a similar weight to many OFF wooden blades of this configuration, which I also find head heavy. It's a personal preference thing, and this is only relevant to someone wanting a lighter setup. I sanded 2mm of top and wings and found it perfect after that, but would not suggest doing this. If learning to master good technique and generate your own power I'd suggest something slightly slower, to avoid detrimental reliance on equipment. It has PLENTY of power if/when required and is one of the best I've used though. It would be worth 2-3 x times the price if it were branded Nittaku or Butterfly etc. Can't go wrong for the price, fantastic blade! Was <$30 USD~ on special.
Jun 16, 2019 |
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Tibhar E. Lebesson
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Speed |
8.5 |
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Control |
9.7 |
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Stiffness |
10.0 |
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Hardness |
10.0 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
10.0 |
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Review of Tibhar E. LebessonMine is 89g (FL) and definitely OFF- . Wood composition is limba/mahogany/ayous. Would rate speed as 8.5, control 9, stiffness 5 and hardness 5.5+, due to it's hard mahogany 2nd ply. You can feel the hardness of the mahogany, but it isn't as extreme as the outer walnut ply in the Yasaka Extra Offensive, which is very hard and stiff feeling. This feels more dwelly and woody than the YEO, but not as soft and flexible feeling as typical limba/limba/ayous blades. Plays like a synergy of the Primorac OFF- and the Yasaka Extra Offensive. Or, plays like the Nittaku Acoustic, but a touch harder and stiffer, without the Acoustic feeling. I paired with Evo FX-P to replicate the setup used by Lebesson himself, and can certainly see why he uses this combo. It blocks, flicks and counters well, with no obvious issues in short game. Looping with the FX-P is really nice too, with lovely click from the FX-P and a fairly standard amount of dwell. Doesn't have the dwell time of a thin/soft ZLF blade, however still has plenty enough imo. This is a really nice blade for an intermediate (or better) player, not wanting something painfully slow, or uncontrollably fast either. Blade has a longer handle length (5mm longer) and smaller blade face size, which makes for a perfect 50/50 weight balance - no head heaviness, relatively speaking. For the price on special (around $30 USD) it's great value for money.
Aug 19, 2019 |
Xiom (1)
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Xiom Offensive S
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Speed |
10.0 |
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Control |
10.0 |
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Stiffness |
5.0 |
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Hardness |
5.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
10.0 |
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Review of Xiom Offensive SMine weighs 87g. Blade is a touch slower than Tibhar SPW, and very clearly OFF-, say 8.7 speed. Plink/donk frequency test is 1400Hz, and my TSPW is 1470Hz, which is very close to the same. Great blade for intermediate players who like all wood blades, with limba/limba/ayous composition. Nice handle to, for those who find the TSPW handle a little large, and standard Nittaku Acoustic handle a little small. Like the BTY Korbel and TSPW, this is a great 'do it all' blade. Best attribute is looping, but does everything else well too. Fantastic value for money.
Aug 31, 2019 |
Yasaka (1)
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Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive
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Speed |
10.0 |
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Control |
10.0 |
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Stiffness |
7.0 |
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Hardness |
8.2 |
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Consistency |
10.0 |
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Overall |
9.4 |
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Review of Yasaka Ma Lin Extra OffensiveSimilar speed to my TSPW, with slightly less control. Feeling is quite sharp, due to the walnut outer ply. Also stiffer than TSPW. I tested with soft/medium soft rubbers with medium high throw and it played well. Only rated speed and control '10', to bring average rating numbers up to approximate it's actual speed, which is I believe is closer to the TSPW, as mentioned already.
Aug 03, 2019 |
