EmRatThich BLADE GUIDE!

SVENNEMEG2

Hello enthusiasts!
I am happy to read in EmRatThich´s blade reference guide... 
https://pingsunday.com/top-10-table-tennis-blades-excellent-quality/#6_Darker_Speed_90
...that the blade is the most important equipment and you should always choose the blade that fits your style of play.

Now (playing for a year) after holding up for 25 years, I am really getting into it again and want to move up. So far, the Nittaku Acoustic has been a great blade and eventhough it is -Off rated you can hit very hard with it, so it has been turning out well listening to @EmRatThich advice (I miss his YouTube-videos though Thanks!

KISO HINOKI
Everybody seems to praise the true Kiso Hinoki-blades highly. They classic ones are around one centimeter thick, hard, but with a soft feel with lots of control that still when u hit can create tremendous power. 

1. These blades don´t come cheap (€300-1000) and easily break but the love oozing from reviewers trying them makes them interesting. Ryu Seung-min used a thick Kiso Hinoki-blade from Butterfly attacking almost everything. I wonder how it feels to play with such a thick blade and if it would be harder to serve and maybe feel strange. Who wouldn´t like to smack in the ball like Ryu?!  It just looks like fun. 
What do you think?

SPINNERZ

Since you are giving review of ERT's recommendation, I will do the same. I bought a Tibhar Stratus Power Five Play all wood and glued both side with Donic Baracuda as per ERT's list. It is a very controllable set up and nice to play with. It can be fast and spinny if your stroke is correct. A very all-round set up I would say. Good for beginner and Intermediate who prefer a more controlled game versus an all out power game. Good for children and women players too. 

SPINNERZ

SVENNEMEG2 said:

Hello enthusiasts!
I am happy to read in EmRatThich´s blade reference guide... 
https://pingsunday.com/top-10-table-tennis-blades-excellent-quality/#6_Darker_Speed_90
...that the blade is the most important equipment and you should always choose the blade that fits your style of play.

Now (playing for a year) after holding up for 25 years, I am really getting into it again and want to move up. So far, the Nittaku Acoustic has been a great blade and eventhough it is -Off rated you can hit very hard with it, so it has been turning out well listening to @EmRatThich advice (I miss his YouTube-videos though Thanks!

KISO HINOKI
Everybody seems to praise the true Kiso Hinoki-blades highly. They classic ones are around one centimeter thick, hard, but with a soft feel with lots of control that still when u hit can create tremendous power. 

1. These blades don´t come cheap (€300-1000) and easily break but the love oozing from reviewers trying them makes them interesting. Ryu Seung-min used a thick Kiso Hinoki-blade from Butterfly attacking almost everything. I wonder how it feels to play with such a thick blade and if it would be harder to serve and maybe feel strange. Who wouldn´t like to smack in the ball like Ryu?!  It just looks like fun. 
What do you think?

Friend,
For you the Nittaku Accoutic blade, what rubber did you pair it with?

SVENNEMEG2

Hello @SPINNERZ !
Thanks for your q.
The Acoustic I play black Joola Golden Tango Max 54 degree hardness on the European scale on fhand and Nittaku Fastarc G-1 superthick on bh.
Next week I´m gonna try the Hinoki blade from Darker, its gonna be so much fun, and on that the new Nittaku Sieger 50 degree on fh and Rakza X on bh.
The reason is development in my game and mostly my movement. The Acoustic helped me to play fast hard rubbers and most importantly made me work for it. The Tango rubber is hard and really good - you know exactly where the ball will go, but you really need to move for it to work. It got my fhand working. Now when the body moves more the right way I think I´m ready to try the "hugging" feeling of the Hinoki blade and get a little more help to lift the ball on my loops with this faster blade. The Sieger rubber is said to be quite tacky too so there will taking off some spinnerz from my racquet too pretty soon.

SPINNERZ

54 degree hardness is equivalent to how many degree hardness on DHS scale? Sorry, but I am more familiar with DHS product. You have a very offensive set up for Acoutic. Are you a two wing power looper player?

SVENNEMEG2

Hey @SPINNERZ!
54 is about 41 on the DHS scale.
That gives my opponents some trouble when I get the loops over the net, because of the rather low arc and ball placement. Now with the Hinoki experiment the ball will probably more easily arc over the net on the loops, but with more power and I guess also more spin from the blade.
It is going to be very interesting to see how the ball goes with this. 
Power loops yes, but also the setup is there to help me get to the playing style I want to get to. For me this first year have given a few stages of development. First blade I used was too fast for me to handle, later the Acoustic was perfect. Now after getting better body movement I want to try this blade and grow with it. I do think fun and footwork is most important and when you combine that with a racquet you love its just right. 

1. Hope to hear from players who have tried Hinoki blades. What is your experience? When did you try it, at what stage in your career? Why do you play with it or why dont you? What do you like and dont like about it? I want to hear your story.

SVENNEMEG2

Ok, first impressions;

Darker Imperial Hinoki 9mm blade
with the new Nittaku Sieger 2,0 with 50 degree hardness on fhand and Yasaka Rakza X 2,0 bhand. 
I hit out more and slow strokes land in the net. The one-ply Hinoki blade gives you a smoooth feeling compared to regular 5-ply massproduced blades. There is such a touch on short slow strokes and it’s gonna be very precise ball placements when learned. On the harder strokes a lot happens, oh mama! Blocks close to the table never been easier, saving smashes far from the table almost too easy. Backhand at the table very controllable with great arc over the net. 

The bouncyness needs a little getting used to and right now I miss my old 54 degree rubber on fhand with the lower arc. Need to hit more forward now to get it in. 

So, I’m playing a better shortgame and backhand but the fhand goes out. The very special hugging feeling of the Hinoki is something else and just kind of crazy to try. It’s old school and new at the same time. 

SVENNEMEG2

Yes, thats great @SPINNERZ - this discussion is about the blade and an extension of @EmRatThick chinese philosophy about the racquet.

How you can be as fast and play as good as possible.

It can be bad with a blade that is too fast for you and it can be really helpful and give you the opportunity to play more agressively with a blade with more feeling and control. Thanks for your contribution!

I love handcrafted things and like to support it. To me there was a void when it came to info about the Hinoki, especially why people loved them so much. And I too want to blast in my forehand with great control, just like Kim Taek-soo.

On that note I´d like to add that the power I feel with the Darker blade is not too much to handle on harder strokes, not uncontrollable at all, just need to correct my stoke more forward making me move more forward and I think pushing me to step in more often for some strokes that get me in charge of the ball. That can really improve my game tactic and will be really great!

Normal strokes easily get over the net and feel clearly more controllable than regular blade. Now in the beginning actually the slow strokes are more different from normal blade as the power from the blade kind of dissapear and the ball goes surprisingly short and it will take a little time to get used to, but thats good too, because when handled I have a racquet with a great slow touch and at the same time a lot of power and control when I hit the ball hard. Slow to fast is a bigger spectrum than normal blade.

ClimbK2

What are you current thoughts on the Acoustic w/hard rubber vs. the Darker Imperial?  I'm presently using a Btty IF ALC with Mizuno T48 and Tenergy 05 (BH).  It's faster and stiffer than my Acoustic (I like Sieger on FH;  the BH has G1, which feels too bouncy.).  I'm a close / mid table attacking player w/good BH block, push, and flip.  

SVENNEMEG2

ClimbK2 said:

What are you current thoughts on the Acoustic w/hard rubber vs. the Darker Imperial?  I'm presently using a Btty IF ALC with Mizuno T48 and Tenergy 05 (BH).  It's faster and stiffer than my Acoustic (I like Sieger on FH;  the BH has G1, which feels too bouncy.).  I'm a close / mid table attacking player w/good BH block, push, and flip.  

Hello @ClimbK2 !

Thanks for your Q,

I love the handcrafted thing about the Imperial from Darker, that´s why I just had to try, eventhough I liked the Acoustic from Nittaku and feel its been good for me. My quick test came down to the Imperial being very sensitive when striking slow strokes, great but too big a step from what I´m used to. You need to hit the stroke all the way all the shots, the blade will not react on slow strokes as much as normal 5-ply etc...this can be a good thing if you want it and know in your bones whats gonna happen, but I´m used to regular. Control just great if you learn this.

So, I tried the Sieger 50 degrees on fhand on the Imperial and the Acoustic I played with Joola Golden Tango 54 degrees on fhand and I feel more happened of what I want with the latter setup - more low arc and more in, but I also need to work more to get over the net because, as tested, the Sieger on the Imperial was the slower and bouncier of the two. For the Imperial I felt I wanted an even harder rubber than Sieger for the forehand.

My thought is that with all true one-ply Hinoki you have to hit through all your strokes all the way and, if you can do that, more balls might land on the table, but I guess I´m still a little too slow and forget the wrist a little so mine went out more, more than with the Acoustic. The step was too big to take for me at this moment. The experience of a true Hinoki blade was great. The craftmanship, the touch of the ball. It´s fun and beautiful, but normal felt quicker. I will keep it and come back to it later, but right now I need to play my best as the season is starting.

ClimbK2

Thanks for you response.  That was my guess.  The control of the Off/Off- blades seems more valuable to me too. 

SVENNEMEG2

Hey tutti and thanks @ClimbK2 for comment!
Last month I have been working with the Hinoki blade trying to find a combination learning from the first test period. 

Back then as u can read above in detail, I wanted a harder rubber on fhand and now when switching to my fav Joola Golden Tango the arch went down and the ball started to be more controllable for me. Still u gotta hit infront of your body and if u can be that fast with the footwork the combination is beautiful. 

The backhand was already better for me as I felt also during the first test period. It is easier to get the ball over the net just pushing and topspinning too. I tried with Racksa X and now even better with Xiom Euro VII on the bh. Really fast and a lot of spin and control. Getting more used to the slow strokes making me have to be more determined when striking the ball. Only difficult shot shot is bh underspin strokes because the setup is so offensive. 

Really fast when striking hard and slow strokes now better and better. A lotta fun playing this racquet. It makes me want to come in closer to the table and play the angles fast to build up for the kill. 

Hope you enjoyed this review. Thank you!