Let’s Start with Limba Wood.

Limba wood is typically a softer wood type. It provides great balance alongside faster carbon composite layers. Limba generally offers more stability to powerful blades. This makes it perfect for blades which are focused on ball acceleration through spin production. It’s also perfect for blades which have more control to balance out their power ratio.

While they offer more balance, it is important to note that Limba top layer blades are not necessarily slow. These blades can have great speed thresholds like the Vyzaryz Trinity blade, but this softer wood helps make the blade more forgiving. This sacrifices some of the power properties of the blade to offer more touch.

Koto is considered the powerful wood in the world of table tennis blades

Koto is usually applied in thinner layers. It is a much stiffer wood, taking away flex and adding hardness to a blade. Koto on the top layer of a blade packs a punch, it adds sharpness and a clean feedback to the blade.

These blades have very pure feedback. With the added hardness on the top layer the Koto wood blades are also considered to have greater precision and direct power.

The Zhou Qihao Hyper ARY-c 90 is the latest JOOLA blade with Koto wood on the top layer. It helps provide the sharpness and power that a player like Zhou Qihao in the Chinese National Team would look for in his game!

In some cases these wood layers are relatively thin. They may make up just one top ply layer of a blade, but they can have a huge impact on performance. The differences between Limba and Koto top layer blades are important to know about for competitive players. Perhaps Limba is for you, perhaps Koto. Maybe your preference lies elsewhere as mine has at many times and you prefer the feeling of Hinoki Top layer blades.

Understanding more about these wood types will help you to find the right custom table tennis equipment for you.

The post The Two Major Players in Table Tennis Blades: Koto vs. Limba Top Layers | MHTT Blog appeared first on JOOLA Global.

Outer layer carbon blades are those which have a composite layer directly beneath the top wood layer of the racket. In most cases the added stiffness of the composite layer can be felt more upon contact in these outer layer rackets. You certainly feel more bite from the carbon properties and get added speed in your shots.

In these blades the quality of the carbon is felt more purely and directly.

Players who like the power and pace of carbon would more likely prefer these outer layer carbon blades for their game.  This could be for more power at distance, perhaps with a koto top layer like the Zhou Qihao Hyper ARY-c 90. Alternately player might prefer  faster and with more flex closer to the table with limba or hinoki outers – the Santoru KL-c Outer is a prime example.

Inner Layer Carbon Blades:

The Inner Layer positioning offers more softness to carbon blades. Yes you can still achieve great speed with composites like PBO-c or KL-c, and with different wood layers on top, however you achieve more wood feeling with the carbon.

Inner Layer composites are positioning the layer above the core layer, with two plies of wood on top. The Santoru KL-c Inner blade is a perfect example.

The double wood plies on top of the composite offer a cushioning for the ball, creating optimal touch and added control while maintaining the presence of the carbon fiber properties to add extra kick.

These blades are great for players who like higher arc on the ball, more spin feeling and a lot of variance in their game, while still relying on the carbon fibers to add some sting to the ball contact. It is important to note that while these blades don’t necessarily have the same direct impact into the ball contact, they are by no means slow blades and still have great speed.

Other Elements to Consider:

Of course while there are some differences between blades based on the positioning of composite layers – there will always be many other variances depending on wood types and combinations and the different types of carbon composite and thicknesses of layers.

This hopefully serves as a general guide to give a basic understanding of what you might expect in differences between inner and outer layer composite table tennis blades.

I was using the Santoru KL-c Inner blade for a little while and recently decided to switch to something that I could get a more crisp and direct contact with, and have such changed to the Zhou Qihao Hyper ARY-c 90 blade which is an outer layer carbon blade.

The post How Does Composite Layer Positioning Effect Table Tennis Blade Performance? | MHTT Blog appeared first on JOOLA Global.

The new Dynaryz rubbers are already out. They are improved versions of the first two Dynaryz rubber variants, and have been tweaked to suit more playstyles. The AGR AND ACC versions sell well, and they offered extra speed and spin compared to the older Rhyzer and Rhyzm series. JOOLA stated that they have improved the topsheet formulation in order to have better ball grip while maintaining a fairly affordable price. The topsheet is not tacky as some other people say because it does not stick to your fingers nor the ball when you press against it, but it is extremely grippy. I believe these two new variants have more grip than the previous AGR and ACC variants. I will try to cover the differences between the ZGR and CMD rubbers and briefly compare them to the AGR and ACC versions. The sponge of both CMD and ZGR versions have a porous look and both seem to have a fairly similar porous size. Please take note I have not measured the pore sizes. The topsheets of the 2 rubbers have different specs and these give them their major differences. The CMD has a pimple height of 0.9mm, width of 1.7mm and spacing of 0.6mm between pimples. The ZGR has a pimple height of 0.8mm, width of 1.5mm and spacing of 0.9mm. The flat sheet of the CMD is thinner compared to that of the ZGR topsheet. You cannot have both tall pip structure and at the same time a thick flat sheet because it will go over the 4mm rubber thickness limit set by the ITTF. The thickness of both rubbers is at 3.7mm when I measured them with the caliper. This is the table for the pip structure of the four Dynaryz rubbers:

Dynaryz Variant	Pimple Height	Pimple Width	Pimple Spacing
CMD	0.9mm	1.7mm	0.6mm
ZGR	0.8mm	1.5mm	0.9mm
ACC	0.9mm	1.7mm	0.6mm
AGR	0.9mm	1.7mm	0.6mm

The ZGR and CMD variants are offensive+ rubbers. If I were to compare the speed of the ZGR to the ACC and the AGR, the ZGR seems to have the least speed. It is not slow, but you can feel the difference in speed. When I tested the four variants again side by side just to confirm the approximate speed, the CMD seems to have the “slowest” speed among the four. Based on JOOLA’s ratings, the ZGR’s speed is almost on par with the. In my opinion, the ACC seems to have more speed than the ZGR. There were times the ACC had greater distance to cover than the ZGR due to the lower arc of the ACC. If compared to other brands, the speed of the ZGR is greater than that of the Tenergy 05, but falls short to the Tenergy 64. The CMD version would be comparable to that of the Tenergy 80FX. The CMD’s speed is not as fast as the other variants, but the speed is still in the offensive range.

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JOOLA Dynaryz ZGR

• Rubber Line: Premium
• Weight: 76 grams (uncut)
• Speed: OFF+
• Spin: Very High
• Hardness: Very Hard

The ZGR has the most vicious spin out of the 4 variants. The AGR was already very spinny, but the topsheet of the ZGR has quite a lot to offer. It is possible that the ZGR has some changes in the formulation of the topsheet. Although labelled as having a hyper-traction technology, I was more interested on the amount of grip the ZGR has compared to the older AGR and ACC. Although the topsheet looks similar, the difference in spin becomes apparent when you start looping or doing counter topspins and sidespin loops.

With the non-Chinese rubbers currently on the market, there are only two ways to design a very spinny rubber. One is to make the topsheet semi-tacky or tacky like a lot of ESN rubbers that have been coming out in the market recently. Two is to make the topsheet so grippy that, with the help of a very good sponge, it can bite the ball properly giving you tons of spin. The first type is represented by the Rhyzen ZGR while the latter is represented by the Dynaryz ZGR.

The Rhyzen ZGR is the spinniest and is more dependent on the type of ball contact that uses more of a brush contact. The Dynaryz ZGR, while having tons of spin too, is more dependent on the sponge to produce the spin during loops. The hardness of the sponge helps a player brush the ball with a thin contact if they want to do slow topspin loops, but in my opinion, the Dynaryz ZGR is designed to optimally produce spin if you engage the sponge more. The Dynaryz ZGR is very spinny and can be considered to have the same level of spin as the Tenergy 05, but they do not feel the same. If you are looking for a rubber that spins like Tenergy 05, but has a faster speed, then the Dynaryz ZGR is that rubber.

It is still a prevalent thought or belief among people that Tenergy 05 is still the best rubber on the market, but in reality, it is not. ESN rubbers have been catching up with Japanese-made rubber for a few years now. There are ESN rubbers that are just as good or even better than the Japanese-made ones and they are sure way more affordable.

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JOOLA Dynaryz CMD

• Rubber Line: Premium
• Weight: 67 grams (uncut)
• Speed: OFF+*
• Spin: Very High
• Hardness: Medium to Medium-Hard

The Dynaryz CMD version is also spinny, but a little bit less so compared to the AGR and ZGR versions. It also needs a little bit more skill when handling, especially when using it on stronger attacks. The arc is low and sometimes you need to be cautious of the way you make contact with the ball and the way you compress the ball against the sponge. Thankfully, the Dynaryz CMD is not too fast, so control is never an issue. I had minor adjustments when I used it on the forehand, but for the backhand, it was easy to block with the CMD version.

There are tradeoffs between the two Dynaryz ZGR and CMD versions. One can be too fast and needs some adjustment on the high arc and some sensitivity to spin, which is a very minor issue. The other needs a slightly more open angle and needs more sponge compression on stronger shots, but is better for the intermediate level player.

The CMD version is a good allround rubber. I would say from blocking to drives and smashing, these strokes complement the rubber’s inclination towards more control. Aside from looping, I like the ZGR version more for drop shots, serves and pushes. I find the hard sponge easy to do delicate shots with because it does not bounce the shots that high. Overall, the quality and performance of these two rubbers are more than what I would’ve expect for their prices.

*Footnote: The JOOLA Dynaryz CMD is designed with a medium sponge and JOOLA would rate it as more Off-/Off.

Disclaimer: These rubbers were sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own. Review has been lightly edited for grammar and flow. You can find the original review, published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

The post JOOLA Dynaryz ZGR & CMD: Better than Japanese rubbers? appeared first on JOOLA Global.

These two rubbers are two of the four newest rubbers JOOLA released in the third quarter of this year. The JOOLA Rhyzen ZGR is the harder version and the CMD is the softer version.

At first look, both rubbers have distinct topsheets and sponges. The grain of the Rhyzen ZGR topsheet is almost identical to that of the JOOLA Dynaryz rubbers. The much finer grain of the Rhyzen CMD topsheet is noticeably different. The pimple structure is also different on both rubbers. The Rhyzen ZGR has 0.8mm tall by 1.5mm wide pimples with 0.9mm of space between pips. The Rhyzen CMD has 1.0mm tall by 1.4mm wide pimples with 1.2mm of space between pips.

The sponge of the CMD version has a lighter purple color with much smaller pores. The ZGR version has a much more porous sponge, and the purple is somewhat darker. Out of the box, the Rhyzen CMD was curling much more. I am yet to confirm if the black CMD rubber also has this kind of curling out of the box. The Rhyzen ZGR however has slight curving.

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JOOLA Rhyzen CMD

• Rubber Line: Performance
• Weight: 67 grams
• Speed: OFF
• Spin: Very High
• Hardness: Medium
• Topsheet: Semi-Tacky
• Pimples: 1.0mm H | 1.4mm W | 1.2mm S

For the hardness, the Rhyzen ZGR has a hard sponge. If considering the topsheet, I estimate the ZGR has an approximate hardness of 54 to 55 degrees. I have 55-degree rubbers from other brands, and they feel much harder when pressing your fingers into the rubber. The Rhyzen CMD on the other hand, has a somewhat soft feel. The topsheet has a softer construction and my finger sinks into the sponge easily. It feels like a 45–46-degree rubber when including the topsheet.

I played with the two Rhyzen rubbers using the JOOLA Santoru KL-C Outer and a 7-ply, all-wood blade from another brand. When using both rubbers on the same blade back-to-back, you could feel the differences in their arc and speed. The Rhyzen ZGR and CMD rubbers are not as fast compared to any of the Dynaryz rubbers. It is possible that the partial tackiness of the topsheets might be reducing the speed of both rubbers.

The tackiness of both rubbers is only minimal. They do stick onto their wax paper-like covers out of the box, but are not as tacky or sticky as the JOOLA CWX rubber. I would say the Rhyzer 43 and Rhyzer 45 rubbers from JOOLA are faster than the Rhyzen ZGR and CMD respectively. Still, both Rhyzen rubbers are on the OFF level, so they are not slow. It’s just that you would feel the speed gap if you are using any of the Dynaryz rubbers.

These two Rhyzen rubbers are spinning machines!

These two Rhyzen rubbers are spinning machines! The semi-tacky topsheet of these rubbers give a high amount of spin. I would say there are differences on how these two rubbers produce spin. On stronger shots, both rubbers should be more engaged when compressing the sponge, especially at far distances.

The CMD version is easier to spin by just compressing the ball against the topsheet and sponge. The ball sinks easily into the Rhyzen CMD’s topsheet and sponge. Aside from the soft sponge, this is probably due to the larger spacing and longer pips. The Rhyzen CMD is ideally suited for players who engage the sponge or compress the sponge more than just purely brushing the ball with the topsheet. In a way, it is easier to produce spin because the rubber’s softness lets the ball sink both into the sponge and topsheet, thereby wrapping the ball for more grip.

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JOOLA Rhyzen ZGR

• Rubber Line: Professional
• Weight: 75 grams
• Speed: OFF+
• Spin: Very High
• Hardness: Medium
• Topsheet: Semi-Tacky
• Pimples: 0.8mm H | 1.5mm W | 0.9mm S

The Rhyzen ZGR on the other hand, rewards you more if you have the correct basic strokes and touch down and know how to make contact on the ball. If you are used to using the JOOLA CWX rubber that plays like a typical Chinese rubber, with some adjustments, the Rhyzen ZGR can give you almost equal spin, but with even more power and bounce. The Rhyzen ZGR is in a way, spinnier than Tenergy 05.

The difference in arc between the two rubbers is also obvious. The JOOLA Rhyzen ZGR has a medium to medium-low arc, which is somewhat higher than the Rhyzen CMD, which has a low arc when looping. Even when doing forehand to forehand drives, I have noticed the Rhyzen CMD produces a much flatter and longer trajectory.

For other strokes, the CMD blocks easier because the soft sponge easily returns loops and smashes. Punchblocks are also easier with the CMD, which has better control. The ZGR version, however, pushes better. With its hard, but not too bouncy sponge, the ZGR has better drops shots and short pushes. The CMD version is also the most affordable of the new rubbers. Overall, these two rubbers are very affordable options that keep up with the performance of today’s rubbers. The ZGR especially, is expected to be a rubber suited for high-level players that are wanting more spin in their game without sacrificing any speed. The CMD version will offer good control, power, and spin at a much lower price.

Disclaimer: These rubbers were sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own. Review has been lightly edited for grammar. You can find the original review, published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

The post JOOLA Rhyzen Rubbers Review appeared first on JOOLA Global.

• Weight: 91 grams
• Thickness: 6 mm
• Plies: Hinoki - Koto - KLC - Ayous - KLC - Koto - Hinoki
• Stiffness: Medium
• Speed: Off+

A player’s equipment criteria of choosing the right racket for his game is a crucial part of his game. When the ball evolved from a mere 38mm ball to the now present 40+mm polyball, the kind of materials and equipment design also changed. Some blade designs remained the same, but the rubbers changed through the years. Some blade designs evolved and the prevalence of inner composite blades right now in the market is much more compared to a decade ago. JOOLA has designed the Santoru KL-C Inner blade to produce an offensive blade that gives a feel closer to an all wood while maintaining a good amount of control. I do not see many inner composite blades which have a hinoki-koto outer layers. I mostly see limba-limba or limba-ayous combinations.

In my opinion, it is hard to achieve a balance between speed, control and feel... The KL-C Inner blade offers an acceptable balance of these qualities.

If basing on the wood hardness, the Santoru KL-C Inner gives a mixed feeling of softness and stiffness. In my opinion, it is hard to achieve a balance between speed, control and feel. Increase the speed and the feeling decreases due to the carbon material used. Increase the feel and control and you will sacrifice the speed and power of the blade. At the end of the day, you cannot have all the good qualities you are looking for a blade. You just need to choose which quality you will need to prioritize. The KL-C Inner blade offers an acceptable balance of these qualities. It is not as fast as classic carbon blades, but still can be considered an off+ blade in its own right. The Kevlar and Carbon weave ensures you have enough stiffness, but at the same time will give you more than enough speed for your power shots. I would say it is as fast as some 2nd layer composite blades and somewhat a notch slower than some known inner composite blades that have limba or koto outer plies. I would say it is almost as fast as an Innerforce ALC blade, but much faster than a Nittaku Inner Carbon blade. The speed and power suits mostly near the table and at middle distance play. I find it slower than the 3K-C blade since the 3K-C blade has much more power away from the table.

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The KL-C Inner has much better looping capabilities though. You will feel that you will have a much better chance to properly brush the ball on either fast or slow loops.

The KL-C Inner has much better looping capabilities though. You will feel that you will have a much better chance to properly brush the ball on either fast or slow loops. I have always emphasized to my students the importance of feel and contact on a ball especially when doing offensive shots because it not only gives you tons of spin, but a good amount of control as well. The KL-C Inner gives a more forgiving arc when looping at medium-high arc. I also used the JOOLA Rhyzer 48 and Pro 50 on this blade, which gave me a bit more confidence than using the 3K-C (this is because I prefer slower blades and not because 3K-C is a bad blade). With both rubbers, I can loop the ball much better due to a better brush contact. I guess the softness comes from the 2 outer layers wherein the hinoki top plies are followed by much harder koto inner plies. It’s like JOOLA has placed an alternate soft and hard layer placement and this combination produces a good balanced feel on ball impact. The balanced hardness it gives can be good enough to be used for a short pip rubber in the backhand, so I guess it is hard enough for most people. The KL-C Inner has a large sweetspot for better hitting and contact of the ball on every shot.

It can do almost every stroke with ease except maybe defensive chopping. I am saying you can be a blocker type of player or you can be pips out player or an offensive type all out looper, this blade is good enough...

The control is much better on short strokes and serves. I did not need any adjustments on the drop shots or short pushes. Even with fast rubbers such as the Rhyzers 48 and Pro 50, the said strokes do not feel so bouncy. Another good thing about the KL-C Inner is that it blocks really well. It can do almost every stroke with ease except maybe defensive chopping. I am saying you can be a blocker type of player or you can be pips out player or an offensive type all out looper, this blade is good enough for almost everybody and requires lesser amount of skills to use.

Disclaimer: This blade was sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own.

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

You can find this review, originally published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

The post JOOLA Santoru KL-C Inner Table Tennis Blade Reviewed by Yogi_Bear appeared first on JOOLA Global.

• Weight: 88 grams
• Thickness: 6 mm
• Piles: Limba - KLC - Ayous - Kiri - Ayous - KLC - Limba
• Stiffness: Medium
• Speed: Off to Off+

This is the only Limba outer ply blade in the Santoru series and also has the most flex. It has no direct equivalent with other blades from other brands, but it has similarities in some aspects. I have sealed the Limba outer plies a few times. Of the 3 blades, the Santoru KL-C Outer is the one I have played with the most number of hours and I have removed and glued rubbers with it about 6 times. I used the JOOLA Rhyzer 48 and Pro 50 rubbers with this blade and also used 3 more Euro rubbers and Chinese rubbers. I sealed the outer plies to protect the Limba veneers through the many rubber changes. 

The KL-C Outer is a controlled offensive Carbon blade. Although JOOLA rates it with the same flex as the other Santoru blades, I felt it is softer and has much more flex. The speed of the KL-C Outer is more like an off Carbon blade instead of a true off+ blade. I felt the speed gap between the KL-C Outer and the 3K-C blade. Both blades have 2nd composite layers, but due to the 3K-C having a pure Carbon layer, the 3K-C is marginally faster. 

The medium speed level is actually a good thing if you rely more on your arm swing and if you always do full swings on your attacking shots.

Even with the Rhyzer 48 and Pro 50 rubbers, the KL-C Outer did not feel too fast for me. I would compare the speed to that of the Nittaku Acoustic Carbon at most. The medium speed level is actually a good thing if you rely more on your arm swing and if you always do full swings on your attacking shots. This is especially good if you use tacky Euro rubbers like JOOLA Golden Tango PS or Chinese rubbers. These types of rubbers are best used when you do full swings near the table. Unless your level is very high, it would be hard if you use faster blades while having full swings near the table.

The KL-C Outer is a versatile blade which can do both offensive and defensive shots effectively.

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The KL-C Outer feels very forgiving on offensive shots. When you are out of position for example and have to do a somewhat awkward offensive return like a wide sidespin counter near the table, the KL-C Outer can still deliver good and accurate shots up to some degree. Due to its speed, I would rate it as a near-the-table blade, but still effective up until middle distance and especially counter loops. The KL-C Outer is a versatile blade which can do both offensive and defensive shots effectively. The large sweetspot of the KL-C Outer, like the other Santoru blades, ensures a uniformed hitting power with the blade. The sweetspots of the 3 blades are approximately up until 1 inch from the edge of the blade head.

Since the KL-C Outer has a good amount of flex, I expected it to be excellent when doing all kinds of loops. I tested the blade on 3 kinds of loop contact timing: late contact (where the ball is already going down), peak of the bounce, and early on-the-rise.

When you are looping the ball at late timing, the flex of the KL-C ensures you to brush the ball easily without fear of the ball bouncing too early. In short, the flex helps in “holding” or grabbing the ball on contact. The KL-C Outers’s mixed stiffness also ensures you have power on your strokes when looping the ball at peak or early contact. Even when you are trying to smash the ball, it does not feel to flexy or too soft.

Of the 3 Santoru blades, the KL-C Outer is the most versatile and also has the most control.

Of the 3 Santoru blades, the KL-C Outer is the most versatile and also has the most control. This being a Limba blade, made me keep it for use. It also has the best spinning capability if you wanted a blade that is more concerned on feel and control. I would recommend this blade to intermediate level players and above. This Carbon blade is a great value for your money.

Disclaimer: This blade was sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own.

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

You can find this review, originally published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

The post JOOLA Santoru KL-C Outer Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear appeared first on JOOLA Global.

• Weight: 90 grams
• Thickness: 6.1 mm
• Plies: Hinoki - 3Kc - Kiri - 3Kc - Hinoki
• Stiffness: Medium
• Speed: Off+

The Santoru 3K-C Carbon is the fastest blade in the Santoru series. The Santoru series blades are made in China, but the quality of the blades is topnotch with a semi-smooth finishing. Like the Xylo series, the handles are very comfortable to the hand. Despite having semi-smooth handles, I never experienced slipping during loops. When I first saw the 3K-C label in the blade I thought of the carbon fiber weaving used in the construction of this blade. In my opinion and I might be wrong, JOOLA labelled it as 3K-C for 3K Carbon fiber weave. Without getting too technical, 3K Carbon weave is a type of carbon fiber weave which has 3 thousand carbon filaments per weave.

The 3K-C has a combination of both soft and hard feeling upon ball impact and the presence of ball feel is still there despite having the stiffness of a fast carbon blade.

This gives the 3K-C blade the necessary stiffness for speed and power. The stiffness is unlike known traditional pure carbon blades in the market wherein similar construction will yield a totally stiff blade giving you less control and harder to produce topspin upon contact unless you are a higher-level player. The 3K-C has a combination of both soft and hard feeling upon ball impact and the presence of ball feel is still there despite having the stiffness of a fast carbon blade.

I can compare it to some of the known blades in the market that have somewhat the same construction. I can think of the Primorac Carbon but the Santoru 3K-C is not as blazingly fast. You see, the Primorac’s TAMCA fibers feels harder than the 3K-C’s. I am not sure if the TAMCA fibers are 5k or 6k weave. I tried searching for 5k fibers but only found 6k fiber weaves unless the TAMCA fiber design is exclusively produced only for that brand. Nevertheless, the 3K-C blade is already a very fast blade. 

When I tested it using both the Rhyzer 48 and Pro 50 rubbers, I felt the ball left a little early than I needed it to. This was due to my stroke being used to slower tacky rubbers. I also adjusted my arm swing from a full swing to a medium swing and also my ball contact. I had to switch to a ball contact wherein I would need to hit through the sponge more instead of thinly brushing the ball against the topsheet. This is mainly due to stroke preference based on the rubber and blade used. I prefer mostly blades that are like the JOOLA Xylo 7 that is a 7 ply all wood. It is not hard to adjust to the blade’s speed especially for players who are used to having very fast blade, but there are adjustments that need to be made. 

I believe JOOLA made the 3K-C as a fast blade, but did not forget the importance of control.

Although the Rhyzer Pro 50 has a hard sponge at 50 degrees, I was able to brush the ball more easily than with the Rhyzer 48 when using the 3K-C blade. I believe JOOLA made the 3K-C as a fast blade, but did not forget the importance of control. For all they care, they can just make a rocket type blade that will give a player all the speed in the world, but lacks control. Also, with the present rubbers such as the Dynaryz and Rhyzer series, you would not want a blade as fast as the TAMCAs. 

The 3K-C due to its stiffness, produces a medium-low to low arc when looping. Even at late point of contact when looping, the arc it produces is not high. When I used an old sheet of JOOLA Golden Tango PS on the 3K-C, the arc was a bit higher at medium low height. I also felt more comfortable looping the 3K-C since it was tacky and a bit slower than the Rhyzer rubbers. I would recommend players to hit through the sponge when using this blade as you can maximize the power of the blade – more on power and speed and a bit less on the spin side. Though with skill, this can be easily compensated and almost equalized.

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For delicate shots such as drop shots and very short pushes, it would take a bit of adjustment and skill if you are using bouncy rubbers. When receiving short serves, the typical characteristic like any other fast blade is that the 3K-C has a bit more bouncy response therefore one has to adjust the angle and also the tightness of grip to compensate for the bounce. This is aside from the fact that you have to take the ball early. For short serves, I did not make any adjustments because even with fast rubbers such as the Rhyzers, shorts serves were easy to execute.

Players who play at middle distance will love the 3K-C and even enjoy counter looping with this blade away from the table.

I would recommend this to advanced level players only since this is one fast blade to use. Players who play at middle distance will love the 3K-C and even enjoy counter looping with this blade away from the table. This is viable near the table if you would use a slower rubber or have the necessary skills but I am placing this blade as a mid-distance blade to far distance blade due to its tenacity and power. The price is also 120USD so this is at mid-range price and affordable for a lot of serious players.

Disclaimer: This blade was sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own.

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

You can find this review, originally published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

The post JOOLA Santoru 3K-C Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear appeared first on JOOLA Global.

• Weight: 90 grams
• Blade Head: 151mm x 157mm
• Thickness: 6.6mm
• Plies: 7
• Hardness: Medium
• Speed: Off to Off+

Limba 7-ply all wood blades have existed for several decades now. The combination of Limba outer plies with inner layers of Ayous wood is a proven blade construction across the years. The limba and ayous combination blades have won world championships. I am a 7-ply all wood blade promoter. I have said this over and over again, a 7-ply all wood blade is and should be fast enough for most average level players provided that the rubbers are fast enough and appropriate for the user. Enter the JOOLA Xylo 7 which is the newest 7-ply all wood blade from this famous US brand, formerly a European brand. The Xylo 7 may have similar construction with blades in the market, but it ends there. The Xylo 7 offers characteristics that make it stand out from other usual similar blades. Both the Xylo 7 and and Xylo 5 have been meticulously constructed to be comfortable when being gripped and the wing part on each side of the handle are slightly sanded making the grip a little much better and won’t need sanding. The handle is smooth and just right for the hand.

The Xylo 7 may have similar construction with blades in the market, but it ends there. The Xylo 7 offers characteristics that make it stand out from other usual similar blades...

The Xylo 7 is thick, though as not as thick as the Xylo 5, giving it enough rigidity, speed and some amount of flex due to the softer ayous inner layers. I was bouncing the ball on the bare blade and compared it to the ball height and bounce of the PD 437 Purple Dragon which I also own. The Xylo 7 seem to offer a slightly higher bounce than the Purple Dragon blade and seems to have a higher pitch when the ball was bouncing on the bare blade. For added info, the Purple Dragon is also a 7-ply all wood blade that has a similar construction with the Xylo 7. Once again, I used the Rhyzer 48 and Rhzyer 50 plus a Chinese rubber for the test. It is quite fast and gives a lot of extra kick when when driving and doing counter top spins away from the table. The Rhyzer 50 felt right as a forehand rubber away from the table and I did not feel a significant reduction of speed and power on my shots about 10ft away from the table.

It is quite fast and gives a lot of extra kick when when driving and doing counter top spins away from the table.

I tested various long and short strokes with the Xylo 7. I did thorough tests especially on the short strokes because I was concerned about the control. With a Chinese rubber, all drop shots and short pushes were never a problem but with faster ESN rubbers, some adjustment has to be made due to the bounciness of the blade and rubbers combined. For an experienced intermediate level player, this is not hard. I made adjustments by contacting the ball much earlier and also loosen my grip with the handle and after that it was fine. With the Chinese rubber this was much easier due to the tackiness and less bounciness. For loops, using both Rhyzers, I did not open my racket angle much anymore against underspin. I would say when I loop using the said rubbers with the Xylo 7, I only use an angle of 30 to 40 degrees the most. Mostly the arc against looping is medium to medium high. The Xylo 7’s feel is a mix of hard and soft feeling beautifully combined in order to produce the best control while giving the player the speed and power he or she needs.

The Xylo 7’s feel is a mix of hard and soft feeling beautifully combined in order to produce the best control while giving the player the speed and power he or she needs.

This is a good blade for me to keep in my collection of 7 ply blades. It is a blade for advanced players that should never be underestimated due to being an all-wood blade. This one is a blade to watch out for.

Disclaimer: This blade was sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own.

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

You can find this review, originally published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

The post JOOLA Xylo 7 Review by Yogi_Bear appeared first on JOOLA Global.

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JOOLA Xylo 5 Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear

• April 28, 2021
• By: Yogi_Bear

• Weight: 89 grams
• Head Size: 151mm x 157mm
• Thickness: 6.9mm
• Plies: 5
• Hardness: Medium-Stiff
• Speed: Off to Off+

There are a few 5 ply all wood blades in the market and Xylo 5 is one of them. This high-quality blade is made in China. The handle seems to be semi-smooth and very comfortable to the hand. It actually fits my hand better compared to squarish handles. The construction consists of a smooth hinoki top ply which is kiln-dried or burnt and the core is very thick at least 4mm thick. The handle is one of the most comfortable handles in the market I have tried. This is a bit more expensive compared to regular 5-ply all-wood blades but its performance makes up for it.

The handle seems to be semi-smooth and very comfortable to the hand.

The JOOLA Xylo 5 is very fast for a 5-ply blade. I’ve had very fast blades that are 5-ply all wood all my life and Xylo 5 can be considered one of the top offensive 5-ply blades. I tested this blade for 2 days straight for a few hours each day and at first minutes of playing with it, I can feel it is very fast. I bounced the ball in against a bare blade and played with it using Rhyzer 48 and 50 rubbers plus a tacky Chinese rubber. To compare the speed with known 5-ply all wood blades in the market I would rate the speed of the Xylo 5 slightly higher than SPW blade or the Korbel blade. I have used the other 2 extensively in the past for comparisons and testing and I can say the Xylo 5 is slightly faster in terms of speed. The Xylo 5 doesn’t feel as stiff as those ebony or rosewood top ply blades but the speed is more or less equal or higher. The Xylo 5 can be as fast as a 7-ply blade. In fact, the Xylo 5 sometimes is faster than its 7-ply counterpart, the Xylo 7 and the Xylo 5 is also thicker. Despite being a medium stiff blade, neither short pushes nor drop shots are a problem since this blade still has a good amount of control.

I’ve had very fast blades that are 5-ply all wood all my life and Xylo 5 can be considered one of the top offensive 5-ply blades.

Game wise, I like the performance of the Xylo 5 since it is not as stiff as a carbon blade, it can make your loops easier to perform being a blade that is not as stiff as other 5 ply blades but at the same time does not lack the speed for power shots. Let us just say that it offers some flex to let you do topspins easily. I have observed medium to medium low arc when looping against backspin or blocked topspin. The ball clears the net with about 1-2 inches clearance. It may not have the flex of off- or all-around type limba blades but still looping with the Xylo 5 is still on an excellent level. With the Chinese rubber as a forehand rubber or the Rhyzer 50, the blade is still very good at mid-distance level. Far distance from the table, it kinda begins losing power but I think this can be resolved by using a faster rubber like Dynaryz ACC. The thing with the game today is that we have a bigger and slower ball but then the rubbers we have now today are much better at spin and speed that even on an offensive all wood blade, it is still possible to attack far from the table. For professional level players maybe, they would need a composite blade for extra kicks but then again there have been pro-players that have used 5 ply all-wood blades far from the table and still perform powerful shots. Non-pro players who wanted a very fast 5 ply all wood blade but need a good amount of control can rely on the Xylo 5 to deliver the performance players need in their game. This is a 5 ply all wood blade that acts like a 7 ply blade. I would NOT recommend this to beginners as there are several all-around blades from JOOLA that can easily fit their needs.

Disclaimer: This blade was sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLA. This review is not paid and all views are his own.

Where To Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

You can find this review, originally published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

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JOOLA DYNARYZ AGR RUBBER REVIEW

By Yogi_Bear

• December 11, 2020

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Disclaimer: This rubber was sent to Yogi_Bear by JOOLAUSA. This review is not sponsored and all views are his own.

• Weight: 71 grams (Uncut)
• Speed: OFF++
• Spin: Extreme

The JOOLA Dynaryz AGR is the aggressive type of rubber in the Dynaryz series. This was built purely for offensive purposes and is a monster in both in and out of the table. Both the AGR and ACC versions of the Dynaryz have this specification on each of their topsheets which has a 0.5mm spacing in between pimples, 1.7mm width of each pimple and 0.9mm height of each pip. Both have the same pip and topsheet structure but differs in sponge hardness and some other things that I will mention below. The topsheet is matted red and black with purple sponge. I think this is still a thin topsheet thick sponge type of ESN rubber.

The AGR version is the faster one between the 2 rubbers. The speed difference is just big. When using the AGR in a 5 ply limba-limba blade, you could already feel the force of your drives on impact and it is even more evident when using a composite blade. I only used a koto-carbon-aramid blade and I already felt the increase in speed multiple times. This rubber is not a joke. The speed is faster than the JOOLA Rhyzer Pro 50. The difference is that the JOOLA Rhyzer Pro 50 has more “gears” while the Dynaryz AGR is bouncy in all aspects even with shorts shots so you have to adjust a bit. In terms of bounciness, the AGR is faster than both Tenergy 64 or Tenergy 05. The difference between the Rhyzer 50 and the Dynaryz AGR is that the Rhyzer needs more sponge compression to produce fast and powerfull shots while the Dynaryz AGR is outright bouncy. It felt like I was using a pure carbon blade in the level of Primorac Carbon instead of just a Viscaria type blade when I was using the Dynaryz AGR so I should caution everyone that this is very fast.

Many will ask how is the spin of the Dynaryz AGR. I think this is their first rubber that I can confidently say that this has the spin in the level of Tenergy 05 but has much more power. It does have a slightly lower arc than T05. The arc is between that of Tenergy 05 and Tenergy 64 so I would put it at medium to medium-high if the Tenergy 05’s arc is medium-high to high arc.

The Dynaryz AGR has a very grippy topsheet that you can lift backspin balls with less effort. I have greatly observed this when receving underspin/backspin balls in the backhand. It has this good amount of bite with the ball either with a flick or opening loops in both the backhand and forehand. So far, this is the spinniest non-tacky JOOLA rubber in their arsenal. The Golden Tango PS and vanilla versions are both spinny but pales in comparison with the power. On stronger shots, the Dynaryz AGR has more juice and more power to offer.

I really admire this rubber because this still has a good amount of control despite its speed compared to other hard and fast rubbers in its class. I reckon this would be a hit among new rubbers that will come out this 2020. This is simply a superb rubber!

Where to Buy

About Yogi_Bear

Known in the industry by his username, Yogi_Bear is a table tennis influencer, equipment expert, and frequent contributor on the table tennis forum Table Tennis Daily. He is an International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Level 1 Coach and ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course Conductor.

You can find this review, originally published on Table Tennis Daily, here.

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The post JOOLA Dynaryz AGR Rubber Review by Yogi_Bear appeared first on JOOLA Global.