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The Two Major Players in Table Tennis Blades: Koto vs. Limba Top Layers | MHTT Blog

Matt Hetherington — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 13:44:16 +0000

Koto and Limba are both fantastic wood types for composition of table tennis blades. Over the years they have become the leading top layer woods for blades. This is due to their high quality and exceptional properties. Without a doubt these two wood types are the two most popular for top layers among the leading table tennis brands. This can be clearly seen in JOOLA’s Premium Line of blades.

So what is it about these two wood types which make them so great for a large proportion of table tennis players? Is there really a big difference between them both, and also other wood types?

Seems like a simple question, but actually in a sport like table tennis it’s a little more complex than finding a basic ‘ping pong paddle’. The forces on the ball are so great, and the ball is so light. Something like the wood properties in table tennis blades can make a significant difference. It impacts all aspects of your game from the feeling, the control, the speed and the overall performance.

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.

How Does Composite Layer Positioning Effect Table Tennis Blade Performance? | MHTT Blog

Matt Hetherington — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 16:38:06 +0000

At first glance many people might wonder what on earth composite layer positioning even means. It’s not as complicated as it sounds, but it certainly does have an effect on table tennis blade performance and feeling. Essentially the positioning focuses on which layer of a blade the composite materials are placed. This is separated into two groups, the classic composite placement (outer layer) and the inner layer carbon blades.

While there is essentially only one ply of difference in placement in these 7-ply blade combinations, the effect on the performance of the blade is quite noticeable.

Outer Layer Carbon Blades:

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.

JOOLA Santoru KL-C Inner Table Tennis Blade Reviewed by Yogi_Bear

Yogi_Bear — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 17:29:16 +0000

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.

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.

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.

JOOLA Santoru KL-C Outer Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear

Yogi_Bear — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000

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.

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.

About Yogi_Bear

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.

JOOLA Santoru 3K-C Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear

Yogi_Bear — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 15:25:34 +0000

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.

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.

About Yogi_Bear

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.

JOOLA Xylo 7 Review by Yogi_Bear

Yogi_Bear — Tue, 04 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

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.

About Yogi_Bear

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.

JOOLA Xylo 5 Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear

Yogi_Bear — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000

April 28, 2021
By: Yogi_Bear

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.

About Yogi_Bear

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

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The post JOOLA Xylo 5 Table Tennis Blade Review by Yogi_Bear appeared first on JOOLA Global.

JOOLA Vyzaryz Blade Review by Coach Richard McAfee

Richard McAfee — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 05:00:19 +0000

JOOLA Vyzaryz Blade Review by Coach Richard McAfee

I recently received three of the new JOOLA Vyzaryz Blades for testing. I have been using the classic JOOLA Rosskopf Emotion blade for years. However, with the advent of the plastic ball, I felt it was time to upgrade my equipment and was looking forward to testing the new JOOLA Blades.

The blades I received were the JOOLA Trinity, JOOLA Hybrid, and the JOOLA Freeze. Out of the box, it was quickly apparent that all three blades were exceptionally well made in Korea with wonderfully comfortable handles made in Italy. The overall look and finish of the blades was the equal of any top blade on the market. All the blades were around 5.8-5.9 mm thick and weights were between 85-91 grams. They were all very well balanced even when used with max thickness rubbers.

I used all three blades in my daily coaching for two weeks and had several of my students test them. The students ranged in level from 2200-2450 in the USA rating system. During testing we used JOOLA Dynaryz AGR rubber on one side and JOOLA Dynaryz ACC rubber on the other side.

Here are our impressions on how they played:

JOOLA Vyzaryz Trinity
JOOLA Vyzaryz Freeze
JOOLA Vyzaryz Hybrid

JOOLA VYZARYZ TRINITY

This 5 + 2 blade features a new, unique to JOOLA, X3 Composite. The X3 Composite is created by weaving horizontal layers of PBO-C with vertical layers of AL-C. This creates a unique blend of both power and control at high speed.

My first impression when hitting with this blade was that it was not only fast but had perhaps the largest, sweet spot of any blade that I have tested. I felt that my directional control when blocking or playing counter-topspin was exceptional. While the X3 Composite is stiff, the Limba outer plies create good dwell time and an overall feeling of a med-stiff blade.

This is a powerhouse blade (Off to Off+), that adds lots of speed to short strokes with good directional control for close to the table play but also has lots of finishing power from mid-distance. You can feel the X3 Composite even on soft touches of the ball, so the blade adds power with just small movements of the hand.

Even though the X3 Composite is hard and fast, the Limba layers keep it from feeling overly stiff and allow for high spin production When playing counter-topspin this blade produces a fast ball loaded with spin that feels very heavy on the opponent’s racket..

Overall, this is a high-tech, high-speed, blade that requires good strokes and hand skills to use effectively so I would recommend it for higher level players with good technique.

JOOLA VYZARYZ FREEZE

This is an ALC blade that incorporates JOOLA’s new “Cold Press” production. The result is an ALC blade with even greater touch and control. It is a medium-stiff blade but with some flex and a large, sweet spot. The ALC composite is between two layers of Limba (soft) wood which makes for good dwell time. However, the Limba plies make this a better racket for brush strokes using your opponent’s speed rather than trying to produce power with direct forward contact.

I felt that the strength of this blade was its ability to play against the opponent’s topspin where I could easily change the rhythm of the ball or change the amount of spin. It has wonderful control playing early in the bounce so If you like to play a fast counter-attacking game this would be the blade for you. It was easy to play a good quality opening topspin against backspin but loss speed from mid-distance.

Great for the modern close to the table counter-attacking game. The high control values would make it suitable for an intermediate to advanced level player. Great control when counterattacking or blocking. Enough speed to win the point but not a strong mid-distance racket and not a racket for an all-out power game.

JOOLA VYZARYZ HYBRID

I found this blade to be the most unique of the three. It is a 5+2 blade with PBO-C composite on one side and Super PBO-C on the other side. It has Koto outer plies which creates a harder feel and lower ball throw.

This is a fast blade (off to off+) with a stiff feel and large sweet spot. It feels more linear in its power production than the Trinity Blade or the Freeze Blade. When making softer contact with the ball, the racket does not add as much speed, but at higher contacts (more direct) there is great power. Personally, I liked this blade the best of all three. Producing both slower heavy topspin and power-strokes worked equally well with the Hybrid. It also played well from all distances from the table. While I did not find a big difference in speed between the two sides of the blade, the PBO-C side played safer with a higher throw.

I would recommend this blade for an intermediate to advanced all-round attacking style of player who likes a harder feel and wants a more controlled backhand side. This is also a great racket for players using short or long pips, or anti rubbers.

CONCLUSION

With the introduction of the JOOLA Vyzaryz series of blades, JOOLA has moved the bar upwards in both quality and innovation in blade-making. The game of table tennis keeps evolving and creating new challenges to the equipment manufactures. JOOLA continues to develop top-line blades and rubbers to meet these challenges and to offer equipment to allow every player to get the most out of their game.

Disclaimer: These blades were sent to Coach McAfee by JOOLAUSA. All views are his own.

About Coach Richard McAfee

Richard McAfee is a JOOLAUSA-sponsored coach and has been coaching table tennis for more than 50 years. He is a USATT certified National Coach. In addition, he is also certified by the International Table Tennis Association (ITTF) as a Level 1, 2, 3 Course Conductor and Trainer.

For his work in the USA, Coach McAfee has received the: 2004 United States Olympic Committee, DOC Councilman Science Award for Table Tennis, 2003 Georgia AAU Coach of the Year, 1999 United States Olympic Committee, Developmental Coach of the Year Award (Table Tennis), and a 1996 Merit Award from the International Olympic Committee. In 2005, Coach McAfee was inducted into the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame.

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Thiago Monteiro Reviews JOOLA Xylo 7 Blade

Thiago Monteiro — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

THOUGHTS FROM TEAM JOOLA

JOOLA Xylo 7 Blade Reviewed

by Thiago Monteiro

October 22, 2020

JOOLA XYLO 7

The 7-ply JOOLA Xylo 7 uses Limba as the top layer, which is perfect for direct and powerful topspin play. The inner layers are all comprised of softer Ayous, which provides feeling & feedback on all your shots. The JOOLA Xylo 7 is perfect for the offensive player that prefers the touch of an all wooden blade!

LIMBA OUTER VENEERS

Recognized by its pale color and darker grain, LIMBA is a soft and durable wood. The LIMBA outer veneers provide excellent feeling and a higher trajectory on your shots. The increased feedback and control is perfect for modern topspin play. An added bonus of LIMBA is its great acoustic properties. It creates an extremely satisfying sound that’ll remind you of your love for the game.

AYOUS INNER VENEERS

Endemic to Africa, AYOUS is the perfect choice for crafting a lightweight 7-ply blade. The wood’s larger pores result in elastic characteristics that make it an ideal component for close-to-the-table play. Due to its lightness, elasticity, and excellent strength-to-weight ratio, it’s well-balanced and capable of producing faster shots with high controllability and accuracy.

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