Andro Kinetic Supreme OFF-

I purchased this blade to replace my Saive Andro Kinetic Off-. I was disappointed to find that it didn’t suit my playing style. While it offers excellent control for short games and passive shots, I found it overly rigid and struggled to adjust my topspin/forehand loop technique.

However, the blade is constructed with impressive quality. I believe it would be a great choice for versatile offensive players who don’t rely solely on spin and placement. If your game revolves primarily around topspin shots, I recommend pairing this blade with extremely soft rubbers (my combination with 2.0mm F3, rated only 35°, was still too firm) or opt for a softer blade altogether.

Review text:

While browsing this site, I was skeptical when I discovered Kinetic Supreme Off- (referred to as KSO- hereinafter, which satisfied all my expectations at a low price. I purchased it through a second-hand market. After selecting the appropriate rubbers, I am now convinced of its current rating.

Initially, I paired it with LSZ999 40 degree 2.2mm and F3 2.0mm, but I was disappointed. The F3 side was too fast for looping (the thin and soft sponge resulted in a short dwell time & small margin of error, which also made pushing almost impossible to control), and the LSZ999 side was too slow (the Chinese sponge was too hard to hit through, wasting the speed of KSO-). This teaches a valuable lesson: pair KSO- with soft and thick enough rubber.

I then glued the LSZ999 and swapped F3 with a glued LSZ999 45 degree 2.2mm, which drastically improved performance, as if the true potential of KSO- had been “freed.” Its hard, fast, but not unbridled feel adds excitement to my game. Looping was effortless, and control was adequate. (I deliberately chose “easy” since this blade acts as a subsidiary to me, enhancing my power, unlike other neutral blades.) Pushing was initially bouncy but improved as the sponge gripped the ball correctly.

To ensure impartiality, I applied the glued rubbers to my YE, and the difference was striking, as expected between the two blades. Thus, even with glued rubber, the quality of shots primarily depends on the blade rather than the rubbers. Gluing primarily served to soften the Chinese hard sponge, improving the rubber’s grip and compensating for the blade’s shorter dwelling time (compared to my other slower 5 ply blades like YE or Hurricane King; I am not claiming that the dwelling time of KSO- is too short, but rather adequate considering its speed).

Therefore, even with unglued, softer, and thicker European/Japanese rubber, I believe KSO- is also excellent for a mediocre looping player like me, who can perform basic techniques correctly and quickly, primarily plays at close to mid distance, and needs a faster blade with decent control to provide extra power and enhance the game.

Cons: Although this is a 5 ply blade, its thin outer veneer, thick Kiri core (roughly 4.0mm), and greater overall thickness (roughly 6.7mm) make it unrealistic to expect it to create extremely heavy topspins like those of Wang Hao, Samsonov, etc. If you’re a topspin-addicted advanced player who can generate enormous strength yourself and loves to drive heavy loops at long distance, enjoying acceleration of topspin attacks off opponent’s table, you might find this blade too stiff/hard. This is not a pure loop-oriented blade like Hurricane King or Stratus Samsonov Carbon, but rather a versatile blade which can execute smashes and close-to-mid-distance quick loops quite well, and the throw angle of its loops are low. Of course, if you are a beginner still building up basic mechanics of techniques and are unable to concentrate your strength or consciously and quickly adjust yourself in case of an error, this blade is too fast for you.

I didn’t rate it because my database was too narrow, but personally I would be willing to rate the overall of KSO- at 9+ since I enjoy it more than other famous blades at the same price level like YE (which is terribly slower) or P700 (which does not provide the same deadly topspin), and even slightly more than Offensive Wood NCT (which reflects the skill of the player more honestly rather than boosting it like KSO-)…

I love this blade. It has hardly any vibrations, making it comfortable to use. It is light, but not too light, so it provides good control without being too heavy. It fits my style perfectly.