Donic Defplay Senso
Blade description:
The Donic Defplay Senso is an all-wood, 5-ply defensive blade known for its high level of control and specialized feel. Designed primarily for modern defensive play, it features an oversized head that provides significant dwell time, allowing for heavy spin generation during chops and loops. The blade is characterized by a soft feel and a high degree of flex and vibration, which is amplified by the hollow-core “Senso” handle system.
Key Playing Characteristics
- Feel and Feedback: The blade provides distinct vibration, which offers excellent tactile feedback for fine-tuning shots. Due to its soft composition, players often pair it with faster, modern tensor rubbers to maintain offensive viability.
- Versatility: While categorized as a defensive blade, it performs well as an all-round tool. It is highly effective for close-to-the-table play, blocking, and chop-blocking. The blade’s design facilitates easy “twiddling” for players who combine inverted rubbers with long pips.
- Construction and Weight: This is a lightweight, all-wood blade. The balance is generally well-regarded, though some users find the hollow handle affects the overall weight distribution. Because the blade is soft and thin, some players may find it necessary to seal the wood or adjust the head size to increase stiffness and speed to their preference.
- Tactical Suitability: It excels in spin-heavy defensive strategies and controlled attacking. It is highly recommended for players who prioritize placement and consistency over raw power, though it remains capable of point-ending attacks when paired with appropriate offensive rubbers.
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Recent Reviews
#1 — March 2024
My style is close to modern defense with long pips (Curl P-1R) on my forehand and thinnish inverted (a 1.8 Dr. Neubauer Domination) on my backhand. I re-sized the Defplay to 157 x 149 mm. The oversized blade was too heavy and unwieldy, like swinging a frying pan. However, a few sessions with the oversized blade revealed its amazing consistency for long-distance chops and fishes.
Re-sized, it became stiffer, more predictable, and faster (probably ALL- or even ALL), not much slower than my old Applegren Allplay. It is significantly spinnier than any other all-round blade I’ve tried, suitable for pips out and spinny chopping. It has great dwell and feedback, though I lessened both and sped up the blade by lacquering it (even though Donic blades tend to play better without varnish and are cheap enough to replace if damaged).
The increased speed means long-distance chops easily reach the other side of the table, and point-ending attacks are easier with proper body commitment. As with most defensive equipment, full commitment is necessary to maximize spin and consistency. Once you master the blade’s flex and hollow handle, you can cut the ball in two. The comfortable straight handle is perfect for twiddling.
However, the hollow handle affects the balance, especially when re-sized. If you plan on using the Defplay as a 149 x 157 mm blade, reduce its weight by 5-10 grams compared to your normal set up to minimize the transition period.
#2 — November 2020
Great amount of control for a really low price. However, it needs a fast rubber on it.
#3 — November 2019
This blade is designed for rubbers that allow you to generate spin. Rubbers with less friction, such as Grass Dtecs or Bomb Talent, are not recommended for use with this blade, as the blade is too soft to produce sufficient reversal.
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