Donic Original No. 1 Senso

I’ve tried a good hundred blades over the last 3 years, going through Chinese blades, clones, Butterfly, Stiga Inspira, Donic JZ, etc., even some SDC blades, which I really loved. This one has a DHS-style handle: people either love it or hate it. It’s comfortable, and the Senso system gives a bit of extra feedback. On pushes, you need to stay focused and really manage the angle because it’s precise. For topspins, there’s nothing to complain about; you can play the whole repertoire of topspins, they pack a real punch, and the ball always lands off the table for the opponent. It pairs well with hybrid rubbers like Rakza Z, Xiom Vega Pro H, Butterfly 09 °C, etc. The weight is slightly head-heavy, but less so than the DHS blades I’ve tested, for example. Blocks are beautifully stable (I have a low-throw Donic Desto F4 on the backhand)—it punches back fast and completely neutralizes even the spinniest topspins. For me, it’s the best setup I’ve ever had, and it’s the one I’m sticking with.

Donic Ovtcharov No. 1 Senso with a new name, so you can find previous reviews with that name from Revspin. Reportedly designed by Dima before he moved to Butterfly, but I’ve never seen him play with this in tournaments. There is a 15-minute video on YouTube where Ovtcharov practices with this and talks about the blade’s features. Inner carbon (acryl). Weight varies from 80 to 90 grams. I asked for the lightest one available on Tabletennis11 and got 84g. 159.5×150 mm & 5.9 mm. Frequency 1378 Hz so this is Off-/Off. The handle is much thinner than usual, so don’t buy this if you have big hands. Never tried DHS Hurricane Long 5 so I can’t tell if this is a clone or if the top ply really is limba instead of ayous. I’m an intermediate player so I put 47.5 degree Andro Hexer Powergrip 2.1 mm on both sides. The combination feels perfect for my level. The blade is intended for semi-pros/pros and I believe the flexibility suits them even better with harder rubbers. Donic ranks this as stiff, but it is not. It is more flexible than, for example, Koki Niwa Wood. The control is incredible and the sweet spot is huge. Not a particularly fast blade, but the spin properties and especially good control compensate for that lack. I can’t imagine a better inner carbon blade for an intermediate player, though Tibhar Shang Kun Hybrid AC is pretty close. This hollow “senso” handle is just so great. It makes the racket light enough to use heavier rubbers, but the best part is that it is so head-heavy that when I switch from backhand to forehand, the racket is always at just the right angle for a counterattack.