Donic Zhang Jike New Era

Greetings—well, caught the EJ virus (again) and bought one. 85 gm, GoldArc 9 (38*) and Domination Speed 2 (which feels about 45* ESN hardness). Have had 2 sessions with it so far. This is a very nice blade, but not really innovative despite the fact it has a “new” and different composite fibre. It is a high performance, modern blade aimed at the experienced offensive player, and it fulfills its intended function very well, but does not stand out amongst its peers. My impression/rating of its hardness/stiffness would be 6/10, so the feeling is slightly hard with some (but not much) flex. It is fairly direct without feeling harsh, and the sensation of ball on blade comes through clearly. Blade is solid and stable so blocking is easy. Loops and topspins well, but I wouldn’t consider this a dedicated looping blade, more of an offensive blade for all strokes.

So, although I was impressed by the Donic New Era and it has my recommendation, it is just another very good blade in a market crowded with very good blades.